by Vikki Walton
Genres: Cozy Mystery, women's fiction
Format: Kindle, Paperback

Chicken Culprit: A Backyard Farming Mystery (Volume 1) by Vikki Walton Cozy

Synopsis:

Moving to Colorado seemed like a great way to start over. In Carolan Springs, Anne plans to spend her days living a simpler life. But when her neighbor is found dead in his compost pile, trouble comes knocking on Anne’s door. All the evidence points to Anne’s other neighbor, Kandi. As the young woman begs for her help, Anne finds herself thrust into a world of deceit and secrets. Who had the most to gain from Ralph’s death? As the suspect list grows, Anne finds her desire for the simple life may have led her somewhere sinister.

Review:

Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton is a charming, entertaining and humorous cozy mystery that all murder mystery lovers will surely revel in and enjoy.

The story follows Anne Fremont, a newly divorced woman, from an abusive husband. Determined to make a new life and beginning for herself, she purchases and moves into an old Victorian home in the lovely small town of Carolan Springs, Colorado. She goes about meeting her new neighbors, when she suddenly hears loud arguing coming from her neighbor’s home. Upon investigation, Anne finds an old man holding an ax and a chicken, while a young woman is yelling at him to let her chicken go. Then, it happens again, she hears screaming and runs to see what could be going on this time. But, she is in for quite a surprise, as she finds the same old man, cold dead in a pile of compost. Anne’s newly acquired friend becomes the main suspect, and Anne sets out to help clear her name and find the real killer. And, the entire neighborhood gets involved too. What follows is a funny yet suspenseful story, as Anne becomes an amateur sleuth.

Chicken Culprit is wonderful, with a full cast of likeable characters that are fully developed, with the perfect personalities to depict for small town life. Vikki Walton has done an exemplary job of creating them and giving them quirky personalities that persuades readers, and gives desire to get to know them better. The story is told from the point of view of the main character Anne, who is the in depth and fully developed star of the show. I connected with her immediately, as she moves from the busy, big city and must quickly adjust to small town living. Although she begins with no idea of what she is doing, her detective skills, eventually, prove to be quite incredible.

Author, Vikki Walton gives readers plenty of clues throughout this credible, delightful and fun story. The storyline and plot are unique and quite feasible, with unforeseen twists and turns around every corner. Her writing style drew me in from the very first chapter and kept me hooked until the very last page. The ending is a surprise and I was left feeling very satisfied and a bit emotional.

Chicken Culprit is an extraordinary whodunit, and an enjoyable page-turner, full of detail and rich in dialogue. It is a light, easy read, filled with anticipation, puzzling scenarios and a lot of welcomed laughs. I couldn’t put this book down and have to admit, that it is now one of my favorite cozy reads. Recommended by Chick Lit Café for all cozy mystery lovers and those that want an interesting escape to a small delightful town filled with mystery, intrigue and amusing residents.

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