Syrup to No Good

September 15, 2023
Her best friend's wedding poses multiple challenges for the owner of a maple syrup farm. Life has had its ups and downs for Leila Khoury since she returned home to Vermont after a teaching stint in Florida. The low point was certainly the murder of her father, Victor, who'd built the family maple syrup farm, Sappy Endings, into a thriving business. But since taking the reins, she's found that working at the farm and expanding its footprint in the community bring her a sense of independence and accomplishment. Her promising relationship with Noah Rivers, who oversees production at Sappy Endings, is also a high point. So she seems in a good place to join her best bud, Heather Turcot, in navigating the joys and stresses of Heather's upcoming wedding. But danger always lurks. Mark Salem, her former fiance who's back in town, lets Leila know that five years after dumping her a month before their wedding, he still loves her and wants her back. Instead of delighting her, his declaration threatens both her newfound self-reliance and her bond with Noah. But the lowest of the lows comes when Heather's Aunt Monica is stabbed to death at Heather's bridal shower. Heather's Uncle Grant, a major financial backer of the wedding, insists that she cancel her nuptials, even though a fairy tale wedding has been the dream of her lifetime. Leila, who unmasked her father's killer, is ready to retry her hand at detection. But tracking a scoundrel who killed once before puts Leila in greater danger than all her previous challenges. The heroine's quest to achieve balance in life should appeal to cozy fans who like a good roller coaster ride.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2023
As the maple sugaring season nears the end, Leila Khoury is busy with events at Sappy Endings, the maple sugaring operation--a farm and a caf�--her father started in Vermont. She's also throwing a shower for her best friend, Heather, due to be married in just two weeks. The shower is well underway when Heather's aunt by marriage arrives. Monica runs a jewelry store across the border in New York and is haughty and generally disliked. Her presence casts a pall over the festivities with rude behavior, a loud argument on her cell phone, and a cheap present. After everyone has left, Leila finds Monica's body slumped over the steering wheel in her car. When Heather's uncle declares that the wedding cannot go forward while Monica's murder is unsolved, Heather and Leila begin to ask questions. Resolving the murder is not Leila's only worry; her former fianc�, a nice Lebanese man favored by her mother, is back in town. With romance, recipes, and a murderer on the loose, this book will delight fans of Joanne Fluke, Jenn McKinlay, or Laura Childs.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.