Put Out to Pasture

Put Out to Pasture by Amanda Flower has Shiloh Bellamy hosting Fall Daze at Bellamy Farm. Shiloh has baked up hundreds of her organic treats to sell to the attendees. Shiloh is surprised at how many people showed up for the event and stay even after the loud argument between Kristy Brown and Minnie Devani (attendees got an extra show). The last of the festival goers are leaving for the day when Shiloh hears a woman screaming. Quinn and Shiloh race over to find Minnie dead at the foot of the scarecrow. Evidence at the scene points to Kristy as the guilty party. Shiloh is quick to dig into the case. She is not about to let her bestie go away for murder. Put Out to Pasture is the second Farm to Table Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not read Farm to Trouble. I like Amanda Flower's engaging writing style. I know when I start one of this author's books, that I will quickly be drawn into the tale. The characters are delightful. They are warm, friendly, and relatable (there are one or two exceptions). Shiloh Bellamy is working hard to restore Bellamy Farm despite her father's negative comments and unhelpfulness. I enjoy the descriptions of the Bellamy Farm and the surrounding area. The author's word imagery brings the scenery to life. The mystery was a fun one to solve. The victim was not well-liked which means there were several good suspects. There is misdirection to distract you from the true killer. The clues are there if pay close attention. The reveal wraps up the whodunit nicely. I thought Amanda Flower created a fun and unique mystery. I just love Shiloh's little pug. He is a cutie. Shiloh has additional trouble when the other half of Bellamy Farm is sold by the developers to Tanner Birchwood who has the same vision as Shiloh. I am looking forward to Shiloh's next adventure. Put Out to Pasture is a refreshing tale with a fun fall festival, deep fried delights, a scarecrow crime scene, a framed friend, a precious pug, a new can-do neighbor, and a cunning killer.

Put Out To Pasture is the second book in the Farm To Tablet series by award-winning, best-selling American author, Amanda Flower. It's three months since Shiloh Bellamy returned to Cherry Glen, Michigan, and she's determined to save Bellamy Farm. Her dream is to make it a destination for organic produce and intends to add a café to showcase her baking skills.

Their first promotional activity is Fall Daze, a two-day food and fun festival at Bellamy Farm, attracting unexpectedly high numbers of visitors. Some drama is added when Shiloh's best friend Kristy has a loud argument with one of her Farmers' Market stall holders. Beekeeper Minnie Devani is later found at the foot of the scarecrow out in the field, strangled.

Circumstantial evidence implicates Kristy as a suspect, and Shiloh is not confident that the town's Police Chief, Randy Killian won't just settle for the easiest option rather than investigating further. Shiloh vows to clear her friend's name, even if it means talking to Minnie's best (only?) friend, Doreen Killian and her book club friends, who are unlikely to be friendly or welcoming, due to past accusations

But then US Marshal Lynn Chuff arrives, claiming a different name and history for Minnie than the one generally accepted in Cherry Glen. Could her criminal past have caught up with her?

Shiloh discovers she has a (gorgeous) new neighbour, also intending to farm organically, a man who has paid Minnie an exorbitant amount of money for the Market stall she had no right to sell. As Shiloh investigates further, she encounters several more townspeople with grudges against the abrasive Minnie.

This is a cosy mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Shiloh does seem to have rather a lot of free time to spend investigating when she also has a farm to save, and her defining the best friend of her fifteen-years-dead fiancé as "off limits" is puzzling. Doubtless fans of rural cosies will enjoy this one.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.