The Blurb
Finally healing after her heart-breaking divorce, Anne Freemont is ready to put the painful past behind her.
Discovering an old Victorian for sale in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs may be just what she needs. The beauty of Colorado beckons, so Anne heads west to start her new life.
Yet, before Anne's completely settled in, her neighbor is found dead in his compost pile. What’s worse is that Anne’s quirky young neighbor, Kandi Jenkins, could be the killer. When Kandi begs for her help, Anne feels she has no choice but to help the young woman.
However, she finds herself quickly at odds with the local sheriff. And while she uncovers more of the community's secrets, she's also exploring her awakening feelings for Sam Powers, the town's deputy coroner.
Once Anne starts looking at who could be the real killer, the suspect list keeps getting longer and longer. It seems that Carolan Springs is a place of many secrets. But who would want to murder Ralph and who’s willing to kill again to keep their secret?
Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton
Series: A Backyard Farming Mystery, #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 12, 2018
Publisher: Morewellson, LTD
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 0999440209
ISBN-13: 978-0999440209
eBook File Size: 398 KB
ASIN: B079SS1C4S
Kindle [currently on sale for 99¢] | Amazon
Series: A Backyard Farming Mystery, #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 12, 2018
Publisher: Morewellson, LTD
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 0999440209
ISBN-13: 978-0999440209
eBook File Size: 398 KB
ASIN: B079SS1C4S
Kindle [currently on sale for 99¢] | Amazon
The Excerpt
Anne yawned and stretched her hands over her head. She unlocked the kitchen window, taking in a deep breath of crisp Colorado air and sighed loudly. No longer would she have to deal with divorce lawyers or Duke. She could finally live her life as she saw fit.
Anne surveyed her domain. Even though boxes cluttered every available space, it didn’t matter to her. What she cared about was that it was all hers. While the work ahead might seem daunting, the prospect of transforming the old Victorian house didn’t deter Anne.
She poured herself a cup of coffee, both hands cradling the mug, before deciding to drink it out on the back porch. Rays of sunshine had risen about the copse at the back of her property, and its golden warmth welcomed the day. Raising the mug to her mouth, Anne took a much-needed sip of the hot morning brew.
“Stop! Stop!” A woman’s voice carried over from the other yard.
Anne sloshed coffee onto her chambray shirt. “Shoot!” She set her cup down on the railing. The liquid turning cold began seeping onto her skin.
“Stop!” The piercing scream came again.
Anne yawned and stretched her hands over her head. She unlocked the kitchen window, taking in a deep breath of crisp Colorado air and sighed loudly. No longer would she have to deal with divorce lawyers or Duke. She could finally live her life as she saw fit.
Anne surveyed her domain. Even though boxes cluttered every available space, it didn’t matter to her. What she cared about was that it was all hers. While the work ahead might seem daunting, the prospect of transforming the old Victorian house didn’t deter Anne.
She poured herself a cup of coffee, both hands cradling the mug, before deciding to drink it out on the back porch. Rays of sunshine had risen about the copse at the back of her property, and its golden warmth welcomed the day. Raising the mug to her mouth, Anne took a much-needed sip of the hot morning brew.
“Stop! Stop!” A woman’s voice carried over from the other yard.
Anne sloshed coffee onto her chambray shirt. “Shoot!” She set her cup down on the railing. The liquid turning cold began seeping onto her skin.
“Stop!” The piercing scream came again.
Check out my March 6 post, for another excerpt.
The Review
I just read a good book, y'all — Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton, Book One in the Backyard Farming Mystery series. Let me tell you a little about it.
Chicken Culprit starts off with a feature that I really like to find in a book — a Cast of Characters. Speaking of characters, I think my favorites are Sam, Hope, Eliza, and Hank. They're all interesting and easy to like.
The mystery is plausible. It does seem like all of the evidence points to Kandi's guilt, yet Kandi insists she's innocent. Anne has a lot of work ahead of her to solve this one.
My favorite parts in Chicken Culprit are Anne's "Welcome to Carolan Springs" party and her housewarming party. There's an unexpected twist at the end, which is a nice touch. I enjoyed the backyard farming theme of Chicken Culprit. It makes me wish I could try my hand at it, if I had the space.
I like Chicken Culprit, and recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries everywhere. I think it will have special appeal to those who are fans of Linda Lovely's Brie Hooker Mysteries and Wendy Tyson's Greenhouse Mysteries. I enjoyed Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton, and grant it Three Kitties.
Three out of five kitties
Note: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of Chicken Culprit. All opinions shared are 100% my own.
The Author
About Vikki Walton
Vikki Walton is passionate about helping others get what they really want out of life. She’s helped people launch writing careers, start businesses, pursue passions, and live their dreams. In addition to writing, she’s an engaging speaker, instructor and consultant.
Vikki is a suburban homesteader aka the Havensteader. She has chickens, gardens, and bees and is a certified permaculture designer. She’s also the author of nonfiction books.
Vikki believes that life’s way too short to pursue one thing at a time! Her favorite genre is mystery and suspense so she started a backyard farming series. The first book in the series is Chicken Culprit. She loves to travel, is a global house and pet sitter and when not out in the garden or hiking in beautiful Colorado, is plotting her next mystery.
Visit Vikki Walton on the web at these locations:
The Giveaway
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