Town in a Blueberry Jam
Series: A Candy Holliday Mystery Book #1
Author: B. B. Haywood
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Page Count: 320
My Rating:
Book Summary
First in the fabulous new Candy Holliday Murder mystery series.
In the seaside village of Cape Willington, Maine, Candy Holliday has an idyllic life tending to the Blueberry Acres farm she runs with her father. But, when an aging playboy and the newly crowned Blueberry Queen are killed, Candy investigates to clear the name of a local handyman. And as she sorts through the town’s juicy secrets, things start to get sticky indeed…
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Candy Holliday (age 36)
Best friend/ Sidekick: Maggie Tremont
Physical Description: White female, fit, active, green eyes, blonde hair
Location: Cape Willington, Maine (formerly from Boston, MA)
Time of Year: June
Business: Runs Holliday’s Blueberry Acres with her dad, formerly in marketing
Pet: None, although she has chickens that she calls “the girls”
Love Interest: None, but possibly Ben Clayton. She is divorced.
Family: Dad Doc Holliday, Mom is deceased, no siblings
Diversity? Not so much. It appears that all of the characters are Caucasian, non-Hispanic.
My Review
The first book in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series, “Town in a Blueberry Jam” by B. B. Haywood brings readers right into the town of Cape Willington, Maine where we meet Candy and her dad, known locally as Doc Holliday. Together they run a blueberry farm and it just so happens to be the town’s 41st Blueberry Festival. Local gossip, provided by columnist Sapphire Vine is all abuzz, especially when she enters a teenage beauty pageant (and wins!). Tempers flare and wouldn’t you know it, Sapphire ends up dead, and a friendly local handyman appears to have been framed… so it’s Candy, Doc, and Maggie on the case!
I had such a great time reading this cozy. I LOVE that before we even get into the story, we’re given a prologue from the prospective of the first murder victim. This is something that I haven’t really seen in other cozies. Usually we get a glimpse of the victim, discover that they’re not very likable, and when they’re murdered we want to know what happened, but we’re not broken up over the loss. So to be put in their shoes during their final moments was really interesting and an instant hook for me.
This book had a wonderful flow and lots of elements to setup the next book in the series. I’m actually relieved that we weren’t thrown into a romance right off the bat. The main sleuth enjoys the company of her Dad and her best friend, and she has a vulnerability that seems genuine. I also really appreciate the sincerity in regards to the sleuth’s business venture. We all know that some cozies (even though I love them) have outrageous and implausible businesses in their books, but the characters in this book actually address the money hustle and the odd jobs they pick up to keep the money coming in. It made it feel much more real and practical. I 100% cannot wait to read the next book in this series. It was great!
