Quick mystery read that I found enjoyed on a lazy afternoon. I wouldn't consider this a cozy but it is a good mystery.

4.5 stars

It felt so good to get back into this much loved series. I love this spunky leading lady and her dashing soon to be veterinarian boyfriend Denver as they investigate the murder of one of the locals. This is one of those plots that really keeps you on your toes. Everyone's a suspect and it's hard to think any one of these quirky and interesting characters could be a murderer.

I love how single-minded Megan Sawyer gets trying to find a killer threatening her friends. This setting is beautifully written and really draws you into this fun and whimsical cozy mystery.

We start off with Megan being dissed by the town committee when selecting the farm to feature at the local Oktoberfest festivities. It should have been a local small business who won the contract but the committee had gone off their own directives and picked a business that didn't actually meet the qualifications and the committee's original intent. After this fallout we were off to the races with a story never stopped until the killer was revealed. What a great roller coaster ride! 💛

If you want to read a great cozy mystery, definitely check this one out! You won't be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I want to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this title.

The rural town of Winsome PA depends on tourists to book their economy. Megan Sawyer, lawyer turned organic farmer, and her Grandma Bibi, continue to operate Washington Acres farm and carfe and are becoming well known and profitable. When the town decides to have an Oktoberfest to showcase small farms and other operations, Megan applies to be a sponsor. When the committee brings in PR professional Ophelia Dilworth, she takes over the planning and the smaller operations are overlooked for a couple of larger ones, not the most popular decision. Things take a deadly turn when one of the local business owners and sponsors, is killed in a freak accident. Only Megan doesn’t think it was an accident. When the police are quick to rule out the possibility of murder, it’s up to Megan to figure out what is really happening.

Tyson’s Greenhouse mystery series showcases protagonist Megan Sawyer, a big-city lawyer turned small-town organic farmer. I like Megan, she is a kind, intelligent, and spirited woman with integrity. This book is populated with several other wonderful characters such as a smug-but-attractive PR consultant, a temperamental-but-gifted chef, a shrewd and sexy Scottish vet, and assorted townspeople, whose motives are complex and believable.

I loved the first book in the series and was anxious to return to Winsome and the characters. This book didn’t disappoint in the least. Megan’s personal life provided a nice sub-plot while leaving plenty of time for the murder investigation, which included some great twists and turns. As the relationship between Megan and Dr. Denver Finn develops, it is nice to see Megan working her way through her insecurities and doubts. There are also her interactions with her aunt that add a personal tone as she tries to find out more about her father's and mother's relationship. This is not just your easy breezy cozy, there is a bit more substance to it, that make it just a bit more enjoyable to me. I recommend this book and series to cozy mystery lovers everywhere.

Fall and Winsome prepares for its grand Oktoberfest celebration, beer isn't the only thing brewing.

But everything for the Festival isn't running as smoothly as most think, and then the body of one of the brewers turns up dead and another has disappeared.

Megan must plow through Winsome's fixation with autumn festivities to harvest the truth, before another dead body marks the season.

Another thrilling Greenhouse mystery from Wendy Tyson. With plenty of twists and turns, this well written and plotted mystery will keep you guessing until the end.

Megan Sawyer has settled in as an organic farmer. The town of Winsome is gearing up for Oktoberfest and the free publicity the farm will receive rankles some. I even had a few chills at the beginning, when Tyson wrote of Megan finding an Adirondack chair, sitting atop a hill near the farm, facing her very own home. The characters are well written and intelligent, just what I am looking for in a good mystery.

Thank you to Net Galley and Henery Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'd been reading some dark books, which I love, but this was a breath of fresh air for me. I loved this cozy mystery set in PA, when an attorney decides to turn organic farmer. The characters are well developed and I liked them a lot. You'll enjoy this one if you like cozy series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This is the second one I've read in this series. It is about a woman named Megan who left her career in the big city as a lawyer, to be a farmer back home with her grandmother. She is making a success of it with the help of a lot of good friends. It's October on the farm and someone has killed the local brewer. Meanwhile, Megan's farm is overlooked as the major host of the Octoberfest. Instead, a farm that really shouldn't have won the opportunity does, and a lot mysterious things start to happen. Megan stops at nothing to find out what's going on. This series has great characters and it's a lot of fun to read.

I really enjoyed this book in a new to me series! The mystery was not predictable, the characters were interesting and relatable, and the writing was very good. This was a little more regular mystery feeling than your average cozy, with more tension than you sometimes get, and the police were seen as good guys and not the bumbling idiots that they are sometimes portrayed in some cozies. I really recommend this series and will definitely be reading more by this author.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Sawyer has lived in Washington Acres a year and the café has become a hotspot for localse The veterinarian is making house calls, (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) All is going well and just as Oktoberfest is about to start, the town's pub owner is killed. However, Megan is the one who thinks it is more than an accident

Book Review and 4.5 stars

I did like this book a bit more and think that Ms. Tyson has written a great sequence to the Muddied Murders. You will enjoy the book!!

Megan Sawyer left a lucrative law practice, returning to her hometown of Winsome, Pennsylvania to take over the running of her family's farm, Washington Acres. She's doing a pretty good job so far, not only working her way toward being certified organic, but also the running of a café and fresh produce market, not to mention a budding romance with the local Scottish veterinarian.

With everyone in town preparing for an Oktoberfest celebration the town is bustling indeed; but on one particular morning she notices that the two local brewers - Otto Vance and Ted Kuhl - are having an argument, and guessing it's because Otto won the coveted sponsorship instead of Ted (who has a much better product). But when Megan returns home she receives a phone call in which she's told that Sauer farms won the local farm sponsorship; a decision that seems odd because Sauer runs a much bigger operation - plus they only grow GMO food and treat their animals inhumanely. Megan soon realizes the rules have been changed, and she's not getting any answers why from event planner Ophelia Dilworth, who refuses to talk about it.

But when her grandmother Bibi finds the body of Otto at a local solar farm and Ted disappears, Megan knows that not only have the rules changed, but the game. Once murder enters the equation, Megan's not only going to be busy trying to harvest her autumn crop, she's going to have her hands full trying to find a killer before the grim reaper decides to do some more harvesting of his own...

After reading the first book in this series, A Muddied Murder, I was waiting impatiently for the next in the series, and I have to say it was worth the wait. Ms. Tyson's characters are believable and full of vitality, giving us people we'd want to spend time with in a small town setting that's warm and inviting. Megan is capable, strong and intelligent, but yet, like any human, has insecurities which rise to the surface when she allows her emotions to get the better of her. This makes her more endearing and authentic.

With Megan searching for answers, wondering why certain businesses were handed 'golden tickets' and others ignored, she must also deal with the fact of who's been watching her and the farm and why and if she's truly ready to let go of the past and move on with her life; and the omnipresent question of Otto's murder. When a second murder occurs she's left in no doubt that somehow it's connected to the Oktoberfest celebration, but finding out how could be the key.

Which brings us to the mystery itself which is very good indeed, taking us on a winding path of twists and turns that coil together tightly; leaving Megan to unwind each strand piece by piece until it is almost too late. Ms. Tyson weaves the mystery so well that when we do find out the killer it comes as a complete surprise, giving us a satisfying end to a riveting tale; one that kept me reading in one sitting; and that is a very good thing indeed. Highly recommended.

Megan Sawyer’s hometown of Winsome, Pennsylvania is in the midst of frantic preparations for Oktoberfest, a week-long festival celebrating local produce and pure country living. All is going well until Megan’s grandmother Bibi finds a body of Otto Vance at a solar farm. Young police chief Bobby King wants to avoid a murder investigation and does his best to dismiss Megan’s growing concerns about Otto's death. But when the body of local brewmaster Ted Kuhl is found, Bobby realizes he has to find a killer. There had been some resentment that Otto's pub had been chosen as the beer distributor for the Oktoberfest celebrations instead of Ted's award-winning local brewery. Sauer Farm was chosen to represent the local town produce and beef but was a national seller of beef and corn and did not meet the criteria for a small farm. Were these choices enough for someone to commit murder? Attractive PR consultant Ophelia Dillsworth, Megan's temperamental and talented chef Alvaro, sexy Scottish vet Denver and assorted townspeople are among the characters and suspects in this story.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley and Henery Press.

Bitter Harvest is the second installment in the A Greenhouse Mystery series set in Winsome, PA and featuring Megan Sawyer, organic farmer and café owner. Megan is relieved that her farm, Washington Acres had a successful growing season and that the Washington Acres Farm Café and Larder has become a central gathering place for the local townsfolk.

With Oktoberfest on the horizon the entire town is abuzz with preparations, but some are unhappy with the festival organizers. What started out as an idea by local brewer Otto Vance to attract tourism and to promote the organic farmers and small business owners, the festival has snowballed with the creation of a planning committee and the hiring of PR pro Ophelia Dilworth. Unfortunately, Ophelia and the committee have awarded sponsorships and prominent position at the festival to the Sauer farm, known for animal cruelty and also to Otto's Brew Pub, whose home brews are inferior to a rival brewery operation owned by Ted Kuhl.

When Megan's grandmother Bibi stumbles upon the dead body of Otto, Police Chief Bobby King claims he'd suffered an unfortunate fall. But Megan has doubts and when Ted goes missing she begins to suspect foul play. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery Megan enlists the help of beau and veterinarian Dr. Daniel "Denver" Finn, and soon discovers not everything is as it seems in the idyllic little town.

Coupled with finding Otto's killer Megan also discovers that someone is spying on her and the farm. Whoever is camping out on Potter's Hill overlooking Washington Acres, has a personal interest in Megan. She visits her estranged Aunt Sarah but the woman is reluctant to answer Megan's questions and the mystery surrounding Megan's childhood deepens.

A delightful cast of returning characters includes chef Alvaro Hernandez, farm worker Clay Hand and his sister Clover, and war veteran Brian Porter. Megan's loveable dogs Gunther and Sadie once again figure prominently alongside the adorable pygmy goats Heidi and Dimples. Two separate plotlines will keep you turning the pages, the author leaves one mystery unsolved which will have readers anxiously awaiting the next in the series, Seeds of Revenge.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Henery Press and while not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Bitter Harvest by Wendy Tyson is book two in the Greenhouse Mystery series. This is a wonderful follow up to the first book, but it easily stands on its own. Megan's town is hosting a big Oktoberfest meant to bring attention to the small town charm of Winsome. The celebration is threatened when bodies start piling up. The mystery is strong as are the characters. Of course, I still love the gardening theme. I am always happy when a series remains strong. I look forward to many more books from Ms. Tyson!

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Greenhouse Mystery series written by Wendy Tyson. Megan Sawyer should be shouting from the barn roof. Washington Acres survived its first year, the café has become a hotspot for locals, and Winsome’s sexy Scottish veterinarian is making house calls only not for the animals. But as summer slips into fall and Winsome prepares for its grand Oktoberfest celebration, beer isn’t the only thing brewing. When the town’s pub owner is killed in a freak accident, Megan suspects something sinister is afoot in Winsome but no one is listening. As nights grow longer and temperatures chill, Megan must plow through Winsome’s fixation with autumn festivities to harvest the truth before another dead body marks the season.This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Megan Sawyer is planning for a Oktoberfest at the farm and at the cafe, but something seems amiss and she cannot put her finger on it. When her grandmother finds the body of one of the organizers of the event, she struggles to understand what is behind his death. The police would like to call it an accident, but when another organizer disappears, Megan's itch to investigate grows. With the help of handsome Scottish veterinarian Denver Finn (who names a Scotsman Denver?) Megan discovers the truth and uncovers some dark secrets in the town. I enjoy this series and I never feel Megan is acting impulsively during her investigations like some other mystery characters. She is a much more realistic character for that.

Bitter Harvest

by Wendy Tyson

Cozy mystery series frequently have themes--a tea shop, scrapbooking, dogs, etc. The best of these appeal to readers outside this narrow interest, perhaps even widening the reader’s horizons. The Greenhouse Mystery Series created by Wendy Tyson is a perfect example. Honestly, neither the title of the series or of the book I just read, Bitter Harvest, holds a particular attraction for me. I’ve done my fair share of mucking about in a large vegetable garden and have raised an assortment of farm animals. I am also a fan of organic vegetables. But, READ about them? In a mystery? Turns out the answer is a resounding double yes!

Bitter Harvest is a page turner as former Chicago lawyer Megan Sawyer returns to her roots in Winsome, Pennsylvania, to try to piece together a living from an organic farm, a café, and whatever else comes her way to make her farm a viable enterprise. The plot has multiple threads, but they all seem to center around Winsome’s first Oktoberfest. Don’t get too comfortable with the idea of small town friendliness, because a heated argument erupts at the café and Megan discovers evidence of a stalker looking down on her property--all in the first chapter. From there events move quickly as Megan’s grandmother discovers one of the town’s brewers is dead; no one is sure if it was an accident or murder. In Winsome, business and personal relationships swirl around like dust devils, never quite settling down.

The writing in Bitter Harvest is excellent. The setting varies from small town to farm and further afield as Megan tries to discover who is behind the crimes occurring in Winsome and what the motivation could possibly be. Megan is a war widow starting life again, but she still has to deal with a complicated past as she tries to understand why her mother left their family when she was eight years old. The characters are interesting, believable, and likable. The romantic attraction in the story is a handsome Scottish vet whose skills are invaluable in several crisis situations.

Wendy Tyson does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into Megan’s life. If you read the first book in the series, A Muddied Water, you get subtle reminders of events that occurred in that book. If you are jumping into the series with Bitter Harvest, you are quickly brought up to date without feeling like you just got a history lesson. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series, Seeds of Revenge, with projected publication in fall of 2017.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery, General Fiction (Adult)

Notes: part of a series, but works as a standalone

Publication: March 7, 2017--Henery Press

Memorable Lines:
Megan called to Sadie and Gunther. Gunther, better trained every day, came immediately and sat before her, the obedient livestock guardian dog. Sadie looked at her, sniffed a flower, peed next to a bush, and then trotted her way toward the house, stopping twice to investigate something interesting. For Sadie, obedient livestock guardian dog was clearly not a career aspiration.

“Trolls.” She handed the phone back to Emily. “That’s all they are. Sad, lonely people with nothing better to do than leave mean reviews and comments online. The web allows strangers to bask in the safety of cowardly anonymity. Hurtful, Emily--but not meaningful.”

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This is our second visit to Winsome, Pennsylvania and we are just in time the Oktoberfest celebration. The whole town wants their farm, store, pub or restaurant to be a main sponsor for the celebration and some feathers get ruffled when the select spots go to unsuspected places. In fact, when a pub owner is killed Megan doesn’t think it was truly an accident, but would someone actually kill because they weren’t chosen? So while getting the family farm and store ready for the celebration she is also trying to pick the killer and it isn’t as easy as picking a pepper or a pumpkin.

This was a pretty complex mystery with several suspects, means, and motives.

Megan has gotten through her first year and both the café and the farm are doing very well. She has even found time to spend with a certain veterinarian. That is until she gets wrapped up in this investigation. I knew she was a strong woman in the first story but she seems much more confident now as she has settled in. Her grandmother, another strong woman reminds me a lot of my mother. Determined, respected and not afraid to speak her mind. Dr. Denver Finn was extremely busy throughout the story taking care of a sick horse and other emergencies but he was still able to carve out time for Megan. All the characters a very believable and appealing. Their dialogue rings true, including Denver’s Scottish accent.

As I said the mystery is complex, in fact there are two mysteries to solve. Ms. Tyson entangles the plots together so well, weaving them together with deception, secrets, and untruths. I enjoyed doing my best to figure it all out before Megan but the ending was a complete surprise.

This one will grab you from the start and you will have a very hard time putting down.

Wendy gives mystery readers what they need, a perfect setting, a plot to die for, and charming characters! I love this series and we only have the second book. I can't wait to read the next perfect mystery!

This is the second in the series of Wendy Tyson's greenhouse series and the mysteries of Megan's background is till unfolding as one plot. A lot of suspense and secrets involved in this one.

The main plot of the book is that it's October and the town of Winsome is holding an Octoberfest. There is major contention in that most of the townsfolk are not happy with the farm picked to be the major sponsor for the event. The farm picked gets a lot of free publicity. Seeing as this is an event that is supposed to be helping out the little farmers and the biggest farmer becomes the sponsor. The whole town is seeing red.

Not only that, several people on the committee are turning up either dead or missing. What's going on in Winsome?

A fun, entertaining and enjoyable read. This one becomes pretty sinister just for a little advertising or is that all that's going on in the little town of Winsome?

Thanks to Henery Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.