Biscuits and Slashed Browns is the 4th installment in the Country Store Mysteries series featuring Robbie Jordan, owner of Pans N'Pancakes set in the small town of South Lick, Indiana. Robbie is looking forward to hosting a cook off as part of the Brown County Maple Sugar Festival and showcasing her delicious maple biscuits.

The weekend has also brought a gathering of maple scientists to town for an academic conference including Professor Warren Connolly. From the moment he stepped into town the professor seemed to get into an altercation with everyone that crossed his path; from fellow scholars to local townsfolk. So, it's really no surprise when Robbie's Aunt Adele finds his body behind a woodpile, but the problem is she finds the body behind the home of Robbie's assistant, Turner Roa and murdered with the Chef's knife of her best friend Christina. Knowing that neither of these two could be capable of murder, Robbie sets out with the help of beau, Abe to clear her friends and soon finds herself in more than one sticky situation.

A fast paced plot, a returning cast of characters and just the right touch of romance make this a delightful addition to the series. I received an advanced copy of Biscuits and Slashed Browns from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

This is the newest book in the Country Store mystery series and with all the other books it is a book you won't be able to put down. A must read for fans of Maddie Day and cozy mysteries.

Another great addition to the series. I love how it has a "Southern Lite" feel to it. Some of those sayings are absolutely hilarious. I really enjoyed the mystery, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

This is book number 4 in the Country Store Mysteries but the first I have read. I have two others that I now need to move up in my TBR pile. The author does not disappoint. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and some of the quaint sayings. Some I just didn’t get.
What I really liked was the feeling that I was in this town, with these people, living it with them. The recipes at the end of the book are just an added bonus. I plan on trying a few of them.
It can be read as a standalone. Thanks to the author, netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.

If you've read this series you know what you're getting when the maple experts come to town- Robbie, who owns Pans and Pancakes, is going to get involved in a murder investigation! If you haven't read it, you're in for a treat. This is a well done cozy series set in a small town in Indiana replete with interesting characters (starting with Robbie, of course). The murdered man is a visitor and he's a creep but there are some local connections that make the situation more complex. There are secrets (of course) but the mystery isn't too complex. The writing is sprightly, Robbie's a winner, and-wait for it- there are recipes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Biscuits And Slashed Browns is the fourth book in the A Country Store Mystery series.

Robbie Jordan own Pans ‘N Pancakes, a restaurant and country store specializing in useful and collectible kitchenware items in South Lick, Indiana.

Spring is on the way and the sap is beginning to run and South Lick is getting ready for Brown County’s annual Maple Festival. Robbie will also be hosting and an entrant in a contest for the best breakfast item with maple syrup as an ingredient.

Also going on this weekend is an academic conference on maple sciences. On the morning when everything is to get under, Warren Connolly, a maple scientist, enters Pan ‘N Pancakes and is accosted by Sonia Genest about the value of his research work. As Connolly is having his breakfast Dr. Roa approaches him and has a similar discussion as Genest.

The next day, Adele, Robbie’s aunt, finds the body of Connolly, whose throat has been cut, on Dr. Roa’s maple farm. When the police go to question Dr. Roa, they are unable to find him. Turner, Dr. Roa’s son, who has been filling at Robbie’s and she doesn’t think or at least hopes Dr. Roa was involved in the killing and starts her own little investigation. When she goes to talk with Dr. Roa’s wife she senses that the wife isn’t being forthcoming about where her husband might be. Soon she learns that her close friend, Christina, had once been physically attacked by Connolly and one of her knives was the murder weapon, so she comes up on the police radar. She soon feels that for ever step forward she is taking two back. She hopes she can find the killer before someone else meets a similar fate.

I love all of Maddie Day/Edith Maxwell’s books and living in Northern Indiana that just makes this one more that much more enjoyable, along with the use of some “Hoosier” dialect. Ms. Day once again provides the reader with a well-plotted and exciting story with an interesting cast of characters.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Biscuits and Slashed Browns: A Country Store Mystery
By Maddie Day
Kensington
February 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Californian Robbie Jordan is still getting accustomed to South Lick, Indiana’s harsh winters, so she’s looking forward to celebrating March’s fifth annual Maple Festival. This Brown County event attracts tourists from all around for cook-offs and sugaring demonstrations, but it also coincides with a nearby academic conference on maple tree science. That explains why Boston College’s Professor Warren Connolly is in South Lick, but his climate-change denial stance infuriates Indiana University academics, not to mention the local farmers. Not in the least of these is Sajit Rao, a maple tree farmer and academic himself, whose son Robbie just hired as a fill-in cook. When Robbie’s Aunt Adele finds Connolly with his throat slashed, there’s a surplus of suspects, with most of the suspicion falling on a missing local.

With her full-time assistant sidelined by a twisted ankle and her fill-in otherwise distracted, Robbie can barely manage to keep up with the increased business at her Pan ‘N Pancakes restaurant and cookware store. Robbie’s obsession with puzzles – she fills in the Sunday New York and London Times crosswords in ink, after all – has her unable to leave the question of Connolly’s killing unsolved. The topic of climate change is an incendiary one, especially when it has academics in competition for research grants and funding. Robbie begins to question those in her newly adopted town, somehow never seeming to be more nosy or intrusive than anyone else in South Lick.

What is so refreshing about this series is how even while investigating, Maddie never neglects her actual day job of running her restaurant. To the contrary, it’s a visible struggle for Maddie to cook, serve tables, and manage to stay awake enough to continue her queries at the end of the day. She presents a realistic, if exhausting, example of how difficult it is to prep and serve her customers when short-staffed. Just as enlightening are how tragedies and broken relationships have left Maddie with understandable trust issues, and her insecurities have her questioning the loyalty of hunky electrician Abe O’Neill. Author Day, who also writes under the name Edith Maxwell, welcomes readers into the Indiana town and sprinkles unique Hoosier aphorisms throughout. What can be appreciated as well is how the author subtlety depicts South Lick’s diverse ethnicity. These details are as instrumental in establishing the setting as the maple trees and downhome food, giving readers a topical mystery abundant with so many characteristics that cozy readers adore.

Always enjoyable read but I felt Buck's dialogue was a little hokey this time.

Robbie Jordan just can't seem to catch a break with murder since she's been in Indiana. This time a near choking victim in her restaurant ends up dead with her new cook's father as chief suspect. The knife that was the murder weapon belongs to another friend, and Robbie investigates to try to clear her associates. Added to this anxiety is the insecurity she suffers when she sees a super friendly blonde with her boyfriend Abe. The mystery is expert with increasing tension until the conclusion. I highly recommend this latest County Store Mystery.

This is book #4 in this series. This series is best read in order to best enjoy it. Robbie owns a restaurant & country store. The National Maple Syrup Festival is going on which brings tourists to town. A Boston professor is a judge but is not popular with anyone and then ends up dead. Robbie begins to ask questions around town which makes her a target. She has to find out who killed the professor. The mystery was good, and I liked the characters. The only thing that annoyed me was some of the sayings and then the author had to explain them resulting in the descriptions being a little long at times. Good overall.

Another delightful visit to Brown County, Indiana. I haven't been there in many years, but it doesn't sound as if anything has changed. I admire our protagonist's ability to ride her bike in the hilly area. Yes, she is good at solving crimes, too. Not always in time before putting herself in danger though. Nice, normal friends without anyone being too eccentric as is sometimes the case in cozies. The publisher provided a copy via NetGalley for my voluntary review. I look forward to the next one in the series as I know I will be entertained.

A fairly written cozy mystery, set in Indiana. I struggled a bit with this one, although I did find it interesting. Some of the dialog confused me, with jargon of the area I am guessing, and a little stilted at times as well. Robbie runs a pancake place, in the town of maple syrup production. When a rude and nasty maple sugar judge gets murdered she helps to solve the case. I would recommend it. and the recipes at the end look delicious, but could have been better.

I read other instalments of this series and always like them as they were also really good.
It is nice to read about the development of the characters and their relationships.
This is a good read, entertaining and enjoyable with no plot hole and a good pace.
Sometimes it seemed to that Robbie was a bit on the "rigid" side sticking to truth at all cost without understanding what the consequences but this was just a small down in a very good mystery.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley.

Robbie is dishing up meals and solving mysteries in this latest installment installment of the series. People are flocking to town for the maple extravaganza. Not everyone is being welcomed with open arms. When a controversial professor shows up, bringing conflict and bad feelings with him, Robbie tries to stay out of it and just keep on cooking. When the professor ends up murdered, and her new employee's family are the main suspects, Robbie cannot help but get involved and try to crack the case.
This series is so well written, I always enjoy getting lost in them. The characters and their relationships just get better with each book. I love how the author always remembers to touch on past story lines so you are not lost if they come up later on. A well written and engaging mystery.

This is another enjoyable entry in Maddie Day’s Country Store series. There’s a murder during the town’s maple fest and as usual, Robbie gets involved in trying to solve the mystery. There were plenty of suspects and several side issues kept me guessing who the killer was until I was about two-thirds of the way through.

Biscuits and Slashed Browns is the 4th book in the Country Store Mysteries, and the small town of South Lick, IN is gearing up for a Maple Festival when a visiting college professor ruffles some feathers and winds up dead with a chef's knife stuck in his chest. Puzzle fanatic Robbie can't seem to let the matter go, espcially when the prime suspects are her best friend Christina and the father of one of her employees! Robbie ruthlessly chases the truth, and finds herself in a couple of sticky situations before being confronted by the killer and barely escaping with her life! (And I loved how the title was a part of the plot!)

I love a visit to South Lick and catching up with Robbie, Buck and Adele and of course, Robbie's food (I'm going to make those maple biscuits!) and this one didn't disappoint. The author does such a great job of creating a world that welcomes you back like an old friend. The rich plot had a lot going on without feeling too cluttered, with a fast pace and a riveting plot that kept me glued to the pages. I mean, the floors can wait to be washed, but mysteries don't solve themselves! Robbie's bike rides had me, who is freezing in arctic Indiana right now, yearning for those spring days with the promise of warmer weather to come. I would've liked to have seen a little bit about the maple syrup process, too bad Robbie didn't make it to see the Native American sugaring demonstration. And did she ever fix her taillight? Did she give Warren's crown back to Noreen? These are the things I worry about, folks.

Overall, Biscuits and Slashed Browns serves up another finger lickin good cozy mystery and another enjoyable visit to South Lick.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is such a great cozy mystery series and I was eager to start this book and follow another adventure of Robbie Jordan and her friends. This book had a lot of the same elements I look forward to each book, the pans and pancakes store and the days Robbie spends working there, the descriptions of some delicious sounding food, a good mystery and a great group of friends and family who surround the main character.

In Biscuits and Slashed Browns the mystery surrounds a professor who has been killed during the annual maple festival. There are multiple suspects, but almost everyone is hiding something. While I really enjoyed this book, for some reason the mystery didn't grab me as much as some of the earlier books. It still was a good mystery tough. I liked how there are lots of secrets and for a while I wasn't sure who had done it as there were so many things unclear. When the murderer was revealed, I wasn't too surprised as it was one of the few suspects left at that point. Not a big surprise, but it was a good build up with lots of hints slowly being revealed over the course of the book.

One of my favorite parts of this series is seeing the side plot lines about Robbie's personal life continue, there is some progress with the bed and breakfast rooms she's working on, her father will come to visit soon (I hope that's in the next book), some developments with her employees in the store, her love life with Abe is part of the book again and I am sure I am forgetting some other things. There's a nice amount of continuity in this series and that makes it extra fun to read in order.

Robbie is a great character to read about and I liked how most of the time she makes smart decisions. There is this scene in this book were she's going in a potential dangerous scene and actually calls for backup, which I thought was nice. She doesn't run headlong into danger, although the danger does manage to find her.

I also liked catching up with the side characters and meeting a few new ones, like Turner. The maple festival was a nice backdrop, although there's not too much focus on it, except for a few scenes. There was a baking competition and some mentions of other events. I also liked how Robbie works in her store every day it was open, I liked how her store was her first responsibility and solving the puzzle would come in her spare time.

To summarize: another great read in this series. I always like returning to this series and following Robbie as she solves another mystery. It was a good mystery with lots of suspects and everyone seemed to be hiding something. I wasn't too surprised when we found out who the murderer was, but there was a good build up toward it. I also like the side plot lines about Robbie's life, her friends and the store. And there is a nice amount of continuity in this series.

Biscuits and Slashed Browns is the 4th in the Country Store Mysteries by Maddie Day.

As Robbie Jordan prepares to host a breakfast-themed cook-off at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie has no idea that this will turn into another puzzling murder investigation. As the locals and visitors head into South Lick, IN for the annual maple extravaganza, no one is prepared for the snide professor from Boston, who leaves enemies everywhere he travels.
Unfortunately for the professor, his time at the maple fest is cut short, and it's Robbie's aunt who discovers his body.
Everyone who knows Robbie knows that she loves a challenging puzzle, so when she begins to seek out answers, no one is surprised by her discoveries.

I really enjoy this series and Maddie Day writes a wonderful story that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.
Her creation of Robbie and all the quirky characters in this story shows her amazing talent.
The recipes will inspire you to try your own hand at making her popular biscuits and the down home feeling of friendship will keep you yearning for more.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
#BiscuitsAndSlashedBrowns #NetGalley

This latest in the series is another sure fire hit.
An enjoyable cozy series.

A quick fast paced addition to the series. The town of South Lick is in the middle of their maple syrup festival and there is a murder. Thankfully it wasn't at the diner this time, but Robbie is interested in who the killer is and clearing her friends that are implicated.

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.