Ripe for Vengeance

A Greenhouse Mystery #5

by Wendy Tyson

It's late spring in Winsome, and Washington Acres is alive with the sights and sounds of farm life. The flowers are blossoming, the vegetable gardens are thriving, the pollinators are buzzing, and the Pennsylvania countryside has fully awakened from its deep winter slumber. Only this season, rebirth comes with a price.

College friends of Megan's beau, the handsome veterinarian Dr. Denver Finn, are in Winsome for a corporate volunteer event. They will be mentoring troubled kids from a nearby school during a hiking and camping trip. When one of Dr. Finn's friends is murdered at the state park, a student--a boy with a brutal history--becomes the prime suspect.

With a teen's life at stake, Megan digs into the victim's past to clear the boy's name. She learns that the victim sowed conflict wherever he went. As Megan worms her way closer to the truth, she realizes her own life is at stake, as well as the lives of those she loves.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

259 pages, Paperback

Published July 16, 2019

About the author

Wendy Tyson is an author, lawyer, and former therapist whose background has inspired her thrillers and mysteries. As Liv Andersson, she writes thrillers, including Little Red House. As Wendy Tyson, she is the author of several mystery series, including the Amazon bestselling Greenhouse Mystery Series. Wendy’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals and crime anthologies, and she has written for The Big Thrill and The Thrill Begins, International Thriller Writers’ online magazines. Wendy is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She and her husband live in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont with their sons and three dogs.

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of Denver Finn’s friends are coming to town, and Megan Sawyer is excited to see a different side of her boyfriend. They don’t make a good first impression, however, when their dinner together is filled with not so hidden tension. These friends are in town as part of a corporate charity weekend to mentor kids at a nearby school for troubled teens, but that event goes wrong when one of the adults is murdered. The police are looking at a teen as the likely killer, but Megan doesn’t think the teen did it. Can she find the real killer?

This series always has strong characters, and this book is no different. We get to know everyone involved in this case well, and as events unfold, their reactions and the impact on their live help pull us into the story. Those looking for a twist a minute might find the pace a little slow, but I found the book compelling since I was so drawn to the characters. Not to say that this book doesn’t have some good twists and an ending that surprised me. We do get to see the series regulars and those introduced in previous books, but they are in supporting roles, so they don’t take over from the characters important to this case. There is a little foul language, and the more serious tone helps put this on the traditional side of the spectrum for me. Just make sure that your mood matches the book, and you’ll be fine. This isn’t to say that it is all serious; we get a fun sub-plot involving a pig and plenty of cuteness from the animals on Megan’s farm to help lighten things. Plan to set aside quite a bit of time when you open this book because you won’t want to stop reading.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this is a new book and has not yet been reviewed by anyone, I am going to put my own review in a spoiler below. Please be aware that while I do not give away any major plot points, it is still a spoiler, so read at your own risk!

Megan Sawyer owns an organic farm in Winsome, Pennsylvania, along with a café and small store in town. Her boyfriend, Dr. Daniel "Denver" Finn is the local veterinarian, and Megan is nervous about meeting his friends from college, who are there for a retreat weekend with troubled teens.

But before this occurs, she's called out on an emergency to meet Denver and police chief Bobby King. It seems someone has abandoned a poor pot-bellied pig in a storage unit, and she's been living there and is in need of care. Megan offers to care for her; it attests to the fact that she has a kind heart, which comes into play later in the story.

When she meets Denver's friends, she discovers that all five - Jatin, Xavier, Barbara, Chase, and Martine - work for the same pharmaceutical company, BOLD, and wanted Denver to join but his life took a different path (one she's grateful for). It's also obvious that they aren't really interested in being there, but were more or less recruited by Barbara because their boss Harriet wanted them to do it.

Also, Denver's Aunt Eloise has taken in one of the troubled teens, Dillon. It seems Dillon's mother is dead and his father is in prison for the crime, and it affected him greatly (as it would) because he saw what happened when he was only twelve. But Eloise believes this will be a good exercise for him, and sends him off with Megan and Denver, who will drop him at the camp.

But both Megan and Denver have misgivings about it, and it turns out that they should have listened to their inner selves: things go horribly wrong when they discover Chase has been stabbed while in the woods, and Dillon was found nearby screaming, holding the murder weapon. While the police don't have enough to arrest him, most everyone thinks he's guilty. While even Denver has doubts, Eloise doesn't believe it, and Megan only wants to find the truth.

But what is the truth? When one of the five - Martine Pringle - meets with Megan she tells her bits and pieces about Chase and the company, and it's apparent to Megan that Denver doesn't like Martine at all, but he won't tell her why. And when her grandmother Bibi takes a liking to the boy, she also becomes convinced that Dillon is innocent.

Now Megan needs to sift through everything and try to discover who had the most to gain by Chase's death. But with so many suspects Megan's running against time to find out why Chase was killed, and who hated him enough to do it...

I absolutely loved this book. While it is the fifth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone, as the author doesn't confuse us by referencing other books (aside from one sentence), and enough information is given on the characters so anyone who has not read the others will not be lost.

I do like the fact that Megan thinks before she acts. She's smart, fiercely loyal, and always believes in doing the right thing. She's no shrinking violet, and she doesn't rush headlong into situations that can put her in danger.

Her relationship with Denver is as solid as they come, and although she's working through personal issues, she nevertheless lets him know that he is the only one she wants. She loves her grandmother Bibi as well and it shows; and she depends on both her farm and café staff to help her keep things running smoothly; this is a good group of people who truly care about each other. She even has a fondness for Bobby King, and I love the fact that there isn't an 'evil nemesis' in these books. (It can get tiresome when someone is out to destroy your life on a constant basis). It makes for an easy read where you can concentrate on the mystery instead of being irritated at various points throughout the book.

The murder began fairly early, which was a good thing, and I found it mesmerizing, to say the least. The story line was done very well and and I found myself drawn into the mystery effortlessly. Little do we know that finding a pig will lead to both an ending and a beginning, and even somewhere in between.

Ms. Tyson is a talented storyteller that knows how to take many threads and weave them together skillfully into an intriguing tapestry of murder, greed, jealousy, cunning, and even hope. She does this with aplomb, giving us a suspenseful tale that will have you riveted to the tale until you reach the end.

There is no dearth of suspects nor of red herrings, and what seems to be may not be at all. While there is a sense of loss for what once was, we understand that rarely does anything stay the same, while seeing that things are not always as they seem.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it comes as a bit of a surprise but misdirection is applied quite nicely, and it only adds to the satisfaction of knowing that what we've just read is indeed a wonderful book. This is a worthy addition to the series and I look forward to reading the next. Highly recommended.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the Greenhouse Mystery series with its small town, healthy living vibe and wonderful cast of characters. This story has a group of friends of Megan's beau, the handsome veterinarian Dr. Denver Finn coming to town for a corporate volunteer event. The corporate retreat has the team mentoring troubled kids from a nearby school during a hiking and camping trip. When one of Denver's friends is murdered, Megan is on the case. It seems that Denver's aunt is the main suspect's foster mother. He is a troubled youth having witnessed his father kill his mother, but everyone who knows him is sure that he is not violent. Megan begins to nose around and ask questions as well as offer Dillon the opportunity to work on her farm with her grandmother. When Megan's grandmother becomes a target, things heat up.

This story is a bit slow moving, but the characters and the story held my attention. I loved the addition of the pot-bellied pig that they rescued and named Camilla. We get to know about the relationships and how they affect the plot and storyline. There were not a lot of suspects, in fact, none at first, so this made Megan's investigation even more important to cracking the case. We learn a bit about the school, their purpose, and how the wealthy can buy what they need or want. This was a bit more serious than many of the cozy mysteries I read, but there was a solid mystery and our protagonist, Megan, does save the day and solve the case. I do recommend this book, but will say that this was not the most enjoyable of this series. The narrator, Laural Merlington took some getting used to. Her voice is a bit dry and I had to speed the book up quite a bit to get it to a spot where I enjoyed the narration.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendy Tyson has crafted a story the gradually reels you in with the fear that a miscarriage of justice will happen!

Megan is a few minutes late to meet up with Dr Denver Finn (her boyfriend) and his friends from his college days that are here to mentor some troubled teens on a camping trip (get them away from their phones etc and get them interacting), when she arrives she can hear a lot of noise and laughter and she almost turns tail, especially after an eye-roll from the waitress! But for Denver's sake she sticks it out, especially when she sees that he isn't happy as one of the men (known as Chase) seems intent on reliving his Frat Boy years. The following day Megan and Denver take Dillon (one of the aforementioned troubled teens and the foster child of Denver's Aunt Eloise) to the meeting place, the discover Chase running late and hungover! they hope this will be worst that will happen over the weekend, until Megan gets a call to say they need to track down Denver as Chase has been killed ... and Dillon is the prime suspect!

Now Megan, Denver, Eloise and Bibi need to track down the true killer so that Dillon isn't railroaded into jail. Oh and they also need to look after a rescue Pot Bellied Pig they have called Camilla - all in a day's work for Megan!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth book of the Greenhouse mysteries features Dr. Denver Finn, Megan's fiance. He is meeting his college friends who are visiting the area for giving back to the community. They are planning on taking a group of children an outdoor trip in a state park. The children are from a school for gifted students who have special needs. His only relative, Aunt Eloise is caring for a foster child, Dillion who is recovering from family problems. Dillon attends the school and he is to be mentor by one of the college friend.
Chase is MURDERED and all evidence points to Dillon. He is found cover in blood standing over Chase. He is emotionally disturbed, and most people feel he is guilty and needs be in a mental hospital. Megan begins explore the affair. Will she be successful in proving Dillon is being frame? Yes, there is humor as Denver and Police chief, Billy King find a young pot-bellied pig named Camilla adds much to the story. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.

Disclosure: Thanks to Henery Press for a copy through Edelweiss. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bibi's life is risked when she defends a troubled boy, Dillan, when he becomes a murder suspect.

Keeping the farm, the store and the restaurant all running smoothly takes most of lawyer-turned-organic-farmer Megan Sawyer busy. Add juggling the schedule of Dr. Denver Finn, veterinarian, and Megan finds her animals great companions.

Dillan's college friends come to Winsome and one is promptly murdered. Is Dillan being frames or is he a killer? Is it safe for Bibi & Eloise to be alone with the boy?

The plot moves at a fast steady pace and the twists keep it an exciting cozy.

I volunteered to read an ARC from Henery Press through Edelweiss.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ripe for Vengeance” earns 5/5 Calls from Karma...Blooming Entertainment!

Washington Acres is filled with signs of spring emerging: flowers blooming, rows of colorful leafy veggies blossoming, and a new member arriving...a Vietnamese potbellied piglet found in a storage unit needs to be fostered until its owner is located. Megan’s grandmother is completely taken. With everyone fine at home, Megan heads off to an evening with her boyfriend and his college buddies who are in town to participate in a corporate mentoring event. The idea is to pair up with a student from a local school who struggle with behavioral and emotional challenges. They’ll go on a hike-in-and-camp outing, engage with the students, and gauge interest in a career in STEM. A worthwhile endeavor until one of Denver’s friends ends up dead and one of the troubled students the prime suspect...of course, the kid found the body, and is that blood? Megan and Denver know the young man who has his own present and past issues, but the victim seems ripe for karma. Soon delving into details puts Megan and others in danger...

What a delightfully exciting book with just the right amount of an “edge!” Wendy Tyson kept me totally engaged with her entertaining writing style using a third-person narrative. Although not my favorite perspective, the reader is placed right in the middle of all the drama. Her strong characters, especially Megan, have developed well over the series and with vivid descriptions and dialogue she aptly illustrates the tone, conflicts, and good, bad, and ugly personalities. I really enjoyed the murder mystery, pleasantly punctuated by a bit of Karma, with enough twists, turns, and some exciting personal peril adding to this engaging page-turner! I was fascinated by the personal stories of the Denver’s college mates and the young kids making it more complex and intriguing than just investigating and asking questions. All in all...excellent!

Newbies? It is the fifth book, and of course, life goes on with strengthening relationships, ups and downs of business interests, and dealing with a few murders, but this is a great place to start. I warn you, you’ll be hooked and need to read the other books!

Disclosure: I received an ARC. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.

[Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan Sawyer had been a lawyer - but when she inherited her small family’s farm, she turned to being an organic farmer - selling goods both on the farm and at her nearby cafe-minimart located in Winsome, PA. Now her finace’s, Dr. “Denver” Finn, the local veterinarian, college friends are visiting - and one ends up dead.

Megan, Finn. and the local sheriff would need to track down the murderer before the friends leave town. At times the relationships are friendly, at times they are tense - but the story moves forward at a good pace, holding this readers attention throughout.

One of the best coming from Henery Press in the last few months. The characters feel real, much like friends who have a similar farm in central Pennsylvania. Winsome, PA, echos the small farming communities in which I have sometimes lived in the past.

The book is recommended for the cozy mystery enthusiast. It will be a great summer read either on vacation or on your home’s back porch. It would also make a great addition to the cozy mystery collection of the local library as well.

A fun read.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in this series which I have read. It is the story of Megan, a lawyer turned organic farmer who moved from the big city to a quieter life and who also owns a grocery/cafe in her small town.

This particular tale is a little darker and has a less humor than other books in the series. It involves a sadder tale and humor is not really easy to insert, though there are sparks of it here and there.

Megan’s boyfriend, veterinary Denver, has college friends visiting who are part of a group which is mentoring children with issues. When one of his friends turns up dead and a young man who is associated with Denver becomes the suspect, Megan becomes involved in solving the crime.

Along the way, we see more of the underbelly of groups that take advantage of troubled kids. There are questions of the mentoring group and even the school where the children go each day.

Bibi, Megan’s grandmother, becomes involved and also provides much of the comic moments along with a cute little pig.

I enjoyed reading the book and it is an important part of the series. However, if you read the series out of order, be aware that the earlier books are slightly lighter in tone.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Lghiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan is a commercial organic gardener with an organic store and café in Winsome where it seems everybody has at least heard of everyone else. She has a handsome, charming boyfriend in Dr. Denver Finn, the local vet. When some of his friends come to town, however, it seems that a cloud of confusion and possibly evil has arrived with them as one of the group is murdered.

In Ripe for Vengeance, author Wendy Tyson has created yet another cozy mystery that is a page turner. The character of Dillon, a high IQ young man suffering from PTSD after witnessing family trauma, is an oxymoron. Is he a mild-mannered introvert as some believe or did he snap in response to an emotional trigger? This cozy is replete with twists and turns revolving around a special school for students like Dillon and drug trials for a startup pharmaceutical company. Tyson resolves the plot’s mysteries quite well, even picking up one tiny thread at the end that I had completely forgotten about. In doing so, she actually ties up three threads into a nice bow. As I finish each book in this series, I’m always looking forward to the next one.

I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attorney turned organic farmer/cafe owner Megan is living and loving life in rural Pennsylvania. She's got a love interest in Denver, the local vet, a good relationship with the police chief, Billy King, and a nice set of friends. She does not believe that Dillon, a troubled teen brought to the area by a group of Denver's college friends, killed one of them- Chase. Denver's not sharing why he didn't join his friends in their company, BOLD. However, Megan, who is determined to prove Dillon's innocence and get him some help, pokes around. What she finds out about Chase and the others will surprise her (but maybe not you, if you're a regular reader of the genre-though it won't matter). I had not read the earlier books in this series and was ok with this as a standalone. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This has good characters, Tyson makes good use of her setting, and all in all- I'm now looking forward to the next one!

[Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book in the series keeps getting better and better. For me this one was the best. I literally couldn't put the book down. I felt like I really know the characters Megan, Bibi, Clover, Bobby King, Denver (Megan's boyfriend the vet) and Eloise her aunt, and so many others. I was rooting for each of them especially since Denver's college buddies came to town and one of them was murdered. The blame was put on Dillon a troubled brillant boy who was Eloise's foster child. He witnessed his dad kill his mom . How Megan, Bibbi and the others handled this compared to the town's people and Denver's friends from out of state is where the action is. I didn't see the ending coming and I kept reading and reading till I finished. Highly recommend this book as a terrific escape read. I even put my quilting on hold to finish this book. Wendy, you outdid yourself. Awaiting your next book.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in the Greenhouse mysteries series. Megan is busy with cafe, store, farm and now the new property next door as well as her relationship with Denver. Denver does necessarily seem happy that some old college friends are in the area to mentor intelligent teens with behavioral problems. At dinner before the event Megan meets all the characters and understands Denver's concerns especially since a young man Denver's aunt is mentoring is involved in the group. When there is a murder things go from bad to worse with much intrigue, bad feelings and blame.

As usual there is all kinds of nuance and depth of character in the characters in this series. We see a lot of growth in people we have come to know and care about and find lots of good and evil in others as the story develops!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spring at Washington Acres is kicking into gear and along with it is the death of Denver Finn’s college friend. Mentoring at-risk kids have its rewards but when one is accused of murder, during a mentoring hiking and camping event, Megan and friends run to the rescue to prevent a prime suspect from being used as a scapegoat.

There is simplicity without being too obvious with the series. The same recurring characters; their ins and outs of life. Though there is a close call with Bibi, Megan’s grandmother, I will always look for her, and consider her my favorite. There is something about her insights which always brightens the Greenhouse Mystery series.

Ripe for Vengeance is the fifth book in the series, and though some of the usual bickering between vegan and organic and whatnot become tiring, I tend to look forward to what Wendy Tyson will bring to this series.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite series. I love the covers, the characters, the premise, the setting. This is a darker entry, but highly intriguing. We get to see some of Denver's past that has had Megan so curious. It's important to their relationship and I'm glad it came up.
It addresses mental illness, toxic relationships, but not in a heavy-handed way. It exists in the world along with the farm, the animals, the people, the restaurant, the town.
There are some characters I am glad are only visiting for this book and there are others I hope stick around for a while.
The mystery is well done, Megan getting involved in the investigation is as natural as in past books. She's friends with the chief of police and he values her insight.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Megan investigates a murder, but this time it's one of Denver's friends. His aunt Eloise has a foster son who is the biggest suspect in the case, but Bibi insists he's innocent. Megan believes Bibi and attempts to find the real killer. This book was a bit more scattered than previous ones in the series. Perhaps the pig, school, pharmacology company, farm, construction, cafe and past relationships were just too many components to keep in mind. This book fits well into the series, the recurring characters are well developed and likeable.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great continuation of this series.

Friends from veterinarian Denver Finn's past are in town to do volunteer work for highly intelligent kids with emotional problems. When one of the kids are blamed for the murder of one of the volunteers. Megan goes in search of the truth.

We get to learn a little more of Dr. Finn's background, and also a glimpse into his future hopes.

A fun, well-written story with strong characters, a solid plotline, and enough twist to keep you reading until the end.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first book I read in this series and I'm really happy I requested this ARC because it was a very interesting discovery.
It's an engrossing and entertaining read, well written and with an interesting plot.
I liked the fleshed out cast of characters, the setting and the plot.
The mystery was good, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entry in the series was darker than the others, and wasn't as quickly paced. It moved in places but was easy to put down and pick up again later. The author did more spacing or scene breaks within chapters, which also helped break up the story a bit into more manageable chunks so that reading sessions weren't quite as long.

[Angel S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

Another great installment in the greenhouse mysteries. Megan is a well written believable character surrounded by a fun quirky cast of characters. I look forward to their next adventure

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always good to reconnect with Megan Sawyer; her grandmother, Bibi; boyfriend Dr. Denver Finn, and everyone else in Winsome, Pennsylvania. The supporting cast keeps growing, but I hope every one of them continues to appear in future books as they add so much to Megan's world.

[Ingelise Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyable!

I have just finished binge reading the series, what a delightful series. Finally a heroine with a brain !
I also enjoyed reading about an area in PA where I lived for 35 years.

[Dee Shabosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept me guessing!

I love the main characters! The small farm setting is quaint. Such a twisted development between friends. Megan and Bibi have such a wonderful relationship!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I've come to care about the cast of endearingly flawed characters. More than a few proofreading errors slipped by, but that seems to be common anymore.

[BethAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and book #5 did not disappoint!

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. Megan, Denver, and the rest of the gang are so relatable and the mysteries are head scratchers.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great series. Even though I'm not vegan, I enjoyed reading about the different vegan dishes Alvaro is developing because of Clover going vegan. Look forward to the next installment in the series.

[Kristi | Hidden Staircase | · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to be one of my favorites. I love every visit with the town of Winsome and it’s inhabitants.

In this latest installment, we get to spend a lot more time with Megan and her boyfriend Denver. Megan’s amateur sleuthing skills are really put to the test when one of Denver’s friends is killed, and someone important to Denver’s aunt is accused of murder.

Besides the mystery, Megan has her hands full. The farm is doing great so she’s turned to developing the property next door. This is the part I love most about this series - the continued development of the characters and the town while the mystery is being solved.

My one complaint? (Not really.) I always end up hungry reading these books. Between Chef Alvaro’s daily specials at the cafe and Bibi’s baking, I’m dying for a hot home-cooked meal. And dessert. Seriously, all the food descriptions are fantastic.

An intriguing mystery set in a small town with complex characters who make delicious food. What’s not to love?

Visit Hidden Staircase. for my full review.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but not as sharply written as previous efforts in the series.