Book 93, 2024
Rotten to the Core by Sheila Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very early this morning (like, last night!) I finished reading Rotten to the Core, which is book #2 in Sheila Connolly's "Orchard Mystery" series. The main character is Meg Corey, a Boston transplant who's trying to make a go of her ancestors' apple orchard.
As Spring comes to her new home, Meg is excited to see her orchard bloom. Her pleasure is dashed, however, when she discovers a dead man in her springhouse. No one knows if Jason was murdered or if he committed suicide. That fact that he died on her property puts Meg in the sights of the police, causing her to work to clear her name. She questions people who knew him, only to learn that Jason had few friends but enemies aplenty. In the meantime, Meg is working on renovating her home, familiarizing herself with the workings of an apple orchard, and even taking a college class. The situation reaches a boiling point when the killer strikes far too close to home.
I was a bit ambivalent about the first book in this series, but this one I enjoyed. Meg was more relatable and other characters were portrayed well. Meg spent a good portion of her time not investigating or asking questions, which I always appreciate too. I guessed the perpetrator fairly early, although it was merely a guess and I wouldn't not have been shocked had I been wrong. Pacing was good throughout.
Favorite lines:
♦ "You stockpile food for murders?"
♦ "Peculiar situation, don't you agree? Not covered by any etiquette books, if such things still exist. 'Proper condolences for those who discover corpses.'"
Good story, four stars.