rants_n_reads's review
3.0
This book was okay. The mystery was good, but I had a hard time getting into the characters. One of my big peeves in cozies is when there’s no reason for the sleuth to get involved. I get that later it’s clear the police are eager to go with Nate as a suspect, but early on Piper still seems to have faith in her uncle and his crew. She only investigates because Amy (a chief’s daughter) asks her (a pickler who is doesn’t know anyone in town) to look into the crime. It makes zero sense. Also Piper doesn’t seem to really offer anything as a sleuth except maybe the ability to Google.
wildflowerz76's review
4.0
Cozy mysteries are supposed to be a bit silly. There are usually tons of quirky characters and the main protagonist is usually someone who has no business investigating murders. This is known. But I've had some bad luck with picking a lot of extremely insipid ones lately. I'm happy to say that this was a good one!
I fully admit that I don't like pickles. And the thought of pickling anything else TOTALLY turns my stomach. I don't get how someone can support themselves with a shop devoted solely to picking things in a small town. But once I got past that, I totally enjoyed this one. I characters were quirky and I liked the heroine. The love interest was relatively simple in this one, leaving the twists and turns to the actual mystery. That appears like it will change, but I enjoyed it for a change form the norm. I'll definitely read more of these.
I fully admit that I don't like pickles. And the thought of pickling anything else TOTALLY turns my stomach. I don't get how someone can support themselves with a shop devoted solely to picking things in a small town. But once I got past that, I totally enjoyed this one. I characters were quirky and I liked the heroine. The love interest was relatively simple in this one, leaving the twists and turns to the actual mystery. That appears like it will change, but I enjoyed it for a change form the norm. I'll definitely read more of these.
fran98765's review
2.0
It was incredibly far fetched, even for a cozy mystery. The reasons Piper determined for her suspects were ridiculous. In addition everyone asking her to solve the crime because she dated an investigative lawyer was moronic.
peacefrog's review
2.0
I had a hard time getting into the book and developing a connection with the characters.
_kristiew_'s review
4.0
Cute cozy in a charming setting. Good mystery, although I did figure out who the killer though their motives surprised me.
angrygreycatreads's review
4.0
First in a new to me series. Piper has just broken up with her fiance and moved to the small town she spent childhood summers in to open up a shop selling all things related to related to pickling, the spices, jars, recipe books, and pickled products. She is excited for the new venture and for joining into life in her new home town. The Cloverdale Fair gives her a chance to exhibit her wares and meet more of her neighbors, until someone ends up dead, right in her stall!
Piper, along with her Aunt and Uncle and employee Amy make a nice cast of what I am sure will be recurring characters. The theme is fun and interesting. I used to make a lot of my own pickles and chutneys and I don’t remember seeing any other cozies with this theme. The mystery has plenty of possible suspects for the reader to think about and law enforcement has their own suspect right from the start. Fun, well written, fast paced cozy.
Piper, along with her Aunt and Uncle and employee Amy make a nice cast of what I am sure will be recurring characters. The theme is fun and interesting. I used to make a lot of my own pickles and chutneys and I don’t remember seeing any other cozies with this theme. The mystery has plenty of possible suspects for the reader to think about and law enforcement has their own suspect right from the start. Fun, well written, fast paced cozy.
dollycas's review
4.0
The Cloverdale fair offers Piper a sweet opportunity to promote her business. With her new assistant, Amy, she sets up a booth centered around an eye-catching display of the ever-popular dills in an old-fashioned barrel of brine.
But things soon turn sour when fairgoers witness a fight between Amy’s boyfriend, Nate, and town council blowhard—and bagpipe player—Alan Rosemont. When Rosemont is found floating in Piper’s barrel, Nate becomes the prime murder suspect. With Amy’s boyfriend in a pretty pickle, there’s no time to dillydally. But as Piper searches for the real killer, she needs to be careful to preserve her own life…or she may end up a pickled Piper herself.
INCLUDES RECIPES
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am not much of a pickle eater but I remember going somewhere as a child that had a big pickle barrel at the end of the counter so I could easily picture Alan Rosemont stuck in Piper’s pickle barrel. What a way to die, just plain pickled. He wasn’t the most popular guy around town so Piper has her work cut out for her finding the real killer.
I really liked Piper. She is a strong woman that decided a change was definitely in order and had the guts to follow her dream.
Cloverdale seems like a wonderful small town and because of the fair the author was able to introduce readers to quite a few members of he community. I was really drawn to the friendship between Piper and Amy. Amy works part time for Piper and part time for a local restaurant. They worked on the canning and recipes together and were so in sync one could immediately pick up where the other left off.
I also enjoyed the relationship building between Piper and Will but I just know Scott, the former fiancee, is going to throw a monkey wrench into it and put Piper into quite of a pickle.
Mary Ellen Hughes is off to a great start with her Pickled and Preserved Mysteries. I am excited for the next installment.
But things soon turn sour when fairgoers witness a fight between Amy’s boyfriend, Nate, and town council blowhard—and bagpipe player—Alan Rosemont. When Rosemont is found floating in Piper’s barrel, Nate becomes the prime murder suspect. With Amy’s boyfriend in a pretty pickle, there’s no time to dillydally. But as Piper searches for the real killer, she needs to be careful to preserve her own life…or she may end up a pickled Piper herself.
INCLUDES RECIPES
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am not much of a pickle eater but I remember going somewhere as a child that had a big pickle barrel at the end of the counter so I could easily picture Alan Rosemont stuck in Piper’s pickle barrel. What a way to die, just plain pickled. He wasn’t the most popular guy around town so Piper has her work cut out for her finding the real killer.
I really liked Piper. She is a strong woman that decided a change was definitely in order and had the guts to follow her dream.
Cloverdale seems like a wonderful small town and because of the fair the author was able to introduce readers to quite a few members of he community. I was really drawn to the friendship between Piper and Amy. Amy works part time for Piper and part time for a local restaurant. They worked on the canning and recipes together and were so in sync one could immediately pick up where the other left off.
I also enjoyed the relationship building between Piper and Will but I just know Scott, the former fiancee, is going to throw a monkey wrench into it and put Piper into quite of a pickle.
Mary Ellen Hughes is off to a great start with her Pickled and Preserved Mysteries. I am excited for the next installment.
carmenmarie's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
murderbydeath's review
I'm not rating this one because I couldn't even get to page 60 before closing it with a "nope, can't do it". By page 32 there were so many implausibilities my suspension of belief snapped from the tension of over-stretching. It's been rated highly by others, so I might try to read it again at a later date; I love the setting of a pickle shop and would love to read more about it, but the writing was just not working for me.
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