The Amateur Cracksman Book

Well, I knew I was in for a good read when I noticed on the cover that this book came with recipes. You can't possibly write a book showcasing the talents of the vendors participating in a Farmer's Market and not give us some of their secrets. And for the family of vendors at Bailey's Farmer's Market, there are more than their fair share of secrets going on!

Becca Robins, the towns unofficial crime fighter, lives on a small farm with her dog, Hobbit. She sells jams and preserves at Bailey's, which happens to be run by her twin sister, Allison. As the title of the book suggests, a murder has taken place at the market, and Becca, being the overly interested female that she is, gets right in the middle of it. The suspect is her friend and fellow vendor, Abner Justen. The victim; a former friend and long time enemy of Abner's, Matt Simonsen. As Becca starts her own investigation, she starts a frenzy of activity among the vendors that leads you to believe more then one person might be involved. Becca's investigation unlocks a secret from the past; a secret that was recently revealed by an accidental meeting between Abner and...you'll have to read the book and find out. I can tell you that the closer Becca gets to the truth the more danger she encounters and the more desperate the murderer becomes. An added bonus to the book is Becca's love interests. Hmmm-are there two possibilities?

Paige Shelton gives us a look inside a world that most of us would never venture into. Her characters are well written and the story flows smoothly from the start to the finish. Along the way, you'll find yourself wishing you had a jar of Becca's fresh blackberry jam or pumpkin preserves. For me; it made me pull out my kitchen gear and make some fresh "freezer" jam and blackberry cobbler. I really loved this book and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.