This is the seventh book in the Cranberry Cove Mystery. This can be read as a stand alone without needing the history. Monica is a likeable character and I enjoyed the mystery. It kept me entertained throughout and the cover is stunning.
#BerrytheEvidence #NetGalley

This is the seventh book in a series by Peg Cochran and my third. Monica Albertson is a baker at her and her brother, Jeff's Sassamanash Farm. Her husband's bookshop, Book 'Em is being extended to include an upstairs cafe and is due to open shortly so there's plenty to be getting on with. She is also in the early stages of pregnancy and if that isn't enough, her step mum, Gina turns up at her house panicked; she was asleep in her estate agent, Richard's car and when she woke up she found him dead.

Although I am rather late to the party in Peg Cochran's 'Cranberry Cove Mystery' series as I started from book five, I still found Berry the Evidence an enthralling, fun read. I especially like the character of thirty-something Monica, also the proud owner of Mittens the cat and Hercule the dog who turned up at Book 'Em one day. Monica creates tasty treats using cranberries that are sold in her brother's farm shop and she also does the financial accounts for the farm. The cranberry-based culinary creations that Monica makes sound absolutely delicious.

The character development is excellent, the plotline is very well done and I was turning the pages late into the night. A humorous, absorbing story of mystery and mayhem that has inspired me to read some of the other instalments when I can fit them in.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I wasn't familiar with this author prior to reading Berry the Evidence. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The novel was well written and paced perfectly. It can be read as a stand alone book even though it is the seventh book of a series.

I loved most of the characters and the small town community. The character that I didn't care for was Janice because she was a bit overbearing and kept spouting all these pregnancy myths.

The only thing that bothered me about this book was it seemed like Monica was constantly walking her dog, and it detracted a bit from the story. I kept expecting a big twist to happen on one of the walks.

I plan on going back to read all the books that came before this one.

I have read several others from this series. I really enjoy the characters and the setting of these. I like this nice cozy mystery. It kept me entertained and it was a quick read. The mystery was solid, and I did not identify the killer until just before the big reveal.

er is never a pleasant subject. Imagine sleeping through it?
Beyond the Page publishing and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Monica is following clues and attempted to identify the killer. The police never do enough in her eyes. But she is not having much luck either. She has lots of suspects, but no proof.

Her stepmother was there but slept through it. She refuses to tell the cops.

Then she calls Monica and asks her to meet her. Monica goes but notices the woman looks scared. She gets out to see why and then finds herself confronting the killer with a gun.

Will she manage to save them or will the killer murder them both?

I fell in love with the cover and enjoyed this cozy mystery even if it's not my fav in this lovely series.
Monica and the characters are fleshed and likeable as usual even if there's lass iteration.
The mystery kept me guessing but I found some parts require a bit too much of suspension of belief.
An entertaining read that I recommend.


Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Berry the Evidence by Peg Cochran takes us back to Cranberry Cove and a pregnant (although not very) Monica. Things are busy, between the pregnancy and the opening of the cafe in Greg’s bookshop. Kit would be leaving the kitchen to run the cafe so Nancy, Monica’s mother was here to “help” and Monica had hired a new woman, Janice, with years of experience baking so things should be good. And it was until her stepmother, Gina, showed up explaining that she had been in a car with her realtor, Rip, when she wasn’t able to keep her eyes open and she dozed off. When she woke up Rip had been shot and was dead in the drivers’ seat. She didn’t know what to do so she came to Monica, who told her to go to the police. As did everyone else to whom she told the story. Did she listen? Of course not.

Cranberry Cove is a perfect little town in Michigan and Monica and Greg are the perfect couple. They have a good life, busy but fun. The baby coming was just icing on the cake. Monica promised herself she would stay out of this murder case. She had the baby to think of. But what could it hurt to do a little searching on the Internet? One thing led to another and before you could say, “cranberries” she was in up to her neck in the investigation. This is a very character-driven genre so we revisited characters we’ve met before and met some new ones. The plot was good. Sadly, this guy had plenty of possible murderers so it was tough going for a while. It was well worth the read, if only to revisit Cranberry Cove and catch up on the lives of people we know. A good read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Berry the Evidence by Beyond the Page, through Netgalley. All thoughts are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePage #PegCochran #Berry the Evidence

This title is taken quite literally when a commode ends up in the reeds at the cranberry farm. That is not the strangest part of this mystery, Monica‘s stepmom Gina ends up in a car with a dead real estate agent. Are the two connected??? There are more than a few suspects to choose from and plenty of red herrings to throw you off track and confuse you. Monica finds herself, once again, on the trail of a mystery. This time she is also prepping for the new café located atop her husband’s book store, breaking in a superstitious baker for the Farm, and all while being in her first trimester of pregnancy which is the sleepiest trimmest of the three. As if the pregnancy doesn’t wear her out enough, the search for clues, creating cranberry yummies like the cranberry walnut muffins (recipe at end of story) is more than most people could shoulder. It does seem like the constant inquiries regarding her health from the locals might do her in, as she hasn’t told more than her closest companions that she and her husband, Mark, are expecting. This is a page turner that should be enjoyed with a nice cup of tea and a little something sweet, like those muffins.

This is the seventh in the Cranberry Cove mysteries. I really enjoy the characters and the setting of these. Monica is newly married and newly pregnant and hard at work in the kitchen of the cranberry farm her brother, Jeff owns. She has increased her staff to help her with her ever growing business and belly. Her husband, Greg is expanding his bookstore and including a cafe, which he has named after his new bride. Monica's step mother, Gina comes rushing to her, scared after waking up in the car next to her dead realtor. She begs for Monica's help, and honestly, Monica can't resist a good murder. She starts poking around and asking questions, which is bound to irritate the killer.

Monica starts to unravel the story of Rip's (the relator) life and learns that he may have had quite a few skeletons in his closet. I enjoyed this mystery and the evolution of the characters as well as of story line. I am looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Fall is here and Monica has much to do. Besides being pregnant, her husband is on the verge of opening a cafe over his new and used bookstore. That puts Monica in a spot as her trusted employee is going to leave to work with Greg. Time to hire a replacement but will she be a good fit? Only time will tell. With all of that running on a loop in her mind, the last thing she needs to deal with is her step-mother, Gina.
Rip (who turns up living up to those initials - he's the corpse) is a local realtor and a real piece of work, as well, turns up dead. If only it was just a random death but, no, Gina has fallen asleep in his car and when she wakes up she discovers that he has been murdered. Under the circumstances the police should see Gina as the prime suspect so she turns to Monica for help. Seems like the list of suspects is very, very long but soon enough his girlfriend turns up dead and that list does some re-arranging. Who wanted both of them dead and how does it connect to Gina? Let the investigating commence.
I have enjoyed the previous six books in this series and this one was just as enjoyable. With a lovely small town setting, a nice cast of recurring characters and a solid puzzle to solve, it checks all of the boxes on the list of what makes a good cozy. I hope there will be more.
My thanks to the publisher Beyond the Page and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Berry the Evidence by Peg Cochran is the seventh A Cranberry Cove Mystery. Each book can be read as a standalone. I have enjoyed reading the series in order because it allowed me to see the changes that have occurred in Monica’s life. Monica is happily married to Greg, and she is expecting their first child. She has hired a new baker to replace Kit Turner who will be running the new café in Greg’s bookstore Book ‘Em. Monica’s mother is in town and helping her in the farm kitchen (making delectable cranberry muffins, salsa, cookies, and other goodies). Monica is surprised when Gina burst into her home. Gina was with her realtor, Richard “Rip” Taylor in his Jaguar waiting to see if they received a response to her bid on a home. She fell asleep in the car and when she awakened the realtor was dead. Instead of calling the police, Gina panicked and ran. Gina refuses to contact the police. She is afraid they will suspect her or worries the killer will come after her. Monica is left with no choice but to dive into the case. There is humor scattered throughout the story. I like Peg Cochran’s writing style. I find it light and friendly. The characters are developed and relatable. There are some quirky characters like Gina. The mystery took us on a journey around Cranberry Cove. We follow Monica as she works to uncover who killed Rip and why. She soon learns that Rip was not a good guy which opens up the suspect list. There are clues to help the reader solve the crime. It depends on your sleuthing level on whether you solve early or are surprised by the killer’s identity. The reveal was suspenseful with a smidgin of humor. The story ends with the opening of the café in Book ‘Em. I had to laugh at Monica’s reaction that people in town knew about her pregnancy. I do not know how she expected it to stay a secret after telling certain people. Readers are left with a few unanswered questions, but we will have to wait for the next installment to get the answers (will Greg and Monica have a boy or girl, will Monica’s mother stay in town, will Monica’s new employee work out). We also have Jeff and Laura’s wedding to look forward to as well as the building of Greg and Monica’s new home. I enjoyed my time in Cranberry Cove and I look forward to reading the next installment. Berry the Evidence is a cute cozy with a meddling mother, pregnancy sleepiness, lovable fur babies, tasty cranberry treats, a stepmom problem, a murdered realtor, a candle get together, and a cozy new café.

I received a free copy of, Berry the Evidence, by Peg Cochran, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love the name of the town, Cranberry Cove, so pretty. Alas, there is a murder to solve, can Monica solve it? Did her stepmother kill her realtor? I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, it was a short but sweet read.

A pleasant cozy mystery in a series that I have enjoyed very much. The mystery was solid with an exciting ending. There were some unbelievable parts. Also, I felt that there was some spark missing in the interaction between characters and less of it than in other books. There was a lot of details about the routine of her day which I enjoyed but it may have been at the cost of other aspects of the series that I have really liked.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Cranberry Cove mysteries were among my favorites when the series started. This book doesn’t do the series justice.
Monica is blatantly nosy in this book and has no good reason to get involved. Monica runs around town without even checking in with the cranberry kitchen staff. Greg acts like it’s no big deal, patting Monica’s hand and advising her to be careful. Why didn’t Monica go to the police when Gina refused to? It would have been the smart thing to do. Monica often made better decisions in the past.

There are many pregnancy myths filling this book. It would have been half the size if not for all of Janice’s dire warnings and opinions. I was excited for Monica and Greg to be having a baby, but the way things played out in the story with everyone sticking their oar in was the worst of a small town. Previous books seemed to have more of the positive parts of small towns.

The elements didn’t work together so well. I know we needed several suspects but the toilet tank and surrounding events was odd. When you get to the conclusion of the story, you wonder why it was part of the story since the issues arising from it had no resolution.

It took me longer than usual to finish a cranberry cove mystery. I did finish because I’d received and ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. I liked catching up with Monica, Greg, Jeff and Lauren but the mystery didn’t really work for me.

This is a good cozy mystery. All the bones are there and the characters were likable. I enjoyed the setting and look forward to reading more from this series.

When Monica's stepmother appears at her door and says she woke next to a dead man, everything comes to a halt. Gina doesn't eat to contact the police and asks Monica to help her. With other strange things going on in the neighborhood, Monica is busy trying to figure it all out. A well written story in this series that continues to be enjoyable as the characters grow and change. Love the recipes at the end and look forward to what happens next in these characters lives.

The next book in the Cranberry Cove cozy mystery series finds Monica's stepmother in trouble. Gina wakes up in a car to find a dead realtor next to her. Monica decides to investigate herself to clear Gina's name.

This was the first in this series I've read and I feel like I missed some of the character development. There wasn't a lot of recap or explanation for those who haven't read any. Besides that, I found the mystery lacking - there wasn't enough sleuthing really for me. Or maybe I'm not used to the style of sleuthing for these books!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Setting the Scene: The temps are dropping in Cranberry Cove, but the heat is turned up when Gina wakes up in a car with a dead man. She refuses to go to the police, resulting in Monica engaging in some amateur sleuthing. With her husband's bookstore cafe on the verge of opening, and her right hand baker moving to the cafe, and hiring a new but somewhat questionable replacement baker, and then there is her first trimester of pregnancy, Monica has a full plate.

What I thought: The mystery was solid, and I did not identify the killer until just before the big reveal. However, neither the characters nor the story kept me interested. There was no friendly comradery, and while Monica's family is unusual but close, there was no dialogue flow among the various members. Essentially, each chapter had Monica using her spare time and even work hours driving somewhere to snoop, by herself. She then returned to the bakery kitchen or her home, exhausted, doing a few work things or cooking dinner, and then repeat. The addition of a new character, Janice, was not helpful. Janice's dire wives' tales concerning Monica's pregnancy may have been intended to add some comic relief, but the character is just unpleasant. There was no real development of her character, and that probably is for the best. Then there was a possible issue with a box truck doing an early pick up that was just dropped without further explanation or development. I forced myself to finish the book, but I really did not care about the characters or the outcome. Although I have read all the books in this series, I am not sure I will continue to do so.

This is book 7 in the series and I admit I haven’t read the previous books. I had no issues filling this book at all .

I like this nice cozy mystery. It kept me entertained and it was a quick read.

I will be checking out this author's other books for sure.e.I did enjoy this book.

Peg Cochran is a new-to-me author. This is the first cozy mystery I’ve read where the amateur sleuth isn’t actively assisting/bothering local law enforcement every step of the way. She does occasionally speak to one detective, but doesn’t pass on her thoughts about suspects, motives, etc. And there are plenty of suspects with motive enough to kill.

Monica takes many risky chances trying to solve the case on her own. As if one dead body isn’t enough, another one is found not long after the first. Is it possible that her stepmother is guilty of at least the first murder? If not, is her life in danger, too? Can Monica figure everything out in time to prevent another murder?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.