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ppcfransen 's review for:
Apple Cider Slaying
by Julie Anne Lindsey
It’s not good when it turns out the best thing I can say about a book is that it fell open so well that I didn’t need to break the spine of the book to be able to read the lines entirely.
The body is found at the end of the first chapter. Which is really fast, especially for a first in series where usually the first three to five chapters are used for establishing the character in her environment. Getting to the mystery quickly, I’m for that. Good.
Next, not so good. In chapter two comes the sheriff, who I almost instantly dislike. He has not looked at the dead body for five seconds (because Winnie had locked herself in the room with it) before he starts questioning Winnie and her Granny, but he already knows that Granny and her neighbour had an ongoing feud and that the last call to the victim’s phone was from Granny. How did he already have access to the victim’s phone? It’s only been five minutes since Winnie opened the door to the police.
The sheriff’s described as good looking, so sadly, he is going to be the love interest.
The timing of events in this book is mostly wrong. The Sheriff knows things he cannot possibly know yet from his short time on the scene. Winnie cleans up and props out the barn she wants to use for her cider shop AFTER the loans officer of the bank has come for a visit; would make more sense to do that before. Also, it would make sense if Winnie found out how much it would cost to renovate the barn for her shop BEFORE she applies for a loan to cover those costs; Winnie seems to have gotten that one backwards as well. Winnie receives a (warning) note under her windshield after she has taken one foray into investigating the murder; surely the murderer is not already spooked by her.
Winnie is spooked by the note, though. Which is odd as this is her first murder investigation and the note is an instruction and not a threat. Surprised would be more fitting, perhaps mixed with a little unsettlement. Fear should not come in until after
And specially featuring wrong timing: Winnie comments that thanks to daylight saving time it’s already dark. The story is, however, set after Thanksgiving, which is on the fourth Thursday of November. Daylight saving time in West-Virginia ends on the first Sunday of November.
The murder mystery came to a halt somewhere in the middle, but that may also be due to the fact that I kept putting the book down. At least, I think Winnie stopped her investigation and continued doing other things. She kept receiving threats. Apparently, the killer thought she had continued with her investigation. The sheriff doesn’t discuss this option with Winnie, so I guess he never figured that part out - despite his great track record as an investigator.
The body is found at the end of the first chapter. Which is really fast, especially for a first in series where usually the first three to five chapters are used for establishing the character in her environment. Getting to the mystery quickly, I’m for that. Good.
Next, not so good. In chapter two comes the sheriff, who I almost instantly dislike. He has not looked at the dead body for five seconds (because Winnie had locked herself in the room with it) before he starts questioning Winnie and her Granny, but he already knows that Granny and her neighbour had an ongoing feud and that the last call to the victim’s phone was from Granny. How did he already have access to the victim’s phone? It’s only been five minutes since Winnie opened the door to the police.
The sheriff’s described as good looking, so sadly, he is going to be the love interest.
The timing of events in this book is mostly wrong. The Sheriff knows things he cannot possibly know yet from his short time on the scene. Winnie cleans up and props out the barn she wants to use for her cider shop AFTER the loans officer of the bank has come for a visit; would make more sense to do that before. Also, it would make sense if Winnie found out how much it would cost to renovate the barn for her shop BEFORE she applies for a loan to cover those costs; Winnie seems to have gotten that one backwards as well. Winnie receives a (warning) note under her windshield after she has taken one foray into investigating the murder; surely the murderer is not already spooked by her.
Winnie is spooked by the note, though. Which is odd as this is her first murder investigation and the note is an instruction and not a threat. Surprised would be more fitting, perhaps mixed with a little unsettlement. Fear should not come in until after
Spoiler
Winnie is ran off the road.And specially featuring wrong timing: Winnie comments that thanks to daylight saving time it’s already dark. The story is, however, set after Thanksgiving, which is on the fourth Thursday of November. Daylight saving time in West-Virginia ends on the first Sunday of November.
The murder mystery came to a halt somewhere in the middle, but that may also be due to the fact that I kept putting the book down. At least, I think Winnie stopped her investigation and continued doing other things. She kept receiving threats. Apparently, the killer thought she had continued with her investigation.