Sour Apples by Sheila Connolly is the sixth book in the “Orchard” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, August 2012

A Whole Herd of Trouble

Apple orchard owner Meg Corey is finally feeling settled into her new life in Granford–she’s made friends, and her relationship with Seth Chapin is heating up–when her old Boston coworker Lauren Converse comes barreling into town, running the Congressional campaign for a former hometown football hero. But Meg doesn’t have time to worry about why Seth seems reluctant to back Lauren’s campaign, because her neighbor, local dairy farmer Joyce Truesdell, is found dead from an apparent kick to the head from one of her cows.

When an autopsy shows that the fatal blow actually came from a weapon, Meg is even more troubled. Popular opinion points to Joyce’s husband as the culprit, but Meg can’t help wondering if someone wanted the outspoken dairy farmer out of the way–but why? She’ll have to find out who had a beef with the victim, before she’s the next one to get creamed.

The appearance of an ex-coworker, an aspiring political candidate and a dairy farmer all play out in the latest adventure with Meg Corey. This was a great read and I love watching Meg become more self-assured of her abilities to strike out on her own with the orchard and trusting her instincts when it comes to solving crimes. I can always count on the author to deliver a well-written and intriguing mystery that keeps me riveted to the pages. I look forward to more exciting happenings in Granford, MA with Meg and her friends in this wonderfully charming series.