About the Book
As Daisy McGovern knows all too well, it isn't easy being a young, small-town waitress at a local diner in Virginia. It becomes even harder as she's trying to stitch her life back together and salvage her job by converting the diner into a bakery. She's preoccupied with snickerdoodles and cinnamon buns, trying to feed a group of geocachers in town, when a mysterious robbery occurs in the back room and one of the thieves ends up dead with a chef's knife in his chest. With the sheriff out of town, Daisy, distrustful of the cop left in charge, takes it upon herself to follow up on clues and find out who the robber was and why he was there. While she's investigating, she meets a handsome geocacher and is commissioned to bake a cake for the unlikely wedding of one of the Balsam boys, at the same time trying to avoid the charms of his moonshine-brewing brother.
When a second murder occurs, Daisy finds herself in a twisted game of cat and mouse that takes her from secretive nip joints overflowing with moonshine to weathered Appalachian mountaintops overflowing with history and guns. She must figure out who is the murderer and how her bakery is involved before she becomes the next victim.
A Nip of Murder is the second entry in this charming series filled with eccentric characters, red herrings, and, of course, moonshine! Carol Miller hits all the right notes, creating a unique mystery that will delight as well as surprise.
About the Author :
CAROL MILLER was born in Germany, raised in Chicago, and works as an international business consultant. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia, where she lives. Miller is the author of Moonshine and Murder.
Review :
In her second outing after the acclaimed debut Murder and Moonshine, Daisy McGovern is the very definition of a spunky steel magnolia, having survived her husband's abandonment and done what she can to rebuild her life. Fans of mysteries set in rural Southern communities will identify with Miller's characters. Recommend to anyone who misses Anne George's "Southern Sisters" mysteries. Library Journal
Trouble has a way of finding small-town bakery owner Daisy McGovern....Stolen maps, bats, and red-velvet cake round out this fun southern mystery. Booklist
Daisy, the Balsam boys and the other likker-sipping characters from Murder and Moonshine are back for another round in this lively blend of local color, homicide and whiskey-fueled high jinks. Miller puts Daisy squarely center stage in her second outing--not that she doesn't belong there, but even her sexy nemesis remains in her shadow in this entertaining sequel. Kirkus Reviews
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In her second outing after the acclaimed debut "Murder and Moonshine," Daisy McGovern is the very definition of a spunky steel magnolia, having survived her husband's abandonment and done what she can to rebuild her life. Fans of mysteries set in rural Southern communities will identify with Miller's characters. Recommend to anyone who misses Anne George's "Southern Sisters" mysteries. "Library Journal"
Trouble has a way of finding small-town bakery owner Daisy McGovern....Stolen maps, bats, and red-velvet cake round out this fun southern mystery. "Booklist"
Daisy, the Balsam boys and the other likker-sipping characters from "Murder and Moonshine" are back for another round in this lively blend of local color, homicide and whiskey-fueled high jinks. Miller puts Daisy squarely center stage in her second outing--not that she doesn't belong there, but even her sexy nemesis remains in her shadow in this entertaining sequel. "Kirkus Reviews""
"In her second outing after the acclaimed debut "Murder and Moonshine," Daisy McGovern is the very definition of a spunky steel magnolia, having survived her husband's abandonment and done what she can to rebuild her life. Fans of mysteries set in rural Southern communities will identify with Miller's characters. Recommend to anyone who misses Anne George's "Southern Sisters" mysteries."--"Library Journal
""Trouble has a way of finding small-town bakery owner Daisy McGovern....Stolen maps, bats, and red-velvet cake round out this fun southern mystery."--"Booklist
""Daisy, the Balsam boys and the other likker-sipping characters from "Murder and Moonshine" are back for another round... in this lively blend of local color, homicide and whiskey-fueled high jinks. Miller puts Daisy squarely center stage in her second outing--not that she doesn't belong there, but even her sexy nemesis remains in her shadow in this entertaining sequel."--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Trouble has a way of finding small-town bakery owner Daisy McGovern....Stolen maps, bats, and red-velvet cake round out this fun southern mystery."--"Booklist
""Daisy, the Balsam boys and the other likker-sipping characters from "Murder and Moonshine" are back for another round... in this lively blend of local color, homicide and whiskey-fueled high jinks. Miller puts Daisy squarely center stage in her second outing--not that she doesn't belong there, but even her sexy nemesis remains in her shadow in this entertaining sequel."--"Kirkus Reviews"
Praise for "Murder and Moonshine"
"With an ordinary heroine ensnared in extraordinary events, a colorful rendering of southern Virginia and a terrifying climax, 'Murder and Moonshine' marks the beginning of a potent series."--"The Richmond Times-Dispatch
""Miller's debut amuses but also slices into the heart of a proud region...Easy to read, shot with romance, and full of country aphorisms, this book succeeds both at puzzling and moving readers emotionally."--"Library Journal "(starred debut of the month)
"Appealing debut...Miller has produced a story full of intriguing clues and misdirection, liberally laced with Southern charm."--"Publishers Weekly
""Small-town shenanigans in the Appalachians pit a waitress against a furtive murderer and an even deadlier foe....Daisy is both strong and vulnerable....Miller's debut uses a light touch and a gift for scene painting in its skillful balance of people and puzzle."--"Kirkus Reviews
""Down on her luck but still plenty plucky, Daisy is a sweet southern gal with a loyal heart and a long memory. Readers will enjoy watching the love triangle between Daisy, the local bad boy, and the federal agent unfold."--"Booklist
""[A] lively debut. Miller keeps the tone light in "Murder and Moonshine" while delivering an incisive look at Southwestern Virginia....Moonshine, land deals, and family grudges are folded into the entertaining plot. Miller elevates her debut with a likable heroine, whose involvement...comes from her personal connection with the land and its people. "Murder and Moonshine" is long on Southern charm, but doesn't succumb to stereotypes about country life. The characters are a bit eccentric...but they are realistically and thoughtfully explored by Miller."--Oline H. Cogdill, "Mystery Scene""Magazine
""A richly-textured, engrossing mystery with a deep dish of down-home charm. Greed, betrayal, small-town feuds, and a shotgun-toting aunt make for an entertaining read."
