Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Shade Grown (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery) by Heather Day Gilbert. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Shade Grown (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
by Heather Day Gilbert
Shade Grown (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – West Virginia
WoodHaven Press (December 11, 2023)
Paperback : 190 pages
BOOK EIGHT in the Award-winning BARKS & BEANS CAFE cozy mystery series!!
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
During Lewisburg’s popular summer home and garden tour, Macy and her brother Bo discover new aspects of their hometown’s history. One of the last homes they visit features a lush commemorative shade garden marking where a Civil War soldier’s bones were buried. As Macy pauses to admire a bed of blue hostas, she glimpses a shadowy shape lying beneath the dinner-plate leaves. It turns out to be the body of famed movie star Cody Franklin, who’d purchased the garden house as a quiet country retreat.
Back at the cafe, Macy speaks with Cody’s distraught sister, who lets slip that she’s afraid her brother’s killer will target her next. Macy’s heart goes out to the bereaved sibling, and she agrees to speak with Cody’s local acquaintances in hopes she’ll uncover some helpful backstory.
But someone powerful is lurking behind the scenes, and Macy has to zoom in on the killer before everything fades to black.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
The Barks & Beans Cafe series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade
Book 4: Spilled Milk
Book 5: Trouble Brewing
Book 6: Cold Drip
Book 7: Roast Date
Book 8: Shade Grown
Standalone Novella: House Blend
My review of Shade Grown
If you’re not reading the Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery series by Heather Day Gilbert, you’re missing out on some great mysteries! I’ve read most of them and have loved each one! Shade Grown is the eighth book in the series, but don’t let that hold you back. You’re fine to jump in with any book since they each have their own mystery to solve.
It’s summer in Lewisburg, WV, and siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield discover more than beautiful flower beds on this year’s home and garden tour. They discover the body of a famous actor in the commemorative shade garden located in the backyard of his new home. Macy once again is ready to “safely” gather clues that will lead to the murderer.
The characters in this series have become near and dear to me. Macy is such a kind person. She’s got the sweetest Great Dane, but if you mess with Macy, watch out! The characters in Shade Grown are well-written. I love how much the characters have developed throughout the series. The “guest” characters have well-developed personalities, and you never know which one is the “bad guy.”
I was totally in the dark when it came to figuring out whodunit! Red herrings abound! Though I had lots of suspects on my list, the killer wasn’t whom I expected. Of course, that always makes a mystery more fun. You don’t want to know right away who the killer is!
Shade Grown is a page turning cozy mystery that you won’t want to put down! I highly recommend it for its realistic characters, picturesque setting, and completely puzzling mystery! I can’t wait for the next Barks & Beans Cozy Mystery!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About Heather Day Gilbert
HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an RWA Daphne du Maurier Award-winning author and 2-time ECPA Christy Award finalist, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with unpredictable twists, much like the Agatha Christie books she read growing up. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Find out more at heatherdaygilbert.com.
Author Links
Author Website: http://www.heatherdaygilbert.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/heatherdaygilbert
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/heatherdgilbert
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/heatherdaygilbert/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7232683.Heather_Day_Gilbert
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-day-gilbert
Purchase Link – Amazon
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Shade Grown TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 9 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
January 9 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
January 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
January 10 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
January 10 – Nadaness In Motion – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 11 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
January 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 13 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
January 13 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
January 13 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
January 14 – The Book Diva’s Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
January 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
January 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
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Sounds like a good read. The title really has me curious
Thanks for sharing!