This one kept me questing the whole way through. I definitely recommend it. The mystery was good. I loved Kate’s determination to stay and keep the orchard. She’s nice but also a little wary of the new people in her life while she figures out who she can trust. I could relate to that. Then, the return to a family inheritance trope and the towns people helping them out is one I enjoy.

I just reviewed Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel. #DeadlytotheCore #NetGalley. It was a very entertaining book and I enjoyed it very much. I would highly recommend it.

Deadly to the Core is a promising first offering, a new cozy series that follows Kate, a recently widowed woman returning to her mother’s childhood home. An apple orchard themed cozy isn’t exactly a new cozy theme, but Tremel puts a twist on it. Kate is going to open a Cider House at the Orchard, setting this series apart from the others. Overall, Kate is a likeable and relatable character, grieving the loss of her husband and starting a new life.

Kate arrives in town and the story takes off quickly from there. The story flows organically and is very enjoyable as a various cast of supporting characters present themselves.

One thing many cozy mysteries add that detracts (to me personally) are arch nemesis character. And in this book, there was none. I read lots of cozies the common annoying archenemy character, sometimes a downright horrible character I am looking at you, Jen, McKinley, and the detestable foil Olivia in your cupcake bakery mysteries. Almost every character who I assume will recur in this book was a regular, down-to-earth person. Their behavior was not outlandish. The plot was not predictable. It was difficult to guess who the killer was.

I think the best aspect was that the character Kate has roots in this town, so while this is a fresh start for you understand why everyone in the community is still so loving and supportive and kind towards her. She set up for success.

On the romance front, you know this character is a grieving widow, but they already introduced the love interest. Instead of going back-and-forth with the will they won’t they trope, Kate has a more honest internal dialogue and I don’t think this is going to be dragged out ala Joanne Fluke.

I love cozies; they are my favorite book genre. However, many of them, even the ones I really enjoy can get tired quickly. They just play into the formula that most cozies follow, and this one just sets itself a part early on by not being overly dramatic or having too much drama. The tone has a delicate balance. You definitely need a little suspension of disbelief to read this book. However, it's such a charming setting with a charming cast of characters that it's very easy to lose hours reading or listening to this book.

This series is excellent and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait for the second book to come out. This is truly what a cozy should be. A likable main character who seems like a real person. Supporting characters who feel like people you would be friends with if you knew them. And overall, just a good feeling when you read the book that you would like to live in this town. I cannot recommend this book enough.

As an Avid reader, I struggled with having enough time to read, and audiobooks happen a real godsend for me. I work long hours and I exercise a lot, so having this audiobook really was wonderful. The narrator was Hillary Huber, and the narration was wonderful. I have no complaints, and I actually believe that some books benefit from being listened to as an audiobook rather than read. A good narrator can make an ordinary book extraordinary. It just depends on their performance.

The thing with cozies is that sometimes they will change the narrator and that can detract from the series is so I hope they continue to stay with Huber.

Whatever edition you choose you cannot go wrong with Deadly to the Core. NetGalley provided with the audiobook for review purposes. My thoughts and opinions, my own.

Kate is starting over after losing my er husband. She has plans to open a cider house. Her uncle's orchard manager Carl has been helping. When he turns up dead, bludgeoned with Kate's cane, she feels responsible and is determined to solve his murder. This wss a good start to a new series. The characters are likeable. While the mystery was not strong, there is potential for the series.

I liked the writing style. My favorite characters are: Marguerite Fost, Renee,
and Blossom the cat. I didn't know who the killer was.

A third engrossing series from Tremel. Moving the action to the middle of Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh in this one, here Kate inherits an apple orchard from an estranged uncle. Since a horrific car accident in which her husband died and she was badly injured left her adrift, she decided to follow their dream of opening a cidery. Frankly, I had never heard of one before and the details of setting one up blended perfectly the twisty mystery. With a deft hand, Tremel created a cast of interesting characters that I will look forward to getting to know further as the series develops. Highly recommend this and her other series to anyone looking for a solid mystery and a chance to learn something new.

Taking place in a small town in Pennsylvania, I really liked how the author tied in the idea of tourism, as Orchardville is near the famed Gettysburg. Kate inherited her uncle's orchard when she's at a bit of a crossroads in her own life. Still healing after a bad accident, she is hopeful that her plans to open a cidery on the property will help keep the orchard solvent. Kate's meddling into the death of the reclusive man that helped her uncle with the orchard helps introduce many people in Orchardville and the troubles that face some small towns when some want to keep their charm while others want to expand. I really enjoyed the author's historical fiction books that took place in Pennsylvania and was so happy to see another new series from her.

A charming cozy mystery and a great start to a new series. The tale blends intrigue, suspense, and a dash of romance. I loved the theme of the orchard and a cider house and the atmospheric writing.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought that this was a good cozy mystery series debut, with a great setting and plot!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Joyce Tremel has done it again with a mystery that will keep you reading and guessing! Kate Mulligan has moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to heal both emotionally and physically from the tragic car accident that left her a widow and nearly took her life. When she finds she has inherited a farmhouse with an orchard from her Uncle Stan, it seems to be just what she needed...until she finds the first body.

Love this book! Kate is so smart, kind and determined to make her new hard cidery a success. That success is tempered with investigating a mysterious entrepreneur who is buying up many of the orchards and he doesn't take no for an answer. With previous experience working at a cidery, she knows what needs to be done and prepares her cidery for opening day. . I enjoyed learning about the hard cider process and it was covered just enough to connect the story without overwhelming the mystery.

Can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Kate is moving to Gettysburg, Pa since she has inherited her uncle's orchards. She is finally recovering from a terrible accident that killed her husband. She is going to open the Cider House in the old barn. When the orchard manager is found dead and Kate is being "encouraged" to sell her property it might not be best to proceed with her plans. As she makes friends in town and her fellow farm owners she feels she has finally found her place in life. This is book one in a delightful new series.

My thoughts on…

THE STORY:  After reading Tremel’s “Brewing Trouble” series and enjoying it, I knew (1) I wanted to read this and (2) that I would enjoy the story.

I was right.

I was invested in the story - and the characters - from the moment the story opens.

Readers will meet Kate first. She is both mentally and physically healing after surviving a car accident that claimed the life of her husband. Kate has inherited an orchard, and she views this inheritance as an opportunity for a new beginning. She is looking to rebuild her life and live a dream she had with her husband - to open a cidery on the property.

She arrives and learns that there is a buyer for the property. Kate is not interested in selling, but the insistence of selling the property makes Kate curious. Afterall, there must be a reason someone really wants it - and the properties surrounding hers. 

This is where our mystery - and Kate’s sleuthing - begins. But drew me in as a reader was how invested I was in Kate as a character, and in Kate's healing.

THE CHARACTERS:  Tremel delivers with the cast of characters - our amateur sleuth, our murder victim, a potential love interest, a rekindled friendship, and more.

Kate Mulligan is our amateur sleuth and star of the novel, and she delivers. Think a younger Jessica Fletcher. In Murder She Wrote, Jessica writes a murder mystery to help her cope with the loss of her dear husband, Frank. In this cozy, Kate puts her heart and soul into this inheritance opportunity, using the opening of the cidery as her way of coping with the loss of her dear husband. I think this is why I enjoyed Kate’s character so much. 

I will leave the other characters for readers to discover, but they serve their purpose well in this cozy.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:  A solid start to this cozy mystery series, and I look forward to continuing the journey with Kate and the others in Orchardville. 

WHO WILL WANT TO READ THIS:  This book is going to appeal to those who enjoy cozy mysteries with a food theme - in this case a cider house. Those who enjoy reading Amanda Flower’s mysteries will enjoy this one, too.

Book Review: Deadly to the Core
Stars: 4 x 5
Author: Joyce Tremel
Publisher: @crookedlanebooks
Thank to @netgalley for this ARC.

Kate inherits a fruit orchard. Kate’s husband had passed several years ago and now her uncle Stan has passed. Uncle Stan left her an orchard. Kate thought what a good time it would be to change things up. Kate moves to the orchard and opens a cider. She also decides to start renovations on the property. Kate soon comes to find out that there is someone who wants to buy the orchard and she doesn’t want to sell. She also decides she needs to go through Uncle Stan’s personal papers and finances. After doing this she finds many irregularities. As time goes by she finds the orchard manager Carl dead in his cottage. Will Kate be able to find out why Carl was killed and what was going on with her uncle with out getting herself into trouble?

I absolutely love a cozy mystery and this first book in A Cider House Mystery is wonderful. I am looking forward to more books for this series.

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#DeadlyToTheCore #DeadlyCoreBook #Bookstagram #MysteryNovels #CrimeFictionLovers
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4.5 stars

I have long been a fan of Joyce Tremel’s Brewing Trouble cozy mysteries so when I learned she was writing a new series about a cider house, I could not get to a copy fast enough. Deadly to the Core was everything I hoped it would be – and then some.

What a perfect way to kick off a new series! Tremel organically introduces us to the town of Orchardville and its affable characters (or suspects, depending on how you look at them lol), setting the stage for future books and quickly establishing Kate’s supportive inner circle. I especially appreciated the fact that, even though we are meeting a lot of people all at once, it never feels like an info dump. Instead, the author immerses us in the ongoing stories of the people of Orchardville as though we are seated at the next table in Margie’s Morsels watching it all play out.

Kate’s own story will have readers solidly in her corner, both as she sets up her new cidery and as she helps investigate Carl’s murder. I also enjoyed her friendship with childhood friend Marguerite and her new friendship with helpful neighbor Daniel (who has a few interesting secrets of his own). I loved the hint of romance potential for the future but also appreciated the author taking it slowly after Kate’s still-fresh loss. The mystery is really well-plotted and kept me glued to the page as the layers are revealed one by one. I was impressed with the quality of the red herrings mixed with the legitimate clues – and how difficult it was for even this seasoned mystery reader to tell the difference.

Bottom Line: Deadly to the Core reminded me at once of everything I love about Joyce Tremel’s writing voice and the engaging characters she creates. Kate is a compelling heroine in more ways than one and her personality is winsome and relatable. I enjoyed getting to know all the fantastic characters of Orchardville – even the victim. The story flows seamlessly from start to finish, and all the different layers to the mystery feel fresh and crisp. (Yes, now I’m hungry for apples after reading this book haha!) I cannot wait to see where this series goes from here, and I had a delightful time with this first visit!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

This was a great start to a new series. I loved how the first book was about her setting up and starting her new business. There's something about orchards that are an automatic want to read for me. I can't wait to see where the next book takes us.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a review copy.

Deadly To The Core
Cider House Mysteries, Book #1
Joyce Tremel
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with it: open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.

She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.

Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.

Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late? (Amazon)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Kate is trying to recover from a traumatic life experience and she is going to try her hand managing a fruit orchard she inherited from her great uncle. But before she can really get started, her orchard manager is murdered. Now she has to figure out who killed him and why. She will need help from her friends if she is going to find the killer.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether I was reading about cider making or Carl’s murder, I was highly engaged. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.

I would recommend this book to anyone wh0 enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This book was a really good start to a new series and I cannot wait for the next one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Pro:
* Pennsylvania setting
* Town of interesting places could develop into a good group of standard characters
* Cherry Perry adds great comic relief
* Good pacing most of the way through.
Con:
* Pretty close to Tremel’s previous series
* I like the Pittsburgh connections, but it’s not necessary to say it so often
* I had the murderer figured out pretty early.

Thank you to Joyce Tremel, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review

Book Review: Deadly to the Core by Joyce Tremel

⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars

First off, let's talk about that cover. It's eye-catching and sets the stage for what promises to be a thrilling cozy mystery. Now, onto my review.

Deadly to the Core is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Joyce Tremel. This book introduces us to Kate Mulligan, a woman who inherits her great uncle's fruit orchard. However, Kate soon realizes that apples aren't the only things that can have rotten cores.

At thirty-five years old, Kate is still recovering from the tragic loss of her husband in a car crash. Physically, she has healed, but her spirit remains fragile. When she inherits the orchard in a small town near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, she sees it as an opportunity for a fresh start. With hopes of opening a cider house, Kate's plans take a dark turn when she discovers the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph. Now, she must uncover the truth behind his murder.

The story takes an interesting twist when Kate learns of Carl's mysterious large deposits into his bank account. Was he blackmailing someone? Or was someone paying him to keep quiet? As she tries to untangle the web of secrets surrounding the orchard, Kate also faces offers from a mysterious buyer who wants to purchase her property. And then there's Daniel Martinez, the neighboring orchard owner, who seems to have secrets of his own.

Tremel does a fantastic job of creating a vivid setting. The small town atmosphere near Gettysburg adds depth to the story and immerses readers in the community. It's easy to feel like you're right there with Kate as she navigates through the twists and turns of the investigation.

Kate herself is a likable protagonist. She's relatable and sympathetic, making it easy to root for her as she tries to uncover the truth. The secondary characters are also well-developed and add depth to the story. Tremel has created a cast of characters who feel like real people and not just plot devices.

However, one area where the book could use some improvement is in the writing style. There were moments where the descriptions felt excessive and unnecessary, detracting from the pace of the mystery. While vivid descriptions can enhance a story, in this case, they occasionally slowed down the momentum. Tightening up the prose would help maintain a stronger focus on the mystery aspect.

Overall, Deadly to the Core is a solid start to a new cozy mystery series. Despite some areas for improvement in the writing style, the engaging setting and likable characters make it an enjoyable read. Fans of cozy mysteries will find themselves drawn into Kate Mulligan's world and eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

I, for one, will definitely be checking out the next book in this series. Joyce Tremel has laid a strong foundation for an intriguing series that has great potential.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

A solid start to a new cozy series. I enjoyed this mystery and the cast of characters introduced in the book and the fun setting. The mystery kept me intrigued throughout and the ending was good. I look forward to more in this series!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Kate Mulligan has returned to Orchardville, Pennsylvania with a plan following the loss of her husband to an awful car accident and her inheritance of her uncle Stan's orchard. She has mostly recovered from the physical injuries she sustained in the crash and feels she is ready to open a cider house at the orchard. She feels her uncle's orchard manager, Carl Randolph, will help her with the orchard and get the cider house off to a great start. Their first meeting goes well and he has done everything she asked so they are ready to hit the ground running. She is stunned when she later finds him dead in his cottage.

Who would kill Carl and why? The information she received from her uncle's lawyer conflicted with the information she received from Carl. In fact, the attorney had found her a buyer to take the orchard off her hands.

After Carl's death, she finds irregularities in his bank account that confuses her even more. Could these issues be the reason he was killed? And why does someone want her property so badly? Can her new neighbor Daniel Martinez help her answer all her questions or is he part of the problem?

Kate may have a bushel full of trouble. Can she solve all the mysteries and open her cider house? Or will she be forced to leave her dream behind? Worse, will the killer decide she is another threat that needs to be eliminated?

_____

I enjoyed meeting Kate Mulligan and her fire to follow her dream of having her own cider house. She is missing her husband and dealing with her own recovery but she does her best to tackle everything thrown at her including trying to find the killer of her orchard manager. I liked Carl and was sad he was the victim. We meet a variety of residents of the small town of Orchardville from Uncle Stan's attorney to Rudy Miller of Miller's Grocery Emporium to her old friend Marguerite Yost to her neighbor, Daniel Martinez, and more. Orchardville is a typical small town where everybody knows everybody and usually all their business. All the characters were well-crafted with room to get to know most of them better as the series continues.

The mystery held my attention. I knew early on that one character was up to something fishy but was unsure about all the elements going on behind the scenes. Those elements were all twisted and tangled together and much more involved than I had imagined. Secrets, lies, revenge, and greed played into a very intriguing mystery and set up an interesting showdown with help from an unexpected character.

I enjoyed the author's descriptive writing style. Her words brought to life all the places our protagonist visited. I especially like the details of setting up the cider house in the barn on Kate's property and that the history of the area plays in a major way throughout the story. It is nice to get the "lay of the land" in the first book of a series so readers can build a picture of the locations in their mind's eye.

Deadly to the Core has set the Cider House Mysteries off to a terrific start. I enjoyed this stirring mystery with a strong protagonist surrounded by a great supporting cast. I am eager to get to know these characters better and see what Ms. Tremel has planned for them next.