Maddie Day is one of my favorite authors due to her Country Store series which is my absolute favorite but this second installment in her Cozy Capers Book Group mystery is the first I've read and it certainly won't be my last.

I enjoyed the characters and the plot and I am eager to read further in this series, starting at the beginning. The amateur sleuth in this series, Mac Almeida, owns a Cape Cod bicycle shop and there are plenty of other interesting characters as well.

Definitely a series (and author) I would recommend.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

It was a good quick read. Really enjoyed it. ( )

Mac Almeida owns a bicycle shop on Cape Cod, and spends her off time either with her boyfriend, baker Tim, or her book club, the Cozy Capers Book Club. One day while she's at her parents' home relaxing, a woman comes through the hedge holding Mac's dad's puppy at arms' length and insists the puppy has been digging in her garden. After an unpleasant talk, she returns home. Later Mac finds that the new man in her friend Gin's life is the ex-son-in-law of the woman, Beverly Ruchart, and that Gin and Eli are going to a dinner party at his home.

But the next morning when Mac sets out for her daily walk with Gin, she finds her stooped over Beverly, who is very dead indeed. Now Gin is the main suspect in Beverly's murder, despite having barely met the woman, and Mac and her friends are determined to find the truth.

But she has more problems on her plate with Tim wanting to take their relationship to the next level, which is marriage, and she's not sure if she's ready. Fortunately -- or not -- the murder will be first and foremost, and this will have to wait. But if Mac waits too long on both fronts, she might just find herself in more trouble than she wants...

This is the second book in the series, and I have to say that I did like it better than the first. If I could find anything I didn't like, it's what most authors are doing nowadays; adding political agendas into their books. Personally, if I need a window fixed, I'm not going to hire a woman's company just because she's a woman. I'm going to hire the most capable company for the job. It doesn't matter to me who owns it; what matters is if they are going to do a good job.

Other than that, I did like the plot. It seems the murdered woman had more going for her than anyone thought, and she was more generous than expected, which made it difficult for Mac to weed out a killer. The clues were there, but you had to look for them (which I always enjoy doing anyway).

The descriptions of the surrounding area were definitely a plus and always good in a book; you can take yourself away to the area without having to leave your home, and Ms. Day is excellent at this. When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it really wasn't much of a surprise, but it was put together well, and left us with a teaser as to what the next book might have in store for us. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series. Recommended. ( )

Murder at the Taffy Shop by Maddie Day is the 2nd book in A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series. The book can be a little confusing in the beginning, but everything a new reader needs to know is soon provided. There is a group of friendly characters in this series. I like the members of the book group as well as Mac’s family, especially her spunky grandmother. Mac’s African Grey, Belle is a delight. He has some great lines with my favorite being, “Cheese it, call the cops.”. Westham, Massachusetts is a cozy town with some charming shops. I enjoyed the descriptions of this tourist town (I want to visit). I did find the pacing to be on the slow side. The story needed more action. There is also a repetition of information that is annoying. In the first third of the book, it is mentioned a minimum of four times how Mac is not ready to marry and have children (I got it the first time). Case details are repeated as well (how the body was found especially). The whodunit had several suspects since Beverly rubbed most people the wrong way. I found it particularly easy to solve this whodunit (my mother says it is because I read so many mysteries). I have no doubt that most readers will solve this one long before the reveal. I enjoyed the references to other cozy mysteries. I would love a cozy mystery book group in my complex. Cozy mystery readers who like warm, relatable characters living in a cozy town where they can follow their day-to-day activities, will enjoy this book. Murder at the Taffy Shop is a cute cozy mystery with a bothersome Beverly, a verbose Belle, a gregarious Gin, a cute Cokey, and a well-meaning Mac. ( )

cozy-mystery, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, small-business, small-town, family, friendship, series, pets*****

I'm new to the series, but not to the author (I like her). The main character owns a bicycle rent/repair shop, lives in a Tiny House, has father who is a minister, a mother who is an astrologer, and has a verbose African Grey parrot. And is essential to the Cozy Capers Book Group who also had become sleuths to support her after she found a body in an earlier book. This time it is her good friend who finds the body of a rather obnoxious woman who has enough money to act like everyone should kowtow to her. Let the sleuthing begin! Great but quick read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )