Fruit of All Evil

January 17, 2011
In Shelton's entertaining second Farmers' Market mystery (after 2010's Farm Fresh Murder), twice-divorced jam maker Becca Robins is glad to help prepare for a wedding not her own—that of her pie vendor friend, Linda McMahon, to Navy SEAL Drew Forsythe. The ceremony is to be held at Bailey's, the farmer's market where Becca and Linda work outside Monson, S.C. Becca once again turns sleuth after Drew's much disliked bank owner mother, Madeline, fails to show at the rehearsal dinner and is later found strangled in her bedroom. Suspects include Forsythe family members and unhappy bank clients who've received bogus foreclosure letters. Police officer Sam Brion wholeheartedly supports Becca as she snoops her way toward the less than surprising but still satisfying conclusion. Spunky Becca should appeal to fans of Laura Child and Joanne Fluke.