A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

This is a charming book about a women who returns to her aunts' farm after the death of one. She gives up her job working at a vegan cafe and wants to begin her own vegan restaurant. But it will be difficult to set one up deep in the fried food capitol of North Carolina. During the wake for her aunt, the farm's resident pig digs up a body. It turns out to be the husband of Brie Hooker's aunt, who was thought to have disappeared. Then another body turns up. What is going on at Udderly Delightful Farm? Brie has to prove her Aunt Eva did not kill anyone, even though the sheriff is convinced she did. If you like cozies, this is a cute book with a fun premise.

I am reading everything I can find by this author now. The book was well paced and I enjoyed the protagonist very much. Will be looking forward to more in this series.

Brie Hooker's debut as a vegan sleuth living at her Aunt's goat farm, which is udderly cute! Pursued by the town's 2 most eligible bachelors, each like night and day and friends to boot. Great character development, especially Aunt Eva, what a pistol! Great start to a most excellent cozy series!

Bones to Pick by Linda Lovely~Bones to Pick by Linda Lovely~A cute cozy based around a vegan chef on a goat farm. A first in series introduces delightful characters and sets up the series well.

I could not put this book down! Yes, I'm a cozy lover, but there was something about this book that kept me engaged until the end. Perhaps it was the UdderlyKidding Goat Farm (loved the name!), maybe it was the two male best friends vying for Brie's attention, maybe it was the crazy friend Mollye, maybe it was Brie's crazy curse words (cheese and meat references), or maybe it was funny to imagine a Vegan on a goat farm. Whatever it was, I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more.

The mystery itself will take you on a ride and it was not too surprising who was involved because the information was slowly revealed, but you had to pay attention and put the clues together.

Definitely, check out this series.

This was a really fun read. There was nothing too deep to think about, just a fun story with fun characters. It is a mystery, but it is light and bright and good-hearted. And I do so enjoy reading stories set in the state I grew up in!

Our heroine Brie is a vegan chef. But she finds herself living on a goat farm when her aunt dies. There's a pot belly pig who stirs up trouble by finding a skull. It is assumed that it is her brother-in-law who disappeared decades ago. And now the surviving sister is the main suspect!

Brie wants the farm to succeed for her family's sake, but how is she to sell cheese when she is a vegan? That's how the author brings in all sorts of wonderful food suggestions.

The situation is serious, but that doesn't mean that Ms. Lovely can't have fun with the plotline. There are delightful characters as well as those one would hope to never meet. There are situations that make you laugh.

What a fun beginning to a new cozy series!! A vegan chef, a goat cheese farm, a dead body dug up by a pot-bellied pig, and two guys interested in being more than friends---this is the life of Brie Hooker.

There's a lot of humor in this story, along with a very well written murder mystery. A small-minded crooked sheriff and a feud worthy of the Hatfields and McCoys add to the suspense around town.

I enjoyed the backstory of the main characters, and look forward to getting to know them all better.

**I received a copy of this book through the publisher and NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Bones To Pick stars Brie Hooker, former banker, now a vegan sous-chef in Asheville, North Carolina. She had come to Ardon County, South Carolina just for the funeral of her Aunt Lilly, but ends up staying there because Aunt Eva needs her help running Udderly Kidding Dairy, with its 400 goats. The supporting cast includes her parents, BFF Mollye Camp, moonshiner David "Paint" Paynter, and veterinarian Andy Green. My favorite characters are Mollye, Paint, and Andy. I found Brie to be a little annoying at times.

Bones To Pick is a fun, quick read. The mystery turns out to be more than the murder of Eva's husband, and instead is about lots of nefarious goings-on in Ardon County. I was drawn in from the beginning, and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

In this new cozy mystery series, we meet Brie Hooker when she arrives to help her Aunt Eva with her farm after her Aunt Lilly passes away. Brie, a chef, and a vegan is sure her diet choices are going to be fodder for many jokes and make meals very interesting, but that is the least of her worries when her aunt’s pig, Tammy, digs up a human skull right in the middle of Aunt Lilly’s wake.

It is soon determined that the bones belong to Aunt Eva’s husband that had been declared dead after he went missing many years ago. The sheriff is quick to try to pick Eva as his prime suspect. But Brie is going to prove him wrong even if she may get killed in the process. Thankfully she has a couple handsome men ready to stay by her side to protect her, even if she knows she can take care of herself.

I liked main character Brie right away. Her relationship with her aunt and her parents was very caring and loving. While being a vegan is very important to her she understands that lifestyle is not for everyone. She can cook anything and makes delicious meals but always has a vegan dish for herself and others to try. She gets that she is working on a goat farm and they sell goat milk items. She also realizes she needs to learn a lot more about goats if she is going stay on the farm.

We also meet Andy and Paint, two young men, friends of Aunt Eva, and very interested in a romantic relationship with Brie. For the first book in a new series, I found all the characters very well developed. The dialogue was spot on and Brie’s meat and cheese curse words cracked me up. Her aunt holds her weight in the comedic department too but her minimal cursing in a little stronger than Brie.

The murder was a real cold case happening so long ago. It turned out there were quite a few suspects and took a lot of more digging after Tammy’s discovery to wrap this mystery up. There were several exciting moments as Brie got closer to the truth.

I really enjoyed all the “pet’s” names. The author explains some of them at the beginning of the book. I also enjoyed Ms. Lovely’s writing style. It is very descriptive. I felt right in the middle of all the drama, but especially at the end when Brie and her friend were in so much danger. I was on the edge of my seat.

This book was a perfect escape for me. Great characters, a strong plot, Southern charm and a wheelbarrow full of humor. I am not sure when the next book will be released but it can’t be soon enough for me.

I just couldn't get into this one for some reason. I'm sure some people will love it, but it didn't feel like the type of cozy mystery I like to read.

This was a fun start to a new cozy mystery series. The writing was witty and entertaining and I enjoyed it quite a bit. This is not a book you take seriously – everything was a little over the top which had me rolling my eyes a couple times. But it was very funny and just what the doctor ordered. I look forward to reading more about Brie and finding out which hunk she is going to end up with. 4 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brie Hooker, a vegan, has come home to work on Udderly Kidding Dairy Farm. The farm is owned my Lilly and Eva, her twin aunts. Her decision came after the sudden and unexpected death of one of her Aunt Lilly and Brie takes a leave of absence from her job as a sous chef to rejoin her family. When one of the farm animals digs up a human skull during the wake for Lilly, the past comes calling.

The situation surrounding the mystery involves the disappearance of Eva's ex-husband some 40-years prior. The local law enforcement already have Eva in their sights but Brie and her parents know that Eva is not capable of murder. When bodies start dropping and another excavation site and possible human bones are discovered, Brie joins the accused. The police department is bound and determined to label both Eva and Brie as murders.

Bones to Pick is an intense, edge-of-your-seat cozy mystery. The world created by Linda Lovely is spectacularly written and the images of each scene were not only vivid but easy to get immersed in as you read. The emotional content was delivered with great capacity for the reader to feel the moods, tempers, and injustices. The world and characters were written well and I felt like I was there.

Brie is an enjoyable and completely likable character. It is no wonder she has suitors vying for her attention and affection. She does a some things that made me cringe regarding events that happen to her while investigating why Eva's ex-husband ended up buried on farm property but it all worked out in the end. Her aunt Eva is a quirky but strong woman who demonstrates the ability to be independent and self-sufficient. Paint and Andy, men on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, are well-written, caring men. It will be interesting to see which way the author takes Brie's potential love-match in the next few books. I like both guys so I am not really rooting for one over the other. I would be fine with whatever direction the author takes. Well, maybe that's not true. If I were to pick, I would pick Paint but I like a little bit of bad boy in my men.

The author did a wonderful job weaving all of the themes of this book together. The murder mystery, present-day murderers, love interests, and vegan working on a dairy farm made for a spectacular tale. The plot is solid and I didn't see the conclusion coming. Bones to Pick is a great novel that drew me in, kept me engaged, and continued to peak my curiosity from the very beginning. I can't wait to see where Linda Lovely takes Brie, Eva, and the rest of the cast in the next book.

Content information: There is mild language used in Bones to Pick.

I received an ARC from the publisher.

Holy Goats what a great new series!!! This book is a delight from page one. As a vegan and animal rights activist I appreciated the vegan aspect of this book . I thank the author for creating such a great vegan based mystery!
This is the first book in the fabulous new "Brie Hooker: mystery series. Brie is one of my favorite protagonist and quite a humorous fun character. She is a vegan chef living on her Aunt's goat and cheese farm. That alone gives the reader laugh out loud moments. I found the repartee between Brie and her Aunt hysterically funny.
Her Aunt is facing a murder charge after her pot belly pig digs up her ex husbands skill and Brie is determined to clear her name. As the sleuth progresses through suspects and timelines, Brie finds clearing her Aunt's name is fraught with questions. She is a excellent sleuth and soon the investigation takes many twists and turns. The animals, the farm, , the supporting characters are all perfect in this fun story.
This was great fun to read, a well crafted mystery and the farm aspect made it a delight to read. All the elements are here for the next in series . This was a fun, hysterically funny, enjoyable read from page one. .I highly recommend this series and look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

An amusing premise--a vegan helping run her aunt's goat cheese dairy farm.
Interesting characters--vegan chef, "woo-woo" friend, two very interesting men, and great parents.
Nasty bad guys.
Add in an interesting mystery covering 40 years and you have a really good read.

Brie Hooker agrees to help her Aunt Eva run her goat farm, even though Brie is a devout vegan. Her aunt desperately needs her help after the death of Eva’s twin sister. Brie and her family are still grieving for the loss, but know they have to carry on with their lives.

The entire Hooker family is shocked when their pot-bellied pig digs up a skull that had been buried on the farm. Things get even worse when they discover the skull belongs to Eva’s husband, who disappeared many years ago. Now, the sheriff is convinced the man was murdered and the killer is Brie’s aunt. It’s up to Brie to prove her aunt is innocent.

Brie is a strong character who can handle herself, but she doesn’t have to. She has a family that loves and supports her. There are also two very handsome men vying for her attention.

This is the first book in the Brie Hooker Mystery series. It’s off to a fun start. It has quirky, offbeat characters that will make you both laugh and bring tears to your eyes. This is a mystery with attitude and just the right amount of romance mixed in . I’m looking forward to reading more of Brie’s adventures.

This is book 1 of a new cozy series, Brie Hooker Mystery series. Brie is a vegan who lives with her cranky older aunt on he goat dairy farm. When the pet pot bellied pig, Tammy, digs up human remains they discover it's Aunt Eva's husband who disappeared many years ago. Of course the sheriff is sure Aunt Eva did him in so Brie must figure out who is the murderer. Between the death threats, the biker bar fiasco and the romantic interest, Brie has a heck of a time solving this first crime. This is a fun read with humor and a very good mystery.

Bones to Pick is the debut cozy mystery in the Brie Hooker Mystery series by Linda Lovely. Goodreads provides the following description: “Living on a farm with four hundred goats and a cantankerous carnivore isn’t among vegan chef Brie Hooker’s list of lifetime ambitions. But she can’t walk away from her Aunt Eva, who needs help operating her dairy. Once she calls her aunt’s goat farm home, grisly discoveries offer ample inducements for Brie to employ her entire vocabulary of cheese-and-meat curses. The troubles begin when the farm’s pot-bellied pig unearths the skull of Eva’s husband, who disappeared years back. The sheriff, kin to the deceased, sets out to pin the murder on Eva. He doesn’t reckon on Brie’s resolve to prove her aunt’s innocence. Death threats, ruinous pedicures, psychic shenanigans, and biker bar fisticuffs won’t stop Brie from unmasking the killer, even when romantic befuddlement throws her a curve.”

Bones to Pick starts out with humor, action and an interesting cast of quirky characters. In addition to vegan chef Brie Hooker, there is her Aunt Eva, with quite the past, her adventurous BFF Mollye Camp, Brie’s parents, veterinarian Andy Green, moonshiner David "Paint" Paynter, and the evil sheriff with a grudge looking for revenge. You can see right away that her Aunt Eva could be in big trouble, and you also get a hint that there may be some competitive romance with the handsome vet and the moonshine man showering her with attention.

Even though the mystery and danger keep you on the edge of your seat and things come together in a very exciting, suspenseful conclusion, overall I found Bones to Pick to be an unsatisfying, sometimes annoying, read. The two men on the string plot line has been done too many times, in my opinion. It often drags on and on until you don’t much care who “wins” but only wonder how an adult woman could be so indecisive and why two adult men think this behavior is so cute. And I seem to be in the minority about those creative cheese-and-meat swear words that Brie uses. She’s decided to stop swearing, which is commendable but not really relevant, except it allows her to use phrases like “Limburger and Liverwurst” when she really means something else. My mother used to say if you mean to swear, using clever words doesn’t mean you aren’t still swearing, and I also found it rather inappropriate and insensitive when discussing death and murder, even in a cozy mystery, to try to be so cute. After so many instances of pseudo-swear words they became a distracting and irritating rather than amusing, and took away from the thread of the mystery. Just my opinion, but I don’t think this is a series I’ll be following.

Note I received a copy of Bones to Pick from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bones to Pick

by Linda Lovely

Based on the cover of Bones to Pick, I expected a light-hearted mystery featuring a pig. Instead, I found Linda Lovely’s first book in her new Brie Hooker Mystery Series to be a humorous cozy mystery with a tangled plot. The pig has only a very minor role, and the focus is on Brie Hooker, an MBA carrying former banker turned vegan chef. A lot of the humor in the book is derived either from her food preferences or her relationships to two “hunky” guys who are also best friends, Paint and Andy.

The death of a beloved aunt segues into a story of spousal abuse, murder, corrupt cops, mysterious investments, death threats, and a very old feud. Brie has to sort her way through small town South Carolina politics and relationships with the help of her family and friends to solve this mystery. Helping out with a large goat farm and producing award-winning cheese that only a non-vegan could love may not be part of Brie’s original dream, but she now has lots of reasons to make Ardon County her new home.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery, General Fiction (Adult)

Notes: #1 in the Brie Hooker Mystery Series

Publication: October 24, 2017—Henery Press

Memorable Lines:

Even minus an introduction, I figured this tall glass of sweet tea had to be Paint, the legendary owner of Magic Moonshine. Sunlight glinted off hair the blue-black of expensive velvet. Deep dimples. Rakish smile.

As usual, Dad had sole custody of the TV remote. Did Mom even know how to use it?

Pools of water camouflaged the potholes that occupied half the graveled roadbed. My bouncing headlamps lit up the rutted drive like a reverse Rorschach ink blot test. The water appeared as blobs of shimmering yellow splattered across a black canvas.