3 ½ stars
This has a lot of the tropes of a cozy but it’s fast paced plot that put’s the main character Winnie and her Granny in danger make it read like a page turning thriller.

It’s not just the two main characters that are in danger, the farm that they own and the business that they want to expand is in danger as well.



My biggest criticism of the book is that not a lot of character development aside from Winnie and Colton, but I understand that as a first book in a series you need the world building and then add in the swift plot that doesn’t leave a lot of room for quirky side characters.


The next book in the series is due out April 28th 2020 according to goodreads and I’m looking forward to getting it, I want to see what happens when the cider shop opens and what’s next for Winnie. In the meantime I plan to give the authors Geek Girl Mysteries a try.


Cozies Reading Challenge ( )

Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. They're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder.

This was a light, cozy mystery with likeable characters that weren't too "cutesy". There was a good dose of Christmas, a bit of humor, a dash of romance, and a number of suspects. I did enjoy the story and the small town but it was slow at times. Still, it was a good story to satisfy my interest for holiday reading. ( )

Winnie Mae Montgomery loves working with her grandmother, Granny Smythe, at Smythe Orchards, but business there is struggling and, while Winnie Mae has some great business ideas – including opening a Cider Shop and having a Christmas Festival at the orchard – she is going to need a business loan to open the Cider Shop. She has applied for a bank loan but faces serious challenges when a dead body is found on their property and Granny Smythe is the number one murder suspect. Winnie Mae sets out to clear her grandmother’s name and find out who the real killer is.

“Apple Cider Slaying” is the nicely done first book in Julie Anne Lindsey’s Cider Shop cozy mystery series – in fact, I liked this book so much that I bought the second book in the series before I even finished reading this one. I love the apple orchard setting – not only the orchard itself but the various buildings, cars, and personal items that mean so much to Winnie Mae – they make her come alive as a character. And she is a great character – loyal to her family and friends, devoted to her grandmother, brave when she needs to be, and determined to save the apple orchard. I also love Granny Smythe as a character – while I initially thought her name was a bit too “cutesy” I quickly grew to love her feistiness. The relationship between Winnie Mae and Granny Smythe is very well done – the two clearly love each other. Also well done is the mystery which has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing – this is one of those types of mysteries where I thought I had figured out who the killer was but couldn’t figure out what the motivation could possibly be and was totally taken by surprise when the motivation was revealed!

“Apple Cider Slaying” is the well done first book in what looks to be a great cozy mystery series. ( )

Winnie Montgomery is trying to help her family save its apple orchard in this first book in the Cider Shop Mystery series. She's pulling out all the stops to bring tourists to Smythe Orchard -- fall tours, tastings, even Christmas at the Orchard. When their cantankerous next door neighbor is found dead in the apple press, it doesn't bode well for the failing farm. Winnie is on the case to clear her granny of any suspicion and save the orchard's reputation.

Such a cute story! I like Winnie as a main character. She's funny, intelligent and determined! She has a dream and is working so hard to try and make it happen. A dead body in the apple press is a bit of a hiccup in the plan....but she got to work immediately to solve the problem. The story is a nice mix of mystery and humor. I like all the quirky side characters. There were plenty of suspects and some interesting twists along the way. Everything came together to make a very entertaining, fall/winter theme, light mystery! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and luckily it won't be a long wait. Book #2, Pulp Friction, will be out in Spring 2020.

The front cover is so colorful and cheery! I always get sucked in by cozy covers! :)

Great start to a new series!

This is the first book by Julie Anne Lindsey that I've read. I will definitely be reading more! She also writes the Geek Girl Mysteries, plus several other mystery/thriller and romance titles.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Winnie is going to school, waitressing in a diner, and trying to help her Granny keep her orchard. When the banker is due to come to see about a loan so Winnie can open a cider shop, they find a dead body in the cider press. Who did it and why?

I enjoyed this story. I liked the people in the community and the quirks of the community. I liked Winnie and her grandmother as well as the sheriff who was constantly telling Winnie to stay out of the investigation. Like all good cozy mysteries she does not listen and it causes problems for her and others. The world building was good and so was the mystery. The pacing, however, was slow. I took a long time to read this one which is unusual for me. I can read a book of this genre and length in 1-2 days. I hope the second book has better pacing so I can get into the story and not put it down so often. I truly enjoyed Blossom Valley and Winnie and her friends. ( )