I love a good cozy mystery. I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series though. I hate reading books out of order. This one was the perfect length to read. Read the first one before this though.

Shiloh Bellamy has returned to the family farm and is continuing her efforts to restore the farm to profitability. Her latest effort is a farm fair showcasing her baked goods made with her organic treats. Crowds are more than what she expected and things seem to be going good until one of prominent citizens is found murdered in the cornfield. Shiloh has more problems with her new neighbor as well as her BFF being a prime suspect.

The story was entertaining , not just the mystery but the characters' interaction.

I look forward to another installment.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Shiloh Bellamy has many ideas to save her family’s farm and while her dad may not be totally on board with them she plows ahead with them. She is hosting a weekend event with food and activities for all ages. Fall Daze is so well attended on the first day she has to call in reinforcements to bring more food.

As the day is drawing to a close a scream rings out and Shiloh runs to find the body of Minnie Devani near the parking area beneath a scarecrow. Minnie was a force to be reckoned with and may have had some shady dealings that Shiloh’s best friend Kristy called her on in private. Minnie later showed up to cause a ruckus at Shiloh’s event confronting Kristi in front of a bunch of witnesses. That loud little conversation and a key piece of evidence make Kristy the police’s number 1 suspect.

When a U.S. Marshall shows up on the scene Shi knows she is going to start digging up her own clues and suspects before her bestie ends up behind bars. She also has to figure out if her new next-door neighbor is a friend or a foe and follow up a riddle left for her by her grandmother. She has a lot of seeds to sow and not much time.

I was so happy to return to Cherry Glen and the wonderful characters that reside there. Stacy has sold her half of the farm so Shiloh has a new neighbor. He has plenty of ideas and appears to have the money to see them through which scares Shiloh quite a bit as her dreams for her part of the farm may not come to fruition. He also had some dealings with Minnie Devani. Speaking of Minnie, she is quite a character with a surprising history. We also meet U.S. Marshall Lynn Chuff who brings her own unique twist to the story and really pushes Police Chief Randy’s buttons. Amanda Flower always creates such interesting characters and allows them to flourish in her stories.

This time I must say the story took a really interesting turn when the victim’s history was revealed. It let the story go in several different directions pinning more people as potential suspects in her death. I was totally blindsided though when the killer was revealed. I definitely was so caught up in the story that I must have missed a vital clue or two or three. I love when that happens though, it means I truly escaped into the protagonist’s world and traveled all around with her. Ms. Flower’s descriptive writing style gets credit for that. Her words really bring every setting to life whether it Shiloh’s cabin, a cornfield, the farmer’s market, and every place in between, and makes each character so real.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters, the mystery, the setting, everything about Put Out To Pasture made it A Perfect Escape. The only thing that could make it better was if it came with actual deep-fried Twinkies for us to enjoy while reading it.

Shiloh still has a lot of work ahead of her and a riddle to solve. I can’t wait to return to Cherry Glen for another fun whodunit.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series. However, I’ve gone back and purchased the first one! This is a great cozy mystery with well-developed characters. The setting of the farm was very appealing. There were moments when I gaped out loud because I thought I had figured out who had killed Minnie. But I kept flipping through the pages to see if had solved the mystery. However, the ending caught me by surprise. I am looking forward to enjoying another adventure with Shiloh Bellamy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Shiloh has a hard enough challenge trying to bring back the family farm her father has let deteriorate while she was working in the movie industry in Hollywood. She ran away after her boyfriend died in a car crash and she was falsely accused of being responsible. Now, she is home and trying everything she can muster to salvage the farm and turn it into an organic money maker. So when the local harridan , who argued with everyone in town except for the Police Chief’s wife, is strangled on her farm during a festival intended to build business, things could not have been much more dire.

The fact that her best friend had a vocal disagreement with the woman just before the murder marks her as the prime suspect. But thankfully a Federal Marshall shows up who has been tracking the deceased. It turns out the woman was an escaped bank robber and Lynn, the Marshall, does not believe that Kristy, Shiloh’s friend, is the killer. The chief of police however would love to throw the cuffs on Kristy as would his wife who really does not like Shiloh.. There are a lot of people with grievances against the victim so it is hard to figure out from which part of the deceased’s life the killer came.

She does figure it out but it then puts her life in jeopardy. It will take an animal to pull off the rescue. It is quite an entertaining take down. Good read with characters with lots of scope. It should be interesting to see where it goes from here. Four purrs and two paws up.

I love Amanda Flower's books! This book, Put Out to Pasture is the second in the Farm to Table mystery series. Shiloh Bellamy, owner of Bellamy Farms, dreams of turning her family farm into an organic farm with a farm to table restaurant on site. Shiloh is hosting a fall festival at the farm to draw in townspeople and visitors and to earn some money for the ongoing repairs needed at the farm. When a townsperson is found dead the first night of her festival, and her best friend Kristy is the main suspect, Shiloh knows she has to get involved to find the real murderer.

What I enjoy most about this book is that there are many possible suspects, some of whom Shiloh is very close to. There are also some of Shiloh's enemies which make for an interesting story. I loved the ending and can't wait to read more in this series. I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a great cozy mystery.

I have enjoyed books by Amanda Flower before, but this one was just ok. I felt like the mystery was too easy to solve and the character development was flat. I have no doubt that this series will get better. Flower is a great writer.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Great farmers market story with interesting characters and lovely story plot. The writer kept the story going a a good pace and kept it. Interesting.

honestly i wanted to like this book, but it did not work for me. i wish it would have because i was so excited to read this one and to get to read it way early?! thank you so much netgalley!!!!!

Amanda Flower is one of my favorite authors, and most of her books are fun and entertaining. Unfortunately, this one isn’t grabbing my attention the way the others have. Put Out to Pasture is only the second book in this new series, and it is better than the first, yet I still do not find that I like Shiloh very much. The organic farm idea is delightful, and I like that Shiloh gets some competition and has to work hard to maintain her composure; it gave her depth she didn’t have previously. But… that is not enough for me to give this book a higher rating.

Shiloh is trying to save her family’s farm by growing organic produce and selling her concoctions in her cafe. It's working, but her head is still financially underwater. Her father is not helping, and her friends have their own problems. Drumming up business isn’t easy, so Shiloh decides to have a fall festival to bring people to the farm and introduce them to the wonders of organic growing and food. But everything comes to a screeching halt when the body of a local busybody/bully turns up under a scarecrow at the festival. Worse yet, Shiloh’s friend is accused of strangling the old woman; it’s up to Shiloh to solve the case.

Most of the characters in this book have some attractive characteristics, the suspects, and there are a lot of them, all have great motives and opportunities. Unfortunately, there is not enough information or interaction with the killer, making it hard to accept the killer as the real culprit. A few red herrings sprinkled throughout the story will help readers come to a conclusion but not necessarily the correct one. The organic farm and cafe are a lovely location and occupation for the main character and are original enough to keep readers happy. However, the police investigation was not what it should have been and is almost an afterthought. The reveal of the murderer and the motive was easy to see coming but didn’t seem to be well thought out or executed with Ms. Flower’s usual flare.

I hope the organic farm and cafe succeed, and Shiloh gets a better personality, one hopefully where she doesn’t jump to wrong conclusions all the time. Overall, Put Out to Pasture is an okay book, and does leave the door open for future installments that hopefully will give readers more of what they are used to from this author.

I have to admit that I did not read the first book in this series, so I was a little slow catching on to the story. But....once I got the hang of the story, I couldn't stop reading!

The story begins with a Fall Festival called Fall Daze (cute name) at Shiloh's farm. She has come home from California to help her dad with the farm. There is a murder right off the bat! Of course, Shi (as her friends call her) wants to solve it.

The story was fun, the characters very interesting. Each had quirky personalities. I really enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I enjoyed this book so much more then the first book! I think this series will continue to get better and better! I enjoyed the murder storyline in this book along with the continued character development. I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to netgelly and the publisher for the opportunity to receive this ARC!

Put Out to Pasture

by Amanda Flower

Since I enjoy Amanda Flower’s cozy mysteries, I left the first one in her new series Farm to Table Mysteries scratching my head in wonderment that this book, although satisfactory, was just not up to the standards I expect from this author. Fortunately, the first book was just a rough patch as she got started on the series. The second book, Put Out to Pasture, is everything I want in a cozy.

Flower turned around the pervasive and ugly negativity that permeated Shiloh’s return to her home town of Cherry Glen in Michigan from L.A. In this story there continue to be antagonists, but not everyone is pitted against Shi. When a dead body is found on her farm and her best friend Kristy is accused of the murder, Shi is doggedly determined to clear her name. There are a lot of clues that lead Shi and the reader to suspect various people. Having spent years with the Hollywood crowd, Shi knows that many seemingly good people may just be good actors.

Meanwhile, on the personal front, Shi’s best and favorite sidekick, her pug Huckleberry, continues to bring humor through Shi’s descriptions of what he appears to be thinking. She continues to clean out her grandmother’s cabin and finds a note to her with a mysterious riddle. She has a new neighbor who at first appears to be a bright light, but later seems to have greedy intentions. Shi’s deceased boyfriend’s best friend is working through the deaths of his friend and his own wife. Hazel, his daughter continues to be a breath of fresh air as the tween struggles to find a new normal with her firefighter dad’s erratic schedule and her grandmother’s protective strictness. Shi’s father, who was immersed in his Michigan history collection for most of Shi’s life might be coming out of his shell.

In this book, Shi is a likable character and we can see potential for her goals of revitalizing the family farm. The story is fast-paced with a web of threads and interesting characters. The author ends by dangling several hooks, any one of which is sufficient to reel the reader into the next book in the series.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Farm to Table Mystery Series, but can certainly be read as a standalone.

Publication: February 22, 2022—Poisoned Pen Press

Memorable Lines:

The one anomaly in the gravel lot was my car, an expensive sports car that would be as practical in a Michigan winter as a snow blower was in LA.

“She seems calm to me.” “That doesn’t mean she’s not mad. Trust me, I know. When she is really, really mad she gets cold. She’s like the iceberg that took out the Titanic.”

“I think the thing I got most out of my parents’ death is cutting people a break. You don’t know what they have been through or are going through. Everyone could use a little kindness.”

I did not realize this was book two in a new series but I don’t think I missed too much background even so. My favorite series by this author is the Amish Candy Shop followed by the Magical Bookshop. This new series seems to be okay but I didn’t really love it and doubt I will read more. All the parents are obnoxious although Shi’s dad does redeem himself at the end. The culprit was fairly easy to spot. Mild romantic feelings, animals and a tween girl add interest. It was perfectly fine, I just wasn’t hooked.

Shiloh Bellamy saved her family farm from financial ruin but now she is barely scraping by. The fall festival came to a halt when a body of a prominent townswomen is discovered dead underneath a scarecrow in a nearby field. Evidence points to Shilohs childhood best friend Kristi as the prime suspect. While cooking up delicious treats made with the farms produce and dealing with her father to let her do things her way. Then dealing with a newcomer in town who could be serious competition for her customers Shiloh doesn’t have time to solve a murder. Shiloh must roll up her sleeves and get down to the dirty work of finding the killer and clearing Kristy’s name once and for all. This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery.

Put Out to Pasture by Amanda Flower is the 2nd book in the Farm to Table Mystery series. I love Ms. Flower's books, she never disappoints. Shiloh Bellamy quit her high paying job to return to Michigan and help her father save the farm, and she was successful. Now the farm needs to drum up more business, unfortunately, when a women is found dead, Shiloh best friend, Kristy, is the prime suspect. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series. This book was well written and I highly recommend this book to any who like cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

PUT OUT OT PASTURE finds Hollywood producer turned farmer Shiloh Bellamy facing even more challenges as she attempts to refurbish the family farm and make it a success. She hopes that her Fall Daze harvest festival will draw crowds, attention, and much needed money to Bellamy Farm. She draws the wrong kind of attention when the police chief’s best friend, an unpleasant local honey purveyor, is found murdered during the first day of the festival. It quickly comes to light that the victim Minnie was more than she claimed to be. When Shiloh’s friend Kristy becomes the prime suspect, she must do all she can to clear her friend and find the real killer.

I like Shiloh and her earnest desire to “fix” the family farm. I just wonder if she will ever succeed. She is intelligent with just the right combination of small town optimism/big city cynicism. She has potential to be a good amateur sleuth, but there is not much investigating within these pages. She ruminates about the murder a lot but seems to luckily stumble upon clues. Quinn and Hazel are the highlight of the book, but Quinn’s parents represent the worst of small town life where power is wielded by a select few. Shiloh’s curmudgeonly father is tamer here than in the first book in the series, and I hope he and Shiloh can further mend their relationship in the future. I look forward to seeing if new neighbor Tanner develops into Shiloh’s friend or foe. Millie’s murder and back story are interesting, and I felt invested in finding out all of her secrets. There are very few suspects for Shiloh to investigate, but the story moves along at a brisk pace and remains engaging. I did not guess whodunit until late in the story.

Author Amanda Flower never disappoints, and I enjoyed my time with Shiloh. I cannot wait to read her next adventure. Recommended to any cozy mystery fan.

I received an ARC of this title from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Amanda Flower is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, and she did not disappoint me with Put Out to Pasture. I loved the farm setting and the laid back surroundings. The main character was fun and relatable. I was really invested in her story. I loved her animal companion, Huckleberry. The book was well paced, and the mystery was very well written! I'm excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is book two in the Farm to Table mystery series, and I'm starting to get more into this series. Shiloh seems to be settling back into her hometown of Cherry Glen, MI. She's reconnecting with her dad and the rest of the town, and she's working hard to make her family farm organic. Unfortunately, finding dead bodies seems to keep getting in her way.

I enjoyed reading Put Out to Pasture. It was a good escape from the day. The overall story was interesting, and the mystery aspect was intriguing with enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I'm not sure yet if there's going to be a romantic entanglement, but it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.