The New York Times bestselling author of If Catfish Had Nine Lives returns to Broken Rope, Missouri, where ghosts of the Old West seek assistance from country cooks and amateur sleuths Betts Winston and her grandmother.
With summer tourists flocking to Broken Rope, locals volunteer to keep chaos to a minimum. Old West skits are running smoothly, actors are behaving, and stagecoach rides are more popular than ever, but when a spectral visitor appears by ghost train, it’s a job only Betts and Gram can handle.
Gram soon starts having nightmares about their ghostly visitor’s demise. And if a ghost and the hot summer weather weren’t making things sticky enough, one of the town’s volunteers—a man notorious for having more than his fair share of ex-wives—is murdered. When Jerome, Bett’s otherworldly friend, makes an unsettling appearance, this simmering double mystery becomes a recipe for disaster.
Not her best effort. Ms. Shelton can plot a good mystery as well as a very interesting romantic situation, but the dialogue is average and oftentimes shaky - the characters just don't speak naturally, in my opinion. But I'm intrigued by the relationships.
We return to Broken Rope and we are not the only ones. A train station from the past pops up in an empty field and one of the passengers needs a little help. The kind of help only Betts and her grandmother, Miz can provide with a little assistance from Jake and our favorite ghost Jerome.
My land, Paige Shelton has an amazing imagination! An imagination she can lasso up and herd together to create a truly entertaining mystery story or in this case the 5th fantastic mystery in the series.
Betts Winston and her grandmother own and operate a Country Cooking School located next to a cemetery. Over the years they have realized they have a special gift of being able to communicate with ghosts. Ghosts like Jerome. He is my absolute favorite ghostly literary character. He also has a very special place in Betts’ heart. Something her current beau, Cliff, is just going to learn to deal with.
Something is keeping Jerome from visiting Broken Rope right now but he knows Betts needs his help so he comes up with a very creative and sometimes very misunderstood way of making his presence known. Readers will find this quite amusing, the characters not so much.
Shelton has a special way of blending mysteries from the past with mysteries in the present and they intertwine and flow seamlessly side by side. It is hard to call one a subplot because both so powerful and engaging.
We can’t forget the Country Cooking School. This time they are featuring onions including the onion casserole standby of many homes around the country. That recipe isn’t in the book because it can be found everywhere but Betts and her brother Teddy had my mouth watering for Onion Rings and thankfully that recipe was in the book along with others I can’t wait to try.
If you like your mysteries on the cozy side with a bit of a ghost story too these are the perfect books for you. They can be read as stand alone because the author always plenty of backstory for new readers but I sure recommend you read them all and in order because they are all just so darn so good.
If Onions Could Spring Leeks by Paige Shelton is the fifth book in the Gram's Country Cooking School Mystery series. To sum up my thoughts about this book in a word: wow. This is the first book I have read in the series, but I felt the author did a nice job of explaining some of the back story so that new readers aren't lost.
Betts and her Gram, Miz, have the 'talent' of seeing Old West ghosts who are a part of their town's past. Broken Rope seems to have a lot of ghosts coming through and there's a mystery to be solved. I love that there are so many wonderful elements weaved together in one story. You get the ghost/paranormal theme; cooking at the cooking school; a mystery from the past and a mystery from the present. What more could you want in a great cozy mystery?!
The characters and the town of Broken Rope (really a character in itself) are what really makes this cozy special. I found myself absorbed in the story right away. I loved Betts and Miz and I can't believe I haven't read this series sooner. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous four books in this series. The author knows how to create a satisfying cozy mystery with a fun paranormal element. I think this might be one of my favorite cozy reads ever.
This book will be released on 8/4/15. I received a copy in advance for review purposes. My opinion is my own and was not influenced in any way. I was not required to post a positive review.
Great book! This is the fifth in the Gram's Country Cooking School Mystery series and this may have been my favorite. It has ghosts, handsome cowboy ghosts, handsome cops,friends who are by your side in your worst of times and recipes! This book takes place in Broken Rope, Missouri. The cooking school is run by Gram and Betts. It takes place in the middle of summer and tourist season is in full swing. The Cooking School class they are teaching is vegetable cooking and consists of several locals. One of them turns up dead and Betts is found hurt at the same time. Betts and Gram seem to always be in the middle of finding dead bodies. This book was full of twists and turns. Just when you thought you knew who had done the deed, there would be a twist. I love that both Betts and Gram can talk to ghosts which surprises me because ghost stories are usually not my typical genre. Betts tries to not only solve the current day mystery but gets involved in solving a mystery from the past, a lover's triangle where two people were killed. Paige Shelton is a very gifted writer and she keeps you guessing right to the end in this book, with both mysteries! I also love her Farmer's Market series! Can't wait for the next one!
Well folks, today I’m in Broken Rope Missouri. Along with Bette, Jerome, Jake and Cliff. This time we are going to try to solve not one but two murders. One is a now murder and the other is a very past murder. The ghost are plentiful in this book and they are just as helpful in solving the murders as always. Jerome makes an appearance of sorts, but in the bodies of others. For some reason he can’t quite reach Bette on his own so he needs human help. I won’t tell you the rest of the story because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but needless to say it was great. There were some parts where I teared up and some sort of funny parts. All in all though, it was great. I love the work of Paige Shelton. She makes her books believable, even if you don’t believe in ghosts and adds a little of romance and sometimes humor in them. Already I’m missing Broken Rope and the ghosts and humans who reside there.
In the most recent Country Cooking School Mystery, Betts and her Gram are trying to get through a class of students without someone getting murdered! Naturally, one of the students turns up dead, and his five ex-wives are among the chief suspects. At the same time, Betts meets the ghost of a woman murdered near the old Broken Rope train station, and she asks Betts to help her find the man (or rather, the ghost of the man) she was coming to town to marry. Naturally, Betts' own personal favorite ghost, Jerome the cowboy, shows up to protect Betts as she manages to get herself into trouble yet again. Things are different somehow with the ghosts this time, though, with locations transforming into their former selves and the ghosts being able to speak through other living humans.
This series is so much fun! The characters are enjoyable and the ghosts are totally lovable....well, almost all of them. I did think the plot of this one was a bit weak, but it doesn't really matter since the whole story is so entertaining. And, after all, it's really about the ghosts!
Another great entry in the County Cooking School series (and I sincerely hope not the last one). There was a lot more weirdness in this than in the previous ones, but it was a great read. I have to say that the historical mystery was much more interesting than the present-day one for me. And Cliff may be just a little too good to be true, but lucky Betts...
This was a good ending to the series, although I wish it wasn't the end of the series. I really like Betts, Gram and the rest of the people and ghosts of Broken Rope. I always enjoy mixing the ghosts mystery with the present day mystery and this book gave some new meaning to that. Really enjoyed this story.
Summertime in Broken Rope is a busy time for the tourist season, recreating Western skits and giving the audience a wonderful taste of the town's colorful history. But in addition to the history reenactments, Isabelle (Betts) and her grandmother also get to experience visits from some of the former ghostly residents, as they task the two of them to solve one mystery or another. In addition to the occasional ghostly visitor, Betts also receives visits from one handsome and affable ghostly cowboy, Jerome, whose presence is normally precipitated with a scent of wood smoke and brings with it a sense of romance that should not exist between human and ghost. In this story, Betts visits a ghostly train station and meets Grace, who was murdered on her way to be reunited with her love, Robert. The nature of her death appears to be horrific, so much so that it is haunting Gram's dreams. Was her death caused by Robert, the man she was going to meet, or was it caused by another, possibly racially motivated, as it was unacceptable for a black woman to be joined with a white man. In addition to resolving the ghosts issues, Betts also is involved in solving a more current murder, when the body of local resident, Derek, is found murdered in the barn. And this time its personal, because when Betts discovers his body, she is knocked unconscious by the killer and left for dead. With five ex-wives all living in the area, the possible murder suspects may be too much for Betts, and Jerome seems to be having a problem helping her to stay safe. I love this series and the connections between the ghosts and the town's history. The main characters are also interesting and I like the improving relationships between them, including her boyfriend, Cliff, her friend, Jake, her brother, Teddy, and of course, Gram. I look forward to the next book in this series to see how these relationships continue to progress.
Betts Winston and her Paternal Grandmother, Mizz, run a country cooking school in the town of Broken Rope, Missouri. Not only do they run the cooking school, they both hear voices and see thing…ghostly voices and things that is. Having been born with the gift of being able to interact with ghosts, Betts is tasked with solving the murder of the young, beautiful Grace from the xx00s who was murdered while en route to meeting the man she loved, XXX. While everyone always says you can’t be hurt by ghosts and apparitions, Betts may have something different to say about that as she enters their ghostly world from the past.
There’s a whole lot of activity going on in Broken Rope, and not all of it is part of the Wild West shows the town puts on for tourists in honor of their Wild West history. Oh no, there’s also spectral activity going on too. Not only is there a visit from ghosts past, the murder of a local town resident brings a ghost from the present and a second murder to solve. Toss in a ghostly love interest and you’ve got yourself a recipe for love, mystery, and murder!
An enjoyable and fun read, this was the first book I have read by Paige Shelton and while it is the fifth in the Country Cooking School Mystery series, I certainly did not feel like I was missing chunks of information for not having read the first four books. I’m gong to get books 1-4 and spend some time catching up with Betts and her friends, both living and dead.
The Country Cooking series is one of my favorite cozy paranormal series. The first book in the series made me realize that I liked cozy mysteries with talking ghosts. I have now read other series by other authors that are cozy mysteries with ghosts.
What I like about this series are the main and secondary characters. Betts is likable, inquisitive and a compassionate person who strives to help the ghosts who appear to her. She and her Grandmother can see and talk to the ghosts of Broken Rope. There are plenty who show up as. Broken Rope has a past history of wild west justice and crime. Her friend Jake and her grandmother are great support characters. I like that the ghost announce themselves with an odor.
The town of Broken Rope is almost a character in itself. There are many stories to be told. I like that there are always two mysteries. One from the past and one from the present. Betts is conflicted between her present love Cliff and a cowboy ghost Jerome who was introduced in the first book. Jerome cares for Betts and watches over her when she is in danger. If you like paranormal cozies, you should like this book It is a fun series. Maybe you are like me and will find out that you do like paranormal cozy mysteries after you read a book in this series. I always look forward to the next book coming our in the series to see what ghosts Betts encounters and what mysteries she will solve.
If Onions Could Spring Leeks by Paige Shelton is the fifth book in the Gram's Country Cooking School Mystery series. To sum up my thoughts about this book in a word: wow. This is the first book I have read in the series, but I felt the author did a nice job of explaining some of the back story so that new readers aren't lost.
Betts Winston and her Paternal Grandmother, Mizz, run a country cooking school in the town of Broken Rope, Missouri. Not only do they run the cooking school, they both hear voices and see thing…ghostly voices and things that is. Having been born with the gift of being able to interact with ghosts.
The characters and the town of Broken Rope (really a character in itself) are what really makes this cozy special. I found myself absorbed in the story right away. I loved Betts and Miz and I can't believe I haven't read this series sooner. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous four books in this series. Ms. Shelton also included 5 yummy recipes. Make sure to look for them in the back of the book!
I received a copy of this book in advance for review purposes. My opinion is my own and was not influenced in any way. I was not required to post a positive review.
If Onions Could Spring Leeks may be my favorite book in Paige Shelton's Country Cooking School Mysteries. The ghosts are back in new and exciting ways. There's several scene with Betts and Jerome that had me squealing with delight. This mystery is really cool. The past murder was so intricate and I had no idea who killed Grace up until the reveal. The present day murder was also done so well I was figuring it all out right beside Betts.
I love the town of Broken Rope and it's always fun to come back to the cast of characters that live there. Betts, her grandmother, Jake, and Teddy feel like old friends now. I curled up with this book each night and was transported into their lives. I can't wait for the next one!
If Onions Could Spring Leeks is the fifth installment in Paige Shelton’s series, A Country Cooking School Mystery. Now that I have read it I can hardly wait for her to continue the series. Betts Winston the main character grabbed me from the beginning, and led me through time to solve the crimes. Not many authors can string together characters and make them come to live for the reader, however Paige Shelton is one of the few that can. I never would have though that you could incorporate the main characters to be diverse and unique to each setting but they truly make this book come together. I enjoyed the mix of interesting romance and small humors points that kept this book in my hands.
It’s summer tourist season in Broken Rope. Everything seems to be going well as visitors take stagecoach rides and watch locals perform in Old West skits. When a visitor from the past arrives, Betts and Grandma get back to work helping the ghost discover what happened to them in their past. When she least expects it, Betts finds herself the victim of an attack. Is it related to the ghostly appearance? I love this series! Paige Shelton does a great job developing the characters. The setting makes me want to find someplace nearby like Broken Rope and go visit. The plot moves very steadily and keeps the reader engaged. I can’t believe this is the end. I need more!!!
I just recently finished reading "If Onions Could Spring Leeks" by Paige Shelton. I have just recently started reading the "cozy mysteries" genre. This book kept my attention so well I didn't want to put it down! Just when I thought I had the mystery figured out, there would be a twist in the plot. I enjoy historical fiction as a whole and liked the concept of intertwining the present day mystery with the past. I look forward to reading more books by this author. "In full disclosure I was given a copy of this book by the author for a fair and honest review."
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy/paranormal mystery. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I can't wait to read more. The main characters were likeable and the story flowed well. This is the fifth book in the series but it can be read as a stand-alone book. It was full of mystery with a hint of romance and kept me guessing who did it.
I highly recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
If Onions Could Spring Leeks is an enjoyable combination of great grub and mystery. This is the 5th book in a fabulous series that includes a cast of characters anyone would love to know. It's wonderfully fast paced and grabs your attention from beginning to end. I look forward to the next installment!!!
With summer tourists flocking to Broken Rope, locals volunteer to keep chaos to a minimum. Old West skits are running smoothly, actors are behaving, and stagecoach rides are more popular than ever, but when a spectral visitor appears by ghost train, it’s a job only Betts and Gram can handle.
Gram soon starts having nightmares about their ghostly visitor’s demise. And if a ghost and the hot summer weather weren’t making things sticky enough, one of the town’s volunteers—a man notorious for having more than his fair share of ex-wives—is murdered. When Jerome, Bett’s otherworldly friend, makes an unsettling appearance, this simmering double mystery becomes a recipe for disaster.
I am very sad to see this group of characters (and boy were they ever CHARACTERS!) as this was the last book (so far....I hope she plans on writing another one hint hint @PaigeShelton)
This last book had me on the edge of my seat all throughout the book. I thought I had it sorted and figured out why things were happening so differently than in the other books in the series but when I kept reading I realized I was wrong. I tried every different way to figure this out but still couldn't get it right.
This is a fun and fast series to get through and a great way to start off your summer reading program.
OH, I've already tried two of the recipes in this one, and they're GOOD!!! I can't say a thing bad about the story, either! Betts continues to find bodies, this time almost becoming one herself!!! With the assistance of her ghostly crush, Jerome, best bud, Jake, and significant other, Cliff, Betts takes off on a journey across time to right some wrongs, and to bring a present-day killer to justice.
I have been on a Cozy mystery kick, reading based on covers. So, I had no idea what to expect with Gram's Country Cooking School. What I found was a supernatural mystery with a heroine who ran headlong into trouble and wouldn't have survived without supernatural assistance. Not only did she not solve the crime, she should have been a victim. I just get disappointed when the lead doesn't do most of the work themselves.
Book five is the scariest one of the series. I was not a fan of an increased violent streak in the ghostly visitors. Also, the 'romance' with a ghost and one of the main characters is past my comfort zone as well. I am going to attempt the next installment but will not finish it if the creepiness factor ramps up anymore. I love the characters and the town but not enough to keep myself up at night.
Not my favorite in the Gram's Country Cooking School Mystery series, but still very entertaining from start to finish. I love the fictional town of Broken Rope with all of it's fabulous and grisly history and the characters are likable too. I wasn't a huge fan of the ghostly possessions, but other than that it was good. A fun, fast read.
Gram and Betts are once again drawn into a current murder investigation (a local guy who has had 5 wives) and a historical one involving a mixed race couple and a train trip. The friendly ghost helps in the solution. A fun set of characters especially the historical ones. The use of the local historical society for clues is interesting.
Good ending to this series. A lot of things going on besides the two mysteries themselves. The author kept my interest and even kept it plain who was talking when things got very complicated between ghosts and humans.
A little slow to start but once the plot starts to go it is a great book to read. I love it that one does not know what was going on with the ghosts nor who had murdered Derrick. We find out in the last few pages. One of her better books in this series.
This one is my favorite of the series. Unfortunately, it appears to be the last book in the series even though it didn't wrap up any of the loose ends. I hope the author is just taking a long pause and we will eventually have another ghostly mystery involving the Country Cooking School!
Isabelle or Betts can communicate with ghosts and she attempts to investigate a current day murder of a local man at the same time she tries to solve a murder case from 1888 for three restless ghosts.