Reviews

Shade Grown by Heather Day Gilbert

rusticreadingal's review

5.0

I was so excited to visit the Barks & Beans Café again. This is my favorite cozy mystery series, and this latest installment did not disappoint.

The mystery was really good and kept me guessing until the shocking reveal. My jaw was on the floor; I was so surprised! I never would’ve guessed the guilty party, but it made perfect sense.

I can never get enough of spending time with these characters and their adorable dogs. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, pick up a copy of this series. You’ll love it!

dollycas's review

funny lighthearted mysterious

5.0

 

Dollycas's Thoughts

Macy Hatfield and her brother Bo have taken some time off from their Barks & Beans Cafe to enjoy Lewisburg's annual summer home and garden tour. They arrive at a property now owned by movie star Cody Franklin. His yard features a commemorative shade garden that marks where the bones of a Civil War soldier are buried. While looking at a bed of blue hostas Macy noticed a body beneath the large leaves. The famous new owner of this home and garden is dead and it is not from natural causes.

Mr. Franklin's sister shows up at the cafe and she wants Macy's help to find her brother's killer who she thinks is coming after her next. Macy can't say no and agrees to ask some questions of the involved parties but she feels there is more to the story of Cody Frankin's death. Something shady is going on. She just hopes she can get to the facts before the killer strikes again.

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Heather Day Gilbert has created a cast of strong and engaging characters. Bo and Macy have a wonderful brother/sister bond. They are close and always have each other's back. They can work together, do fun things together, and sometimes solve a murder together. They each are in romantic relationships with great people. Summer runs the animal shelter that provides dogs for the Barks portion of the cafe. She and Bo are now engaged. Titan McCoy is a six-foot-five FBI Agent who is usually on a secret assignment but always finds time for Macy, more so when has gotten herself involved in another murder. She has created some lovable animal characters too in Macy’s Great Dane, Coal, Bo’s kitty, Stormy, and Vera’s dog Waffles. Vera lives next to Macy's and the cafe and keeps her eyes on the neighborhood. These core characters are surrounded by a great supporting cast too. All the characters continue to evolve and develop as the series continues. It is truly like visiting old friends every time I open a Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery.

The author has written a complex mystery too. With a celebrity victim there are some interesting suspects but mix in the small-town drama, some mysterious strangers lurking about,  old secrets and lies, twists and turns, and a good deed gone wrong and you have a splendid mystery brewing. Macy has a way of getting people to talk and has Bo and Titan come in at the right time with important assistance. I was totally gobsmacked by the way this story played out. It was so well-plotted that I fell for each point of misdirection right up until the very end.

I really enjoy the way this author tells a story. I escape right into them with such ease and am always entertained. She also knows how to set up a fantastic cliffhanger that will have her readers yearning for the next book in this series to be released. Knight Brew will his stores on November 18, 2024.

Shade Grown is a marvelous addition to this series. Well-developed characters wrapped up in a top-notch mystery add up to a Perfect Escape in my book. I can't wait to return to the Barks & Beans Cafe!