Farmed and Dangerous

In Maxwell’s enticing third Local Foods mystery (after 2014’s ’Til Dirt Do Us Part), farmer Cam Flaherty hopes to persuade an assisted living facility, Moran Manor, to buy vegetables from next summer’s crop. Cam’s great-uncle Albert St. Pierre, the former owner of her farm in Westbury, Mass., lives at Moran Manor, as does cranky Bev Montgomery, a member of an anti-immigrant militia group. When Bev dies after eating some of Cam’s produce, Cam falls under suspicion, and her romance with state police detective Pete Pappas suffers as a result. Meanwhile, Bev’s daughter is linked to some shoddy construction, Moran Manor’s cook is leading a secret life, and Cam’s opera singer neighbor is raising apples. Somewhere in this complex stew is a murderer, and—despite police warnings—Cam can’t stop asking questions. Cozy fans will be able to relate to this spunky but sometimes foolishly unwary heroine, who at one point gets locked in a root cellar by an unseen assailant. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency. (June)