Nina (pronounced NINE-uh), a recently divorced transplant from Atlanta, is settling into the small Shakespearean-themed town of Cymbeline, eagerly anticipating the day she can transform the beautiful old house she purchased into a bed and breakfast. There's only one speedbump: the great-nephew of the woman who owned the house, who is planning to sue Nina over possession of the property. Nina doesn't take him too seriously, because how can you really listen to a grown man in a penguin costume? Soon, a murder occurs, as it always does in a cozy, and Nina must use all her resources to find the killer.

It's an interesting start to a cozy series, and I look forward to the next installment. The Shakespearean element (and puns) in a small Georgia town is unexpected (although a bit reminiscent of Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery setting). It's nice to have a protagonist who's divorced, but not bitter, traumatized at the thought of ever dating again, or prudish. Nina seems to have a healthy interest in eyeballing Harry, the great-nephew, and undoubtedly something will come of that interest in later books. I was amused when I read about the author, who also writes cat mysteries, because in the book, Nina is reading a cozy cat mystery. Way to subtly hype your other works! :D

This was a great book by a new favorite author of mine! The book was written clearly with easy to follow story lines. The book was funny and alot of fun to read!! I would highly recommend this to everyone!!

Nina Fleet is enjoying her quiet life as a new resident of Cymbeline, Georgia. Well, there is the crazy man that claims he should have inherited the house she bought and threatens to sew, and the mayor just bullied her into opening a B&B. Otherwise, everything is peachy.

Nina's (pronounced Nine-ah) first guests are six nuns that are evicted from their convent because their lease is up. (This made me do a double take: the catholic church is renting property?) The landowner is pretty much the most hated man in town. He's deluded people into selling him their property cheap and he's even found a loop-hole in a contract with the town that enabled him to build four times more homes than the town had planned. (Again, double take: wouldn't the building license state exactly what he was supposed to build?)

Anyway, I've got him pegged as the eventual murder victim (setting the scene takes about 6 chapters), simply because there would be the longest list of suspects - pretty much everyone apart from Nina.

I like this cozy, perhaps because it doesn't do what I don't like in some others. Nina sleuths by way of talking to her neighbours. She isn't pushy, she doesn't demand private information from strangers and she doesn't break into other people's property.

And the Sheriff isn't stupid. I always like that. Very few stupid people in this book. Lots of strong female characters.

Peach Clobbered by Anna Gerard was an intriguing cozy mystery that captured my attention from the first chapter.

I really liked Nina Fleet. She is a smart and feisty woman is has to live life her own way since her divorce from her philandering ex-husband. The plot was quickly paced and filled with red herrings, twists and plenty of suspects as she decides to solve the mystery of the murder of the most hated man in her new home town. I'm still undecided about Harry Westcott as I sympathize with his situation but he can often be unlikable. The Sisters of Perpetual Poverty are all wonderful characters that I enjoyed getting to know while they stayed with Nina. I hope that this is the beginning of a long running cozy series.

Peach Clobbered.
A new author for me and definitely didn’t disappoint.
I really enjoyed this first book got me hooked from the first page.
Nina is so gullible but in the nicest way and for all the right reasons.
Opening her bed and breakfast to a group of Nuns who have been evicted from there home by the landlord.
Good plot and loved all the humour, never guessed who the killer was until it was revived at the end.
Would definitely recommend this book and look out for the next instalment.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane books and NettGalley for advance copy for a honest review.

In this brand new series we meet Nina fleet, divorce and ex-wife of a pro golfer who cheated on her. Nina has bought a beautiful old Queen Anne home in historic Cymbeline, GA and has opened a B&B and is busting her first guests, a group of nuns who have been evicted from their convent. When the owner of the convent who evicted the sisters is found stabbed to death, there are quite a few people with means, motive and opportunity in the small, quiet town and they all disliked the dead man,

While Nina has purchased the home from the former owner’s estate, the woman’s grand nephew wants the house and is threatening legal action to get the house that was promised to him in a recent letter from his great aunt. While Nina has no intention. Of selling back the house she bought fair and square, she does take sympathy on the man and helps him out when a stalker is after the handsome actor who is also arrested for the businessman’s murder.

This is a good start to a new series and I am certain the next entry in the series will be even better.

I really wanted to like this book. The blurb checked so many boxes for me: cozy mystery, quaint Georgia town, B&B, etc. But I really struggled with this one. The plot felt forced and the characters were one-dimensional tropes (nun with a scandalous past, poor actor, gossipy and fashionable gay man). I don't feel like I really got to know or rooted for anyone. I was additionally bothered by the comments about "urban slang" and a joke about short busses.

Unfortunately I will not read further into the series as it comes out.

Nina Fleet has recently moved to Cymbeline, Georgia after traveling through town one day and seeing a Victorian house and buying it on the spur of the moment. When a penguin shows up on her doorstep threatening a lawsuit it sets in motion all manner of events. A wealthy developer who is evicting a local convent of cheese making nuns from their home is murdered. The penguin (turns out its Harry Westcott, the original house owner's nephew) has a stalker trying to harm him. Harry and Nina team up to try to discover the murderer. How they solve the mystery makes for a delightful cozy mystery. This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery with memorable and interesting characters and good editing. The story kept me engaged and I really loved the characters. The editing was good with only a few errors. I will certainly be reading more by this author.

This was the first in a new series. It took place near Savannah, Georgia. I grew up in Georgia so I can say that some of the statements made about the weather were not an exaggeration. Nina and her dog, Mattie have just bought an old house in Georgia. She makes it into a B&B as her first guests are a group of nuns that were kicked out of their convent. Unsurprisingly, the guy who kicked them out turns up dead. He is also on the hit list of a number of others in town. Nina ends up involved by chance not by a nosy nature.
The book is well written and solid. The characters are well developed and interesting. I felt drawn in and actually cared what happened to the nuns in their dilemma. I had not seen any other books under this author but this one doesn't seem like a first timer which when I got to the end, it turns out it is written by an author that writes under another name. I have read and enjoyed the other series, so it makes sense to have brought some skill to bringing this story alive. I will be including this author on my list to watch.

I really liked this book. It had a great storyline and was full of twists and turns that kept me interested until the very end.
I’m hoping that there will be more in this great series.

This was an enjoyable read. Even though it was a little predictable, there were still enough twists to keep it interesting and to give a few little surprises at the end. The nuns were adorable and the interactions between Nina and Harry were fun, even though at times it felt like they forgot he’s planning to sue her. The author did go a little overboard on explaining some fairly basic terms, but it didn’t distract too much from the plot. I may not read the next book in the series but I will definitely look it up and read the description. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of lighthearted mysteries or small southern towns.

Peach Clobbered: A Georgia B&B Mystery by.Anna_Gerard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Nina (nine-a) Fleet has retired early at age 41 to small town, Cymbeline, Georgia. She bought an old Queen Anne house in hopes of opening a bed-and-breakfast. Imagine her surprise when a penguin shows up on her step claiming to be the rightful owner. Harry Westcott is an actor working odd jobs to survive until he makes it big. He claims that his aunt intended to leave the house to him and has a letter to prove it.

The next time Nina sees the penguin costume, the person inside has a knife in his chest. Instead of Harry, The man is Gregory Bainbridge, a shifty land developer. So many hated him that the array of suspects is long and varied.

This is an excellent start to the series. I've enjoyed Ms. Gerard's writing as Ali Brandon. The Black Cat Bookshop series was one of my all time favorites and I miss Hamlet. I'm pleased that this series also has a furry side kick in Matilda, "Mattie", the Australian shepherd.

The characters are very well written. I felt at home in Cymbeline. The shops were described in a manner that I felt I could step inside and greet the owners.The mystery is solid and I was surprised by the killer. I went in a different direction..The nuns were a wonderful addition to the story. Nina's wish to become a B&B happens faster than she expects after being told there were plenty in town. The nuns were displaced by Bainbridge and the town's mayor knew just the place for them

.This was a great afternoon read and I look forward to continuing the series to see what happens.

Nina Fleet buys a house after her divorce only to find out that that the now dead owner pledged to leave it to her actor nephew who is making ends meet by playing a penguin mascot for a local ice cream store. When a much hated local developer is found wearing the same penguin suit with a knife in his chest Nina sets out to find the murderer with the help of displaced nuns from a nearby convent and her nemesis Harry the original penguin.
A promising start to new series. Looking forward to the next book!

I was thrilled with this book. Funny, fresh, and fabulously likeable characters. Nina hosts local nuns in her not quite up and running bed and breakfast and I loved every second as they've been evicted by an evil landlord. Guess who ends up murdered? Also Nina is being threatened with a lawsuit over her new home by a family member of the woman who Nina bought The house from. The story was so unique!

This was a such a good book! I don't often give out five stars, but there you go. In this book we meet Nina Fleet (that's NINE-ah, not NEEN-a, thank you very much). She has purchased a Victorian home in Georgia after a split from her philandering pro-golfer ex-husband. We quickly meet a man in a penguin suit, a group of nuns, a stalker, etc. When a body is found, Nina has a vested interest in finding the killer.

I just finished this book and am already hankering for the next. Yes - I said hankering. Don't know where that came from but I am! The book could be read as a stand-alone, as it is the first in the series, but I sincerely HOPE it won't be the last! The humor is fantastic, as is the writing. I had never heard of this author before, but I am so enamored with her writing and the way she invites you to get to know her neighbors and adopted town through her eyes. Excellent, excellent book. Better yet, did not figure out the murderer till the reveal. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

This book might look like something you have read before, but it had such a different vibe and story and I was completely hooked! The author does a good job of introducing the characters without giving too much away, leaving more for other installments. Each chapter was full of fun and surprises and set the stage for a superbly executed mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I was SO excited to be given the chance to read another book from one of my absolute favorite authors! She writes under other names as well, such as Ali Brandon and Diane A.S Stuckart. This is JUST as good as anything else she's written, and in some parts, even better. I adored Harry especially, and the entire group of nuns. Can we get them as reoccuring characters forever? Please?

The best part is that this is only the first book. I love how much potential this series has and I cannot wait to read more! Definitely one of my favorite new cozy mysteries for the year. Five stars.

I received a free copy of PEACH CLOBBERED (A Georgia B&B Mystery) by Anna Gerard (a/k/a Diane A.S. Stuckart a/k/a Ali Brandon) in exchange for an honest review. Following her divorce, Nina Fleet wanted stability and community, so she purchased a perfect Queen Anne house in the small town of Cymbeline, Georgia. Nina suggests that what ensued be called, “The Summer of the Penguins.” First, the man contesting Nina’s purchase of her new home, Harry Wescott, showed up on her front porch in a penguin mascot costume. After some “heated” debate, he promptly swooned from heatstroke. Second, the following day or so, the mayor showed up with a van filled with nuns in full regalia. The mayor bribed Nina with a previously denied license to operate a B&B in exchange for Nina housing the now-homeless nuns. Third, right after the Sisters of Perpetual Poverty take up residence, the man who callously evicted the nuns, Gregory Bainbridge, is found in a downtown alley stabbed in the chest. Bainbridge was wearing Harry’s penguin suit at the time. Who was the intended victim? Harry believes he may be in danger and asks for Nina’s help. Soon, Harry, sans penguin suit, moves into Anna’s garret. By the end of the book, a murderer will be outed, a mystery body part will be discovered, the nuns will have a new home, and the term “literally” will be abused at least twice.

This was a pretty good book and a good start to a new series. If you can stand the repeated use of the term “literally” to mean “figuratively,” you may enjoy it way more than I did. Because the, um, “ironic” use of the term “literally” made me really cranky, I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I do the author’s other works. I am, otherwise, a fan.

#PeachClobbered #NetGalley