THE CIDER SHOP RULES

A shrewd West Virginia businesswoman’s curiosity becomes life-threatening.

Winona Mae Montgomery saved her granny’s orchard, built up her own cider shop and event business, and gained quite a reputation as a sleuth after helping the new Blossom Valley sheriff solve several murders. Said sheriff is the object of her desire, but she’s not sure if he returns her regard. Potter’s Pumpkin Patch is having a jam-packed Fall Family Fun Day when Winnie and Dot, her bestie, arrive to pick up some decorations for her granny. A distracted Mr. Potter loads her order as they pay, and while they’re in town for a sweet treat, they meet a Civil War reenactor who looks amazingly like Sheriff Colton Wise—whom Winnie calls when she discovers Potter dead in the bed of her pickup. Blake Wise, Colton’s younger brother, is another sheriff who pitches in to help and flirt with Winnie. Everyone but Colton thinks that Winnie should investigate, and she admits that she’s addicted to crime-solving despite his reminders that she was almost killed during her first case. On top of this new crime, Colton’s worried about Samuel Keller, a murderer he arrested who’s now escaped and set his sights on Colton.  In the course of the investigation, Winnie meets Colton’s family and gets to know him so much better that not even the death threats she gets from Keller can quench her curiosity.

A down-home cozy with plenty of likable characters, budding romance, and a clever mystery.