FARMED AND DANGEROUS

An organic farmer is a magnet for murder.

Cameron Flaherty has worked hard to make a success of her farm. Her newest scheme is selling winter shares of the root crops she’s stored and the fresh greens she’s growing in her greenhouse. Cam delivers enough for a dinner to Moran Manor Assisted Living, where her beloved great-uncle Albert St. Pierreis a resident. When her former neighbor, cantankerous resident Bev Montgomery, dies after eating a meal made with Cam’s veggies, her past dealings with Bev (’Til Dirt Do Us Part, 2014, etc.) make her a suspect. As if that’s not bad enough, Cam’s boyfriend, state police detective Pete Pappas, catches the case and must distance himself from Cam just when she most needs his support. After another resident dies and she finds her uncle unconscious on the floor, Cam just has to investigate, even though Pete’s warned her that it’s dangerous. Bev, Cam knows, was involved with a militia group and was anything but popular, even within her family. Her determination to preserve her farm puts her at odds with her daughter, who wanted to develop the land, and her sons, who wanted to sell it. Once Cam gets locked in her own root cellar, she and Pete realize that she’s getting too close, but by now she’s unable to give up. So she continues to follow clues she hopes will lead to the killer.

Quirky characters, lots of organic farming tips, and a well-developed mystery make this Cam’s best outing yet.