Apple of Discontent: A Small Town Apple Orchard Fall Season Cozy Mystery Series (Apple Orchard Mysteries Book 5)
By Maisy Marple
When former military logistics officer Abigail “Abby” Winters finds renowned apple breeder Thomas Harrington dead in her exhibition tent at the Autumn Apple Days festival—with one of her prize-winning Brookfield Reds lodged in his throat—she becomes the prime suspect in a murder that threatens everything she’s built. With her grandfather’s heritage apple orchard at stake and her precocious ten-year-old daughter Zoe’s future hanging in the balance, Abby must unravel a tangled web of orchard politics, corporate intrigue, and long-buried secrets before the real killer strikes again.
Joined by Martin Fernandez, the town’s historically-minded librarian, and aided by her no-nonsense elderly neighbor Mrs. Gallagher, Abby investigates a growing list of suspects with compelling motives: Julie Palmer, Harrington’s ambitious assistant; Victor Danforth, whose life’s work would be rendered obsolete by Harrington’s new apple variety; Craig Bennett, facing financial ruin under Harrington’s blackmail; and Sylvia Matthews, the agricultural co-op president with mysterious financial entanglements. As evidence mounts against her and sabotage strikes her orchard, Abby realizes the killer is watching her every move.
With her military training, sharp observational skills, and deep roots in the community, Abby Winters proves to be as resilient as the heritage apple trees her family has tended for generations. “Apple of Discontent” serves up the perfect blend of small-town secrets, red herrings, and juicy suspects that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
When former military logistics officer Abigail “Abby” Winters finds renowned apple breeder Thomas Harrington dead in her exhibition tent at the Autumn Apple Days festival—with one of her prize-winning Brookfield Reds lodged in his throat—she becomes the prime suspect in a murder that threatens everything she’s built. With her grandfather’s heritage apple orchard at stake and her precocious ten-year-old daughter Zoe’s future hanging in the balance, Abby must unravel a tangled web of orchard politics, corporate intrigue, and long-buried secrets before the real killer strikes again.
Joined by Martin Fernandez, the town’s historically-minded librarian, and aided by her no-nonsense elderly neighbor Mrs. Gallagher, Abby investigates a growing list of suspects with compelling motives: Julie Palmer, Harrington’s ambitious assistant; Victor Danforth, whose life’s work would be rendered obsolete by Harrington’s new apple variety; Craig Bennett, facing financial ruin under Harrington’s blackmail; and Sylvia Matthews, the agricultural co-op president with mysterious financial entanglements. As evidence mounts against her and sabotage strikes her orchard, Abby realizes the killer is watching her every move.
With her military training, sharp observational skills, and deep roots in the community, Abby Winters proves to be as resilient as the heritage apple trees her family has tended for generations. “Apple of Discontent” serves up the perfect blend of small-town secrets, red herrings, and juicy suspects that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.