"Fruit of All Evil: A Farmer's Market Mystery," by Paige Shelton, The Berkley Publishing Group, 290 pages, $7.99 (f)
In her latest novel, "Fruit of All Evil: A Farmer’s Market Mystery," Salt Lake City author Paige Shelton delivers up a tasty blend of believable characters, country charm, and naturally, a mysterious murder that will leave readers wondering who the culprit is to the very end.
As the follow-up to her bestselling novel, "Farm Fresh," Shelton’s latest work continues the story of spunky entrepreneur Becca Robins and her unusually exciting life centered in and around the stalls of a South Carolina farmer’s market.
This time, Becca is anxiously trying to plan her best friend’s wedding by utilizing not only her own know-how of producing fantastic preserves, but by calling upon the many talents of her other market associates as well. But just days before the wedding, the future bride’s soon-to-be mother-in-law turns up dead. This leaves Becca anxious to salvage her friend’s nuptials by solving the crime in her usual snooping fashion.
For readers who enjoy other culinary mystery series, especially the delicious recipes, Shelton doesn’t disappoint. The thought of chocolate strawberry preserves alone will make readers salivate.
From a technical standpoint, Shelton's dialogue is witty and her characterizations are consistent and spot-on. An example is when she describes said mother-in-law as "...at least seventy years old but didn't look a day over plastic surgery." Becca, on the other hand, is very likable and exudes just the right amount of spunkiness and determination needed to get caught up in the messes she finds herself in. And her love interest, yard artist Ian Cartwright, makes the perfect sensible counterpart.
While the main characters are realistic and well-developed, some of the other minor characters seem to get overlooked. In fact, a few of the characters that end up playing a pivotal role in the plot are almost completely ignored. This takes away from some of the suspense and makes the ending feel a little jarring. Overall, the story moves along at a nice pace and is interesting. The setting of various rural farms is unique, giving the book a nice homey feel.
If you go:
What: Book signing
When: Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Online: kingsenglish.com
Kim Grant has written for magazines like LDSLiving, the Washington Family, Back Home, Parents & Kids, and Natural Life. She has published two novels with Covenant Communications. Visit her at kcgrant.com.