I hope those of you who read mystery series take my suggestions seriously. Wendy Tyson’s Seeds of Revenge is a fascinating mystery with well-developed characters in a small town. There’s a complex, character-driven plot. But, I’d recommend that you start with A Muddied Murder, the first in the series, if you can. The main character, her family and friends, are so interesting in this third book that I wish I had started with the first one.

Megan Sawyer, ex-lawyer turned organic farmer and cafe owner, is on her way back from a business trip to Philadelphia when she comes upon a stranded car. Then she finds the owner, walking through the snow. Megan picks up Becca Fox, not realizing she’s bringing trouble into the town of Winsome, PA. Becca is heading to her aunt Merry’s house, but when she and Megan arrive, Becca is furious to see her estranged father. She makes no secret that she blames him for her mother’s death, and says he killed her.

Megan had left Winsome for college when the Fox family lived for a short time in Winsome. She never knew the troubled family. But, Megan witnesses the end of an argument between her great-aunt Sarah and Paul Fox, Becca’s father. When Paul’s son finds him dead in their rented house, it quickly becomes apparent that many people in town disliked Paul Fox. And, Megan’s great-aunt had an unusual connection to Fox and his death.

There are so many aspects of this book that I like. Megan is a mature, intelligent character, a widow, an ex-lawyer. She has an excellent relationship with the young police chief. “She’d come to respect his abilities and toughness as a new police chief, and he seemed to appreciate her insight.” The two work well together, and, in most cases, she keeps him informed in advance of any actions.

Seeds of Revenge involves families, and issues in several families, including Megan’s own. Megan aches to make things right for the town she loves. Traditional mysteries, and particularly cozy mysteries, often deal with an imbalance. Something sets off the balance in a small town. Megan has a reason to search for a killer. “And once again there was a sore festering amongst the good people of Winsome.”

You can start with the third book in “A Greenhouse Mystery” series, Seeds of Revenge. I suggest, though, that you start with A Muddied Murder.

Wendy Tyson’s website is watyson.com

Seeds of Revenge by Wendy Tyson. Henery Press. 2017. ISBN 9781635112788 (hardcover), 272p.

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