A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns is the debut of the Maple Syrup Mysteries. Leila Khoury is our main character. She is a high school teacher in Florida. She left home four years prior after another disagreement with her mother (the two are opposites). When Leila’s father is murdered, she returns home to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to learn that he left the maple farm, Sappy Endings to her. Leila is determined to discover who killed her father. Her questioning technique needs a lot of work. Leila is impulsive and speaks before she thinks things through completely. There are a couple of suspects. There is misdirection when Leila’s younger brother, Simon is arrested for the crime. I liked the various incidents that occurred which kept things eventful. I wish the solution had not been so obvious. The clues are there to help readers solve the crime before the tension filled reveal. I like how the reveal was done. There may be some details that surprise readers. I had mixed feelings about Leila. She is immature for her age especially for someone who teaches high school students. She is stubborn, has anger issues, and impulse control problems. Leila is also defensive and suspicious which makes her a poor investigator. Her emotions were ruling instead of her head. Leila makes assumptions instead of logical deductions. Leila put herself and her best friend in danger. I am hoping that her new role as head of Sappy Endings will mature her. There is romance in the story as well. Personally, I felt it was inappropriate for this story. Leila is grieving the loss of her father, but she has tingles when is near Noah Rivers (he oversees many aspects of Sappy Endings). I wish the author had let Leila and Noah become friends first and then let the romance progress from there. I liked Heather, Leila’s best friend. She is a sweet, thoughtful, and a loyal individual with an upbeat personality. I also enjoyed getting to know Noah Rivers. It was interesting learning about a maple farm and the many dishes that can be made using maple syrup. A Doomful of Sugar is a good start to the series. I am hoping the author will provide more details on Sappy Endings in the next book. There are recipes for items with maple syrup at the end of the book including the baklava made by Leila’s mother. A Doomful of Sugar is a sweet treat with an alarming murder, a startling will, yummy maple syrup candy, a setup sibling, tire trouble, a handsome manager, and a terrible threat.

What a great storyline, with some surprises, which is always fun when you’re reading a book. The characters are wonderful. You may recognize how some of these relationships are. It was nice, in my opinion, to see how some of these relationships grow. I love how Toast always seems to know who needs him most. I hope that I can make another trip to Sugar Ridge and catch up with my new friends. I’d also like to try some of the delicious sounding food in this book. You’ll find recipes for some of these awesome foods at the end of the book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Maple syrup and maple sugar. The beautiful state of Vermont. Both are wonderful on their own but when you add in a mystery it is something I can definitely dive into (particularly when there are some great recipes as well).

I enjoyed this first book in a new series. Leila Khoury returns home to run the family Maple Syrup farm after her father is murdered. She thought everyone loved her father so she doesn't understand who might have done this when it seems that it wasn't the surprise burglary that it first appeared. Leila finds it isn't as easy to run the business as her father always made it seem. Particularly, not, when you start accusing the employees who are essential to keep the business going. Then her brother becomes the prime suspect when it is discovered he had an argument with his father the day of his murder. Leila knows relationships with your parents isn't always easy for she still has a difficult relationship with their mother. But when the police don't seem to be making any progress, she is determined to do some investigating even if that means she ends up in some sticky situations...

I liked Leila because she is very real. She doesn't realize just how hard it is too run the business that she saw her dad run, even though she worked there during summers. Also, she can't help but blunder when she talks to people basically accusing them of murder when they seem such good suspects to her. Here is employee who has only been there a year but everyone--except her brother--is singing his praises. He wanted to buy the farm from her father but he refused. Seems a perfectly good suspect to her (there might be just a little bit of jealousy there). And she conflicts with her mother who wants her to get married and have grandchildren. But though she has some issues she is capable of growth which happens during the book but that doesn't mean she or her relationships are perfect at the end.

Burns writes plenty of other good characters that also have flaws but they are realistic. You can sympathize with them. Who doesn't know about people who have some conflict with their parents, particularly when it comes down to what they think your future should look like and what you want to do with your life. Or, parents actually be a lot more complicated than you ever realized until you really start learning about their lives outside of your interaction with them. It will be fun to read more about them in future books.

There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I appreciate that in a mystery story.

I definitely recommend this. It is tasty in more ways than one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 10/25

A cozy mystery set in the picturesque town of Sugar Ridge, Vermont that gave me ALL the fall vibes. This book made me want to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and read until I figured out whodunnit.

Leila goes back to the small town she grew up in when she finds out that her father was murdered. Everyone loved her father, or so she thought, and the town is really feeling his loss. Staying in Sugar Ridge is not ideal, but without any real leads from the police, and suspicion falling on her brother, she takes over her father’s maple syrup farm and decides to solve the mystery herself.

What a great start to this new series! Cozy mysteries have become a real comfort read for me lately and I loved reading this small town drama. Leila is a complex character who’s driven by the need to find her father’s killer while also keeping his business in the family. The complicated dynamics between characters kept me guessing for a while and the mouthwatering descriptions of food kept me snacking while I read!

This story has well developed characters, a handsome love interest (who also works on the farm), and a compelling mystery, all set to a beautiful Fall backdrop. Even though I figured out the twist pretty early on, I still really enjoyed this one and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy! A Doomful of Sugar is available on 10/25.

As someone who has been a longtime fan of cozy mysteries, it's actually quite surprising that this was my first time picking up one of Catherine Bruns'. I've always heard great things about her books, but had never gotten around to trying one. When I read the synopsis of this one, and saw that it was going to be set in Vermont on a maple syrup farm during the fall season, I knew I needed to give it a try. Wow was this a wonderful story, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I ended up enjoying it.

We follow a young woman named Leila who has recently returned back home to Vermont after the sudden death of her father. Soon information emerges that the death wasn't accidental, and on top of taking over the reigns of the family's successful maple syrup business, Leila now has to try and piece together who on earth could have wanted her father dead.

With a well rounded plot, characters the came alive on the page, a wonderful atmospheric setting that truly brought Vermont in the fall to each and every reader, and mouthwatering food descriptions, A Doomful of Sugar was a clean and sweet cozy mystery that I never wanted to see come to an end. I loved the emphasis on family; especially the struggles that emerge from certain relationships not going in the way you wanted, and the lovely friendship that exists between Leila and her best friend Heather. I hope there's more great things to come from that relationship in future books, as well as more of the complicated dynamic between Leila and her mother and brother. I also have to mention that I enjoyed the set up for the possible romance in future books, and I look forward to seeing what direction the author is going to take with the characters.

The only negative I have to say about this one is that I personally figured out the majority of the mystery long before the initial reveal happened, but I still enjoyed reading through it, and this is definitely a new favorite cozy mystery series.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I'm so thankful that my first experience with a novel by this author was such a pleasant one!

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Leila has come home from Florida when her father is murdered and learns that he as left her the family farm and maple sugar business to her. As she works on her own personal issues of losing her father, strained relationship with her mother, and faces the main reason why she left town four years ago, she also has to learn how to manage the family business and try to find out why her father was killed.

This book is the start to a new cozy mystery series. It was very well written and had a lot of depth to the story and characters. I did guess the killer, which I rarely do, but it did not lessen the enjoyment of the book for me and I did not guess the killer’s motive.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy in exchange for a review.

A Doomful of Sugar starts off at the reading of Leila Khoury’s father’s will. Leila’s father’s murder is the one the book seeks to solve. I don’t always like cozy mysteries where the murder happens before you even know the characters, but that didn’t happen in this case.
The mystery is well crafted and intricate. I didn’t suspect the murderer until the author set it up toward the end. There were several good suspects and I kept expecting some mysterious unknown killer to be behind the murder.
Leila is a character that needed to grow on me. She was so sharp and reactive at first. It related to her past and to losing her father, but I can see how it could turn readers off from this debut in a new series. There are hidden depths there and I wonder what the next book holds.
Noah is a perfect foil for Leila and it will be interesting to see how things work out for them.
The setting in Vermont in the fall is lovely and I’m so glad that the book is also publishing in the the same season.
I definitely had emotional reactions while reading this book. I recommend picking up A Doomful of Sugar and settling in with a favorite beverage.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to review this book.

This was a GREAT start to a new series! Leila comes home to her small town Sugar Ridge, Vermont when her dad is killed. While @ the reading of her dad's will she finds out he has left her in charge of the family business maple syrup farm Sappy Endings
I loved everything about this! The location is fantastic, the characters, the love interest....it all worked! It is exactly what I want in a cozy!
I recommend this to any cozy mystery lover!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Cathrine Bruns, and the publisher for this opportunity.

A Doomful of Sugar is a cozy little mystery story set on a maple syrup farm called Sappy Endings, located in the small town of Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Leila has returned to her home town from Florida because of the death of her father. Her father was much beloved so his murder is quite a shock. Leila finds out she has inherited the farm and although she doesn't really want it, she agrees to stay on for at least one year in hopes she can find out who killed her father and why.

This story was everything I love about a cozy mystery. A strong female lead who plays amateur sleuth and won't stop at anything to solve a crime. It takes place in a cute little small town. What a name, Sugar Ridge. The crime is "off stage" so there isn't anything too graphic. I always love how there is usually a cute cuddly animal too.

A Doomful of Sugar was a nice, easy read. It had some suspense to it. I tried to amateur sleuth, but I never figured out who did it. This is the 1st book in a new series, so we see possibly the makings of some romance?? I am excited for the future books in this series.

If you like cozy mysteries, you are sure to like this one.

A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR by Catherine Bruns
The First Maple Syrup Mystery

Leila Khoury's father was bigger than life, a wonderful man and a staple of the Vermont community he called home. She was stunned to find out he was murdered, shot at the family maple syrup farm and shop. Returning to Vermont for the funeral, her plans to return home to Florida get sidelined when she learns her father has left her the family business. As Leila gets familiar with Sappy Endings, she discovers things aren't adding up with her father's murder. Frustrated at the sheriff's lack of progress, despite his being a close friend of the family, Leila starts to look into the matter herself. A contentious relationship with her mother, a know it all basically running Sappy Endings, and a brother under suspicion leave Leila in a sticky situation. Will she be able to solve her father's murder or will she wind up being Sugar Ridge's next victim?

I really loved the first Maple Syrup Mystery. The characters are believable, the scenic location sublime, and the mystery full of surprises. I like the friendship between Leila and her best friend, Heather and I have a feeling these two will continue to find trouble together as the series progresses. Despite the fact that Leila has her own faults, she makes hasty decisions and she's somewhat presumptuous, she is a likable protagonist who is able to admit her own mistakes. I enjoyed the variety of action scenes and the ratcheting up of suspense on several occasions. I do like the romantic angle, but feel it should have been more drawn out, not being so obvious by the end of the first book in the series that a romance was indeed on the table.

A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR is a mouthwatering mystery with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. A memorable start to a new series I look forward to seeing what happens next as I seek to satisfy a craving for maple syrup!

This is an author that I’ve heard about but never read. She is now on my list to read asap! I loved her writing style and especially her characters. This is the first book in a new series and I can’t wait to read more!

This author never disappoints, so I really loved this first in her new Maple Syrup series. I felt so bad for Leila coming home under the circumstances she did and could see why she was more determined than ever to find her dad's killer. When more bodies started falling, I'm sure she wondered if she'd gotten involved a little too much, yikes! But she was hurting and ready to lash out at everyone at first as far as making them part of her suspect list. It was pretty sweet what changed her mind about one of the people on her list! ;)

There were a couple of really good twists toward the end and I hadn't really seen either of them coming, maybe one more than another one. But Leila handled things well with a little help from a new friend. I loved how everyone gathered to celebrate Leila's dad at the end and get all the loose ends explained from the case. There were a couple of side stories that made for great red herrings! I really can't wait now for the next book since things progressed pretty much like I'd hoped! Don't miss this fun new series releasing October 25.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Enjoyed this book very much. Well written with fantastic characters and a beautiful setting. I look forward to reading more in this new series.

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley!

This book took a bit for me to get into. The writing was a little stiff in the beginning, but as the story continued the writing flowed better.

The main character Leila I felt was too stubborn for the situation presented. She did warm up to everything towards the end. Noah was my favorite character and look forward to watching his development as the series continues.

I was surprised at how well both the characters were developed as well as the intrigue of the plot, for a first in series book.

Leila Khourny thought everyone loved her father as much as they loved his maple syrup till he’s killed and she has to return to Sugar Ridge Vermont to take over the business. With her brother under suspicion her mother barely holding it together and police not producing any other suspects Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers. Can she prove her brother didn’t do and still keep the business going? This was an enjoyable story I recommend to everyone.

Do you love all things maple? How about Vermont? Even if you like neither of those things, if you’re a cozy mystery reader you’ll love A Doomful of Sugar! (That was just a test!) Catherine Bruns has done it again; she’s got me totally hooked with her first book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series.

Leila Khoury has returned to Sugar Ridge, Vermont for the reading of her father’s will. She’s shocked when she learns that her father has left her in charge of the family’s maple tree farm. She’s got a job. In Florida. And her father decided to put her in charge of the farm rather than sell it and split the profit with her mom and brother? Yes, that’s exactly what he did, and Leila has to stay for one year in order for the will to stand.

We’ve all been told to think before we speak, right? That’s not so easy for some of us…Leila Khoury included. Her character is strong-willed, and she almost always speaks before she thinks! That’s a problem when she accuses people she has just met of her father’s murder! Though she might rub you the wrong way at first, give her a chance. She grows on you very quickly! I really liked her and can’t wait to see how she grows even more throughout the series.

In addition to Leila, I thought that the rest of the characters in A Doomful of Sugar were very well-written. They’re believable because they show real emotions. You’ll love some and despise some, but that’s okay. Some are meant to be despised! As with Leila, I can’t wait to see how the main characters continue to develop throughout the series.

A Doomful of Sugar has all of the things cozy mystery readers love; an exciting well-paced plot, well-written characters, a beautiful and cozy setting, and a puzzling mystery. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, I received a complimentary ARC of the book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

I seem to be in the minority with this one but I didn't like it at all. The writing seemed overly dramatic and I didn't like the main character at all. There was a lot of repetition from her and that drove me nuts. The mystery was interesting and the setting was pretty cool but this one wasn't for me at all.

I like this author and A Doomful of Sugar has an interesting premise. Leila Khoury left her hometown in Vermont after a broken engagement, but returns to Sugar Ridge when her father dies. She's not sure what her long-term plans will be, but she agrees to step in to run the family maple tree farm, cafe, and gift shop at least temporarily. Her family learns her father's death wasn't a break-in gone wrong but a premeditated murder. 

This book gets off to a bad start for me. Leila decides to get to the truth of her father's murder, but goes about it by jumping to conclusions and vocally accusing a few different suspects without any evidence. The antagonistic relationship between Leila and her mother isn't fun to read about, either. The book improves as Leila shows some growth in her character and realizes she is being hasty in some of her judgments. Since I like the way the book wraps up, I am giving the book an overall rating of 3.5 stars. 

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This book was amazing, I loved the characters and the mystery was well done!! Kept me up way past my bedtime, with an interesting storyline! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

I gave A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns 5 stars!

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he's killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she's left untapped.

With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father's sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won't be a sappy ending to the story.

-------- REVIEW --------

Wow, I loved this book and read it in one day! It is a great beginning to a new series and I highly recommend it. Beautiful Vermont is the perfect place for a maple syrup farm and reading this book during October was a very good idea.

The mystery was intriguing and even if I had my suspicions, the ending really took me by surprise. I liked all the characters in this book, both family and friends. Even if Leila has a complicated relationship with her mother, I liked seeing them trying to work towards a change. I also have to mention Leila's employee, Noah! They had such fun banter and I love an enemies to lovers trope. He is an excellent candidate for a book boyfriend!

I can't wait to read book number two in this series!

This book comes out October 25.

Thank you NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjxx1pALXTL/