Chelsea Thomas

Granny Petunia is heading to Florida to see her boyfriend Chip, who owns a riverboat. Along for the ride is her new dog, who saved her from being killed back in California. She thinks she knows why the man was trying to kill her, but not who hired him. So heading on west, she and her new friend are trying to stay under the radar. When she arrives she greets an old friend who also happens to be able to help her disguise herself with a new 'do and other things to make her less recognizable. She also finds out that Chip has been arrested for murder -- right when she arrives at the riverboat. Now she wonders if she'll be able to stay under the radar while trying to find out who the murderer is...and who wants her dead...

This is a spin-off novella of the Dog Groomer Mysteries, with Petunia getting her very own story. I honestly have to say that while I love the former mysteries, I was skeptical that Petunia could hold her own on a new series. Mainly because she's snarky and mean-spirited. I know she means well in the long run, but sometimes she runs over the top. Saying that, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this mystery.

There's plenty of action, and although we don't get to see a lot of Chip in the book, we do get Petunia in full form solving a mystery without the help of her California crew. It's interesting, fun, and full of plenty of action. There's enough of everything to keep people reading, and Petunia does what she does best -- being full of energy, ideas, and, of course, snark. Recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher and Book Sprout but this in no way influenced my review.… (más)

An okay cozy mystery. I found the characters a bit over the top in their quirkiness. Goodreads reader review:This is the latest installment of the apple orchard mysteries! I love this series and this author! Chelsea and her Aunt May run the apple orchard and are the local sleuths along with some help from funny, loveable Teeny who runs grandma?s restaurant! This time around the mean old Granny Smith is found dead. This wasn?t an easy one to solve as everyone in Pine Grove dislike the mean spirited old woman who found a reason to snitch on everyone! I loved that we were introduced to some new interesting characters! It was well written! There was plenty of humor, adventure, drama and mystery! Add in a 3 way romance with Chelsea and a new character who is enamored of her to give our favorite deputy, Wayne some competition, despite Wayne?s confidence! This was a quick read and very enjoyable! I highly recommend this book and this series!… (más)

The ten books are:
- Dropping Like Pies
- No Cone Unturned
- Strawberry Short-dead
- Hot Cross Guns
- Whisking Everything
- Dead Velvet Cake
- Muffin But Trouble
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Dead Man Cakewalking

It might help to read the previous boxset or at least book 1 to gain better insight into the characters featured in these stories, particularly Chelsea's love life. However, the stories work as standalones. Chelsea, Miss May, and Teeny take it upon themselves to investigate cases as amateur detectives, working together to solve various murder mysteries. They do their research online and approach witnesses and potential suspects. The writing is engaging, communicating directly to the readers and offering them insight into their investigations so they can follow the case alongside them. These are cosy mystery stories featuring endearing characters.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.… (más)

First off, let me say that I love Chelsea Thomas (both the writer and the character, not to be confused with each other). Chelsea the character has adventures that others can only dream about. That is, if you dream about finding dead bodies and outrunning killers and outwitting the police force. Something to think about, I guess...

Anyway, I have read all the books in the series and I can truthfully say that I enjoyed them immensely. We see poor Chelsea as she goes from heartbroken left-at-the-altar bride to strong, willing-to-do-whatever-it-takes Chelsea, and it's a welcome transformation. She grows with each book, and we watch the changes, however subtle they may be, as she becomes who she finally is in the final book. I will not give away plots as I expect you will want to read and enjoy them yourself, but they are definitely worth the time.

The author(s) are talented, and allow us to see a little bit of the area where Chelsea grew up, and it's a delightful sight. We also find that our friends Amy and Petunia (of the Dog Groomer series) make an appearance as well.

As I have stated before, I love this series and hope that it continues. Even if the trio of Chelsea, Miss May, and Teeny keep finding dead bodies, we, the readers, can enjoy watching them solve the murders.

I received a copy of this book from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.… (más)