Spring Upon a Crime

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of SPRING UPON A CRIME (Book 2 of the Seattle Wilderness Mysteries) by M.L. Erdahl in exchange for an honest review. Crystal Rainey continues to work as a wilderness guide. Though she’s settling in and gaining expertise, she still considers herself to be an imposter. On an excursion to the Olympic Rain Forest, the owner of the land and luxury accommodations Crystal’s company uses is found murdered. Even worse, Roxie, the charming hostess, cook, and Crystal’s friend, is arrested for the murder. Though Crystal resists interfering in the investigation, Roxie and her attorney convince Crystal to ask enough questions to establish reasonable doubt or identify other likely suspects. Crystal finds herself in the midst of a land war between loggers, developers, and eco-protesters. With both the local police and the killer determined to thwart Crystal’s efforts, will Crystal survive to save her friend?

I liked both this book and the previous one. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, outdoor adventures, hiking, canoeing, small towns, and land politics.

#SpringUponaCrime #NetGalley

I received this book as ARC from NetGalley.

Spring Upon A Crime is book #2 in a series by ML Erdahl. Crystal is a wilderness guide by day and amateur detective the rest of the time. When the chef for the private retreat she is staying at is charged with murder, Crystal must help solve the who really did it to help the chef with limited funds.

The book was a twisty-turning adventure through the woods of Forks (yes of Twilight fame) Washington. I thought I knew who did it, but I was wrong. That is OK - I like the surprises. I hope this series continues as I really enjoy the dynamics of the relationships.

Another great adventure of Crystal's when she comes across a murder and her friend Roxie is accused of the crime. A fun cozy mystery, and a fun series. Connor is back, as well as several others from the first book. Truly enjoyed this one, and highly recommend this book, series and author.

This was a really fun read! I was intrigued by the setting, given that I am from Washington, and I loved the basis for the story. The author did a great job with the setting and bringing the Pacific Northwest to life. I thought the writing was easy to read and I loved the humor and character development. Overall I would recommend this to any cozy mystery fans.

I loved the first book in this Pacific Northwest Wilderness Series so I was delighted to see Crystal Rainey was back for another adventure. This time it's a trek to the Olympic National Park Rainforest to stay at a property owned by a wealthy conservationist and run by her friend and chef, Roxie. The owner is thinking about selling his properties now that he's getting older and there are developers, loggers and environmentalists interested in what happens with them. When both he and Roxie end up in a horrible position, Crystal steps in to gather intel and find answers. This is made difficult with angry protestors, vindictive police employees, slimy business people, a missing friend and a potentially cheating boyfriend.
Crystal is put into some crazy situations, but in the end the truth is revealed and she can get make to safer adventures like mountain climbing.
A wonderful book in a delightful series.

Through NetGalley, I received a free e-copy of this book.

Crystal Rainey continues to work as a wilderness guide. Though she’s settling in and gaining expertise, she still considers herself to be an imposter. On an excursion to the Olympic Rain Forest, the owner of the land and luxury accommodations Crystal’s company uses is found murdered. Even worse, Roxie, the charming hostess, cook, and Crystal’s friend, is arrested for the murder. Though Crystal resists interfering in the investigation, Roxie and her attorney convince Crystal to ask enough questions to establish reasonable doubt or identify other likely suspects. Crystal finds herself in the midst of a land war between loggers, developers, and eco-protesters. With both the local police and the killer determined to thwart Crystal’s efforts, will Crystal survive to save her friend?

I really liked this book, such a page turner and didn't want to put it down. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, and outdoor activities.

The author has embraced the cozy mystery genre and produced a sweet, clean mystery that is fun, confident reading. Protagonist Crystal is still faking her way through her wilderness guide gig and holding her own weight and becoming more secure in her role. She’s a quick study and works well with the more seasoned guides, this time into the Olympic Rain Forest.

Unfortunately, once arrived with her college students at the private campground where they’ll spend several days, she discovers her friend and hostess Roxie at the scene of a very fresh murder. Not good.

There is a power struggle for land between loggers and developers—a very real one--and the fight between the two attracts environmentalists, “tree huggers.” The storyline hit close to home and was a familiar one.

The characters are becoming more developed--genuine, complete with foibles and strong suits, and the mystery progressed at a steady pace, bringing in descriptions of the scenic area, information about the mountains, and some history with it.

It’s a clever and immersive story, bits of back story eased in, but this can work as a standalone. There is a building of tension and twists and I must admit I didn’t guess whodunit going into the conclusion. A great follow up to the first in the series with the right amount of atmosphere, engaging characters, romance, and mystery.

Fantastic! My first time reading anything from this author. I found it almost impossible to take a reading break; just wanted to read one more chapter. Sleep is overrated anyway. The characters are a bit quirky and while having great intentions sometimes get into some tight squeeze. Even the suspects are well defined and I really had no clue who done it till the end. I will be reading more from this author.
I received a free copy if this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Since this is book 2 in a series I haven't started I enjoyed the authors ability to catch readers up quickly as the story is moving forward.

M.L.Erdahl is able to create a fun cozy mystery that readers will be able to enjoy from beginning to end. The author creates a cast of characters who become real as the story moves forward. Even though this is the first in the series I have read the author is able to make it feel like book one with reference to what happened in book one while keeping the story moving forward.

The Author captures the feel of small town and all the crazy politics that go into that small world. The author bring readers into the world they created and reader will not want to leave until they finish the mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of M.L Erdahl Spring Upon a Crime.

This is the second book in Erdahl’s cosy mystery series cantered around Crystal, a corporate cubicle worker turned outdoors guide. Crystal is likeable and smart. Her friends add some spice to the story. This was all around a really great cosy mystery and an awesome follow up to the first book in the series, Winter Takes All.

Crystal may have faked her way into the job as an outdoors guide, but her knack for research and tour guide skills have made her invaluable to the tour company. Unfortunately she’s caught up in another murder when the owner of a glamping site in the Washington rain forest is stabbed and her friend is accused of doing the deed.

Up against the town cops, the richest and most influential family in town, and a naked tree hugger, Crystal needs to solve this murder fast and save her friend from jail. A fantastic read.

BackLit PR and NetGalley granted my request to read this ARC.

If you are looking for a virtual tour of the Pacific Northwest, this is the book. During the pandemic when we cannot travel in person, we can travel through reading wonderful books like Spring Upon a Crime.

The characters are likable. I liked the setting and I learned about glamping. The plotting was well done.

Thoughts: I loved this story! This was the second in the Seattle Wilderness series. I enjoyed the first one enough to pick this one up as well – and wasn’t disappointed. This is a solid follow up to “Winter Takes All”. We are once again pulled into the life of Crystal, a wilderness guide who seems to stumble into murders. In the way of all cozy mysteries, she is our amateur sleuth who finds out who the killer is (and almost gets herself killed in the process). In this one, she has to save her friend Roxie the chef from being prosecuted for the murder of Roxie’s boss. She’s up against the local cops, developers, loggers, and tree-huggers. I especially loved the character of Emerson. He is perfect. The characters are fun and realistic and the imagery is amazing. The author shows us the northwest without being overly descriptive. And the light romance between Crystal and Conner is well done as well, although Conner isn’t in much of this book due to a sprained knee.

Recommendation: Highly recommended for all cozy mystery readers. And even those who aren’t. It’s just a fun book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it. All opinions are my own.

The Good:

ML Erdahl pulls of my favorite kind of humor with ease in this enjoyable cozy mystery. Sarcasm/witty banter is harder to write than it seems, because it needs to come off funny and not abrasive. Since most of this form of humor relies on intonation and facial expressions, it doesn't always lend itself to easy writing. However, this story includes it wonderfully and I found myself actually laughing out loud at some of the humor.  For this aspect alone, I immensely enjoyed this book and author. 

The setting is beautiful and well-described, and I love Crystal's job as a wilderness guide. It lends itself to some pretty cool adventures that she can find herself on in future books. As someone who loves the Pacific Northwest, it was fun to read a story set there and that highlights the beauty of the area. 

I have not read the first book in this series, but this does read well as a stand alone story. However, within the first chapter of 'Spring Upon a Crime' (book 2 of the series), I immediately went and bought the first book. I was already loving the quality writing, character development, setting and witty humor that I knew I needed to read the first book in the series.  It's not often you are immediately drawn to purchase more books by an author so quickly into reading their work for the first time, so this action alone speaks volumes for how much I loved this book.

The Bad:

I honestly do not have anything bad to say about this book. The plot progressed well, the killer was not guessed early, the characters were three-dimensional and the setting was perfect for the cozy genre. There was not much to dislike here.

The Bottom Line:

 A humorous and well-plotted mystery with intelligent character development and a gorgeous setting.

Spring Upon a Crime is very much a product of our times. It exemplifies the fight over what to do with natural resources such as old growth forests. Kudos to the author for tackling this difficult subject.

The protagonist, Crystal, is likable and easy to follow on her adventure. Other characters are also appropriate for their roles…up to a point. In particular, there were two plot twists in which characters that had been foes suddenly became allies. In both cases, I felt the transitions weren’t believable and found myself going, “Whaaat?” Eventually, the character turnabouts made sense, but at the moment they occurred, I felt disoriented.

Setting is handled well. I could see the forest, the clear-cut, and even the camp for a band of staunch environmentalists. The plot is well-planned and has the requisite twists and turns. For me, though, the writing style itself got in the way of these elements. At times, it felt somewhat stilted and methodical.

Overall, a good read for those with an interest in the wilderness and followers of the series. And despite being in the cozy genre, it hits the spot for dealing with some difficult issues.

❄️📚2021 Winter Games Reader Challenge📚❄️
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Spring Upon a Crime by ML Erdahl
Publication Date: January 13, 2021 - Out Now!
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Description from NetGalley...
“Wilderness guide Crystal Rainey leads a group of college students to a private campground amidst the awe-inspiring Olympic Rain Forest. The excursion is ruined when the charming hostess Roxie is discovered standing over the land owner's body, murder weapon in hand.
 
Enlisted to investigate the crime to absolve her friend, Crystal descends on the quiet city of Forks to find loggers, developers, and eco-protesters circling the property, intent on either exploiting or protecting the bastion of old-growth forest. The list of suspects is intimidating.  Can Crystal find answers in a community determined to keep her in the dark?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @thewildrosepress for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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Thank you to @mlerdahl for a digital copy and @casiemclean for hosting the #2021wintergamesreaderchallenge
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My thoughts...
This is book two of the A Seattle Wilderness Mystery series based in the Pacific Northwest. I enjoyed the first book in this series “Winter Takes All,” and I may have enjoyed this even more! You can see the characters developing and they were likable. Erdahl did a great job in describing the Olympic National Park Rainforest, it was like a virtual tour, that made me want to visit the area. The story progressed steadily and there was enough tension that kept my interest in this cozy mystery. This could be a stand-alone as Erdahl did a great job in catching you up.

I love reading books by authors from the Pacific Northwest. And I love reading books set in the area since that’s where I’m from. So, when I came across Spring Upon a Crime by M.L. Erdahl, I knew I had to check out this book. This is the second book in the A Seattle Wilderness Mystery series, but it stood quite well on its own. There were some references to book one, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

The series follows Crystal. She’s a relatively new wilderness guide. She’s on a job taking a group of college kids through the rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula. She stumbles upon a murder and is talked into trying to solve the mystery to clear her friend’s name. Since her friend had already been arrested, Crystal isn’t bumbling around messing up an active investigation. And bumble Crystal does. She brings her boyfriend, best friend, and co-worker into her investigation.

It’s been a few years, but I’ve visited Forks, WA, and the rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula. So, it was fun for me to revisit the area in Spring Upon a Crime. The setting plays an important part of the story and it’s well woven into the plot. I enjoyed the cast of characters, who were quite varied, but very entertaining. The mystery itself… It was quite interesting as it dug into environmental issues faced in the Pacific Northwest. As with most cozies, the solving of the mystery mostly was stumbled upon and not the act of any great sleuthing. But, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t entertaining getting there.

This was my first book by M.L. Erdahl and it won’t be my last. I was pulled into the story and turning the pages to see how the mystery was solved. I look forward to going back and reading book one and future books in this series. If you’re looking for a mystery set in the Pacific Northwest, consider checking this one out.

Another favorite story by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. I felt like I was an unnamed character in the story.

A Spring upon a Crime, is a cozy mystery set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with great characters. So many twists and turns to keep you guessing. Very well written especially about the National Park.. Definitely would recommend this book to those who like Cozy mysteries.. Thank you NetGalley!!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Crystal could not be happier leading a group of students up to a gorgeous camp with her boyfriend.. As wilderness guides the two are in heaven until the owner of the property is knifed to death and Roxie, the chef at the property, is arrested for his murder. Roxie and her lawyer beg Crystal to investigate. She and her boyfriend venture back to the scene with trepidation that is amply deserved.

First there is a scary accident that ends up with Crystal on her own. Her best friend and another guide join her to help find the killer but they seem to go from one misadventure to another. Things really go downhill when the friend goes deep undercover with the eco-protestors who are camped outside of the property and she is left alone for a day. While she has not made many friends in the little community, she does discover an unexpected ally who comes to her rescue.

It is only when she tries to find her missing best friend that she stumbles upon the evidence that might free Roxie. But she and Roxie’s lawyer must be clever in how they present it. It is good but it is not conclusive so Crystal figures she needs to confront the suspect and wangle a confession. Can we all guess where this might go wrong? Thankfully, the truth is out and both she and Roxie and her best friend are all safe.
She gets results but she can be reckless. It certainly leads to an exciting conclusion.

Four purrs and two paws up.

The second book from Seattle Wilderness Mysteries series follows Crystal Rainey,new wilderness guide on an excursion to the Olympic Rain Forest. When the group of college students arrive at the glamping site, the owner of the private luxury retreat is found dead. The police arrest Roxie, a charming hostess, cook and Crystal’s friend and charge her with murder. Convinced Roxie didn't do it Crystal embraces her new role as a private detective to figure out who the real killer is. Between developers, loggers and environmentalists there are some pretty strong motives to kill and Crystal finds herself in some crazy situations to put the truth together.

This was such a fun and cozy mystery to read. The story pulls you in and the book is a real page-turner.
I loved that it happens in a glamping site, how the characters are likeable and how they fit into the story.
The protagonist is well-written and one can easily find pieces of her in themselves.
Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, without the reader feeling like s/he is missing on the previous events.

I am extremely grateful that I was granted access to this book, thanks to ML Erdahl, NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press, in exchange for an honest opinion.

In short: Crystal is guiding a group to a private campground in the Olympic rainforest. All is going good until the hostess is found over the landowners body, holding the weapon. Crystal is in a race to get her friend out of jail and find the real killer.

My thoughts: I love this series and enjoyed this book more than the first. This can easily be read as a stand alone but reading the 1st book helps with some of the character backgrounds.

What I enjoyed:
🥾 - The setting! From Seattle to the Olympics to the hiking trail. Everything is so familiar to me.
🥾 - The background stories. While solving the murder is the primary story, I enjoy the secondary story as well and getting an update on Crystal and her boyfriend Connor. I’m so excited to see what happens next with them! ❣️
🥾 - Solving the murder. There were several suspects and lots of clues to put together, a little danger and local cops that really made Crystal feel unwelcome.
🥾 - The author touched on the struggle between environmentalists, loggers and developers.

Spring Upon A Crime was a very good read, enjoyable and engaging.

Crystal is a wilderness guide, when a man is murdered during one of her excursion at the Olympic Peninsula and one of her friend is wrongly convicted she decides to help becoming an amateur private investigator.
This is the beginning of a risky and at times even funny adventure that made me anxious and thirsty of every the word.

M.L. Erdahl was a new to me author, he won me with the intriguing storyline, the smooth flow of his words and the fine descriptions of scenery. I really liked the characters I want to become their friend.

I hope there will be a third book in the series, in the meantime I'll read the previous one.

This was my first read by ML Erdahl. I want sure what to expect going into this but I really enjoyed it.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her books. Happy reading and enjoy

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.