I enjoyed this mystery. It was really well plotted with high stakes and a long suspect list. In addition, there’s a nicely filled-out cast of townspeople and a lot of potential for story going forward.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

What a well written whodunit! It kept me guessing! With the beautiful Christmas setting at the farm in the mountains, this is an cozy mystery for the holidays. Who doesn't love apple cider for the cool holiday weather?

This was an engaging romp that was delightfully charming. I enjoyed this well-written whodunit from beginning to end. The mystery was nicely executed with enough intrigue to keep me devouring every little detail. The author did a great job in setting this up with the murder, the various mischief by the perpetrator and the determination of Winnie to set things right. Along the way we might the residents of Blossom Valley that included her best friend Dot, the local sheriff Colton and the adorable Kenny and Dolly, all who had pivotal roles in the apprehension of the killer. This was a fun read and I enjoyed the blossoming friendship between Winnie and Colton.

Apple Cider Slaying was a cosy mystery that put me in Christmas spirit. It had well written characters, an interesting plot, a couple of cute kittens and a charming setting. It's the first book in a new series and I would love to read the future books.

A cold, crispy day is perfect for reading this orchard set mystery.. Toss in some kittens, cars, well-written characters, and a charming setting all rolled into a great story. I may only have visited family in WV in the summer, but I can so relate and am looking forward to more of this one.

Amazing start to what I hope will be a long-lived series!!

Winnie Montgomery was raised by her beloved grandmother and late grandfather, whom own the Smythe Orchard. With the future of the orchard in jeopardy, Winnie wants to do everything she can to save the orchard and continue her family's legacy. Her goal is to open a Cider Shop and Party Hall to bring in more revenue and to give the small town better options.
All that seems to come crashing down on her and Granny. While showing the investor the property plans, they stumble across the dead body of Granny's nemesis. It also seems that someone may be sabotaging the orchard. With everything on the line, including clearing Granny's name, Winnie, her BFF Dot, and Granny's pals set out to get to the bottom of this. When things start to hit too close to home and their safety becomes an issue, dreamy detective Colton is there for Winnie. Can they solve the crimes before the orchard and family legacy is ruined? There seems to be a lot of secrets in this small town and a lot of players in the game. Can Winnie and friends get to the bottom of it before someone else is hurt, or worse, murdered?

I adored this book so much... the plot, the setting, the characters, EVERYTHING!! I also have a new book crush in Colton!! I am impatiently waiting for the next installment, Pulp Friction, which is set to release April 28, 2020.

I received an advanced physical copy of the book from the amazing and talented Julie Anne Lindsey and Kensington Publishing. I was also awarded a digital copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

There are also Cider recipes in the book that I will definitely be trying come the cooler weathe

Winnie Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe are running Smythe Orchard in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. Winnie is desperate to get a bank loan to open her open cider shop on the property. But every time the banker, Mr Sherman, arrives to hear her pitch, something goes wrong. Especially the first visit, when Winnie finds her neighbor, and Granny's nemesis, dead in the apple press. Sabotaged trees, threats, fire, an ATV-driving stalker, and an attempt on Winnie's life all keep her desperate to figure out who is doing these things. Particularly before the attractive sheriff arrests Granny.

This was extremely enjoyable. Winnie is a mostly likable character and Granny is a delight. There is a bit of suspense which had me tensed up but the mystery was difficult to figure out. I didn't see the ending coming. The apple orchard in late autumn/pre-Christmas time was a wonderful setting. I look forward to more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley

#AppleCiderSlaying

This is the first time I have read this author and I loved this book about Winnie and Granny Smythe trying to save their orchard. This is the first cozy that I have read about WV and as I live there and only 30 minutes from Winchester I was really into it. The story about a murder at the apple cider house and Granny being a suspect has Winnie being the sleuth trying to save Granny but keeps getting herself in deeper. The Sheriff tries to keep her out of it. Does she listen?. Find out if she actually figures it out. You must read this book to see what happens.

Winnie has always been a part of her grandparents apple business Smythe Farms and when her grandfather past away a few years ago she stepped up to make sure her granny had the helped she needs. Along with helping at the farm and introducing new ideas Winnie works at a local diner and is almost finished getting her business degree. With the orchard struggling she has come up with some fun ideas to breath new life I to the business. When her grannies neighbor and arch nemesis is found dead in their Apple press things don't look good. The sheriff is looking at her granny as being the killer and Winnie just isn't having it. She will do anything she can to clear her grannies name even disregarding the sheriff's words and investigating on her own. Along the way Winnie learns that Nadine had more enemies than friends and.that finding a killer might not be that easy. Determined to make everything right she is willing to disregard the danger she finds herself in and continues to look into Marines life. This was my first book from this author and it was a great read as well as being a new series. I look forward to the next book and seeing what direction the author takes the characters in.

Fantastic start to a brand new series! This cozy kept me locked in, constantly guessing as to whodunit with a reveal I didn't see coming until it was right in front of me. Looking forward to future books to continue the series!

Winnie Montgomery is trying to help her family save its apple orchard in this first book in the Cider Shop Mystery series. She's pulling out all the stops to bring tourists to Smythe Orchard -- fall tours, tastings, even Christmas at the Orchard. When their cantankerous next door neighbor is found dead in the apple press, it doesn't bode well for the failing farm. Winnie is on the case to clear her granny of any suspicion and save the orchard's reputation.

Such a cute story! I like Winnie as a main character. She's funny, intelligent and determined! She has a dream and is working so hard to try and make it happen. A dead body in the apple press is a bit of a hiccup in the plan....but she got to work immediately to solve the problem. The story is a nice mix of mystery and humor. I like all the quirky side characters. There were plenty of suspects and some interesting twists along the way. Everything came together to make a very entertaining, fall/winter theme, light mystery! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and luckily it won't be a long wait. Book #2, Pulp Friction, will be out in Spring 2020.

The front cover is so colorful and cheery! I always get sucked in by cozy covers! :)

Great start to a new series!

This is the first book by Julie Anne Lindsey that I've read. I will definitely be reading more! She also writes the Geek Girl Mysteries, plus several other mystery/thriller and romance titles.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was a fun introduction to a new cozy series. Winona Mae ("Winnie") is working her way through college while helping her Granny save the family apple farm. The Smythe apple farm. Get it? Needless to say, while trying to get a small business loan, her plans are foiled by a dead body. Of course her Granny is the prime suspect. Of course Winnie butts heads with the Sheriff. Of course the Bank is hesitant to give her the farm saving loan she needs. Of course her former boyfriend returns to town and causes all kinds of stress for Winnie. And of course the killer targets Winnie for more harassment. Of course this all follows the basic rules of a cozy series. But Ms. Lindsey does a charming job of presenting Winnie, the farm, and the events resulting in an enjoyable read. She also does a terrific job of introducing Winnie and fleshing out her character, a bit to the detriment of the others around her. I hope future books add more to the other characters that I expect will play recurring roles.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a new cozy mystery series that didn’t feel like a variation on the same old thing. I’m happy to say that Apple Cider Slaying was a refreshing read! I enjoyed the West Virginia setting, since it isn’t often chosen by authors, and the twist on focusing on cider production over “another apple orchard” mystery made this book unique. I finished the book in early October, which is a perfect time for this story. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Winnie Montgomery is trying desperately to increase income at her Granny’s orchard and having a winter fest and opening a cider bar/restaurant/gathering space is her dream, but she needs a bank loan to help her dreams come true. But every time she invites the banker out to see the space, something disastrous happens – like a dead body in the cider press building, and Granny Smythe being the main suspect. The nastiness keeps piling up with threats and more. Sheriff Colton Wise tries to keep Winnie from interfering, but what’s a girl to do when her granny is the one being blamed? So of course she continues what she’s doing—even when the real killer goes after her.

This is such a fun book. I love the names—Granny Smythe runs an apple orchard! And the kittens: Dolly and Kenny (Rogers). It’s a light-hearted cozy mystery that gives a satisfying ending. The only question I had while reading was about half-way through the book, Winnie is dead tired but decides to do one more online search to see what she can find about her dead neighbor. Then the sheriff, Colton Wise, calls. After they talk, she goes to make gallons of cider rather than going to bed. Doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s the only thing I questioned in the story. The descriptions and setting are amazing. I can picture everything right away. The characters believable and realistic. And the reason behind the murder and other issues is also believable. Well done.

Things I liked: the names, the setting, the characters… all well done, believable, and realistic. Oh, and the recipes in the back? Nice! And delicious!

Things I didn’t like: Other than that one question above, nothing. I had fun reading this and it went quickly.

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this as a fun cozy and I will be looking for more books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m a cozy fan, but as I get older, I’ve realised that I don’t like very defensive main characters. I enjoyed the story and the side characters, but I had a little problem with Winnie. If the sheriff doesn’t know you or Granny, can you really fault him for not believing you when you say she didn’t do it? And why do you automatically assume he’s not looking for other suspects? He seems like a pretty gosh darn standup guy! There were a few unrealistic points, but I’d read a book 2 to see how the series goes!

I thought this was a pretty charming start to a new series. I like Winnie and Granny and Dot, as well as most of the other secondary characters. The writing was fine, though I thought the identity of the killer wasn't too hard to guess. And the love interest was a little too good to be true. That said, there was a lot to like here. I'd give it a 3.5, and I'm hoping it just gets better as the series progresses.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Winnie Montgomery lives on her family’s apple orchard that she and her Granny run. With a plan to expand the business. Winnie makes her pitch to the bank for a loan and is rewarded for her efforts by finding a Granny’s nemesis dead in the cider press. When the sheriff seems to think that Granny killed the woman, Winnie finds herself trying to find any evidence that would point the sheriff away from Granny.

While still trying to gain the bank loan, Winnie does her best to uncover the murderer and learns an awful lot about her neighbors and herself. She WILL give the sheriff a more viable suspect and she WILL open her Cider barn even if it takes she every last penny she has. But Winnie has ticked off the killer and he’s letting his displeasure known. To make things even worse, her ex boyfriend is back in town and he wants to talk to to her, but her heart isn’t budging. Can Winnie make things right and pull the farm back in the black?

I’m a cozy fan, so it surprised me to feel my heart melting as Winnie’s does too as she takes a chance on opening her heart up again. Having come from a similar childhood as her, and having a few more years experience in dealing with life, I was cheering her on. While there are great series out there, it’s been a very long time since once has touched me this way and I cannot wait to see Winnie and Granny grow their business again. A fabulous new series!

I just made a new "book" friend - Winnie Montgomery is one the best main characters I've met in a long time. Smart, determined, vulnerable, kind and fiercely loyal to her grandmother, she is a very relatable character. When a neighbor, that has a long history of feuding with her grandmother, is murdered, Winnie must prove her innocence.

I loved everything about the book - the mystery (which was fast-paced and kept me reading late into the night), the small town setting, the charm of the apple orchard farm, the romantic storyline which was perfect and the fact the mystery took place during the Christmas season all made for a wonderful book! I can't forget the kittens and you won't either!

I wish I could give the book more than five stars! I'll definitely be visiting the orchard again!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

I very much enjoyed this start to a new cozy mystery series! I loved the setting of an apple orchard and old barn, I think the idea of a cider shop in an existing orchard is a really cool one and I loved the recipes for ciders included in the book! I like the main characters, and enjoyed the budding relationship between the main character and the sheriff. I felt the mystery was well developed and well written, I didn’t guess who it was until the end. The only issue I had with the story was a couple of points where it simply wasn’t believable, such as when they were getting the barn ready or when the main character made a new business plan to try and get a loan. Why wasn’t her first one done right? I felt like that was used to move the plot along and didn’t really work. Other than that I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next book.

This was a delightful start to a new series. In it, we meet Winnie and her grandmother, Granny Smythe, at their orchard. Money has been tight since Winnie’s grandfather died, and in an effort to bring in more revenue, Winnie has asked the bank for a loan to open a cider shop on the grounds. As she takes the loan officer on a tour, however, they find a dead body, and Winnie watches her dreams go down the drain.

I loved meeting the characters in the book. The book mostly focuses on Winnie, her granny, and Sherriff Wise, though supporting characters are introduced and begin to get fleshed out just a bit. It is easy to picture Blossom Valley and the grounds of the orchard. I don’t know that this was really worth five stars because I generally lean toward four for good books to leave room for five stars at the top of the list, but this was truly an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next installment.