amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, living-history, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery *****

The mystery was well done with a few red herrings and a twist or two, but I was happiest with the vivid depiction of the living history farm, the familiar process of sugaring, and each of the characters. ( )

It's maple sugaring time, and Kelsey is busy with the events of the festival on Barton Farm. Balancing staff, visitors, and the foundation that finances her endeavors, not to mention raising her son and dealing with ex-husband and his fiancée, has her running at top speed in all directions. But when the expert she hired to teach a tree-tapping class is found near death on the property, everything takes a back seat to discovering the truth in what happened to him. This well-written second installment in the Living History Museum series has engaging characters and an intricate plot. Author Amanda Flower has done an amazing job in creating a captivating setting and believable characters for this top notch series. ( )

Amanda Flower is a new author for me, but she has written several different series and they all seem to be well received. This is the second book in the Living History Museum series, but the first I have read. The Living History Museum Mysteries are set in modern times, but the Barton Farm which is the setting for the stories, is a historical site that focuses on the Civil War years. Kelsey Cambridge, who is the curator of Barton Farm, is getting ready for the first annual Maple Sugar Festival. As part of that festival, she had invited Robert Stroud to teach a class on how to tap trees and make your own syrup, but as he was ill, she substituted Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the class. When Beeson has a heart attack and then is stabbed on the farm property Kelsey is drawn into the investigation as Gavin, one of her employees is a prime suspect. There are suspects galore, red herrings and a lot of intrigue. I did not figure out the killer until it was revealed in the book, which to me, makes for a good mystery.

Kelsey has been having a rough patch in her life lately, with a murder earlier in the year ([book:The Final Reveille|23364538]), the Cherry Foundation giving her a rough time about having Jason, the animal husbandry expert that works on the farm, living in a trailer on the property, her ex-husband wanting more time with their son, vandalism on the farm and her own confusion over a possible relationship with Chase, a local EMT she has a lot on her plate. When her ex-husband's fiancee throws a wrench in the works asking to have their wedding at the farm, Kelsey has had enough and refused. She is a very strong character with a lot of great friends and co-workers helping her out when it is needed. The other characters in the story all add another dimension to the story as well as allowing the reader to see other sides to Kelsey.

Throughout the book there are many references to how maple syrup was made, the uses for it and why it became such a necessary product at the time. The research on the subject was excellent. The description of making maple syrup was detailed so one could see and smell the end result as it happening. I definitely recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers as well as historical mystery lovers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The Final Tap
Amanda Flower

Book Summary: March on Barton Farm can only mean one thing: maple sugar season. To combat the winter slump, resilient director Kelsey Cambridge organizes a Maple Sugar Festival, complete with school visits, pancake breakfasts, and tree tapping classes. Kelsey hires curmudgeonly maple sugar expert Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the classes, despite misgivings over his unpleasant demeanor. It's a decision she ends up regretting when, before the first tree can be tapped for sap, Dr. Beeson turns up dead. The maple sugar expert's death threatens to shut down not only the Maple Sugar Festival, but also Barton Farm itself. Kelsey must solve Dr. Beeson's murder to escape the increasingly sticky situation.

Review: This was a who done it mystery with a good twist! I enjoyed the characters and the setting on a farm. It was great fun to read about the things goings on with a farm. I did find that there were some slow spots, but overall the story flowed throughout the book. This was a second book in a series and it was easy to catch up with the things that had gone before. The new romance for Kelsey was nice and did not take up the entire book it was well woven into the book. There were a lot of characters, yet they were easy to keep track of and well developed.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Midnight Ink for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ( )

Just finished this second book in the Living History Museum series and can't wait for the third! This one kept me guessing as I went from believing the murderer was one person after another and the final reveal turned out to be one I had considered but dismissed. I love the way Amanda Flower weaves the character's personal lives into her mystery stories and animal lovers will especially love the place that all her character's pets play in each story. Two thumbs up. ( )