Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery: Book 8
Publication Date: December 11, 2023
BOOK EIGHT in the Award-winning BARKS & BEANS CAFE cozy mystery series!!
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
During Lewisburg’s popular summer home and garden tour, Macy and her brother Bo discover new aspects of their hometown’s history. One of the last homes they visit features a lush commemorative shade garden marking where a Civil War soldier’s bones were buried. As Macy pauses to admire a bed of blue hostas, she glimpses a shadowy shape lying beneath the dinner-plate leaves. It turns out to be the body of famed movie star Cody Franklin, who’d purchased the garden house as a quiet country retreat.
Back at the cafe, Macy speaks with Cody’s distraught sister, who lets slip that she’s afraid her brother’s killer will target her next. Macy’s heart goes out to the bereaved sibling, and she agrees to speak with Cody’s local acquaintances in hopes she’ll uncover some helpful backstory.
But someone powerful is lurking behind the scenes, and Macy has to zoom in on the killer before everything fades to black.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
The Barks & Beans Cafe series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade
Book 4: Spilled Milk
Book 5: Trouble Brewing
Book 6: Cold Drip
Book 7: Roast Date
Book 8: Shade Grown
Standalone Novella: House Blend
Shade Grown is the eighth book in Heather Day Gilbert’s Barks & Beans Café Cozy Mystery series and only the second one I’ve read so far. I hope to rectify that soon since this cozy mystery series has some endearing characters and many layers as we figure out whodunnit.
Brother and sister duo Bo and Macy are the owners of the café. Bo is also the mayor of their small town after retiring from his previous jobs. Macy handles the shelter dogs brought in by her future sister-in-law, Summer, to mingle with the customers and maybe find their forever home. There are some laugh-out-loud moments watching the dogs in action and interacting with Macy’s big dog, Coal. Bo’s cat also gives Coal a run for his money.
We are introduced to some new characters currently in the small town of Lewisburg, West Virginia, and some are just not likable. There are several storylines within the main arc, some unexpected. Macy is an amateur sleuth who loves Agatha Christie’s books and isn’t always careful in her dealings with others. It’s a good thing that Bo and the police are always just a phone call away!
There are a lot of twists and turns in the story, and it mainly has a good flow. I liked seeing how Macy compiles the many clues to find out who murdered the movie star in their midst. It was interesting how we’re introduced to others he’s brought along or followed him to their small town. Of course, Macy solves the crime and more, but only by putting herself in the crosshairs several times. There is closure but also some loose ends that may bring us to the following books in the series.
Shade Grown is a small town cozy mystery with several secondary characters to add layers to the story as Macy and the police figure out whodunnit!
HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an RWA Daphne du Maurier Award-winning author and 2-time ECPA Christy Award finalist, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with unpredictable twists, much like the Agatha Christie books she read growing up. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Find out more at heatherdaygilbert.com.
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