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Apple Orchard #1-5
Apple Orchard Mysteries Books 1-5
veryone adores Miss May...except the guilty.
In a small town, where neighbors know each other, lawn chairs come out in the spring, and best friends laugh until way past bed time, there are still skeletons in every closet.
Luckily for Pine Grove, Miss May has a nose for crime.
The body was found face-down in the orchard.
Chelsea’s not sure crime-fighting is her strong suit. She’s up at her Aunt May’s farm recovering from heartbreak, after all, trying to forget the guy who left her at the altar. But when cousin Maggie’s fiancé is murdered, Chelsea’s own botched wedding seems like less of a big deal.
Who would have killed the groom-to-be?
The handsome and charming Detective Wayne thinks it’s Maggie. Miss May and Chelsea know he’s wrong, but they don’t have proof. And bottle blonde Teeny is convinced a Russian spy might be involved, although that’s mostly based on a plot from her favorite mystery show.
No matter the theories, there’s a killer on the loose in this quaint small town and the ladies won’t rest until they find the culprit, even if that means putting their own lives in danger.
You'll adore these best-selling cozies because everyone loves small-town mysteries with characters that feel like friends and family.
In a small town, where neighbors know each other, lawn chairs come out in the spring, and best friends laugh until way past bed time, there are still skeletons in every closet.
Luckily for Pine Grove, Miss May has a nose for crime.
The body was found face-down in the orchard.
Chelsea’s not sure crime-fighting is her strong suit. She’s up at her Aunt May’s farm recovering from heartbreak, after all, trying to forget the guy who left her at the altar. But when cousin Maggie’s fiancé is murdered, Chelsea’s own botched wedding seems like less of a big deal.
Who would have killed the groom-to-be?
The handsome and charming Detective Wayne thinks it’s Maggie. Miss May and Chelsea know he’s wrong, but they don’t have proof. And bottle blonde Teeny is convinced a Russian spy might be involved, although that’s mostly based on a plot from her favorite mystery show.
No matter the theories, there’s a killer on the loose in this quaint small town and the ladies won’t rest until they find the culprit, even if that means putting their own lives in danger.
You'll adore these best-selling cozies because everyone loves small-town mysteries with characters that feel like friends and family.
1125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2021
18 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Thomas
56 books808 followersEveryone loves a secret.
So here's a good one...
...Chelsea Thomas is technically two people, married writing team Chelsea and Matthew Thomas.
Matt and Chelsea write cozy mysteries set on an apple orchard in upstate New York. They also write television and film. As screenwriters, they have worked with several studios, including Nickelodeon, SONY and CBS.
Chelsea and Matt are graduates of Duke University and they are members of the Writers Guild of America. And they are USA Today Bestselling authors.
Chelsea enjoys spending time with animals and practicing yoga. Matt loves playing music. They both enjoy spending time near the water.
Want a free novella PLUS a free cozy mystery cookbook?
Join the Chelsea Thomas Reader Club at www.chelseathomasauthor.com.
So here's a good one...
...Chelsea Thomas is technically two people, married writing team Chelsea and Matthew Thomas.
Matt and Chelsea write cozy mysteries set on an apple orchard in upstate New York. They also write television and film. As screenwriters, they have worked with several studios, including Nickelodeon, SONY and CBS.
Chelsea and Matt are graduates of Duke University and they are members of the Writers Guild of America. And they are USA Today Bestselling authors.
Chelsea enjoys spending time with animals and practicing yoga. Matt loves playing music. They both enjoy spending time near the water.
Want a free novella PLUS a free cozy mystery cookbook?
Join the Chelsea Thomas Reader Club at www.chelseathomasauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 21, 2021
Chelsea Thomas is standing at the altar in her wedding gown, surrounded by family and friends, when her intended groom bolts out of the church. What's a girl to do when she discovers he's stolen everything from her? Hide out in a small apartment eating Chinese food. Or so she thinks...until her aunt Miss May gets hold of her and drags her back to the farm where Chelsea grew up. Chelsea, an interior decorator by trade, finds new purpose in decorating for her cousin's wedding. But when her cousin's groom disappears at the rehearsal dinner, Chelsea sets out to find him, and so she does...thus beginning her successful foray into solving crimes in their small town of Pine Grove, much to the consternation of the police, especially a hunky specimen named Wayne Hudson, who also has his eye on Chelsea...
But how can Chelsea, she of the Babbling Brook Mouth, Teeny, she of the Overactive Imagination, and Miss May, she of the Voice of Reason (most of the time) become class A sleuths and murder solvers? All you need to do is read these books and find out...
This is the first five books in the series, and while they don't need to be read in order to enjoy them, I would recommend it because otherwise you're missing out. Missing out on humor, murder, mayhem, and Chelsea's rattled thoughts every time she opens her mouth. I would probably stare at her like I'm looking at a two-headed goat, but not Miss May. She turns everything Chelsea says into some semblance of reason. How, I don't know. I do know that by the fifth book you are absolutely addicted to this series and wanting to read more.
This is a hefty set of pages (905!) and while it took me a few days to read it, I pressed on waiting for the next fiasco to occur. Chelsea has a habit of finding dead bodies the way some of us find extra pairs of reading glasses around the house. We know they're around somewhere, we just don't know the exact location. Neither does Chelsea, until she does (make sense of that statement!). But by then, it becomes a race for Miss May and Chelsea to find the killer before the police do, just to prove they can. Amateur sleuths, my eye...
It's all a farcical riot of fun, and watching them all (especially Teeny, who likens everything to a favorite television series) is a hoot. Except that the police aren't happy with them, everyone in town thinks they're a suspect when the three show up at their door and try to avoid them, and two men are vying for Chelsea's attention (keep reading, you'll get there...).
In the end, the books are fun, full of mystery and dead bodies, and even a few murderers with strange motives. But it's all worth it in the end, and I think I hear the sixth book calling my name...Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy from the author but this in no way influenced my review.
But how can Chelsea, she of the Babbling Brook Mouth, Teeny, she of the Overactive Imagination, and Miss May, she of the Voice of Reason (most of the time) become class A sleuths and murder solvers? All you need to do is read these books and find out...
This is the first five books in the series, and while they don't need to be read in order to enjoy them, I would recommend it because otherwise you're missing out. Missing out on humor, murder, mayhem, and Chelsea's rattled thoughts every time she opens her mouth. I would probably stare at her like I'm looking at a two-headed goat, but not Miss May. She turns everything Chelsea says into some semblance of reason. How, I don't know. I do know that by the fifth book you are absolutely addicted to this series and wanting to read more.
This is a hefty set of pages (905!) and while it took me a few days to read it, I pressed on waiting for the next fiasco to occur. Chelsea has a habit of finding dead bodies the way some of us find extra pairs of reading glasses around the house. We know they're around somewhere, we just don't know the exact location. Neither does Chelsea, until she does (make sense of that statement!). But by then, it becomes a race for Miss May and Chelsea to find the killer before the police do, just to prove they can. Amateur sleuths, my eye...
It's all a farcical riot of fun, and watching them all (especially Teeny, who likens everything to a favorite television series) is a hoot. Except that the police aren't happy with them, everyone in town thinks they're a suspect when the three show up at their door and try to avoid them, and two men are vying for Chelsea's attention (keep reading, you'll get there...).
In the end, the books are fun, full of mystery and dead bodies, and even a few murderers with strange motives. But it's all worth it in the end, and I think I hear the sixth book calling my name...Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy from the author but this in no way influenced my review.
September 25, 2024
Great Start to a Fun Cozy Series
I absolutely adore this Apple Orchard cozy mystery series by this husband-and-wife author team. However, I came to it a little late, so I am very glad the authors chose to combine the first five books together in one collection so I can catch up without having to even pause to download the next book! If you like country cozy mysteries with well-written primary and secondary characters—and a fair amount of good humor and quirkiness—you'll most likely enjoy this series as much as I do.
Here’s my full review of the last book in this collection, Granny Smith is Dead. (Slightly altered as first one was rejected by Amazon, I think because of resubmitting of original of below to correct errors close to the same time as this one.)
Sour Granny Smith Has Been Murdered
The book starts when Chelsea gets reacquainted in the orchard bakeshop with Granny Smith, the town's most annoying curmudgeon. Soon, though, Granny Smith is dead, and Chelsea and her aunt, Miss May, are the ones to discover her! They want to figure out why.
This book has all the elements I like in a comfy cozy—interesting family relationships, quirky characters in a small town, red herrings and misdirection, and a murder that is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the twists and turns happening in the full plot. I really enjoyed the relationship between Chelsea and Miss May. They make an excellent team. I also appreciated that we see this town and its residents from the perspective of someone who has returned to it; she can see the town and its people with fresh eyes. The authors describe the setting well—I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the discovery of the body—making you feel like you are seeing what the characters are seeing.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this is a solid one with good writing, excellent characters, and enough intrigue and plot twists to keep you turning the pages.
I received a free digital copy of this box set, but that did not affect my review.
I absolutely adore this Apple Orchard cozy mystery series by this husband-and-wife author team. However, I came to it a little late, so I am very glad the authors chose to combine the first five books together in one collection so I can catch up without having to even pause to download the next book! If you like country cozy mysteries with well-written primary and secondary characters—and a fair amount of good humor and quirkiness—you'll most likely enjoy this series as much as I do.
Here’s my full review of the last book in this collection, Granny Smith is Dead. (Slightly altered as first one was rejected by Amazon, I think because of resubmitting of original of below to correct errors close to the same time as this one.)
Sour Granny Smith Has Been Murdered
The book starts when Chelsea gets reacquainted in the orchard bakeshop with Granny Smith, the town's most annoying curmudgeon. Soon, though, Granny Smith is dead, and Chelsea and her aunt, Miss May, are the ones to discover her! They want to figure out why.
This book has all the elements I like in a comfy cozy—interesting family relationships, quirky characters in a small town, red herrings and misdirection, and a murder that is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the twists and turns happening in the full plot. I really enjoyed the relationship between Chelsea and Miss May. They make an excellent team. I also appreciated that we see this town and its residents from the perspective of someone who has returned to it; she can see the town and its people with fresh eyes. The authors describe the setting well—I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the discovery of the body—making you feel like you are seeing what the characters are seeing.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this is a solid one with good writing, excellent characters, and enough intrigue and plot twists to keep you turning the pages.
I received a free digital copy of this box set, but that did not affect my review.
December 29, 2021
I’ve read a number of Apple Orchard mysteries and this set is the ones that started it all. This husband and wife team has gone on to write a number of different series but this is the one that stands out for me. I love the interaction between Miss May and Chelsea and of course, we can’t forget Tiny. These characters are quirky, fun and just a little off-center. But that’s what makes these stories flow so well.
You can’t do better than this if you’re looking to dip your toe in the big pond of cozy mysteries.
You can’t do better than this if you’re looking to dip your toe in the big pond of cozy mysteries.
May 9, 2022
I enjoyed this box set with all of the characters. The two main characters that are throughout the five series were Miss May and her niece Chelsea. They go around solving mystery throughout the small town.
This was a fun box set to read. It had me laughing a lot throughout all the stories in this set. All of the mystery stories in the box set were fun finding and solving out who done the murders.
I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley and BookSprout. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
This was a fun box set to read. It had me laughing a lot throughout all the stories in this set. All of the mystery stories in the box set were fun finding and solving out who done the murders.
I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley and BookSprout. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
July 27, 2023
This is such a fun series. The characters all have their own perks and Special Qualities. I love that the main character talks to her pony when she cannot sleep at night I so look forward to those chats and her three legged doggie Steve. Each book you get to know the characters a little better Love it♥️
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews