Mulch Ado About Murder: A Local Foods Mystery
Author: Edith Maxwell
Publisher: Kensington Mystery

Spring in Westbury, Massachusetts has been unusual, hot, muggy and hard to take. Organic farmer Cam Flaherty needs rain desperately, but instead of rain storms, she gets murder.

Spring has not been great for Cam, and her parent's sudden unexpected visit throws her for a loop. When her mother joins a group of locals to protest the newest business owners methods of soilless hydroponic growing, it is almost too much for Cam to handle. When Cam finds Nicole dead in a vat of hydroponic slurry—clutching a set of rosary beads—her boyfriend Detective Pete Pappas has a new murder to solve, and Cam’s mother is a prime suspect. Clearing her mother of any suspicion is Cam’s primary focus, and with the help of her father she sets out to find the killer.

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Cam’s dad is a joy to read about. He is unassuming, calm and restrained. Even when his wife is accused of murder, he remains a calming presence. For the first time in her adult life, Cam realizes that she truly loves her father and mother and doesn’t want to lose them.

All of the characters in this story are hard working, happy people that you might meet in any small farming community. They are for the most part regular, average citizens, who enjoy small town life where entertainment is home grown.

Cam is a troubled hard working young woman who doesn’t think her parents care about her or want her in their life, so she stays away from them. However, their unexpected visit helps her understand them better, and love them more. She can see them in a different light than when she was younger and is making headway getting them to be a bit more affectionate with her and talking to her. The scene when her mother finally opens up and tells Cam about her fears and the past brings pure joy and makes the reader love Cam’s mother.

This book is written in a delightfully simple manner; it has some twists and turns that keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer. It is well-written and a quick read. The characters are believable and interesting. Westbury, Massachusetts is the type of town you can find almost anywhere in America and will love reading about the cultural life. Ms. Maxwell has crafted a wonderfully delightful mystery that any cozy reader will enjoy. This series is highly recommended.


https://thecozyreview.com/2017/04/16/mulch-ado-about-murder-a-local-foods-myster...
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I got an advanced copy of this from Netglley. Spring has arrived in Westbury, Massachusetts and it finds organic farmer Cam Flaherty dealing with her parents unexpected visit and worrying about her crops. While making a flat delivery Cam discovers the body of Nicole Kingsbury, the owner of the new hydroponics greenhouse. One of the suspects in the murder is Cam's own other Deb who was leading a protest against the greenhouse that morning and was seen inside the greenhouse. With the help of her father Will Cam finds herself helping with the investigation to clear her mother's name. ( )

It's springtime in Massachusetts, and organic farmer Cam Flaherty is receiving an unexpected and rare visit from her parents whom she's never had a "traditional" relationship with. But life goes on, and Cam has duties; so she leaves her father to help out at the farm while she makes a delivery to Nicole Kingsbury, with whom she has contracted to provide her with seedlings for her hydroponic farming.

When she arrives at Nicole's, she doesn't expect to see a line of protesters condemning her operation, and she certainly doesn't expect to see her mother in the group. Trying her best to ignore them, she enters the greenhouse and calls out to Nicole. But it's apparently deserted so she decides to leave the flats and also text her a message stating she's done so. But when she hits 'send' she hears the distinct ping of a cell phone, and goes to investigate. Unfortunately, what she comes across is Nicole's body, slumped over a vat of the slurry she used to feed the plants. Shaken, Cam calls the police.

After being questioned and released, she returns home to tell her father that her mother is also being questioned and will return later. But since her mother Deb admits she went in to speak with Nicole, it unfortunately puts her in the area of being a suspect, and Cam isn't pleased. She also isn't pleased that her boyfriend, Detective Pete Pappas, removes himself from the case and to make matters worse, until they figure out what happened to Nicole, he can't spend any time with her.

But as the case progresses, it turns out that it wasn't an accident but possible homicide, and Cam is convinced her mother is hiding something both from her and the police. While she's positive her mother didn't kill Nicole, it's obvious she's not telling everything.

What makes it harder is that Cam's parents are not ones for demonstrations of affection; neither parent has ever given her the indication that they even cared much about her but even so, she loves her mother and believes in her innocence, and will do whatever it takes to keep her out of prison, even if it puts her own life in danger...

I found this book not only to be a very good mystery, but it also gives us a lot of insight into Cam's parents and her (at times) tenuous relationship with them. When it begins it appears that her parents arriving during prime planting season is more of a hindrance and inconvenience, but as the days go on, the relationship between them changes and grows. Regrettably, it's taken a murder to effect that change.

Cam, although strong and independent, seems unsure where her parents are concerned; it's as if she's walking on eggshells around her mother, while her bond strengthens with her father who, surprisingly, while at first seems to be a disaster at the farm eventually becomes quite a help to her. It takes a bit more however, for her relationship with her mother to truly connect and become closer. This, in my opinion, is the true crux of the book; not only trying to help solve a murder (even if the police don't want her help) while forging a new relationship with, and understanding her mother. It is a delight to watch the changes between them.

As to the murder itself (and we know it must be), I found it to be quite a treat indeed to have several red herrings thrown in, only to find that my initial thoughts came full circle. But unfortunately I can't tell you what those thoughts were, or it gives away the ending. Ah, well...suffice it to say that around nearly every corner we have Cam trying her best to keep the farm up and running, her parents entertained properly, and search for clues whenever she gets the chance. This is one busy woman.

When the murderer is revealed and the reason for it discovered, we understand all too well the machinations, while thinking how easy it is for some people to do evil. This is the fifth book in the series, and is an easy read and well written. It can be read as a stand alone, but if you haven't read any others in the series I suggest you do so, because they're all quite as fun as this one. Highly recommended. ( )

This was really a perfect book to read this time of year. I sort of consider my own garden organic, simply because I run out of time between weeding, watering and work to add any time for pest or disease control! I am pretty sure I have purchased tomatoes that were marked hydroponic, but have never given much thought to the rivalry between that and those who do organic farming. Or how that could naturally lead to murder! Cam Flaherty's parents were a great visiting addition to this book and it was nice to see how their grown-up relationship matured through out the story. That's one of the things I miss most about losing my parents so long ago. Her dad William turns out to be a great asset many areas, including sleuthing and chickens! Cam's CSA model was interesting too. I really liked the idea of people getting to volunteer at the farm where the food will come from--a win win for both sides, as Cam gets some free labor out of it! ( )

Mulch Ado About Murder is the fifth book in the Local Foods Mystery series.

A timely book in that Spring is coming and time to start with my garden, as is Cam on her Cam’s Attic Hill Organic Farm.

Spring is a bad time of year to have company, but her mother and father have come for one of the their visits with Cam. When Cam goes to deliver some seedlings to Nicole Kingsbury’s new hydroponic greenhouse she is shocked to see that one of the protesters is none other than her mother Deb. As Cam enters the greenhouse she calls out to Nicole, but gets no reply. Cam soon finds Nicole’s lifeless body hanging over the edge of a vat of slurry, clenched in her hand is a rosary with some beads missing.

Since Deb was in the area where Nicole died, she is soon on the police’s radar. In addition, Cam feels that there is something that Deb is not willing to share concerning Nicole.

As Cam was about to enter the greengouse she spotted a man, who was unknown to her, leaving the area. Later she learns that it was Nicole’s estranged husband. When she learns that he is in need money, she sees the need to look into his activities. As she continues to investigate she learns that a local insurance agent had been at a marriage counseling retreat when Nicole had and they had an affair. She wonders if Nicole had rejected him and he killed her. Another that she is considering is Orson Page who runs Fresh Page which is the same type of business Nicole’s and he decided to get rid of the competition. Cam needs to figure out who the killer is before her mother is fitted for an orange jumpsuit.

Some of the regular cast are back, but Cam’s father, William is there to take the edge off the murder investigation. William is a brilliant professor, but in not much of gardener. Cam finds that he is great at handling the chickens and collecting the eggs, but has been banned from weeding, as she soon learns he doesn’t know the difference between a plant and a weed.

Ms. Maxwell once again provides the reader with a well-plotted and told story with a cast of interesting characters.

I particularly enjoy this series and enjoy learning more about what goes into the running on an organic garden.

I will be watching for the next book in this exciting and informative series. ( )