And it’s back to my backlog of reviews from last year!

This one is for the second in the Backyard Farming Mystery series. You can see my review of the first one, Chicken Culprit, here.

Blurb

When one of the first guests at the Brandywine Inn dies, Anne has to determine which of her guests is out for revenge.

Settling into her new hometown of Carolan Springs, Anne’s excited to join her new-found friends in opening a bed-and-breakfast. But when the first guests arrive at the Brandywine Inn’s grand opening, it’s clear that there’s an undercurrent of tension in the group. When a suspicious death occurs, Anne is again drawn into uncovering a killer. Trapped as a blizzard approaches, one of the four college frenemies is out for revenge. Even more worrying, strange happenings in the old house have her wondering if someone else is in the house with them. Or is someone playing tricks on the others, drawing them into a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Can Anne uncover the killer before they strike again or will Sheriff Carson thwart her efforts?

If you enjoy quirky, relatable characters, mysteries that keep you guessing, and stories that touch your heart, grab it now.

Cordial Killing by Vikki Walton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne and her friends are excited for the opening of their new B&B – a themed weekend with lessons in herbs and the making of an award-winning cordial. But when the guests arrive, it turns out that the four ladies are old acquaintances, not all on the best of terms with each other, and the sole husband who has tagged along means something to more than one of them.
With a suspicious death, strange sounds in the old building, and a blizzard stranding them all together, it’s up to Anne to figure out what’s really going on.
This book follows on from Chicken Culprit, which I enjoyed as an easy read. The characters were appealing enough to make me want to read more about them, and I’m glad I did. While guessing the identity of the victim is straightforward, the murderer is more of a fun challenge. The twists and turns in the various relationships kept me guessing, and the only thing that didn’t work well for me was their names – all variations on Elizabeth. I got the reason for this, but keeping them straight in my head until I was well into the book was a bit harder work than I wanted.
As a charming way to spend a bit of time, I can recommend this series for those who enjoy cosy mysteries in a small-town setting, with a bit of murder on the side.


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