Bought the Farm (Farmer's Daughter Mystery Book 3)

I loved this book even more than the previous books in this series (and they got 5 stars from me as well). The book is fast paced, the characters (including the teenaged daughter are realistic), and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end!

Really enjoy this series. Light hearted mystery that has fun characters and interesting plot. I will be reading more from this author.

Synopsis:In the third Farmer's Daughter Mystery from the national bestselling author of Sowed to Death, finding a dead body in her own backyard lands blogger and farmer Shelby McDonald in one trough spot...Wedding preparations are in full swing at Love Blossom Farm as food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald transforms the property for her friend Kelly's down-home country-style reception. But when the lead singer of the wedding band turns up dead--drowned in a trough full of rainwater and strung up like a scarecrow--the police round themselves up a barnful of suspects.It seems that Travis sowed the seeds of discord wherever he went, and when it becomes clear that everyone from the groom to Shelby's own staff has motive, tracking down Travis' killer is going to be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. As Shelby finds herself drawn deeper into the investigation, she'll have to move quickly before the killer decides to put her out to pasture...INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES (Goodreads)Review:The characters are well rounded and well developed. I like the fact that Shelby is a mother of two children, and unfortunately she is raising them by herself since her husband died. Having the protagonist be a mom makes this book more unique than many of the cozies I read. I feel she is more relatable, having the same troubles and responsibilities of a lot of the readers. She works hard to run the farm by herself and sometimes I feel sorry for her. But she does not feel sorry for herself, she just keeps doing the things that she needs to do. So when a dead body turns up on her farm, she feels compelled to find out who the culprit is, even if her plate is already full. I really like Bert, who helps Shelby on the farm as much as she can. And it looks like maybe Shelby has made up her mind about her three potential beaus, and she knows who she wants to choose.The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all the farm activities and Shelby performing her farm chores. I think maybe too much description was spent on her cooking and working in her garden, I felt like it made the book drag a little in spots. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me. I really enjoyed the blog posts at the beginning of each chapter, I thought that added another level to the book. They were interesting and gave the reader tidbits of information that I found helpful.The writing style flows smoothly and the book was an easy read. I liked that the author included the social of issue of bullying in this book. That is a very serious social problem and I thought that she handled it well with some insight and ideas for fighting bullying.The mystery was was well plotted and it was not easy to solve. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through and I found myself getting nervous towards the end of the book, before I knew who the culprit was. That makes for a great mystery.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I have read all three of the books in this series and I have enjoyed them all. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Good book. I really enjoy this series and characters. I was kept guessing until the end. Yummy sounding recipes included.

Love this series! Wonderful characters with such warmth. Can't wait for the next in the series. Peg Cochran has another winner!

Such a fun story. I love the glimpse of farm life and great recipes. Very happy with Shelby romantic interest.

Bought the Farm by Peg Cochran is the third novel in A Farmer’s Daughter Mystery series. Shelby McDonald has been busy getting Love Blossom Farm ready for Kelly Thacker and Seth Gregson wedding. Kelly has even arranged a special surprise for Seth. The wedding is lovely, but Seth is not thrilled with his surprise of Travis Cooper and his band. After the festivities are over, Shelby and Bert notice that one guest is still hanging around. Travis has been murdered and strung up on a post to resemble a scarecrow. Seth, the band along with the wedding guests are all suspects in the singer’s death. Detective Frank McDonald has his work cut out for him this time. Of course, Kelly cannot help but do some digging especially with Seth being on the suspect list. The killer, however, is displeased with her sleuthing and leaves her a threatening blog comment. Join Shelby as she weeds through the suspects to expose the evil doer in Bought the Farm.Bought the Farm is an engaging cozy mystery. It is well-written and has a steady pace throughout. There is a good flow and smooth transitions. Bought the Farm has great characters and a beautiful setting of Love Blossom Farm in Lovett, Michigan. I especially liked Shelby’s blog entries at the beginning of each chapter. They were informative and useful. It was interesting to learn the history behind some wedding traditions. The mystery was well-crafted with multiple suspects and misdirection. The author provided good clues to aid readers in resolving the crime. While Bought the Farm is the third book in the series, it can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know about Shelby is included. Chickens, planting seeds, gathering herbs, taking care of the kids and the dogs, spending time with friends, dating, creating new recipes, cooking and Shelby working on her blog are some of the cozy moments in Bought the Farm. I like the world that Peg Cochran has created for A Farmer’s Daughter Mystery series. Shelby’s daughter, Amelia stands up for a girl in her class who is being bullied and comes up with an anti-bullying campaign. I appreciate how the author addressed the situation and her suggestions for dealing with bullies. I hope that the children will start doing chores in future books to help out Shelby (she needs assistance with work around the house and farm). My rating for Bought the Farm is 4 out of 5 stars. I could have done with less romance and the debate between the two fellas in her life (I believe she should pick Frank). There is some repetition of facts (like information regarding secondary characters). There are recipes at the end of the book.*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this novel. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Enjoyed the series and am waiting on a new release