THE CIDER SHOP RULES (A Cider Shop Mystery #3) by Julie Anne Lindsey will be published on July 27th 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation.
Fall is in full swing in Blossom Valley when Winona Mae Montgomery finds herself caught up in another murder investigation. After picking up an order at the local pumpkin patch, Winnie and her friend stop in town to get ice cream. It is while they are enjoying their frozen treat that the body of the pumpkin patch's owner is found in the bed of Winnie's vintage farm truck. When the locals ask Winnie to look into Jacob Potter's murder, she can't help but agree. Even after receiving multiple threats from the killer and repeated pleas from the local sheriff to stay out of his investigation, Winnie keep questioning suspects and investigating clues. All the time she is tracking a killer, she is being stalked by another killer—placing her in double danger.
I was torn between conflicting feelings over THE CIDER SHOP RULES. I have not read the first two novels in the series, and I felt like I missed something by not reading them. Yes, backstory is provided and it kept me filled in on the pertinent facts. But having missed the early stages of Winnie's relationship with the local sheriff left me baffled when it came to their current relationship. Despite being in their late-twenties/early-thirties, both Winnie and Colton Wise both act like juveniles. There was something about their relationship—or lack thereof—that got under my skin and kept me from really enjoying the book. Winnie is being stalked by a murderer who has made it clear that he plans to hurt her. Instead of being worried about that, she's more worried about what the locals will say if the sheriff sleeps over to protect her. Maybe it's just me, but I'd be far more concerned about staying alive than I would be over what the local busybodies are saying. Aside from Winnie's and Colton's "relationship," I enjoyed the book. The investigation was interesting and kept me guessing. Also, the writing was well done. And I loved the setting.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.