A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I love this series. Its fun and causal with a great core cast, family elements, and senior respect.

Kelly jackson is still learning about the town of Redwood Cove and her relatively new job as manager of the Redwood Cove Inn. The Upcoming Mushroom Festival featuring a mushroom hunt and other outdoor activities has her excitedly trying out new activities to share with her guests. Elise, is running a cooking class using mushrooms at the inn and will be providing some of the other food. There is a mystery involving the disappearance of "sinker logs", old-growth redwood logs that were submerged in the rivers. They were on indigenous lands and were not allowed to be taken, but some were disappearing as well as the land being torn up. When a local reporter is shot in the woods, Daniel, Kelly's friend, is a suspect due to an altercation he had with the reporter. There are also a lot of other people who has issues with the reporter so Kelly and friends are determined to find out who killed Ned.

I enjoy this series, especially the "Silver Sentinels" Even though Kelly is the main protagonist, the sentinels are a group of local seniors who are able to dig out information that always comes in handy. They each have their own special talents to contribute to the group and weekly or daily meetings are held to discuss what they find out and what the next steps will be. This story had a lot of suspects, but I was pretty sure who the murderer was pretty early in the story. I was correct, but there were a lot of twists in the plot along that way that had me second guessing myself. Add in the second mystery and I was along for the ride. The clues were ferreted out by the team and the showdown once again has Kelly in trouble. I am enjoying the development of the characters as this series goes on, especially the relationships between Kelly and some of the locals. There is a tiny bit of romance happening, but it is subtle and fits in with the mysteries well. It was interesting to learn not only about mushroom hunting, but about sinker logs, their value and uses. I can't write this review without mentioning the animals. There are a couple of dogs that play an important role in the story and a mushroom sniffing pig, so I got my animal fix in as well. I definitely recommend this story and series to those who enjoy a well-written cozy mystery.

Kelly, the manager of a B&B in Northern California, gets sucked into a murder investigation when her close friend Daniel comes under suspicion. While this is happening, there is a mushroom festival going on in the town. Among other things, they are having cooking classes at her B&B to celebrate the festival. A group of senior citizens known as the Silver Sentinels helps Kelly with her investigation.

Other activities during the festival included hunting for mushrooms. Daniel was looking for mushrooms on some Native American land, which was not an issue for him because he is Native American. He has a conflict with a reporter who is killed shortly afterward.

The idea for the book was good. I liked some of the characters. I felt like some of the writing was stilted. I had a little trouble suspending my disbelief as to her activities and those of the Senior Sentinels while investigating the murder. Her actions often seemed foolhardy to me.

Still, it's a good mystery with twists. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. It also had some educational value. I knew that pigs could be trained to sniff out truffles, but I didn't know you could train dogs to do the same thing. Also, I didn't know what sinker logs were or that there was conflict over some of them or that they could be used to make art.

Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver was released April17th, 2018 from Lyrical Underground.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Kelly and her friends are knee deep in it this time. When some special edible mushrooms are found on Native American land, the plot kicks up when someone is killed at the site. I like visiting Redwood Cove and the characters within.

As the fourth book in the series, I was a little nervous at jumping in, but my fears were not proven out. I found the story delightful, mystery well-plotted with a cast of characters that I want to know better. I'll be reading the first ones and hopefully be caught up before the next one is published.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=66031

A cautionary tale of mushrooms and rivalry
title: MURDER AT THE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL

This book is the 4th in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series. I have not read the previous three, but will definitely be looking for them for future reads. Kelly is the manager of a B&B in California and it is mushroom festival time. Mushrooms are very serious business as are some logs which are located on Native American land and someone is willing to kill for both. With the help of the Silver Sentinels, Kelly and the local authorities solve the case and keep the festivities moving along. Another awesome Cozy mystery from an author I was not aware of but has been added to my favorite list!

Janet Finsilver's fourth book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series is Murder at the Mushroom Festival. Kelly is hosting a cooking class at the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast during the Mushroom Festival. When a local reporter is shot at a site she recently visited, Kelly enlists the "Silver Sentinels" (a group of senior sleuths) to help her solve the mystery. I have read a previous book in the series, but it is not necessary to enjoy this book. The characters are varied which adds to the book overall. The suspect list is long, but everything ties together well. The Silver Sentinels are a big part of the story and a wonderful group.

I had only read the first book in this series but when this one was released I couldn't resist jumping ahead. Just like the first, this mystery was well-written and plotted out. I did somewhat guess the killer (although I was second guessing myself at one point) but there were a couple of smaller mysteries going on that I didn't really have any idea who was behind those.

Kelly jackson was still sort of new at her job as manager of the Redwood Cove inn and she was looking forward to the upcoming Mushroom Festival featuring a mushroom hunt and other outdoor activities. The meals at the inn were being put together by a woman named Elise running a class on mushrooms. Everything was going great until a local reporter (who a couple of people had had issues with) covering the event turned up murdered and someone else in the group was nearly poisoned. Kelly was worried that her friend Daniel who worked at a neighboring inn was going to be charged with the murder.

This was another job for the Silver Sentinels, a group of senior citizens who had formed in the first book to look into crime in the area and help the police with many extra sets of eyes. Kelly was an honorary member since her inn provided their meeting space. In fact, her boss had even named the conference room after them since he was so impressed by their previous crime solving attempts. I really enjoy each and every one of this special group. They all have their own special talents to contribute to the group and everyone discusses what they find out and assigns themselves to another aspect of the case.

I remembered the main characters from the first book and it was fun to go back and visit with Daniel, Helen and her son Tommy. A cute side story in this had Tommy trying to teach Fred the basset hound how to roll over. I really love that there were a couple of little side mysteries along with the extra real life touches such as the veterans with PTSD that were receiving service dogs trained at the community center that Scott ran, or just receiving a home at the community center. There was a nice shout-out to diabetes trained dogs as well as those dealing with their own diabetes. It was refreshing that Deputy Stanton wasn't one of the grumpy cops I read about so much in these mysteries. He was kind, hard-working and genuinely interested in having the Silver Sentinels help with cases. He gave them respect and I really respected him for that.

I do want to go back and read the books that I missed. Redwood Cove is such a fun place to visit!

As always, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new Kelly Jackson cozy mystery...I have been reading this series from the very start, and have reviewed them all. So I am thankful that I got to read this early and get the chance to share my thoughts...



Let's venture back to The Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast with Miss Kelly Jackson, the whole cast of lovely characters and of course, the lovable Silver Sentinels. And the Silver Sentinels? They just get better and better. I always ask, can I have a group of my own Silver Sentinels, please? They are simply adorable and lovable! However, they weren't my absolute favorite this time...an outrageous, mushroom hunting pig wearing a pink bow by the name of Priscilla stole my heart. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I myself would die to have a teacup pig, but she stole the show in my book!



As always, the descriptions in this book were beautiful and charming, and being back was like being welcomed by a longtime friend in the coziest of hugs.The plot itself is well written and well developed, and the ending caught me by surprise! I am always sucked in by the storytelling and this book was no exception. One last thought, there is some romance a budding for Kelly, and I can't wait to see how that continues to develop! If you have not read any of the books in this series, seriously, what are you waiting for?

Such a good and fun mystery. I loved the delightful characters and the relationships that they had with each other. Some characters you loved and others you hated. But that made the story interesting. Great mushroom festival activities and I loved how they were varied and would have provided something for everyone to enjoy.

This book was just a good read. I love the town where it took place, the people (at least those who aren't stealing or trying to kill someone), and the goodness that was demonstrated in many ways. The focus on trying to help vets and other individuals was a plus.

You really didn't know who had committed all of the crimes until the end. You have lots of suspicions, but you don't know the truth until the very end. I love that in a book! One that keeps you guessing and trying to put the puzzle pieces together will draw me in every time!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Murder at the Mushroom Festival puts a different twist on the cozy mystery formula by adding a group of sleuthing seniors to the protagonist Kelly Jackson's crime solving repertoire. Not that Kelly really needs any help, she's a pretty good sleuth herself and turns up plenty of clues all on her own.

There are a number of twists in this tale that will keep you guessing as to who the real killer is. There's also plenty of information about mushrooms. We're not just talking plain, old, everyday button shrooms, we're going for the good stuff, including culinary delicacies like truffles—which are found with the help of trained dogs.

For those who like their cozies with a culinary bent, there are plenty of ideas for using mushrooms in recipes—everything from appetizers to dessert, even ice cream! There's a steady pacing throughout the story and a bunch of quirky characters, from the Silver Sentinels to the contestants vying for to win the mushroom festival.

Murder at the Mushroom Festival is a fun culinary cozy that will keep you entertained and make you wonder, "how come I never tried that with mushrooms?"

Kelly Jackson and the Senior Sentinels are back at it again. This time the town of Redwood Cove is hosting the annual Mushroom festival. Lots of suspects and when Daniel moves to the top of the list, Kelly and the sentinels try to determine who killed the reporter who was blackmailing folks in the town. This was a good story and hopefully in the next installment we will have more interaction with Scott and Kelly and move that relationship going forward. Will definitely get the next one!

I just loved this book! Having a setting that is almost in my own backyard of the Bay Area made it that much more fun to read! The characters were fun and interesting and I loved all of the activities the characters participated in while attending the Mushroom Festival (horse back riding, hiking, canoeing!) And let's not forget to mention the tiny piece of the puzzle, a murder to solve - and a well thought out one that had me to the end! I found the mushroom facts to be interesting and the storyline fast paced. I don't usually start a series in the middle, but made the exception on this one and I can't wait to go back and catch up on the earlier escapades of these characters! Thank you for allowing me to review this NetGalley edition in exchange for my honest review.

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

What a cute new addition to this wonderful series. Kelly is fairly settled by this point and highly involved in the tight knit community. There is a mushroom festival going on that sounds like great fun if it wasn't for the dead body that was found. When a friend ends up the main suspect she starts asking questions with the help of the Silver Sentinels who are a hoot I must say. Add Tommy, his dog, and a pig to get a cozy that you won't want to put down. The mushroom info was just an added bonus. I really enjoyed so I give it 4/5 stars and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

I jumped into this series at book 4 and that was A o.k! Although I
really enjoyed the characters and need to go back and read the rest just because I want to!
My head was spinning though not in a bad way with all the villainous crimes! Murder, theft, blackmail, the Indian land being
dishonored and just a few threats thrown in to make everyone a
little nervous.
The road is twisty and curving and will keep you a bit on the edge of your seat with all the action and mystery.
I enjoyed meeting all the sleuthing seniors that help Kelly by snooping and solving the crime to clear her friends name.
The addition of all the animals to the story made it especially fun for me!

If you love cozy mysteries that have some great animal characters
you'll enjoy this series.

And one of my favorite parts was the cover. I would pick this
one up for sure and check it out. I'd read the back and then Buy It!
I do have to say I was a little disappointed there was one of the
animal characters that sadly missed being on the cover!

I am looking forward to reading much more!

I received a complimentary copy.

I enjoy the contributions of senior sleuths, and this series has a wide variety of personalities.
The staff for the hotels and touristy industry are well written and I appreciate their loyalty to each other. When one becomes a suspect, you know no one will rest until he is proven innocent and the case closed.
An interesting mystery, some great animals, and even new possibilities for the veterans!
This book proves that situations are not always strictly black and white, but some choices are better than others.

Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver is fourth installment in A Kelly Jackson Mystery series. Kelly Jackson is the protagonist and the manager of the Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. She is looking forward to the Mushroom Festival in Redwood Cove, California and learning more about mushrooms. They are holding mushroom classes and training in finding mushrooms. Soon a murder occurs and many suspects are possible . Kelly has proven to be a great sleuth and is on the case once again.
I enjoy this series and Kelly is a great protagonist. She does not hesitate to be involved in the aspects of finding a suspect and has many twist and turns in this book.
I enjoy the setting of the B&B, the quirky characters and beautiful location. This series is a outstanding cozy series and I look forward to the next in series and more adventures with Kelly and friends. It is a warm welcoming writing style that invites the reader into this wonderful world of great friends from various ages and backgrounds,a lovely forest and the charming B&B. This was my favorite of all the books in the series. I enjoyed the pets, the cookie baking and the small town charm.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Homicide comes again to the life of Kelly Jackson. She is working on the upcoming Mushroom Festival while managing the Redwood Cove B&B. There are lots of things happening during the festival week - teaching about mushrooms, cooking mushrooms, hunting for mushrooms but nobody said a corpse would be found along with those mushrooms. The victim had been investigating illegal logging and was getting too close. Kelly knows that the police have the wrong at the top of their suspect list and she and the Senior Sentinels set out to find the murderer before any more murders happen, especially to any of them.
I enjoy mysteries that not only entertain me but educate me, as well. There's a lot to learn about mushrooms in this well written mystery.