Peg Cochran’s Berried Motives is an okay and well-paced mystery that really missed the mark. I did enjoy the plot and the interesting setting. However, the book lacks the signature cosy charm while the unmemorable characters act implausibly. This is the sixth book in the series but it works as a standalone.

Our protagonist is Monica who lives and works on a busy cranberry farm. The farm is in full harvest mode and she’s thrilled to learn that they will be featured on a local TV show. The filming goes well but the show’s unlikeable host Betsy DeJong leaves a bad impression. However, she is soon found murdered on the farm! The lengthy suspect list includes the victim’s sleazy politician fiance, her high school boyfriend who works on the farm, and the mysterious new farm photographer. As Monica digs into Betsy’s past, she uncovers secrets that anyone would kill to keep hidden.

It’s taken me three years to read this book because, honestly, it doesn’t grab your attention. Although the writing is mature, it can be quite repetitive and dull. This is especially evident in the cast of characters who are forgettable and fairly one-dimensional. Monica is a dedicated and likeable but boring protagonist. There are glimmers of personality in her eccentric stepmother Gina as well as her baking assistant Kit but they are both underutilised. But, I did appreciate the cute animals, especially the adorable dog Hercule.

The book also lacks that signature cosy charm and fun. Even the descriptions of the food are so boring! But, the quaint little town and Sassamanash Farm sound so lively and interesting. I would love to live there! I wish the book spent more time exploring this lovely world instead of noting every little detail of Monica making cranberry goodies or cooking meals.

I do like that this is a quick read and the mystery is well-paced with several viable suspects. There are several red herrings and a few predictable but still good twists. I like that I didn’t figure out the murderer until the big reveal but their motives do make sense. However, Monica’s response to the killer’s reveal is absolutely stupid. If I wasn’t near the end of the book, I really would not have finished reading. I also wish the overall mystery had more thrill and suspense because I never fully believed Monica or anyone else was in danger at all.

Furthermore, Monica’s snooping took me out of the book. She investigates Betsy’s murder because of *vague hand wave gesture*. She barges into places without any skill or finesse and the suspects simply info dump huge secrets at her. I almost abandoned the book when a smarmy salesman (who met Monica twice!) outright tells her that his boss is laundering money. She doesn’t seem to have much of a personality so I’m not sure why complete strangers are simply confessing their business to her other than to force the plot along.



🐶🐶 ½ out of 5 dogs!

This is a wonderful series and I enjoyed this installment so much. I think any time a local tv crew is featuring someone in a cozy mystery you know murder is just around the corner. The characters feel like friends and help make the story. I highly recommend this book and series

Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for my copy of Berried Motives by Peg Cochran in exchange for an honest review. It published November 17, 2020.
I wish I had read the books that led up to this one, so I had a little more context. It was hard to jump in with this being my first one in the series, so I do recommend that one would start with the first book and work their way up in this series.
That being said, I really enjoyed the descriptions in this book, the food, the setting, and the people. I would totally love to visit Lake Michigan and see the beauty that was described in this book. I did not see the end coming, and that's the best in a mystery in my opinion!

The characters are well-developed and interesting. The mystery is well-plotted with some well-place red herring and surprises. The storyline had a lot going on but everything is woven together nicely and wrapped up at the end.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone..

Monica is thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the cranberry farm and bakery on local television. When the reporter is found murdered shortly after filming the segment, Monica's brother is among the suspects. Monica quickly discovers that the suspect list is long and is determined to prove her brother's innocence. I enjoy this series. The characters and setting are perfect for a cozy mystery. I do wish Monica would pretend to be involved in the bakery. She depends way too much on her assistant.

This is book 6 in the Cranberry Cove series and Monica and her brother are happy for some free publicity when the local news show wants to do a segment on their farm and bakery. It's harvest season and things are hectic. It's not good news when the new anchor is found dead on the farm and brother Jeff is main suspect. A nice cozy mystery with all Monica's friends and family updated and present. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is part of a series but it reads well as a stand alone, I haven't read any of the others but will definitely add them to my list.
A good story with great characterisation and it kept me turning the pages.

Monica’s sleuthing ability on the alert, she found herself immersed deep in a murder mystery, one that was too close to home, one she could not ignore, even if she wanted to. It had a few twists, which was mired in some deep-rooted secrets, uprooting them, could become fatal, but she was determined to bring the truth to light. A must-read, and a worthy bookshelf addition, folks, it was engaging, gripping, intriguing, and entertaining.

Berried Motives by Peg Cochran is the sixth novel in A Cranberry Cove Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but you will be missing out on some good stories. I thought Berried Motives was well-written with developed, relatable characters. The story moves along at a good pace. The mystery was nicely done with multiple suspects along with misdirection. Monica actively questions people in her quest to clear Jeff’s employee off the suspect list. There are good clues to help readers solve the whodunit and the mystery was nicely wrapped up at the end. I had a good time following the investigation and solving the crime. It was interesting learning about cranberry harvesting. It is a fascinating process. There are recipes at the end for some of the items Monica made. The ending was happy and heartwarming. I enjoyed reading Berried Motives and I look forward to the next A Cranberry Cove Mystery. Berried Motives is an engaging cozy mystery with cranberry bogs, a happy hound, scrumptious salsa, a departed reporter, a suspicious senatorial candidate, and a healthy harvest.

I'm a big fan of this series but honestly, this is not my favorite book. While I love the cranberry farm and the recipe, I didn't love Monica this time. Everyone knows that a cozy has a protagonist that "investigates", when in reality it's snooping. In this book Monica crosses the line for me by reading papers that are in a backpack. I really struggled with that. And I'm really not sure why this book kept talking about Monica's hair and why do you have to check your cat's food and water so often?! I also didn't like the fact that she has figured out who the killer is and then blindly opens her door when someone is knocking on it, cue the teenage slasher movie. I will read the next book because truthfully I enjoy this series and I'm hoping Monica behaves better the next go round.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Great addition to the series. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

2.5/5

I've stuck with this series thorough many books and while it's not my favourite cozy series I keep coming back so that must say something right? While the story was alright, I found the writing was a bit repetitive and some of the relationships seemed forced. I liked the setting but would have enjoyed a bit more happening in town rather than so many scenes of Monica and Greg eating meals and tidying up their house. Will I read the next one? If past experiences say anything then there is a good chance; I seem to just keep coming back hoping for more.

This is the sixth book in a series by Peg Cochran and my second.

The local TV news channel is keen to feature Monica Albertson's and her brother Jeff's Sassamanash Farm on its evening show 'What's Up West Michigan.' She is absolutely thrilled that the farm will receive the publicity at cranberry harvest time but panicked as she hasn't been given much notice. But when the show’s host, Betsy DeJong's bloodied body is found by the side of the road to the farm - and Jeff is cast as the prime suspect - her problems really begin...

Although I am rather late to the party in Peg Cochran's 'Cranberry Cove Mystery' series as I started from book five, I still found Berried Motives an enthralling, fun read. I especially like the character of thirty-something baker Monica, also the proud owner of Mittens the cat. Monica creates tasty treats using cranberries that are sold in her brother's farm shop and she also does the financial accounts for the farm. The cranberry-based culinary creations that Monica makes sound absolutely delicious and I would particularly like to try the White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Cookies.

The character development was excellent, and I liked the addition of the dog named Hercule. The plotline was well done and I was turning the pages late into the night. A humourous, absorbing story of mystery and mayhem that has inspired me to read some of the other instalments.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A fun mystery with an unlikable victim and plenty of suspects, both likeable and not so likeable. I always like it when a cozy mystery keeps me going back and forth over "whodunit"!

This is a series however I had never read them before and it didn't matter as background was given - this may be frustrating if you'd already read the books but as I hadn't it was useful!

The overall plot was very basic and it was obvious who the murderer was without any red herrings which was a shame. I would have liked to see a bit more of the cranberry farm as it was quite an interesting setting. There were a lot of characters but not much depth to them unfortunately but overall a cosy murder mystery. If a tad obvious.

Berried Motives by Peg Cochran is the 5th book in a Cranberry Cove series, and another fun addition. I really enjoy this series. Monica and Greg are married, and looking forward to their future. When a local television news stations did a segment on the Cranberry farm and shop, and later the newscaster was found dead on the farm, the sleuthing begins. I found this book interesting, and I couldn't stop reading. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommended this book and series for anyone who enjoys cozy mystery, like me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such a great read. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. I felt like I was a character interacting within the story. This was a new author for me.

Every installment in this series just gets better and better, and this latest installment does nothing but add to it. Opening the page is like visiting old friends, even with the twist of murder. Full of surprises, we join Monica as she tries to find the real killer. A fabulous read!

I've discovered this series in the middle, but that doesn't matter since the novel works perfectly as a standalone. However, I shall definitely be reading the other books in this series.

Sometimes food and drink-based cozies can be a little claustrophobic in that we hardly seem to get away from the cafe or restaurant, or wherever it's based, but this one has us out and about, not just round the cranberry farm. It's fascinating to discover how such a place operates, and nice and seasonal at this time of year (December).

We meet a lovely array of characters, from awful to adorable. Each one is rounded and very convincing. Monica is a splendid heroine as she's down to earth and loyal, but there's a lively spark to her too.

The plot is complex and clever, and it's a book that's hard to put down once you start reading.
Very enjoyable and satisfying.

This was another great book in the series that I couldn't put down! I love to see the relationships as they develop, not just with Monica and Greg, but with Jefff and Lauren and Detective Stevens. In this installment, the farm is doing so good that a news crew is coming by to do a story. The anchor, who is rude and nasty to everyone ends up murdered on the farm. One of Jeff's crew members is suspected of the murder due to his long past history with the victim. The story has a lot of twists and turns that I really did not expect. The anchor was engaged to a local business owner who was running for senate, and due to her negative and nasty attitude, there are plenty of suspects!

I really do enjoy the setting of Cranberry Cove and can imagine walking down the street between Greg's shop, the butcher shop and the sister's candy store. I really enjoyed the addition of the family pup in this one. The writing style is great and the story flows nicely. One thing I wasn't huge on was Monica running off to investigate and leaving Kit alone in the store. I felt bad for him and angry on his behalf. I do like him being a bigger part of the story though.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.