Murder At The Taffy Shop
When your mother is an astrologist, and your dad is a minister, you learn to keep an open mind. Which is just what Mac loves to do—exercise her mind by puzzling out fictional clues in the mystery novels she reads and discusses with her Cozy Capers Book Group.
But now Mac’s friend Gin has found herself in a sticky situation. After wealthy genealogist Beverly Ruchart is found dead outside Gin’s taffy shop, the candy maker becomes a person of interest. When it’s revealed that Beverly was poisoned the night Gin brought a box of taffy to a dinner party at Beverly’s house, she’s bumped to the top of the suspect’s list. It’s up to Mac and her Cozy Capers crime-solvers to unwrap this real-life mystery. But this time they might have bitten off more than they can chew.
Series: Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery – Book #2
Author: Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day
Genre: Cozy Mystery /Culinary/Hobby
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
Maddie Days’ (aka Edith Maxwell) newest addition to the “Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery” hobby series, Murder At The Taffy Shop from Kensington Books Be prepared to desire taffy, a nice bike ride, and mystery!
Mac isn’t the usual business owner, friend, or daughter. She has a nose for trouble, and can’t seem to stay away from it. When her BFF finds herself at the top of a murder suspect list, Mac does everything she can to prove that Gin isn’t the killer. Characters in this series are truly unusual. They are also likable, entertaining, and well-developed. Gin is a favorite, but I wish we knew more about her shop and the delights she creates within. I would also love to know more about Mac’s mother. She is definitely a character that should be expanded upon. I’d like to see more involvement by Mac’s grandmother in future books. She is an intriguing person and deserves to be heard more often. Mac’s beautiful parrot, Belle could be the main character in a series all on her own and brings humor into the story.
Suspects are not overwhelming in this hobby series, but there are enough to make it a guessing game. The means of murder are as old as time and the motive as well. I did not figure out who the killer was until later in the book, and this added enjoyment to the overall read. Mac is in danger, but in the end, Belle and Mac solve the case. The killer is revealed, and everyone is safe.
I had one slight issue in this book with the situation between Mac and Tim’s relationship. I felt that Mac was being pushed into a situation she was not ready for and shouldn’t give in to an ultimatum. No one should ever have to choose between who they are, and a relationship with someone who is supposed to love you unconditionally.
I enjoyed Murder At The Taffy Shop very much. It is well written by a writer who is a professional storyteller and knows her audience. Characters are memorable and placed in a location that is a dream. I am happy to recommend this excellent hobby series and this book in particular to readers of all mysteries.
Other hobby series readers may want to check out include, Peggy Ehrhart’s exciting series “A Knit and Nibble Mystery” or perhaps Christin Brecher’s fantastic cozy series “Nantucket Candle Maker
Mystery”.
About the Author:
Edith Maxwell (aka Maddie Day) has always been a writer. She made her living writing technical documentation in the software industry, wrote features and essays as a free-lance journalist, edited medical texts, and produced several published articles and a doctoral dissertation in the field of linguistics. And before that, she wrote fiction and news articles, with her first paid published story appearing at age 9. Creating fiction, long and short, is what makes her happiest (although she wrote a prose poem about her late father that she’s rather proud of).
As a former organic farmer, Edith knows the language and tensions of someone like Cam Flaherty, the farmer in the Local Foods mysteries. Edith lived in southern Indiana for five years and loved the slow pace and language of its natives, so it made sense to set the Country Store Mysteries there. She taught independent childbirth classes and worked as a doula for some years, giving her insight into the life of a historical midwife, as portrayed in the Quaker Midwife Mysteries. And her new Cozy Capers Book Group series comes straight out of both her imagination and several solo writing retreats on Cape Cod.
Edith lives in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but is originally a fourth-generation Californian. She has two grown sons and lives in an antique house with her beau and their two cats.
Contact Maddie: edithmaxwellauthor@gmail.com
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