Kristina A. reviewed on 5/8/2016 + 1528 more book reviews

The Final Tap by Amanda Flower is the second book in A Living History Museum Mystery series. Kelsey Cambridge is the director of Barton Farm in Ohio. Barton Farm (which has a farm and a village) strives to represent how life was in 1863. To help make Barton Farm self-sustaining, Kelsey has organized the Maple Sugar Festival. There will be classes, exhibitions, pancake meals, and visiting school children. Kelsey has hired Dr. Conrad Beeson, a maple sugar expert, to teach a workshop (she has reservations because of his grouchy personality but it is too late to find a replacement). The first person she hired, Robert Stroud, had to bow out (or so she is led to believe). Kelsey and her assistant, Benji are showing Dr. Beeson the maple trees. He is not happy with the weather (it is too cold for the sap to run). Dr. Beeson takes off to check out some red maples in a different area. When Kelsey goes to check on him, she finds him on the ground with a hand drill sticking out of his chest. Someone was careful to wipe away their footprints. Just what Barton Farm does not need is another incident. Kelsey sets out to find out what happened to Dr. Beeson especially when her Director of Education, Gavin Elliot ends up being the number one suspect. Kelsey does not trust Detective Candy Brandon to look any deeper (the detective does not like Kelsey especially since Kelsey is dating Candy's former fiancé, Chase Wyatt). Kelsey is also dealing with her ex-husband, Eddie and his new fiancé. Eddie (with fiancé's manipulating) has decided he wants to see their son, Hayden more often (which means altering the custody agreement). Just what Kelsey does not want. Life is never dull on Barton Farm.

I like the setting of The Final Tap. Can you imagine a beautiful village and farm in northeastern Ohio? I can (especially since I am from Ohio). The book is nicely written, easy to read, and a good pace (nothing worse than a slow book). This is the second book in the series, but you can read it alone (if you have not read the first book yet). I give The Final Tap 4 out of 5 stars. I liked the story, but I wanted a more difficult mystery. I was able to figure out the killer before I was halfway through the book. There are quite a few characters and it is a little hard to keep them all straight (there is an all-male maple sugaring group, college professors, college students, Barton Farm employees, Kelsey's friends and family). The good characters (the main ones) are likeable and the bad guys you want something to befall them (especially Eddie's fiancé). Overall, The Final Tap was an enjoyable cozy mystery, and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of The Final Tap from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review of the novel.

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