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Welcome and General Discussion / Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day: Country Store Mysteries, Tuesday, June 30

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:46:47 am »

The date of this feature has been changed to coincide with the release date of book #7 - Nacho Average Murder

Maddie Day is another name Edith Maxwell writes under.

Her Country Store Mystery series has been a smashing success. Maddie Day’s more recent Cozy Capers Book Group series launched to readers excited about a series that takes place on Cape Cod.

The books:

Nacho Average Murder



In Nacho Average Murder (June, 2020), Robbie Jordan is temporarily leaving Pans ’N Pancakes, her country store in South Lick, Indiana, to visit Santa Barbara, California—where wildfire smoke tinges the air, but a more immediate danger may lie in wait  . . . 

Strangled Eggs and Ham



In Strangled Eggs and Ham (June, 2019), while Robbie scrambles through breakfast orders South Lick, Indiana, tempers run as high as the sticky August heat…

Death Over Easy



Death Over Easy released July, 2018. Robbie is ready for the boost in business a local music festival brings but the beloved event strikes a sour note when…

Biscuits and Slashed Browns



Biscuits and Slashed Browns released January, 2018. For country-store owner Robbie Jordan, the National Maple Syrup Festival is a sweet escape from late-winter in South Lick, Indiana—until murder…

When The Grits Hit the Fan



When the Grits Hit the Fan released March of 2017. Despite the bitter winter business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder…

Grilled for Murder



In Book Two, Grilled for Murder, Robbie Jordan may have had reservations about the murder victim, but she still needs to…

Flipped for Murder



The first book, Flipped for Murder (2015), in this freshly baked series, author Maddie Day lifts the lid on a small town in southern Indiana, where a newcomer is cooking up a new start–until…

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Welcome and General Discussion / Featured Author Edith Maxwell: Quaker Midwife Series, Friday, June 26

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:37:11 am »

Note: The date of this feature has been changed from the one posted originally.

https://edithmaxwell.com/books/quaker-midwife-mysteries/

The Agatha-winning historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries feature unconventional Quaker midwife Rose Carroll in late 1880s Amesbury, Massachusetts. The Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier is a character in the series.

Charity’s Burden won an Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel! This is the fourth nomination for this series. The Malice Domestic 2020 conference was cancelled, but voting took place virtually. Edith will be awarded her Agatha teapot and have her win celebrated at next year’s conference in North Bethesda.

The books:

Taken Too Soon


In Taken Too Soon (September, 2020), Quaker midwife Rose Carroll’s maiden aunt calls Rose to Cape Cod with her new husband when Tillie’s teenage ward is found dead. Rose and David’s modest honeymoon turns into a murder investigation. A Native American midwife and her family are among the suspects, as is David’s own brother. With the help of the local detective, Rose digs in the shifting sands of the case until the murderer is revealed. Preorder now so you don’t miss it!

“This book is not to be missed!” -Judi, Goodreads reviewer

Judge Thee Not


Quaker midwife Rose Carroll must fight bias and blind assumptions to clear the name of a friend when a murderer strikes in nineteenth-century Massachusetts in Judge Thee Not (September, 2019). Rose Carroll is certain her friend Bertie is innocent of murdering a judgmental society matron. Rose enlists the help of a blind pregnant client—who’s endured her own share of prejudice—to help her sift through the clues. As the two uncover a slew of suspects tied to financial intrigues, illicit love, and an age-old grudge over perceived wrongs, Rose knows she’ll have to bring all her formidable intelligence to bear on solving the crime. Because circumstantial evidence can loom large in small minds, and she fears her friend will soon become the victim of a grave injustice.

Through Quaker Rose Carroll’s resourceful sleuthing—and her midwifery—we are immediately immersed in the fascinating peculiarities, tensions and secrets of small-town life in late-19th-century Amesbury. —Susanna Calkins, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion Mysteries and the Speakeasy Mysteries 

Charity's Burden


Charity’s Burden released in April, 2019 and won the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel in 2020. The winter of 1889 is harsh in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but it doesn’t stop Quaker midwife Rose Carroll from making the rounds to her pregnant and postpartum mothers. When Charity Skells dies from an apparent early miscarriage, the symptoms don’t match the diagnosis. Charity’s husband may be up to no good with a young woman whose mother appears to offer illegal abortions. A disgraced physician in town does the same, and Charity’s cousin seems to have a nefarious agenda. Rose and police detective Kevin Donovan race against time to solve the case before another innocent life is taken. Find book club questions here.

Murder poses difficult challenges for a compassionate 19th-century Quaker midwife in Massachusetts. Plenty of suspects keep the pot bubbling…Because [Rose Carroll’s] actions are motivated by her faith, she won’t let threats keep her from doing the right thing as she seeks the truth. -Kirkus 

Turning the Tide



Turning the Tide, the third book in the series, released in 2018. Excitement runs high during Presidential election week in 1888. The Woman Suffrage Association plans a demonstration and Quaker midwife Rose Carroll resolves to join the protest. When she finds the body of the association’s leader the next morning, she’s drawn into delivering more than babies. Rose’s own life is threatened more than once as she sorts out killer from innocent. Turning the Tide was a 2019 Agatha Award nominee for Best Historical Novel. Find book club questions here.

Edith Maxwell has hit all my buttons again with this one, history, women’s history in particular, a strong main character and well rounded supporting characters.  We see grief, anger, fear and love, everything you expect in a normal life and it is all interwoven into a brilliant story. – A Wytch’s Book Review

Called to Justice


Called to Justice released in April, 2017. Rose Carroll is enjoying the 1888 Independence Day evening fireworks with her beau when a teenaged Quaker mill girl is found shot dead. After a former slave and fellow Quaker is accused of the murder, Rose delves into the crime, convinced of the man’s innocence. An ill-mannered mill manager, an Irish immigrant, and the victim’s young boyfriend come under suspicion even as Rose’s future with her handsome doctor suitor becomes unsure. The book was a 2018 Agatha Award nominee for Best Historical Novel.

Delivering the Truth


Delivering the Truth launched the series in 2016. Midwife Rose Carroll becomes a suspect and then a sleuth in two cases of murder. Can Rose’s strengths as a counselor and problem solver help bring the murderers to justice before they destroy the town’s carriage industry and the people who run it? The book won the IPPY Silver Medal for mystery, was nominated for both a Macavity and an Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel, and was named Amesbury, MA’s 2016 All-Community Read.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:29:10 am »

Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to predicting what will inspire people to join a conversation. But, considering this topic will still be available to view or comment on long after June, I like the idea of giving each series a separate topic thread to make searching the topics easier in the future.

While Edith is still visiting with us - if it's convenient for her - she can check into each topic on a separate day, so visitors will know where to find her. Edith, if you're not available on certain days, let me know I'll make a note of that on the threads. (I've only scheduled weekday visits, FYI.)

Please use this topic thread for general comments and questions for Edith.

Thank you!!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 15, 2020, 03:55:17 pm »

I'm not sure how much response we get from Facebook, but I periodically share links there. I just posted a couple of announcements and links about Maddie's visits. Let's see if that brings in some new participants.

We can split Edith's visits and focus on a different series every day. I'm not sure how that would work if the people who stop by haven't read these books, though. Jay and Edith, what do you think?

I'm hoping these links will work - this is from Edith's website: https://edithmaxwell.com/

Edith & Maddie’s Mystery Library

Quaker Midwife Mysteries
Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries. Taken Too Soon – book six – releases from Beyond the Page Press in September, 2020. Dressed as a 1880s Quaker, Edith launched the series with a historic walking tour of Amesbury, Massachusetts.

News flash: Charity’s Burden won the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel!

Country Store Mysteries
As Maddie Day, Edith writes the wildly popular Country Store Mysteries, from Kensington Publishing. Nacho Average Murder releases in June, 2020, including in audio.

Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries
The Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, a foodie mystery series also written as Maddie Day, debuted in December, 2018 with Murder on Cape Cod. Murder at the Taffy Shop is out in a one-year paperback exclusive with Barnes & Noble.

Local Foods Mysteries
Edith wrote the Local Foods Mysteries series, also from Kensington. Mulch Ado About Murder released in May 2017, the fifth in this popular series set on an organic farm.

Lauren Rousseau Mysteries
Edith has written under the name Tace Baker, as well, with two Lauren Rousseau Mysteries: Bluffing is Murder and Speaking of Murder. The books will re-release in summer, 2020, as Edith Maxwell mysteries.

Short Crime Fiction
Edith Maxwell also writes Agatha-nominated and award-winning short crime fiction.

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What I'm Reading / Re: Doris Miles Disney - Holy Cow!

« on: June 14, 2020, 07:06:32 pm »

I treated myself to some vintage books (and some newer ones) from ABE.com, including a bunch of Doris Miles Disney books. Unfortunately, the first one I read was kind of disappointing. It's called HERE LIES... and it features a skeleton found in a family plot. It's been there nearly 50 years and when the skull is dug up, a bullet falls out. It sounded really promising but it was slow-moving, with most of the story involving research into old documents and newspaper clippings. It was interesting, but not a favorite.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: RIP Sheila Connolly

« on: June 14, 2020, 07:00:03 pm »

My local Barnes and Noble reopened yesterday. I took a trip over because I wanted to grab up some of Sheila's books that I didn't have yet. I remember them having a large selection of books from her various series.

Imagine my disappointment to see that during the time they were closed, the store re-arranged the layout. Worse yet, they've even further condensed the mystery section down and now there were just a few of Sheila's books. Three of them I already have but I did pick up MURDER AT THE MANSION, the first book in her Victorian Village series and A LATE FROST which is one of her latter Orchard mystery series.

But I had hoped to pick up a bunch more of the books. Now, I might be forced to look to eBay again for used copies so I can afford more at once.

How frustrating! Our local B&N store just reopened - my husband and daughter went there the other day. I didn't go with them since I've got a couple of big orders with ABE.com. I have found a couple of Sheila's books recently but I'm saving them to read until I read the books of Edith's that I ordered. I'll let you know what the titles are - I think they were all apple orchard books.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 14, 2020, 06:53:48 pm »

I'm halfway through FARMED AND DANGEROUS, and hopefully I'll get another couple of Edith's books in the mail tomorrow. I'll probably stay up way too late tonight to finish this one. . .or NOT! How did it get to be 2 a.m. already?

I really enjoyed this book! There was a lot of excitement - LOTS going on, and some of it pretty scary!

The books I ordered from Amazon and ABE.com haven't arrived yet, and I'm getting antsy! The books I'm waiting for are A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE, 'TIL DIRT DO US PART, FLIPPED FOR MURDER, GRILLED FOR MURDER - I think there are a few more coming from ABE, I've got a bunch of orders with them.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 14, 2020, 05:53:52 pm »

Thanks so much, Jay! I hope you love the story.

And thanks for ordering my books, Becke. That delights me.

Now - how do we draw others into this group?

I had the same problem when I moderated Barnes & Noble's Mystery Forum before they archived it. You can see the number of views on the Welcome and General Discussion page. We have a couple hundred members here, but apparently a lot of them are shy. the number of views invariably FAR exceeds the number of comments posted.

If any of you have ideas how we can encourage more people to engage, I'd welcome your input!

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What I'm Reading / Re: What I am Reading

« on: June 11, 2020, 02:16:24 am »

I can't read fast enough these days - sooo many books I want to read! Yesterday I read Kate White's HAVE YOU SEEN ME? Which I liked a lot. Then I started a non-mystery, Susan Elizabeth Phillips' DANCE AWAY WITH ME. I got 100 pages into that before the mail came with Edith Maxwell's FARMED AND DANGEROUS. I'm racing through that one now and I'll finish DANCE AWAY WITH ME probably tomorrow. I also picked up an old Mark Mills books that I had missed, and two Michael Stanley books that I'm looking forward to.

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What I'm Reading / Re: What I am Reading

« on: June 11, 2020, 02:10:52 am »

Yeah, I don't hold high hopes for it. I'm trying to think of remakes that I like(d) and the only one that comes to mind is Magnum P.I. I like the new one, and I don't think the original holds up at all.

I actually like the original Magnum P.I. series. My mother had the series on DVD (I watched it growing up as well) and I've been SLOWLY working my way through watching the series again and I've been enjoying it.

What little I've seen of the remake has been OK but nothing particularly outstanding.

I loved the original Magnum back when it was new, but I don't like to watch it now. Part of the reason I like the new Magnum is that it's kind of mild and likeable which is what I'm wanting to watch in this age of coronavirus.

I'm currently enjoying Season 9 of Death in Paradise, as it welcomes yet another chief detective. Even though the cast changes frequently, I still like this show.

My husband and I recently discovered reruns of the show LIE TO ME, which I still find entertaining.

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What I'm Reading / Re: My latest read is...

« on: June 11, 2020, 02:07:18 am »

Just read CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS, a middle-of-the-series Hap and Leonard novel from Joe R Lansdale.

Fantastic.

Just added it to my list.

Forget my list. I just placed an order with ABE (used/vintage books) for this plus some other books you all have recommended. I hope it will arrive soon!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: RIP Sheila Connolly

« on: June 11, 2020, 02:05:50 am »

I've got two more of Sheila's apple books to read, but I'm giving Edith/Maddie's books the priority this month.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 11, 2020, 02:04:14 am »

I'm halfway through FARMED AND DANGEROUS, and hopefully I'll get another couple of Edith's books in the mail tomorrow. I'll probably stay up way too late tonight to finish this one. . .or NOT! How did it get to be 2 a.m. already?

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: June Feature: Garden-Related Mysteries

« on: June 09, 2020, 01:07:58 am »

I forgot all about this author: Rebecca Rothenberg. I know I've read her books before but must have "weeded" them out when I moved. I did find one - THE DANDELION MURDERS - and I'm excited to read that again. (It's been at least a dozen years since I read it!)

I thought I had more John Sherwood books - at one time, I had them all, but we have moved a lot and that usually involves thinning my garden of books. :-( So I bit the bullet and ordered a couple of them from ABE Books. Now watch, I'll find more of them. Oh well!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Re: NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 09, 2020, 12:56:08 am »

Edith - I'm eagerly awaiting deliveries from Amazon and ABE Books with new and old copies of your books. I'm going to be very antisocial when they arrive - I'm looking forward to a reading binge!