When a vegan moves to a goat farm, and a pig discovers bones, it makes for a fun mystery. Check out Linda Lovely’s first Brie Hooker mystery, Bones to Pick.

Brie Hooker is a vegan, now in meat country, Ardon County, South Carolina. After her Aunt Lilly’s death, Brie is at her Aunt Eva’s farm, the Udderly Kidding Dairy, to help her tend 400 goats, make cheese and gather eggs. Brie blames everything that happens on Tammy the pig. She’s the one who dug up bones that Eva suspects may belong to her abusive husband, Jed Watson, who disappeared forty years earlier. Eva wasn’t prepared for “Finding a corpse on her property the same day she bid her twin goodbye.”

And, no one in the family is prepared for Eva to be arrested for Jed’s murder. But, the dead man was related to the sheriff and what seems like half the residents of Ardon County. And, those relatives have blamed Eva for years, suspecting she killed Jed and stole the family property. Brie’s mother, an attorney, does her best for Eva. But, with the sheriff convinced Eva’s a killer, he’s not going to investigate any further.

Brie hooks up with an old friend, Mollye, and two hunks to investigate. David Painter, Paint, is the owner of Magic Moonshine. His best friend, Andy, is the local vet. And, the four of them are musketeers willing to do almost anything to find the true killer. Death threats, an outrageous pedicure, another murder, and a biker bar are just a few of the escapades.

I loved the outrageous adventures and the characters in Lovely’s Bones to Pick. Normally, I object when the amateur sleuth has two men on the string. But, as best friends, Andy and Paint are competitive, and Eva’s comments only make the situation funner. This amusing book will make you smile. It’s an entertaining way to kick off a new series.

Linda Lovely’s website is www.lindalovely.com

Bones to Pick by Linda Lovely. Henery Press. 2017. ISBN 9781635112627 (hardcover), 266p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.