valeris29's review
5.0
“You never know what tomorrow will bring.”
With her world turned upside down, again, Leila finds herself home and the new owner of the family maple syrup farm after her father’s brutal murder. Faced with a job she really didn’t want, a mother she’d never gotten along with, a desperate brother and a questionable employee or two, Leila is determined to figure out who killed her father and why. This was well thought out, with a cast of memorable characters that have me excited to see what’s up next!
With her world turned upside down, again, Leila finds herself home and the new owner of the family maple syrup farm after her father’s brutal murder. Faced with a job she really didn’t want, a mother she’d never gotten along with, a desperate brother and a questionable employee or two, Leila is determined to figure out who killed her father and why. This was well thought out, with a cast of memorable characters that have me excited to see what’s up next!
reginasharinette_71's review
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really enjoyed this first book and can't wait to read book 2!
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐.5 -- Most excellent cover on this one!
Okay, so to start I will warn you that this review will be all over the place.
Okay, so to start I will warn you that this review will be all over the place.
emperorcupcake's review
4.0
3.5 on my usual rating scale, but 4 stars on my cosy mystery scale. Cosies just hit different. I mean the town librarian is named Paige Turner 😂😂
Also, I would die for Toast. 🐈 I love him like my own son, who is also an orange cat.
I read these for the cats and the vibes and the recipes (some maple ones I'm def going to try!) much more so than the plot. I read maybe 3 cosies a year for this reason, but I almost always enjoy them. This one has great atmosphere - I mean it's a maple syrup farm in Vermont which is pretty much synonymous with "atmosphere" - and I enjoyed the characters despite figuring out the killer. Again, these aren't really about that. This was a perfect read to get me into the fall mood. I look forward to the further adventures of Toast in the next ridiculous punny book! ("Syrup to No Good." Obviously.)
Also, I would die for Toast. 🐈 I love him like my own son, who is also an orange cat.
I read these for the cats and the vibes and the recipes (some maple ones I'm def going to try!) much more so than the plot. I read maybe 3 cosies a year for this reason, but I almost always enjoy them. This one has great atmosphere - I mean it's a maple syrup farm in Vermont which is pretty much synonymous with "atmosphere" - and I enjoyed the characters despite figuring out the killer. Again, these aren't really about that. This was a perfect read to get me into the fall mood. I look forward to the further adventures of Toast in the next ridiculous punny book! ("Syrup to No Good." Obviously.)
lolasreviews's review
I set this one aside. I didn't like the main character and struggled to read this one. I didn't like how she treated people as suspects and accused them.
jenmoody23's review
5.0
Leila has come home from Florida when her father is murdered and learns that he as left her the family farm and maple sugar business to her. As she works on her own personal issues of losing her father, strained relationship with her mother, and faces the main reason why she left town four years ago, she also has to learn how to manage the family business and try to find out why her father was killed.
This book is the start to a new cozy mystery series. It was very well written and had a lot of depth to the story and characters. I did guess the killer, which I rarely do, but it did not lessen the enjoyment of the book for me and I did not guess the killer’s motive.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy in exchange for a review.
This book is the start to a new cozy mystery series. It was very well written and had a lot of depth to the story and characters. I did guess the killer, which I rarely do, but it did not lessen the enjoyment of the book for me and I did not guess the killer’s motive.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy in exchange for a review.
jojo_k654's review
dnf@10%
Not much to say, if I wasn't feeling it then I'm moving on to the next cozy.
Not much to say, if I wasn't feeling it then I'm moving on to the next cozy.
akolb51's review
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his maple syrup. When he's killed, she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business. When her brother becomes a suspect, Leila investigates to find the truth about her father's sticky end.
This was a great start to a cozy mystery series. Leila is a likeable character, and the side characters are interesting. The plot was well thought out, and I couldn’t figure out whodunit until the big reveal. I recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.
msrichardsreads89's review
mysterious
fast-paced
This was a FABULOUS start to a new cozy mystery series! I loved the setting of Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and I loved Leila as a protagonist. The characters were so great, and I loved the plot of the mystery! I cannot wait for book 2!
itisamandaaa's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this title.
This is the first book in a new series by Catherine Bruns. Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he is murdered and she returns to her home town to take over his business, she realizes how unaware she has been of what's going on at home. Taking up investigating on her own, Leila will learn exactly what happened to lead to her father's sticky end.
This is the first book in a new series by Catherine Bruns. Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he is murdered and she returns to her home town to take over his business, she realizes how unaware she has been of what's going on at home. Taking up investigating on her own, Leila will learn exactly what happened to lead to her father's sticky end.