Goodnight Moo by Mollie Cox Bryan
Book #2: Buttermilk Creek Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Kensington
Rating: 4½/5 stars

Oh, boy! Less than a year in town and Brynn MacAlister has stepped into yet another murder! As if her growing business, apprentice, farm, friends, and the local fair aren’t enough, two of her friends have been accused of murder! Though she’s only sleuthed once before, Brynn isn’t about to let her friends go down for something they didn’t do, so it’s time to get the sleuthing hat back out and start asking questions.

While the first murder is troubling, it isn’t quite as pressing for Brynn as the second. A young man is shot to death and her apprentice and dear friend, Wes is being accused of the deed. Literally anyone who really knows Wes knows he can’t possibly be responsible for such an evil deed, but the evidence points to him. Wes is a kind, gentle soul who would rather be in the kitchen cooking up a gourmet meal for friends than conjuring up anger and mischief. Unfortunately, he is an absolute outsider in the Shenandoah Valley and that stacks the cards against him from the very beginning.

In the process of trying to help Wes, Brynn finds herself in a serious mess that leaves her with a tremendous concussion and an inability to really help as she would normally do. To help her out, her friends step in to tend to the girls and the farm and her sister comes to stay until Brynn can get back on her feet. In her moments of energy and clarity, Brynn works to solve the mystery of murder and she keeps coming back to one suspect, a beautiful, local sixteen-year-old girl with a reputation for loose morals and a variety of issues. Though Brynn doesn’t want to believe such a young person could be responsible for so much awful, the merging clues clearly indicate her involvement.

To make matters far worse, the local fair is something of a disaster this year and it is taking up time the police could be investigating Wes’s case. Wes’s father and brother have come to town and with Brynn’s help, they are digging into every avenue of inquiry they can think of. With the help of Brynn’s sister, the group stumbles onto a series of crimes that goes so far beyond the local level that the FBI is called in to assist. What’s clear is that Wes is absolutely not involved and the mastermind behind the whole fiasco is a whole new level of evil.

The Bottom Line: WOW!! What a mess this story is, in the best way possible. Not only does Brynn get pulled into the investigation, but Wes is totally railroaded, and there’s a series of crimes here that is so far beyond the local level. It took me very little time to read this book and now I’m sad there’s no more currently available. As I had hoped, there’s a huge presence of “older” characters and they really serve to enhance the overall read. Brynn really is becoming a part of her adopted community and with her business growing, it seems as if she has a very bright future in the Valley. That, dear reader, is very good news for us.

This is the second installment in the Buttermilk Creek Mystery series. The mystery was fairly easy to solve, even though there were a lot of sub-mysteries going on. There isn't as much about the town in this book as Brynn has to spend most of the book at home. Consequently, there was a bit of repetition in the dialogue and scenes. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first but I will continue to read this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Love this series. I read this book in less then a days. Mollie Cox Bryan is a new author to me and is amazing. When a murder happens brynn sets to find the killer before they kill again. To hear more read the book.

Goodnight Moo finds Brynn and Wes getting ready to host the first annual cheesemakers contest at the summer fair. Things are running along smoothly until a suspicious accident occurs closely followed by a murder. Combine this with a new cow to contend with, a concussion and computer hacking and you have the makings of a great cozy mystery - I didn't want it to end and I certainly am looking forward to the next in the series!

The author does a great job describing the setting and characters. The characters continue to develop throughout the book, making you feel like you really know them and causing you to get wrapped up in their lives or wishing you knew someone like them!

I would recommend reading Christmas Cow Bells first, as there are references to events that happen in this book that help explain certain situations in Goodnight Moo.

Oh goodness, I loved this book! Brynn is a favorite character of mine, and I really lost myself in Goodnight Moo.
A strange death takes its toll on Brynn, and her assistance, Wes.
When Wes becomes a suspect in a second death, Brynn finds herself injured, and suffers the effects of a concussion. Brynn's sister Becky comes to help her, and with her help, she slowly unravels the clues to lead the police to the killer.

Netgalley gave me the chance to read an ARC of this book. I was not disappointed. I have been looking forward to this next installment in the Buttermilk Creek series, and jumped at the chance. It was great to visit with Brynn and her friends, and to solve another mystery. I liked that the perp was not so easy to figure out, as are a lot of cozies. I actually thought it was someone else. As a new twist, MCB gives out a warning about how dependent we all are on technology, and the dangers of it. ...more

Goodnight Moo is the second book in A Buttermilk Creek Mystery series. I now need to go back and read the first book.
Brynn is obviously still adjusting to her new life in Shenandoah Springs. A small farm with cows and a cheese making business.
When a couple of men are killed, Wes who is her assistant becomes the prime suspect.
Brynn decides she needs to find the real killer or killers.
I love the location of this series and what's not to love about cheese. I am in love with those cows, never thought I would say I wanted a cow to snuggle.
A great cozy mystery I really enjoyed reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this story. Brynn is the cheese maker and sleuth in this Shenandoah springs mystery. This is a great little community even though it seems to be having more than its fair share of murders, threats, and computer hacking. Her assistant cheese maker Wes is a suspect for one of the murders. Brynn end up with a concussion when someone shoots at Wes so she is handicapped in her sleuthing but she keeps going. Yo must read this to see how she and her friends figure out the who done it which keeps you guessing right to the end.

Life on the cheese farm in Shenandoah Springs, VA is just the life for Brynn and her assistant, Max. Her business is picking up and she is hosting the first cheese contest at the fair. There are a few bumps in the road, like getting a foster cow right as the fair is set to begin, having the refrigeration at the fair not being installed for the cheese, and needing to pitch in for friends and fellow CSA members. But when Max is first a suspect in a shooting and then shot at the fair and Brynn suffers a concussion with long lasting effects, the road gets pretty rocky.

With several young men killed in the area and Max being falsely accused, Brynn sets her sights on proving Max’s innocence. With even more strange events going on in the rural area, Brynn knows something strange is going on in her town. Now she has to milk the clues for all their worth and hope they don’t run dry before she can clear Max.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I fell in love with the cows! Who doesn’t love cheese? But the cows, they tug at your heart. A solid mystery and story that kept me engaged and left me wanting more. I’ll be on the lookout for the next entry in the series and will be reading the first!

Goodnight Moo by Mollie Cox Bryan is the second book in this delightful cozy mystery series (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery).

Brynn MacCalister is still adjusting to her new home in Shenandoah Springs, VA where she has a small farm (with an adorable array of cows that are so adorable by the way) and also is solidifying her cheese making business. Of course her life in the small rural town cannot be a simple affair. While attempting to host a cheesemaker's contest, problems pop up, and mysterious deaths occur that end up not being "natural". Brynn's new assistant, Wes, is ensnared into the mix and Brynn is forced to uncover the true culprits so that she can free Wes of suspicion and get back to business.

I enjoy this series. I like the location, the rural setting, and the main business. There are plenty of interesting characters within this community, so there should be no shortage of material for future novels. I also like Brynn as a female character. She is smart, loyal, a good friend, and I think she is stronger and more capable then she even realizes. It will be nice to be able to see that transformation occur for her in the future. I also liked this murder/mystery plot.

A great cozy mystery and a great read. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

The 2nd book in a wonderful cozy mystery. Brynn, the owner and cheese maker of a small farm, has a busy but great life. With Wes, her friend's grandson (from the first book), she is organizing a booth and contest at the fair. When a couple of murders happen, and cyber hacking occurs, things get messy. When Wes gets framed she steps in to help solve the mystery. I like her eclectic collection of cows, dog and cat. Now she just needs some goats. Great recipes provided too. Highly recommend this book and author.