Sheila Connolly - A Killer Crop

A Killer Crop

Sheila Connolly

Berkley, Dec 7 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425238264

In the New England town of Granford near Amherst University is an apple orchard owned by Meg Corey. She became the owner when she went down to sell it on behalf of her mother and felt a kinship to the land. Now out of the blue, her mother visits her, which is out of character so Meg questions Elizabeth.

Before she gets a response, Detective Marcus stops to question Elizabeth who was seen in town longer than she admitted to Meg. She was seeing a man who was murdered and found in the local farmer's market when it was abandoned. Elizabeth says she was not with him at the time of his death. Marcus suspects her, but Meg believes her mom is innocent and starts sleuthing to prove it.

Readers will thoroughly enjoy the entertaining latest Orchard amateur sleuth (see Red Delicious Death). We admire Meg who uses this difficult time to better understand her parents especially in their relationship with each other and with her; as that ironically for someone who has solved murder cases has always been a mystery to her. She also has uncertainties re her boyfriend Seth Chapin and her, but first she must prove her mom's innocence and then change weaknesses and threats into strengths and opportunities when it comes to her parents and her boyfriend.

Harriet Klausner