Farm to Trouble (Farm to Table Mysteries #1)
Published March 23rd 2021 by Poisoned Pen Press (first published February 23rd 2021), Paperback 288 pages
Coming home to a run-down farm, gossipy neighbors, and a shady investor is a lot to handle... but a murderer on the loose is the final straw!
Shiloh Bellamy cashed in her big city job and 401K to return home to Michigan to save the family farm, but turning Bellamy Farms into a sustainable, organic operation - complete with a farm-to-table café - is no small feat. Especially when her new investor is found dead among the flowers just hours after the contract is signed. Everyone knows her father had a grudge against the investor, and word travels fast in a small town...
Now, Shiloh must clear her family's name and track down the real killer before her organic farm dreams wilt before her very eyes. But with her father trying to stop any progress on his land, her cousin belittling her every effort, the farmhouse falling down around her, and the whole town believing her family at fault, Shiloh's small town troubles are growing much faster than her crops. She'll have to trust her own investigation or risk all her dreams drying up before they begin.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This is a cozy mystery, and this is the first book in the Farm to Table Mystery. I have to say I really loved the mystery in this book. The characters where developed, and I loved getting to know them. I did not want to put this book down. I also love the farm parts of this book, but I live in the country and gardening a lot. There was twists and turns, and I did not see all of them coming. I cannot wait for book 2 in this series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) or author (Amanda Flower) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Rating: really liked it
What happens when an LA television producer returns home to save the family farm in Michigan? Well, for Shiloh, a lot of not great things, every one of them unexpected and I was impressed that she didn’t pack it in!
Shiloh hasn’t been home in 15 years, not once, but has cashed in all of her savings and quit her job to return to her childhood home and turn the farm around. One thing I noticed quickly was that everyone is mean to her, even her Dad, and like unreasonably mean. I know that the townspeople were supposed to be gossipy and singularly minded but I felt like this cozy was missing some coziness! The relationship with her Dad was not what I’m used to in a cozy either, they barely had any connection and I just felt kind of lousy for her. The plot took a long time to develop and there was a lot of her mowing the lawn, I think I was getting more stressed about her fixing up the farm then I was about the murder mystery. This mystery is a bit slow going but picks up midway through and I was more engaged.
I would have like more resolution at the end, we were left with a big chunk of the plot left as a cliffhanger and I am still stressed about the farm chores lol!
The shining star of the story was her pug Huckleberry, he was adorable!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC, this book publishes on Feb 23rd!
Rating: really liked it
3.5β
A fun start with a new series by Amanda Flower. I enjoy her other series so I'm excited to check out a new farm-to-table cozy.
Shiloh Bellamy and her pug, Huckleberry move home from Los Angeles to save the family's farm. The town is facing threat from a man with money and power who wants to buy up lands for wind farms. However, some locals are against this idea due to the migration pattern for birds from Lake of Michigan. Set in Cherry Glen, Michigan, Shiloh's deal with the sleazeball moneyman had gone bad when he turns up dead.
I wouldn't say I'm loving this series (yet), but it's a good start. The neighbor (fireman) did pique my interest for the next one. π
Rating: really liked it
Shiloh comes back home to the farm after being in LA for 15 years to help out her dad. She had no idea that the family farm was in such bad shape. She sold her condo and investments to pay the back taxes and got involved with an investor to help her update the farm to make it organic, farm to table. He is a scammer who says he wants to help the farmers but he really just wants their land to put up wind turbines so he can make lots of money from wind farming.
He ends up dead and there is no shortage of suspects. Shiloh and her dad are on top of the list.
I was completely surprised by who did it. There is also a cliffhanger of sorts that make you have to read the next book in the series and I plan to do that soon.
Rating: really liked it
I love usually love cozy mysteries, but I think the author forgot the "cozy" in this one. Christ on a cracker, why was every single character so damn mean to the heroine? Like, over the top mean. Even her own damn father. Who frankly deserved to lose his damn farm for not being a responsible adult and paying his f-ing taxes! And to rip her a new one for finding an investor who turns out is shady. How was she supposed to know that living in Los Angeles when her father wouldn't even talk to her about any of it??!!
Seriously people, this book pissed me off SO much! π
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Rating: really liked it
Being a country girl at heart, I embraced the opportunity to read this new farm-to-table cozy series from Amanda Flower.
I appreciated several key ideas in FARM TO TROUBLE. I enjoy the idea of organic farm living and the laid back surroundings a country setting provides. Protagonist, Shiloh Bellamy has her hands full with her dad ailing and acting like a sourpuss, and dealing with the headaches of his severely neglected 200 acre farm. But, Shiloh’s not a quitter, and I admired her for that quality. I adored her little pug, Huckleberry, who’s her constant companion and took to the country life like he was born into it!
Once the murder takes place, the townspeople are quick to judge Shiloh’s dad, Sully, and he becomes Suspect #1. Shiloh follows in second place because she had a deal with the deceased to help save the farm. The town is clannish, which is typical of small farming communities, and no one is very friendly to Shiloh. I felt like the author wrote those characters that way—it made the people more authentic to the fact that they didn’t like change, or people who advocated for change.
I didn’t solve who the killer was until Shiloh did, but I knew something was ‘off’ with this one person. The book ends in somewhat of a cliffhanger regarding a secret from Shiloh’s Grandma Bellamy. Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to my next visit to Bellamy Farm. Farm tips included.
I honestly reviewed an unedited digital arc provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
Rating: really liked it
Farm to Trouble is a nice start to the new Farm to Table series set in Cherry Glen, Michigan near Traverse City. Shiloh Bellamy's father requested she return home to help him with the family farm after she had been gone for fifteen years working as a successful television producer in Los Angeles.
So sold her home, packed up and moved back along with her pug. She has ideas to make the farm a success again and even has an investor, one her father and cousin Stacey are not happy about. Her return really started off wrong when she finds Jefferson Crocker, her investor, at the farmers' market where she is to meet him but he has been shot and killed. Now, she and her father are suspects in the murder. Things are also a little depressing with the huge job of the rebuilding the farm and how to do it now, not to mention the issue of the murder of the investor, who practically owned the town and was not liked. I wanted to tell her to leave them all but she threw herself into solving the murder mystery. Since Crocker was not liked, there are many people to investigate and a twisted mystery to unravel with a solution that I didn't see coming. We are left with a couple of issues to look forward to in the next story.
I received a complimentary ARC from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
Rating: really liked it
Shiloh Bellamy left her career as a successful Hollywood Producer when her 80 year old Father needed her to come home and take over Bellamy Farms. She was already paying the mortgage payments and all back taxes on the estate. Shiloh had signed an agreement with an investor for money to go towards turning Bellamy Farm into an organic farm. She had high hopes to make big changes and turn the farm into a profitable business. Arriving at her home in Michigan Shiloh wasn't prepared to find Bellamy Farm in such a run down state of neglect. She would have her work cut out for her. Her Father fought her ideas and didn't like the investor she had chosen . Then as if things weren't already bad enough her investor is found dead at the farmers market and the Sheriff rules it as murder. His number one suspects are Shiloh and her aging Father. Can things get any worse for the Bellamys?
This is the first book in The Farm to Table Mysteries. I thought it was entertaining, baffling and unpredictable. The ending had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the narrator and thought she did a great job with changing her voice for each character. This was a hard book to put down. I will be wanting to read all the other books in this series as they are released.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mysteries and fans of Amanda Flower.
I borrowed an audio copy of this book from the Hoopla library. A review was not requested. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
Rating: really liked it
I loved the theme of farm to table, a organic farm and cafe in Farm to Trouble. It started out slow but soon picked up the pace. Shiloh was a delightful protagonist. Her family on the other hand were very mean towards Shiloh but it worked out in the end. Shiloh's relationship with her grandmother had me missing my own. The mystery kept me guessing. Hope there will be more foodie themes in future books.
Rating: really liked it
A fantastic brand new cozy mystery series to absolutely delight and entertain you! Coming home can be hard for anyone, but coming home to find the farm in shambles, distrustful town folk who now view you as an outsider and a dead body at your feet is more than most people can endure! Shiloh, a strong young women who is a main character that you can really connect with, must hurry to figure out the mystery before she or someone she loves goes to jail for a crime they didn't commit...or did they??? A pug named Huckleberry is Shiloh's main side kick so the pet lovers can rejoice as he's a snorting delight! I am absolutely looking forward to the next book in this new series and can't wait to see what happens in the future!
Rating: really liked it
Dollycas’s Thoughts
After a traumatic event, Shiloh Bellamy hit the road for California landing herself a dream job. A job that enabled her to send money home to keep the family farm afloat. But her father’s health is failing and so is the farm so she heads home to Michigan with high hopes of making Bellamy Farms a totally organic operation. She also plans to add a farm-to-table café to increase the farm’s bottom line. She knows to enact her plans she is going to need an influx of cash so she makes a contract with an investor right there in her hometown. When she arrives home she sees the farm is in much worse shape than she thought and her father is outraged to find out his daughter has agreed to take money from Jefferson Crocker.
The next day Shiloh arrives at the local farmer’s market to meet with her new investor but when she finds him she knows there will be no meeting. The man has been murdered and thanks to a loudmouth vendor almost everyone believes Shiloh is a cold-blooded killer. Others believe her father committed the crime. So now Shiloh has her work cut out for her. Her investor is dead, the farm still needs to be revived and now she has to find a killer to clear her dad and herself of murder.
Amanda Flower is a prolific cozy author who never disappoints. As soon as I heard about this series I booked a date on my calendar for Farm to Trouble. In this new series, we meet Shiloh Bellamy, her father, Sully, her cousin Stacey, her lovable pug, Huckleberry, along with assorted neighbors, friends, and other residents of Cherry Glen. While she has passed we also hear plenty about Shiloh’s grandmother. She was a hard-working woman who kept her family on track. She left behind quite a legacy as Shiloh recalls several times things her grandmother said and did. The author took her time and allowed her characters to develop over the course of the story while leaving plenty of room to grow as the series continues.
Ms. Flower captured the attitudes of small-town life perfectly. The cliques, the mean girls, the gossips, the hoity-toity, but a couple of good souls as well. Cherry Glen is a typical midwest town striving to find its footing in the progressing world. Change isn’t easy and many Cherry Glen residents are doing their best to avoid it.
The mystery was very well done featuring a victim who had plenty of enemies. The man liked flexing his financial muscles without a care about the people he left in his wake. Shiloh and Sully just happened to be his current mark. Being gone for so many years made it hard for Shiloh to know who to trust and she didn’t receive a hardy welcome home from many people but she still delves into an investigation to catch a killer. I was totally spinning my wheels until the actual guilty party was revealed. I at least had the person on my list but they were nowhere near the top. Ms. Flower penned a story with excellent twists. I did question some of Shiloh’s behavior with so much on the line but every person has their own way of processing actions and information.
Farm to Trouble has set this series off to a marvelous start. All the mysteries exposed within the book are not wrapped up by the final page. I am really looking forward to Shiloh solving the puzzle her grandmother left behind. I also feel there are some other things Shiloh needs to deal with from her past so she can truly move forward.
Ms. Flower has planted some wonderful seeds that I project will bloom into a very entertaining series. The story has a real true-to-life feel. There is some real family drama and there is a lot of hard work ahead for Shiloh to get close to realizing her dream plans. I think it is going to be very interesting to see the paths the author sets for these characters.
Rating: really liked it
Farm to Trouble by Amanda Flower is the first book in A Farm to Table Mystery series. It contains Amanda Flower’s engaging writing style that makes the story easy to read. The author took the time to develop the characters and establish the setting. Shiloh Bellamy left Cherry Glen, Michigan fifteen years ago after the death of her fiancé, Logan. Her father, Sully injured his back and has asked Shiloh to return to help with the family farm. She quits her job, sells her home, and cashes in her 401K. Unfortunately, her father had sizeable debts which took all of Shiloh’s funds. She now needs an investor if she is to restore the farm and make it a success as an organic farm. Unfortunately, Shiloh is not privy to the local gossip and picks the wrong man to invest in the venture. When the investor ends up dead, Shiloh along with her father are prime suspects. Shiloh talks to various people in the town trying to get information to help her solve the murder. I hope we see more active investigating in future books along with action. There were little things that pointed at the killers’ identity. There is a secondary mystery involving money that Grandma Bellamy saved and hid away for Shiloh. She needs to figure out the clues if she wants to find it and save the farm. I like that we get to know Shiloh, her father, her cousin, various friends of Shiloh’s, and some of the townspeople. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Cherry Glen and the farm. Huckleberry, Shiloh’s pug dog, is a show stealer. He is such a cutie. Other scene stealers are Esmerelda the cat and Hazel, Quinn Killian’s eleven-year-old daughter. I have a feeling there will be a romance blooming between Quinn and Shiloh in the future. I thought the author captured the small town feel especially with the people’s attitudes. This was a cute story that I enjoyed reading. I look forward to the next A Farm to Table Mystery. Farm to Trouble is a charming cozy mystery with gossip galore, an insatiable investor, a high-strung hound named Huckleberry, tasty cherry treats, a cute convertible, and a mystifying treasure quest.
Rating: really liked it
Another great series. This was a great start and I can’t wait to see how things develop. I liked Shiloh and her determination and Huckleberry was great (and what a great name). I’m still trying to figure out how all the characters are going to fit together. The mystery definitely kept me guessing.
Rating: really liked it
I did like the story however I read or should I say listened to this book and the narrator sounded too stiff and robotic. It was hard to enjoy it fully.
I will read the next in series as I have the book as well as audio.
Rating: really liked it
Shiloh leaves her Hollywood career and comes home after her father asks her to help him with their failing farm. Shiloh left home because of a traumatic event, and coming back home also was not pleasant. For starters, her family was so rude to her. And when Shiloh stumbles upon the dead body, she is pegged as the murder suspect. And everyone in the book kept referring to her as the killer or murderess. There was not a lot going on in the first half of the book, mystery wise. I suppose, this book was a setting for the next one. The last few chapters were when it got interesting. We get to know Shiloh's late grandmother through her memories and letters. I wish her grandmother could have been a real character in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review this book.
