Review of FATAL FROST, A Dewberry Farm Mystery, by Karen MacInerney.
Rated 5 out of 5 stars by Iris Chacon.
In this wholesome, small-town, cozy mystery Lucy Resnick has left her career as a Houston investigative reporter to take over her late grandmother’s farm in Buttercup, Texas. In addition to coping with a clever cow and two adventuring goats, Lucy works part-time waitressing at the Blue Onion Cafe and has begun dating the local veterinarian.

Of course, if Lucy simply lives an idyllic life on rustic Dewberry Farm, we would have no mystery to solve. So, when a Cafe co-worker doesn’t show up for work, readers just know a murder has been committed. Soon Lucy knows it, too, but the local sheriff pays no attention to Lucy’s suspicions, naturally. Lucy will have more than one murder to solve and more than one personal relationship to salvage before the exciting conclusion.

Author Karen MacInerney has created such a lovely town and lovable, realistic people, that we are not surprised to find some characters’ favorite and popular Christmas recipes included at the end of the story. They are a welcome addition, too, because throughout the story readers have been salivating over the various treats consumed by the residents of Buttercup, Texas, at Christmastime.The holiday atmosphere and homespun Christmas traditions add a note of nostalgia and warmth to the already-comfortable environment of the story.

There is no offensive material in this wholesome mystery, and the treatment of Christianity is even-handed rather than negative, which is a welcome rarity in today’s humanistic society.

FATAL FROST is available from October 18, just in time for Christmas. Treat yourself to a copy, or give one to a friend. Merry reading.

The writer received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest, objective review.