Four Leaf Cleaver is another cozy mystery by Maddie Day in her Country Store mystery series. I've read a few in this series and was eager to continue on with it.
Pans ’N Pancakes is the restaurant/country store owned by Robbie in South Lick, Indiana. Now this little country store selling vintage cookware and serving delicious home cooked meals does well with the locals, but Robbie jumps at the chance to have a film crew at her little store filming a cooking contest. With the festive shamrocks in place and delicious St. Patrick's Day foods on the menu including Guinness Beer brownies the contestants can't wait to get started as they're all convinced; they'll make the winning meal. Tragedy strikes when the producer is found bludgeoned before filming can even start. I did enjoy the St. Patrick's Day theme of the cozy. You don't see a lot of books with this theme. There were a lot of red herrings thrown in there, clues that you thought took you somewhere but actually didn't. Robbie has a lot going on, she's fairly newly married, runs a restaurant and has family issues she's dealing with. Despite all this she still finds time to be an amateur sleuth though she's told many times not to by the police department. Will this stop her, not quite. I enjoyed the mystery, the characters were great, the elements were all there to make this a cozy that kept my attention and kept me guessing. I could feel the tension building up as the story got closer to its conclusion. Will be on the lookout for more books in this series.

Pub Date: 24 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
💚☘️

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Maddie Day

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book. I tried numerous times but it just wouldn’t keep my attention .

It's Saint Patrick’s Day at Pans ’N Pancakes. Robbie may only be Irish by marriage to Abe O’Neill, but the shelves of vintage cookware in her southern Indiana store are draped with shamrocks and her restaurant is serving shepherd’s pie and Guinness Beer brownies. The big event, however, is a televised cooking competition to be filmed on site. Unfortunately, someone’s luck has run out. Before the cameras start rolling, producer Tara O’Hara Moore is found upstairs in her B&B room, bludgeoned by the heavy hilt of a cleaver left by her side. Now, not only does Robbie have a store full of festive decorations, but she’s also got a store full of suspects.
This was an enthralling read full of red herrings, confounding plot lines and a setting that definitely kept me interested. A restaurant is great for a cozy because new people are always coming in for a meal and a mystery. The main character is a likeable, intelligent sleuth that worked with the cops instead of against them. I will definitely read more of this series. This review is my unbiased opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the honor of reading this ARC.

I have enjoyed the books I have read so far in the Country Store series. I love the characters and the town of South Lick, Indiana. The murder mystery grabs your attention from the beginning and has you flipping through the pages quickly to see if you can figure out who is responsible for the murder. The St. Patrick’s Day focus was a nice touch and added a little pizzazz to the typical cozy mystery. Lots of twists and turns and secrets that are threaded throughout the pages. I strongly encourage you to get lost in this series. You will go away pleased and your mouth watering for some of the delicious food!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Robbie's restaurant is hosting a St. Patrick's themed cooking competition. Things get off to a rough start when the producer is murdered in the B&B upstairs. The mystery was not as strong as it could have been. This is still an enjoyable series even if this was not my favorite book.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

This story keeps readers guessing. The suspects all have plausible motives, and everyone one of them makes you feel as if they have to be the killer. Even Robbie's husband, Abe, is a suspect. As suspicions rise, you will wonder if Robbie will be the next person to get a cleaver up alongside the head. When we find out the killer's identity, we are both surprised and elated. Four Leaf Cleaver has all the elements a good story needs, great characters, a fabulous location, credible suspects, and a killer that keeps readers on their toes.

This is a pretty straightforward cozy mystery, but the great characters are what makes it work. The mystery was not as engrossing as past entries, but visiting with this cast of characters made the trip worth it

The Country Store Mystery series is another of my favorites. I love checking in on Robbie Jordan and all her family, friends, and fellow townsfolk in South Lick, Indiana. It is close to St. Patrick's Day and Robbie's Pans and Pancakes is hosting a televised cooking competition. Before the cameras even start rolling, producer Tara O’Hara Moore is found upstairs in her B&B room, apparently bludgeoned by the heavy hilt of a cleaver left by her side. Who wanted Tara dead? Will the show go on? Once again, Robbie is right in the middle of a murder and local police lieutenant Buck Bird is there to do the real work.

I enjoy this series for a lot of reasons and all were present in Four Leaf Cleaver. Robbie is a great protagonist. She is recently married, still running her restaurant/store, and is a great stepmom. She is smart, intuitive, caring, a great boss and friend as well as a snoop. Buck is one of my favorite characters. He seems to be a bit of a laid back hayseed, but that helps with is investigations. He loves to eat Robbie's food, pick her brain and his sayings are a hoot. We didn't see as much of Robbie's employees in this one, but they were there for her to bounce ideas off of. There were several suspects, some interesting characters, a few twists and a great reveal. Of course with all of her books, there are some delicious sounding recipes included. This was a fun story to take me into spring with all the clover, shamrocks and green needed. Another winner in the Country Store Mysteries.

I recommend reading the books in order.

Pros:
1.) I love the St. Patrick's Day theme.
2.) I am a big fan of cooking shows so that part of the story was interesting.
3.) The supporting characters are definitely characters and seem like old friends.
4.) Robbie and Abe's desire to grow their family is a relatable one.

Cons:
1.) The mystery seemed a little weak at times.
2.) Robbie seemed whinier than usual in this story.
3.) While I like that Robbie, Buck, and Oscar have a good working relationship, I do not like how Robbie constantly inserts herself into investigations. In this book, she was borderline rude to Buck and Oscar at times, insinuating that they do not know how to do their jobs.

You don't often find books with a St Patrick's Day atmosphere. This is one of the holidays the appears to be left out of the seasonal book festivities. Most of the time people are searching for Christmas, Halloween, Valentines, New Years and even summer reads. So I was hoping to get some Irish atmosphere in the cold wintery north where I live.

The atmosphere for St Patricks Day was just enough to make me happy and not derail the story line. Cozy holiday decor and a shamrock cleaver...for those murder vibes.

The characters were likeable, but not enjoyable. I had a hard time with the pacing of this book overall. There were times the plot was moving forward ...and then areas where I wanted to yell...."get on with the story!" It seemed like the author was trying to get to a page count, or trying to throw in extra "cozy" vibes (which she already had with the holiday theme). There would be whole sections on the MCsetting up her diner for the next day- multiple times throughout the book. It was redundant....okay I get how this is done and let's move on. If these scenes had been enhanced with some witty banter- I would have been all on board. But as it was, this was just boring chatter and filler. No red herrings there, no humor - just plan day-to-day talk that did nothing for the overall book.

A couple of these areas did progress the MCs relationship with her spouse. Yet it was thrown in sparingly without any emotion. The progression of their relationship will make long term readers happy...yet if I was a long time reader I would have been disappoint. I would have liked this development to have been more dramatically arc'd through the book as a strong secondary plot inside a side note. Instead it was just ...there, like an FYI - in a non important fashion. Its okay to add a shot of drama with the cozy...as long as it's only a shot. Build up that info so we readers are excited...I'm not just here for the cozy mystery...I'm here for the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for providing me an ARC of this book!

It’s St Patrick’s Day in South Lick, Indiana but a holiday cooking competition at Robbie Jordan’s country store and restaurant Pans and Pancakes is put on hold when a killer strikes. Unfortunately someone’s luck has run out before the camera’s starts rolling producer Tara O’Hara Moore is found upstairs in her B&B room bludgeoned apparently by the heavy hilt of a cleaver left by her side. Robbie has a store full of festive decorations and a store full of suspects to deal with can she find out who did it and go on with the show? A very enjoyable story with great characters to suspect.

This is a long running cozy series that I thoroughly enjoy. In this book Robbie is going to host a reality cooking competition with a St. Patrick's Day theme. Of course, this couldn't happen without a murder! This is a fast paced, fun cozy read.

Fun book to read especially around March and St. Patrick’s Day. The characters are relatable, realistic, and likable.. I really enjoyed reading this story with a competition for a setting. The mystery is full of twists and turns.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.

In this Recent book in the series Robbie Jordan does not disappoint even though she says she’s gonna stay out of things she can’t help it but to butt in even when she’s been told to stay out. The thrill of this cooking challenge that is to take place in the restaurant is exciting and the corks of the contestants are really truly what makes the book. All the normal cast is there and of course my all-time favorite Robbie‘s husband, who has a long-ago relationship with the The victim and the relationship is not what you would think it is for a while there it has Robbie concerned. This is a fun quick Saint Paddy’s day. Read pick it up today.

This series definitely feels like visiting old friends, and I love how much the characters have grown in this series! In this installment it is St. Patrick's Day, and Robbie is going all out! She is also hosting a food competition @ pans 'N Pancakes...which is where the trouble starts. When the host is so unlikable it can only lead to one thing...MURDER. This was a fun addition to the series! I would recommend this series to cozy lovers. The recipes in this book all sound fun and delicious!
I received an arc of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank netgalley, the author Maddie Day, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

This is an enjoyable book in the series, especially if you love cooking competitions. I was hoping for a little more St Paddy's day flare, but I did enjoy the description of certain Irish dishes and how small pieces were incorporated throughout. I did find the killer to be quite predictable, which keeps happening as I continue this series. I love reading about Robbie's store and her personal life and this one is full of longing for a baby that I felt so keenly and just want the best for Robbie and Abe. I hope to continue to see more of her personal life in the future as that is my favorite aspect!

This was an okay read for me, I have been an avid reader of this series since the beginning and while this wasn’t my favorite of the series, the mystery still kept me guessing. Good read.

Robbie is one of a kind, and her cafe is the kind we would all like to spend hours enjoying. The food sounds delicious, and I could spend my paycheck buying vintage cookware. Four Leaf Cleaver takes readers into the world of producers, reality tv, and murder.

Robbies cafe is the setting for a television cooking show. From the moment producer Tara steps into Pan-n-Pancakes, chaos ensues. Robbie doesn’t care for the woman any more than her staff and contestants do, but she hopes things will settle down once the show starts filming. Before the first day even starts, Robbie finds Tara dead, a cleaver next to her body, and an entire cafe full of suspects. Evidence mounts as Robbie starts asking questions, but it looks like the killer may have her in their sight.

This story keeps readers guessing. The suspects all have plausible motives, and everyone one of them makes you feel as if they have to be the killer. Even Robbie's husband, Abe, is a suspect. As suspicions rise, you will wonder if Robbie will be the next person to get a cleaver up alongside the head. When we find out the killer's identity, we are both surprised and elated. Four Leaf Cleaver has all the elements a good story needs, great characters, a fabulous location, credible suspects, and a killer that keeps readers on their toes. I love this series and am thrilled with this latest addition.