Berry the Hatchet

Berry the Hatchet by Peg Cochran is the second book in A Cranberry Cove Mystery series. Monica Albertson is getting the Sassamanash Farm stand in town ready for the Winter Walk. Their mayor, Preston Crowley came up with the Winter Walk as a way to bring tourists to Cranberry Cove during the winter. People are waiting for the arrival of the sleigh with Miss Winter Walk (the mayor’s niece, Candy) and Mayor Crowley. All of the sudden the sleigh comes down the street at a very fast pace (run away sleigh). When they finally get the horse to stop, they find Preston Crowley inside with a unusual knife in his neck. Why would someone kill the mayor? Turns out that Preston was dating both Monica’s mother and step-mother at the same time (talk about a busy bee). Both women end up suspects. Monica is determined to get them off the suspect list. There have to be other people who were not happy with their esteemed mayor! Can Monica find the killer while not ending up a victim herself? Can her mother (Nancy Albertson) and step-mother (Gina Albertson) stand being in the same town without hurting each other? You will have to read Berry the Hatchet to find out! Berry the Hatchet was just delightful. The book has engaging characters, a beautiful setting (can you imagine a lovely, small town with snow), and a fun mystery. I just wish the murder mystery had been a little more difficult to solve. I did, though, enjoy following the clues (the author provided some good clues) to the conclusion (where I confirmed I picked the right killer). Berry the Hatchet can be read as a stand-alone book if you have not read the first book in the series. I look forward to the next novel in A Cranberry Cove Mystery series. I give Berry the Hatchet 4.5 out of 5 stars (if I had not been able to solve the mystery it would have been a 5). Berry the Hatchet had just the right blend of mystery, romance, friends (and quirky characters), and family. Peg Cochran did a very good job constructing Berry the Hatchet. I received a complimentary copy of Berry the Hatchet from the author (as a part of the Cozy Mystery Review Crew) in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.