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Heaven Preserve Us (Home Crafting Mystery #2)
by
Cricket McRae (Goodreads Author)
Praise for Lye in Wait, the first Home Crafting Mystery:
"McRae crafts strong characters [and] spins a credible, enjoyable plot." —Library Journal
"McRae crafts strong characters [and] spins a credible, enjoyable plot." —Library Journal
"[A] wonderful start to a mystery series." —Cozy Library
Wine jelly. Watermelon pickles. And a suicidal stalker? Great.
Thirty-something crafter extraordinaire Sophie Mae Reynolds makes preserves by day and answers a crisis center h
Paperback, 299 pages
Published
August 8th 2008
by Midnight Ink
(first published 2008)
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For anyone that knows me, I'm not much for mysteries. However, I am trying to expand my horizons and branch out into other styles of writing. I saw this on a free booklist and decided to give it a whirl. I figured since it had somewhat to do with food, how bad could it be?
I was pleasantly surprised with the entire read. The characters were well developed, the story was easy to read, and frankly, not lame. In fact, I was quite taken by the whole thing and really enjoyed myself throughout the whol...more
I was pleasantly surprised with the entire read. The characters were well developed, the story was easy to read, and frankly, not lame. In fact, I was quite taken by the whole thing and really enjoyed myself throughout the whol...more
I've discovered a new genre of fiction, and I'm dubbing it, "Domestic Mysteries." They are murder mysteries where the main character is of the highly domestic type. I love them and that makes me such a nerd!
This first one I found just by chance on the shelf when looking for another book. The main character has a home business selling homemade soaps. (Apparently this is the second in the series, and the first one was more about soap and was called Lye in Wait). In Heaven Preserve Us the mystery r...more
This first one I found just by chance on the shelf when looking for another book. The main character has a home business selling homemade soaps. (Apparently this is the second in the series, and the first one was more about soap and was called Lye in Wait). In Heaven Preserve Us the mystery r...more
This is a weak 4.... it is kind of fun, and I enjoyed it....but after the fact, I realize I don't have any clear impression of either character or plot. I can sit myself down and think aobut it, and recall it, but it isn't one that stands out, that leaves me really wanting more of the characters, etc. Good plane reading, or reading when I am looking for something to read casually.
A reputation as a small town busybody sleuth. A gum-cracking boss who keeps calling her "babe." Now a suicidal phone...more
A reputation as a small town busybody sleuth. A gum-cracking boss who keeps calling her "babe." Now a suicidal phone...more
Awesome book. Great characters. Interesting story. Was glad to see the recipes at the end, though was hoping to see the sawdust muffin recipe though. Also was hoping to have B move in at the end and E to win and someone to hook up with the cute handymen.... But overall a satisfying read. Oh there were a couple grammar spelling issues in the digital edition, none major or confusing like I've seen in other digital versions of books. Oh, is there a way to pick a digital edition on the app?
And thank...more
And thank...more
I really liked this book. I have read quite a few cozies and began getting tired of the way the main character would stumble into solving the mystery. In this book it is handled so much more grown up and realistic. Not contrived at all.. The character actually has reason to go looking for clues and hunting down truth. and it is not done in a busybody annoying way,it is well handled. This author writes this Genre very different from the others I have read. I cant say enough about how she handles...more
Jan 22, 2013
Neeka
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
home-crafting-mysteries
I guess I am a bigger nerd than I thought after all these years... I got so excited about this series and genre of books. Home crafting mysteries?!?! I have a few of the Tea Shoppe Mysteries and the Scrapbook mysteries - but this series really got me excited. And the recipes at the end - I can't wait to try some canning this sumer and the jellied wine. The plot was very well written and I was extremely impressed. I have been finding some gems through a few free books for Kindle sights and I am r...more
Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McCrae
Summary: Wine jelly. Watermelon pickles. And a suicidal stalker? Great.
Thirty-something crafter extraordinaire Sophie Mae Reynolds makes preserves by day and answers a crisis center help referral line by night. What better way to help people while still keeping a low profile? But on her very first night, she gets a call from a man who is threatening suicide... and her. Angrily deeming the caller a crank, her boss, Philip Heaven, disconnects the line. Days late...more
Summary: Wine jelly. Watermelon pickles. And a suicidal stalker? Great.
Thirty-something crafter extraordinaire Sophie Mae Reynolds makes preserves by day and answers a crisis center help referral line by night. What better way to help people while still keeping a low profile? But on her very first night, she gets a call from a man who is threatening suicide... and her. Angrily deeming the caller a crank, her boss, Philip Heaven, disconnects the line. Days late...more
I'm fond of schlocky mysteries--so sue me!
There's some oddness (the main character is the boarder in a house run by a single mom, and one of her duties is to help raise the child?), and the depiction of a middle-aged romance is actually really depressing, but hey, it's a mystery that incorporates home canning--how much more can you ask of it?
Also? Loving the recipes! I am absolutely going to make wine jelly, AND the air fresheners(if I can figure out a vegan substitute for the gelatin). I may e...more
There's some oddness (the main character is the boarder in a house run by a single mom, and one of her duties is to help raise the child?), and the depiction of a middle-aged romance is actually really depressing, but hey, it's a mystery that incorporates home canning--how much more can you ask of it?
Also? Loving the recipes! I am absolutely going to make wine jelly, AND the air fresheners(if I can figure out a vegan substitute for the gelatin). I may e...more
This novel was about our sleuth, home crafter, Sophie Mae trying to solve a crime involving the director of the Helpline referral charity. The crime is death by Botulism. Not only did Sophie Mae witness the death, she has attracted a stalker.
With her detective boyfriend recovering from his injury, Sophie Mae feels it is up to her to solve this crime as the local police feel it is just a death due to accident.
As a bonus the book also has recipes for Wine Jellies, saltea bath bags, and air freshen...more
With her detective boyfriend recovering from his injury, Sophie Mae feels it is up to her to solve this crime as the local police feel it is just a death due to accident.
As a bonus the book also has recipes for Wine Jellies, saltea bath bags, and air freshen...more
Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McRae was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the special information on soap making and canning. The plot was somewhat disappointing as I guessed the murderer early on. However, the book held my interest and the writing was well-crafted. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
Sophie Mae Reynolds is such a likeable character, I cannot resist this series of mysteries. They are well written, in very contemporary, non-fussy language, with a group of characters that one could actually imagine knowing. Sophie gets herself into situations that anyone of us might, so they are not hard to believe. Even the crimes don't seem far-fetched as they do in lots of mysteries. One only need be able to believe that the screwballs of the world who live next-door, cross the line. This is...more
Heaven Preserve Us has a good storyline and likeable characters. There were a few editing mistakes that slowed down my reading, but not annoying enough to keep me from finishing. Those mistakes are the only reason I didn't rate this book higher. If you like cozy mysteries, you will like this one. There are also a couple of recipes included in the book that I can't wait to try. I would like to read more from this author, and luckily she has written other books in this series.
Sophie Mae owns her own crafting business selling homemade soaps, scrubs, teas etc. She also volunteers at a local crisis hotline. When the hotline's boss dies, the police believe it's an accident. So, Sophie Mae investigates it as a murder herself.
Heaven Preserve Us is a very standard, kind of "homey" mystery. There is nothing overly exciting and there is nothing too offensive either. If you are looking for an easy read, it is a good one to pick up on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's an especiall...more
Heaven Preserve Us is a very standard, kind of "homey" mystery. There is nothing overly exciting and there is nothing too offensive either. If you are looking for an easy read, it is a good one to pick up on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's an especiall...more
Cute mystery (think of Diana Mott Davidson - except in a more craftsy way). If you are looking for a fun read for a bubble bath or you're recovering from the flu and need to be entertained, I would highly recommend Sophie Mae Reynolds as the ditzy, ought-to-know-better self-employed-but-sidelined-as-a-sleuth character to take you away from reality. The book even comes with recipes for "crafty" items if you really get into Sophie's lifestyle.
I would give this 2.5 stars if I could. Sophie Mae Reynolds is a soap-maker in a small town who is investigating the death of the man who ran a community center. I thought she took on way too much and put herself in danger when it was not necessary. Also, I wasn't sure what purpose was served by the frequent mild conflicts with her housemate. I already have the next book in the series, so I'll keep reading to see if it improves.
Solid cozy mystery. A bit better than average. I am surprised that I enjoyed the "home crafting" aspect of this book. The protagonist owns a soap-making business, so it was crafty, but not silly. The mystery was marginally interesting (murder by botulism from home canning). There weren't too many possible suspects, and the author eliminated some quite early on. So, it was pretty easy to figure out whodunit about 1/2 or 2/3 of the way through.
Anyway, I still enjoyed it.
Anyway, I still enjoyed it.
A fun read as are most cozies. Sophie Mae seemed a bit smarter than the average cozy sleuth and definitely funnier. Although I guessed the killer early on I still really enjoyed this little mystery and how the three different cases were solved. Yes, two lesser plots within this story helped to keep the interest going. All in all a good way to spend a couple of evenings.
I found this series by accident and read the first one as an ebook. I really thought it was cute and a nice easy read. I got the rest of the series at the library. Zipped through this one last night and this morning. I enjoy the characters, the craft element and the plot is ok, somewhat predictable but fun to read.
I would give this a two and a half star rating if possible. It was corny and cheesy but it was free on Book Bub and I found all the information about canning pretty interesting. Sometimes we just need to read a little light hearted romance with some crafting, cooking and murder mystery thrown in for good measure!
This book fell apart pretty quickly. About halfway through I thought, I just really do not like the supposed heroine of this novel, and the plot was so transparent that I had figured out the killer within 50 pages. I was so looking forward to this series, but think I will move on to another series.
I liked this book. However, I did get it as an advanced copy and it was missing a page, I didn't like that. It didn't seem like it made me miss much in the way of details though so i guess it was ok. I do like culinary mysteries so i did enjoy this, and I read it really quick too.
sophie mae is getting serious with barr and meghan has a new beau. Unfortunately, head of community center is poisoned by botulism and Barr is made ill. Good to read about future developments in lives of familiar characters. Mystery intriguing.
Enjoyable series. Sophie Mae is volunteering at the local crisis center and acquires a stalker. Her boss dies from botulism and Barr, her boyfriend, is hospitalized with the same poison. Sophie Mae is back in full detective mode to find the killer. 3.5 stars
If you look closely at the cover, you can see it's a "Home Crafting Mystery." That's why I checked this book out from the library and read it. Because it made me laugh. But I enjoyed it, and I'll probably read the other ones she's written.
2nd book I have read by this author/in this series. I enjoyed the story and the mystery.
Unlike some "cozy-mysteries" the involvement of the "not a detective" main character did not feel forced or unrealistic.
Unlike some "cozy-mysteries" the involvement of the "not a detective" main character did not feel forced or unrealistic.
This is a fun read. I enjoyed the story of Sophie Mae as she solves a mystery. the character development is believable. I am looking forward to read the rest of the books in this series. Love a good cozy.
It was an ok read for what it was. It did keep me interested and guessing. I thought there were a couple of characters that did not act logically in a couple of places. I got it for free, so I guess it was worth reading.
I really enjoy this easy, smooth reading series about a woman making her living with home crafted items. Good mystery, enjoyable characters, keeps me wanting more!!
This was a fun read about Sophie Mae Reynolds, the home crafter. At night time she answers a local crisis hot line. Her first night there she has a phone conversation that leads to her being stalked. In the meantime there is an outbreak of botulism in the neighborhood. Sophie Mae begins investigating when local police do not take the siutation seriosuly. The story was entertaining and the recipes for bath fizzies, wine jelly, etc were a nice bonus
Free Kindle deal. Great mystery - Sophie May Reynolds, amateur detective and soap maker, works to solve the mystery of her boss's death by botulism. Boyfriend is a police detective. I would read other books in the series (Home Crafting Mysteries).
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Cricket McRae enjoys home crafts like food preservation, cheese making, candle making, and fiber arts. She writes the Sophie Mae Reynolds Homecrafting Mystery Series. As Bailey Cates, she also writes the Magical Bakery Mysteries.
For two years Cricket managed her own soap making business, including all product design, manufacturing and marketing. The recipes included in her first book, Lye in Wait,...more
More about Cricket McRae...
For two years Cricket managed her own soap making business, including all product design, manufacturing and marketing. The recipes included in her first book, Lye in Wait,...more
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Jan 20, 2013 05:57am