Sharon Farrow

Autumn has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Marlee Jacob, proprietor of The Berry Basket, is feeling a chill for other reasons …

With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there's also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it's almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point's oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill her—and the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn't take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.

The next day, Marlee finds Bonaventure dead on Leticia's property—shot through the heart with an arrow made of mulberry wood. And Leticia has disappeared. Marlee soon learns the Lake Lady has a deadly past that is connected to the famous Sable family who are in town for the health fair. A bunch of clues start to come together—and figuring out what's going on puts Marlee in a real jam…

This was a very fast read for me. Everything moved very quickly within the plot and the murderer was caught and confessed much faster than I expected.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*… (mais)

Hollyberry Homicide is the 5th A Berry Basket Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. The author provides the relevant background information on Marlee Jacob. I thought Hollyberry Homicide was well-written with steady pacing. There is plenty going on in this book. Marlee is enjoying decorating for Christmas, The Berry Basket is doing a brisk business, she gets roped into playing Jacob Marley, and she has a variety of houseguests. Natasha is staying with Marlee while she waits for her new place to be finished. It sounds like it will be a long visit. Natasha is a show stealer with her over-the-top personality. The mystery was interesting. It becomes more of the focus in the second half of the book as the clues begin to mount along with the action and suspense. You begin to wonder if Everett’s death was suspicious (or did a ninety-five year old man just pass away on a bench). It all begins to come together and there is a great reveal scene. I enjoyed solving this whodunit. The ending will leave you smiling. Hollyberry Homicide is a jolly cozy mystery with holiday hot chocolate, learning lines, overload of ornamentation, a swaying spruce, and an amateur sleuth bent on sniffing out the suspects.… (mais)

It's almost Halloween in Oriole Point, MI and the town is gearing up for its Haunted Halloween Harvest Health Fair. Although Marlee Jacob thinks combining Halloween with a health fair is a bit weird, she's ready for the influx of tourists to the town. The leaves have turned and the weather is forecast to be perfect. The list of activities, speakers and other health-related workshops is outstanding, including a nationally recognized diet guru. Things start getting a bit strange when a local eccentric approaches Marlee asking for mulberries. Lots and lots of mulberries. Out of season. To protect her from danger. It gets even stranger when they find the dead, murdered body of a stranger that came to town asking questions. The body has an arrow sticking in it. And in the countdown to Halloween, the body count will be going up....

What a fun, Halloween theme cozy! This is the first book from the Berry Basket series that I've read, and it makes me want to backtrack and read the rest! The characters are quirky, the background Halloween theme is fun, and the mystery is interesting! Lots of suspects, hidden secrets, and twists. Nicely done! And...at the end of the book....berry recipes, including some Halloween treats.

The front cover art is cute. It's what first caught my eye and made me want to read this book. Cozy mysteries always have the best covers!

Mulberry Mischief is the fourth book in the Berry Basket series. I was easily able to read and enjoy this book without first reading the other three books. But I am going to go back and read the first three books. This story was a fun read!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
… (mais)