Another great book by Ms/ Connolly. ( )

Nipped in the Bud is part of the delightful An Orchard Mystery series. I was happy to see the series find a new publisher so it could continue. However, Nipped in the Bud is not on the same level as the other books in An Orchard Mystery (lots of fluff). Granford is a charming small town with a variety of residents (many of whom were not in the book). I am happy to see Seth and Meg settling into married life (plenty of internal dialogue from Meg on this point). But I did not like how Meg came across in Nipped in the Bud. She is bored and whiney. Their new orchard manager is introduced, and I like that he will be building a tiny home. It is great that they are using the old chicken coop foundation for his new abode (though, their estimate on how long it will take to build seemed off). I must admit that I miss Bree, the old orchard manager, with her friendly demeanor. There are some cozy moments with chatting, eating, having coffee, talking about pruning and the building of the tiny home. The mystery was straightforward, but it was light. There was more discussion than sleuthing (lack of action too). The case details are rehashed along with oodles of speculation. The resolution was incomplete. When a crime is solved, I want to know the facts instead of supposition. Detective Marcus comes across as the cliché nasty detective and warns Meg to not investigate (of course). I did not like that Meg kept putting him down (seemed unlike her). I was surprised that Seth rented rooms out of his house without getting references or doing background checks. There were also inconsistencies in character details especially with Meg’s friend, Lauren. The characters seem to be behind the times when it comes to using modern technology (cell phones, tablets) which was puzzling (there were some odd comments). While Nipped in the Bud can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order. I have enjoyed An Orchard Mystery series until Nipped in the Bud. I am giving Nipped in the Bud 3 out of 5 stars. I hope the author is back on her game with the next An Orchard Mystery. ( )

NIPPED IN THE BUD by Shelia Connolly is the 12th installment of her Orchard Mystery series.
This is a cozy mystery series. One can spend a ‘cozy’ afternoon reading and it is very pleasant, like catching up with old friends.
I don’t read many cozy mysteries, but this is one I have kept up with. I like the characters (most of the time), the locations, the ‘localness’ of the place, and the apple orchard.
This title, however, fell flat on its face for me. The plot points were very sparse; many of the local characters were not included in this title; there was little talk of apple varieties, or orchard management - all those little snippets that made the series palatable. There wasn’t even a recipe at the end. There was no charm or folksy feel to it.
Most of the book centered on Meg’s constant, constant whining and outrage that she was not included in a state narcotics force investigation. Really? Meg’s character was annoying, disrespectful and ignorant. And her constant moralizing about being a ‘faithful wife’ and a ‘traditional woman’ and Seth doing ‘man stuff’ was nauseating. Seth was portrayed as an appendage only. And I can’t believe that a tiny house (even a really tiny house) can be completed and livable in just a few days. I also can’t believe that anyone would rent out a family home to 4 strangers without asking for references and deposits.
I did like the colorful, stylized cover and the reference to Norm Abram of This Old House fame (produced by Boston PBS). That’s about it.
A disappointing read. ( )

Nipped in the Bud is the latest adventure in Connolly's Orchard Mystery series. This book finds newlyweds Meg and Seth trying to enjoy some down time finishing some winter projects before their busy season begins. Their peaceful time together is interrupted when out for a walk, they discover the body of an undercover journalist who came to their area for a secret assignment. Meg and Seth become determined to discover what is going on in their quiet town by solving this case themselves since the police seem to be having jurisdiction trouble. Even though this is book twelve in the series, it was actually the first book that I have read in the series so I was please to discover that I could jump right into this latest adventure.

Connelly does a great job with her character development especially for a reader new to these established characters. Meg and Seth are great main characters, and the reader can definitely relate to them both as well as root for them to get to the bottom of this mystery. I also liked the secondary characters introduced especially Larry and Art. I always enjoy when the secondary characters are well used and add to the book's overall plot. The book had a lot of twists and turns and does an excellent job at capturing the reader's attention. The book also made me want to go back and check out previous books in the series. Overall Nipped in the Bud was a great read that I would most definitely recommend if you are looking for a great cozy mystery to try.

Received a copy of Nipped in the Bud through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Nipped In The Bud is the twelfth book in the Orchard Mystery series. I was very happy that the series found a new publisher, as I really enjoy reading about Meg Corey Chapin’s endeavors on her apple farm.

Warmer weather is around the corner and Meg and Seth are looking forward to getting back to their work. Soon Meg will be huddling with Larry, her new orchard manager and discussing the plans for the orchard for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Seth had earlier posed making a “small house” for Larry on an existing foundation of an old chicken coop and is anxious to get started on it. While Meg and Seth are out for a breath of fresh air early one evening, the hear a rifle shot. Max, their dog, immediately heads off to where the shot came from, with Seth in pursuit. Soon, Seth comes upon the body of a female. The site is between Meg and Seth’s house and Seth’s former residence, that he now renting to some college students. Seth notifies police chief Art Preston and homicide detective is also called in.

A couple days later Seth and Meg meet with Preston and Marcus, where Marcus identifies the body as Jenn Chambers, a reporter with the Boston Globe. She has come to Granford to do research on drug problems in the area for a story she wants to write. Marcus also informs them that the narcotics unit has ordered everyone to stop any investigation into the murder. They are also unwilling to share any of their investigation with anyone.

With the location of the murder and a possible drug-related drug problem Meg and Seth set off on an investigation of there own to try and learn who else might have known of Chamber’s research hoping that is doesn’t bring back to Larry.

Another interesting, well-written and plotted story from Connolly. She includes an enjoyable and believable cast of characters. It was nice to see that Lydia, Seth’s mom, and Christopher, Meg’s mentor for her farm, just might be having a blossoming romance.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, especially since Meg will probably be working in the orchard and I love to read about what it takes to have a successful orchard. ( )