Shelby McDonald has her hands full running the Love Blossom Farm but she's excited about the annual county fair. She's entering some of her homemade jams and jellies into the county fair's contest while her son, Billy, is in a riding competition. Unfortunately, not all of the events at the county fair go smoothly as a dead body is found during a Jaws of Life demonstration and Shelby's neighbor, Jake, is the prime suspect. Can Shelby uncover who the murderer is or will Jake end up in jail?

SOWED TO DEATH is the second book in the Farmer's Daughter Mystery series but can easily be read on its own merits. Peg Cochran does a marvelous job at displaying the coziness of Lovett County and its residents. I love the way the farmers barter and exchange produce with one another and the various recipes created by Shelby and her friend, Bert Parker, sound absolutely scrumptious! I would love to visit the Lovett County Fair and witness the various competitions, even considering the drama surrounding the pie contest.

However, it is the character of Shelby herself who makes SOWED TO DEATH so much fun. Shelby's inquisitive nature puts her in some precarious situations, but her loyalty and love for her family and friends is unconditional. The fact that her teenage daughter, Amelia, can still turn to her in situations many other teens would avoid their parents is a refreshing change and says a lot about the strength of their relationship even during the challenging teenage years. I especially love the "Dear Reader" blog entries that are interspersed throughout the storyline as they are both entertaining and give great insight into Shelby's thought processes.

SOWED TO DEATH continues the warm, cozy environment we first saw in NO FARM, NO FOUL and has me hooked! I look forward to further adventures with Shelby, Bert, and the rest of the town's residents. If you love cozy mysteries with a small town atmosphere and plenty of yummy sounding recipes, then look no further than SOWED TO DEATH.

Book Summary

In the latest Farmer’s Daughter Mystery from the national bestselling author of No Farm, No Foul, farm owner and blogger Shelby McDonald must field another murder mystery....

The county fair is the highlight of the year for the small town of Lovett, Michigan—especially for food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald, who writes as the Farmer’s Daughter. She’s submitting jams and jellies she’s created from the produce she grows at Love Blossom Farm in hopes of harvesting a blue ribbon.

But the townspeople get more than just the excitement of hayrides, tractor pulls, and cotton candy when Shelby’s neighbor and volunteer fireman, Jake Taylor, extricates the body of Zeke Barnstable instead of a dummy during a demonstration of the Jaws of Life. The fact that Jake and Zeke were known to be at odds plants suspicion in the minds of the police. As evidence against Jake grows, Shelby knows she has to plow through the clues to weed out the true killer and save her friend.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES