An enjoyable cozy mystery with several twists and turns. I enjoyed the characters as well as the plot The small town of Cardigan made for a great setting.
Many thanks to Meryl Moss Media Group and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't like the writing style but overall the story was good.

This is the third book of the series and the first for me. Good story to keep you interested and likable characters.

I don't often read cozy mysteries, but they are definitely a good palette cleanser and this is a great example!

Rosalie Hart is an organic farmer. Her organic certification is in jeopardy when her neighbor threatens to spray chemicals on his crops. One of her farm hands confronts the farmer and ends up dead - and Rosalie must find out who killed him. To make things more complicated, the murder and investigation takes place during a five-day cooking school she is hosting at her Day Lily Café.

The author does a great job of weaving together humor and drama, several quirky characters, cooking and recipes, and of course off the chart cozy farm vibes (with cats!).

Sweet, fun, and a great mystery to solve - such a great book!

Rosalie owns the Day Lily Café in Cardigan, Maryland. It has an authentic farm-to-table menu that locals and visitors alike appreciate. Her farmland is leased to Tyler, who recently became more than a friend. The organic certification for the farm is due, but there’s a problem. The neighboring farm is now run by landowner Ronnie Kline’s nephew, and he plans to dust the crops with a pesticide so toxic, it should be banned. If the wind changes, residue will be blown onto Rosalie’s land, and Tyler will lose his organically grown certification. They could lose everything. Bini works with Tyler and is furious about the chemical spray. Tyler tells her not to confront the men but is sure she’ll do it anyway.

Rosalie has expanded her café thanks to funding from her brother, Oliver. He’s on his way to visit both his sister and his investment. Things are coming together. Alessa owns a local winery. Her cousin, Marco, a well-known chef, is coming to visit. He’s willing to teach a class at the Day Lily could be a huge benefit to Rosalie and her business. Rosalie’s able to sign up a motley crew of students, some she knows, some not. Marco charms every one of them.

However, there’s another problem she hadn’t even considered. Ronnie Kline is dead, just inside his front door and Bini is the one who found him. Rosalie’s hopes are dimmed when it’s announced that Kline had been poisoned. When a second poisoning happens, it’s much too close to home.

Suspects would include anyone who ever met Kline, Bini who found the body, his nephew, and a mysterious woman seen driving a red Porsche around town—it’s always best to suspect a stranger, rather than someone you know!

I enjoyed the twists and turns, red herrings and real clues, and reading the details of the cooking class. While no recipes are shared, cooks who know their way around a kitchen will know what to do. These are characters I’d like to see again.

Good storyline. Enjoyed getting to know these characters. Story was well developed and amusing. Quick read, good for vacation reads.

The recipes and fresh ingredients will make you drool. The organic field to table cafe is being updated so Rosalie has free time and the Italian cooking class is a good idea. The class has interesting students and a gorgeous Italian Chef as the teacher. Each student has their story. One is the gal that inherited the farm next to Rosalie's farm. Her Uncle has died of questionable circumstance. It is this death that perks the interest of Rosalie. She is a nosy one. What a good story!

Mystery at Windswept Manor by Wendy Sand Eckel is the third book in the Rosalie Hart series. Although I haven’t read the first two, I wasn’t deterred from jumping right in. I don’t read many cozies and this made me question why not. I never felt any gaps from information I was missing and the tightly woven story flowed at an excellent pace. The characters were more seasoned and their actions made for a very interesting story.

“There is craziness everywhere. It’s random. Not in our control”

..

When Meryl Moss Media group offered me a complimentary copy of this new cozy mystery, in exchange for a review, I was in two minds about accepting their kind invitation, as I found myself jumping into the series with book #3, knowing none of the backstory and nothing about the characters. I need not have worried however, as author Wendy Sand Eckel did an amazing job at filling in any gaps succinctly, without causing a non-series reader to feel they have missed out on something vital. In practically no time at all, I felt comfortable and right at home, with Rosalie and her friends, especially when someone mentioned Italian food, which I adore.

It seems as though Rosalie has been a thorn in the side of Sheriff Joe Wilgus, almost from the day she arrived in the small town of Cardigan, Devon County, Maryland, as she appears to have the knack of besting him in many of his major investigations, much to his chagrin. So let’s see how they are getting along these days and if relations might be about to thaw a little…

..

Rosalie inherited Barclay Meadow Farm from her Aunt Charlotte some time go. However it is only recently, following the breakdown of her twenty year marriage and having seen her daughter Annie safely off to university, she decided to kick the city dust of DC from her heels and make a fresh start in her own little quiet corner of paradise. At least that was the plan… Hitherto, the farm had been leased by her neighbour Tyler Wells and had been more than ably managed by him, with the help of Bini Katz.

Being very like-minded, the three of them decide to register Barclay Meadow as a sustainable venture and they are in the final stages of achieving certification when their crochety neighbour Ronnie Kline, who owns Windswept Farm, decides to spray his fields with a particularly noxious chemical which is sure to leach into Barclay Meadow land, scotching any hope of Rosalie attaining sustainability status. When Bini decides to take matters into her own hands and sets off to appeal to Ronnie’s better nature, she finds Windswept deserted and Ronnie’s body led in the hallway of the farmhouse. Murder is soon established and the cause of death would not have been pleasant. Rosalie once again finds herself locking horns with Sheriff Joe Wilgus, as in his usual inimitably laid back style, he is looking to solve the case in the fastest time possible and with the minimum amount of fuss and inconvenience to himself. The tension is ramped up a notch when Ronnie’s family turn up, only to find he has made some strange and not very palatable decisions in his will, which sets his nephew and nieces at each others throats.

With her brother Oliver’s financial help, Rosalie is also the owner of the Day Lily Cafe, which she has just finished renovating, along with her septuagenarian head waiter and fellow amateur sleuth, Glenn Breckinridge. Knowing how much Rosalie would like to expand her culinary skills, fellow businesswoman Alessi, arranges for her visiting Italian celebrity chef cousin, Marco Giovanelli, to hold a week long cookery school, if Rosalie can find five other people to join her. Things are going well, although Marco is becoming more than a little smitten with Rosalie, a feeling which is not reciprocated and which Rosalie knows she will need to deal with sooner rather than later, until fellow cookery class participant and local businessman Kevin, almost meets his end by the same foul means as Ronnie Kline, only this time it happens inside the cafe and appears to be a case of mistaken identity, but who was the intended victim?

A distressed Oliver arrives, seeking solace and comfort from Rosalie. A visiting Russian reality TV star, Sonja, also adds some unforeseen glamour to events, until her real reason for picking sleepy Cardigan for a break come to light and Windswept Farm is once more the centre of unwanted police attention. Does Sonja’s arrival also have anything to do with the Russian Secret Service men seen coming and going from a rented house in the town, where among their regular visitors are Ronnie Kline’s two thuggish nephews. Lets face it, a cantankerous Ronnie had made so many enemies over the years, that no one really knew what went on in his life, or on his property.

Add to the mix, the tentatively growing romantic relationship between Rosalie and Tyler and it’s easy to see how Marco’s Italian recipes for love might become a little toxic. You’ll need to read this one for yourself to find out if there are any happy endings and if there is any sign of a warming in the cold relationship between Rosalie and Sheriff Wilgus!

..

This multi-layered, nicely textured cozy mystery storyline, narrated almost completely by Rosalie herself, is broken down into bite-sized chapters, which keeps the pace of the story moving along nicely, in an ever-evolving and changing situation, where there was never a dull moment. Just as well in a scenario where, amongst a veritable shopping list of suspects and a laundry list of crimes, I was never able to spot the real villain of the piece for the many twists and turns and multiple red herrings, perfectly placed and just waiting to trip me up, which they did most soundly. So many threads which were drawn together in a final denouement I hardly noticed, so skilfully did Rosalie manage things.

Some excellent ‘in kitchen’ scenes, only added to the flavour of the storyline, with their delicious ingredients, heady aromas and spontaneous moments which made me smile. Whilst I enjoy eating good food, I have to confess to not being a particularly competent or adventurous cook. However, many of Rosalie’s fellow participants were also complete novices, so I picked up a few good tips from Marco’s lessons, although whether shall ever venture down the road of preparing my own pasta from scratch is anyone’s guess!

Author Wendy Sand Eckel gathered together a large cast of multi-faceted and well defined characters, who made this story very much their own. The time was taken to describe and draw them authentically and in great detail. They were an evolving, complex jigsaw of human emotions, often unreliable, vulnerable and volatile; yet always raw, passionate, genuine and believable in the roles to which they had been cast, which made them totally addictive, if not easy to connect with.

My favourite character was, as you might expect, Rosalie herself. Her enthusiasm to make a success of her business ventures; her determination to win over Sheriff Wilgus, even if it does end up costing her a fortune in lost profits from all the free coffee and cakes he seems to expect; her new and growing deep connection with her brother in his obvious time of need; and her stubborn resilience in not making the same mistake twice and allowing her emotions to be rode over roughshod by Tyler as much as she has feelings for him, even though I am already itching to give the pair of them a good shove in the right direction.

In this story, revenge was definitely a dish best served stone cold and with calculated malintent.

Albeit that Wendy paid great attention to descriptive and detailed qualities, as she painted the physical location of the storyline, it was a shame that the place names, with the exception of the State of Maryland, were fictional. Not knowing the area made it almost impossible for me to second-guess where Cardigan might actually be, which as a confirmed ‘armchair traveller’ was a little frustrating. I can however, envisage this storyline featuring in a television series similar to ‘Murder She Wrote’, as all the ingredients are there… Wendy managed to strike just the right balance between the seriousness of the crimes, the heady first flushes of romance, and the amazing Italian recipes, to keep me entertained and engaged from the very first page, to the final word. Who could ask for a better journey than that!

I decided to mark my review down a little at four stars, simply because of the formatting, spelling and grammatical bloopers, which peppered the text of my Kindle download. Whilst this didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the story in any meaningful way, I do hope the final draft was edited once more before release!

Maybe because I haven't read the previous books in the series, this book didn't really work for me, sadly. Although the writing and the premises are good, the execution of the story didn't help. I could not connect with the characters and the mystery didn't build intrigue and tension. It might interest you if you have read the previous books in the series.

Sorry. But thank you for the review copy.

Cutely woven mystery tying the participants of a weeklong Italian cooking class with the murder of a local rancher. Everyone is a suspect. It takes the wiles of restaurant owner Rosalie and her partner Glenn to investigate while causing headaches for the local sheriff.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A classic cozy with a cafe, a country setting, and a nosy detective, that is fairly engaging. I know it's an undedited proof, but it looks like there a were quite a number of typos and one narrative error. Recommended for fans of the genre.

Review of eBook

After her marriage disintegrated, Rosalie Hart moved to Cardigan, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, to the house and farm she’d inherited from her Aunt Charlotte. With an assist from Bini Katz, Tyler Wells runs Barclay Meadow as a sustainable organic farm while Rosie runs the Day Lily Café [currently closed for renovations, but soon to open again].

But trouble is on the horizon. Their farm is up for recertification and the neighboring farmer, Ronnie Kline, is preparing to dust the crops of Windswept Farm with pesticides. And if the wind were to carry any of that pesticide over onto Barclay Meadow, they would lose their certified organic certification. Concerned and worried, Bini heads over to Windswept Farm, hoping to persuade the none-too-friendly Ronnie to delay [or abandon] his plan to spray the pesticide.

She found Ronnie Kline . . . dead.

With the help of her best friend/head waiter, Glenn Breckenridge, Rosie sets out to clear Bini’s name and find the person who murdered Ronnie. And, at the same time, she hosts a cooking class led by a renowned Italian chef, Marco Giovanelli.

Soon there are many questions despite the fact that Ronnie had a reputation for being mean and unpleasant; certainly he had many enemies. Was Ronnie truly ready to sell Windswept Farm to the Russians? Why was the Hollywood actress in Cardigan?

Can Rosie find the answers? And what will happen when she gets too close to identifying the murderer?

=========

Although this is the third book in the author’s Rosalie Hart series, readers will have no problem reading this as a standalone. Interesting, well-developed characters, an absorbing mystery, and delectable food descriptions all work together to keep the pages turning in this cozy mystery. The camaraderie between the characters feels authentic, creating realism in the telling of the tale.

Along with the murder mystery and the cooking classes, there’s a budding romance, a misunderstanding, the reuniting of a brother and sister, and an unexpected threat creating multiple plot points with the murder investigation being the overarching plot that brings them all together.

Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries are sure to find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media Group and NetGalley
#MysteryAtWindsweptFarm #NetGalley

This is a great story that certainly grabbed my attention. Wendy Eckel has done a great job with not only an interesting and entertaining plot, but a diverse range of characters as well. The cooking and recipes were a nice touch, who doesn’t like great food. I loved Rosalie, and would love to have her as my neighbor. Overall, I quite enjoyed this. 5/5 Star Rating.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I don't really like start reading books in a series if I haven't read the previous ones, but this one is pretty good about not dwelling on the past too much. The main character is pretty likeable and smart as a character so it kept my attention as she tries to solve a murder in her small town while juggling a love life and a business.

Mystery At Windswept Farm: Wendy Sand Eckel, author
Although this is the third book in the Rosalie Hart series, the reader will do fine jumping in right here. As the characters are introduced, they are described and blend in easily. In addition, this mystery, complete with a theme of murder and espionage, can stand alone, as well.
Rosalie Hart had inherited the house and farm in Cardigan, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, from her Aunt Charlotte. Her property slopes down toward a river of the same name. The atmosphere in this sleepy little town seems as pastoral as the description of its surroundings. So, when her marriage to Ed failed, Rosie (also known as Rose Red), moved to Cardigan to regroup. She opened up the Day Lily Café and embarked on a new chapter in her life, running a restaurant. She always loved to cook, and this was the perfect avenue to pursue her avocation.
Her farm land was leased to Tyler Wells. He and Bini Katz, who worked with him, nurtured it and worked hard toward getting it certified as a sustainable organic farm. Does it not sound like the perfect place to settle down? Already, she and Tyler were enjoying a budding romance. Suddenly, into the mix came the fly in the ointment. When the farm was due for an inspection, Rosalie’s neighbor, Ronnie Kline, known mostly for his unpleasant personality, planned to spray his land with toxic material, material that might contaminate her farm land. She, Tyler and Bini were a bit frantic about it. If any of that chemical were to touch Rosalie’s property, they would fail to pass the organic inspection.
Bini stormed over to his farm, hoping to persuade him to halt, or at least delay, his plan to spray. She discovered his body. When it was learned that he did not die from natural causes, but was poisoned, suspicion fell on Bini. Something Rosalie had mentioned to Sheriff Joe Wilgus in passing, sparked his interest in her. Bini and Tyler were so angry with Rosalie for having loose lips, that Tyler stormed out of Rosalie’s place, leaving her distraught. He wouldn’t even let her offer an explanation. She was forced to question the strength of their romantic relationship. With Glenn Breckenridge, her head waiter and best friend, she quietly began to investigate in order to clear Bini’s name. She had already acquired a reputation for successfully unraveling and solving other mysterious incidents.
At the same time as all this is taking place, Rosalie’s long absent brother, Oliver, makes an appearance and they begin bonding, once again. Cardigan and Rosalie welcome him warmly, and in need of a respite, he begins to mellow. When Rosalie’s friend Alessa, the local owner of a winery, offered up Marco Giovanelli, a renowned chef from Italy, to conduct a cooking class at the Day Lily Café, Rosalie was ecstatic. Although the restaurant was closed for renovations, it was almost ready to be reopened, and the kitchen was in perfect order and could be used. She gathered a small group of people to help her defray the cost. Kevin, one half of a gay couple about to be married, Brandon Hitch, an odd professor whose surname is attached to the history of Cardigan, Jojo Bennet, the sole heir to the Kline Estate, Janice Tilghman (also known as Snow White), an old and dear childhood friend, Oliver, and Rosalie, of course, get ready to enjoy the experience of a lifetime. She and Marco hit it off immediately. He recognizes her natural talent and is impressed with her ability and creativity in the kitchen. As Marco grows more and more impressed with Rosalie’s natural skill and creativity, the reader will wonder if the cooking class will remain his main interest? However, when one of the students almost dies from poisoned salt, the continuation of the class may be in jeopardy. Even worse is the idea that this incident will destroy her restaurant’s reputation. Rosalie hopes it doesn’t ring its death knell.
Rosalie felt forced to fly into action. She and Glenn began to more fully investigate the sudden, strange catastrophes striking Cardigan. Rosalie made a connection with Cliff, the Private Investigator hired by her friend Janice. Janice suspected that her husband Trevor was having an affair with Bonnie Tucker. When Cliff, the private investigator discovered an odd development, he shared it with Rosalie. Barty Bennet, Jojo’s brother, who ran the farm for Ronnie Kline, and Michael, her sister Phoebe Parker’s husband, a gambler, had been meeting with the Russians in the house next door to Bonnie Tucker’s to negotiate the purchase of the Kline property before it passed to Jojo, the sole heir. They wanted a piece of the inheritance. As this plot thickened, Oliver was developing a fortuitous friendship with Sonja Volkov, who had been seen around town driving her red Porsche. She was a famous television actress. Since Sonja was a Russian, too, it was a cue for Rosalie to grow more curious about her. Why had she come to Cardigan? It turned out she was looking for her father who had been visiting Ronnie Kline. Why would the rich Mr. Volkov have anything to do with Ronnie Kline?
The story grew more complicated, although it was still manageable because of the easy conversational style of the author. What was disrupting the idyllic atmosphere in Cardigan? Why do the Russians even want property in Cardigan? Is Trevor having an affair with Bonnie? Will Bini and Tyler make up with Rosalie? Will the murderer be found? Will Rosalie be able to prevent further mayhem? All of these questions become ingredients in this Rosalie Hart mystery. Do they mix together well? I will answer with a resounding YES! However, if it sounds confusing to you, just relax. Let the story pique your interest, because the story will embrace you and quietly and easily work itself out, providing you with hours of reading pleasure. All of the ingredients in this recipe will blend together perfectly.
How often have you read a book that nourished and embraced you, welcoming you into its warm atmosphere? Well, this mystery novel invites you in and asks you to stay awhile. This book, like the farm that Rosalie Hart, Tyler and Bini nurture together, like the name of the town and the river Cardigan suggests, grasps your shoulders like a sweater and takes you into its arms. Although most of the characters are a bit quirky, they have qualities that you would like in a friend. You want to stay awhile in this place. It reminded me of the Sue Grafton alphabet series with Kinsey Millhone, and Louise Penny’s Three Pines, another place in another novel with quirky but lovable characters, a place you wish was real. Let Cardigan gently embrace you and put out the welcome mat.

I received a free copy of, Mystery At Windswept Farm, by Wendy Eckel, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a Rosalie Hart Mystery. This is a short but quirky mystery. Alcohol, and love is involved.

Mystery at Windswept Farm is the third in the cozy Rosalie Hart mystery series which takes place on America's east coast. Organic versus conventional farming interests me as I worked for an organic certification agency and grew up on a farm. The pressure of the process is relatable.

After riling up neighbours and nearly all his acquaintances, cantankerous conventional farmer Ronnie Kline is found dead. He was about to spray his crops with toxins which places organic certification in immediate jeopardy. Farmers Rosalie and her boyfriend Tyler anxiously await the renewal letter from the certification agency but shudder when they discover Ronnie's plans. The list of suspects wishing harm to Ronnie is long. Rosalie and her waiter friend do some sleuthing and cooperate with the sheriff who (unrealistically) shares information with them.

Meanwhile, a celebrated Tuscan chef who is an acquaintance of Rosalie's friend Alessa arrives to teach cooking classes at the Day Lily Café to a range of eager students. But one shows mysterious symptoms which raises suspicions. Is this somehow linked to the murder of Ronnie Kline?

Cozy Mystery readers will find this rural murder mystery delectable. My favourite aspects as a regular visitor to Italy and food lover are the lovely food descriptions and menus. A middle-aged protagonist is refreshing as well.
Though somewhat predictable, Mystery at Windswept Farm is a fun and light escapist read.

My sincere thank you to Meryl Moss Media Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this charming book.

A very enjoyable read. It certainly kept me guessing till the end. The plot started out a little bit slow, but the pace increased the more I read. Couldn't wait to find out how it would play out in the end.

I was easily nabbed by the title because I'm a sucker for sustainable/organic farms, farm-to-table and cozy little towns, especially those on the East Coast! Wendy Eckel's book did not disappoint. The main character Rosalie Hart has a lot going on in her life from reopening her cafe, to reconnecting with her brother, Oliver, to guy troubles. Yet somehow she managed to ensnare herself in a mystery at the farm next to hers all while hosting a week long Italian class taught by a famous Tuscan chef. The suspects are all over the board...is it the Russians, a family member, her boyfriend's farm employee or someone with a vendetta? I truly enjoyed watching the relationships build amongst the characters as they cooked and drank their way through the twists and turns of life's every day problems. I recommend reading this book...chop chop and preferably with a glass of wine in your hand!