Scone Cold Dead is Out, plus #giveaways!

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News Flash: Kathy Lawyerson, Kay Garrett, and Debra Pruss are Edith’s lucky winner. Congratulations, and please check your email!

Edith writing from north of Boston, as always, and today wearing my Maddie Day hat .

I’m delighted to wish my thirteenth Country Store Mystery a Happy Book Birthday!

I truly never thought ten years ago that the series would run this long. I’m so happy a ton of fans got hooked on Robbie Jordan, her renovated country store and restaurant, and the sleepy but somehow murderous hamlet of South Lick, Indiana.

Here’s the cover copy for Scone Cold Dead: After a body is found in a local farmer’s field, Jordan suspects that a newcomer in South Lick, Indiana, may not be a stranger to everyone in town . . .

Country store and café owner Robbie Jordan is just weeks away from giving birth. While her husband Abe scrambles to get the house ready for their baby’s arrival, Robbie makes last minute arrangements to keep her shop and restaurant, Pans ’N Pancakes, up and running when she’s on maternity leave. And it seems Robbie and Abe aren’t the only ones grappling with anxiety—a stranger is causing a stir in town and Robbie’s Aunt Adele appears unusually preoccupied at the baby shower . . .
 
But when someone finds a body in the ram field on Adele’s sheep farm, it’s Robbie’s turn to be worried. Especially after Chief Buck Bird uncovers a troubling link between Adele and the possible murder victim. Robbie has no choice but to knit the clues together and solve this mystery before anything else gets flocked up . . .

The reviews have been awesome:

“This book really makes my heart fill with joy, not only for a brand new baby character, but because Robbie was wicked in this book. She was so strong and fearless at times, I was so proud of her.” -Goodreads Review

“…several twists I didn’t see coming…wonderful characters…emotional depth … a highly satisfying read.” -K.A. Davis, reviewer

But this one about Robbie from several books ago is still my favorite:

“Fearless and forthright protagonist …crafted to maximize intrigue…hefty serving of heart…Robbie Jordan kicks as much butt as Jack Reacher…with way better food!” – Jay Roberts, reviewer (and a good friend of the Wickeds).

I’ve had fun in the last couple of months presenting several recipes from the book over at my other group blog, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen:

Robbie’s Guacamole, Cinnamon Pecan Scones, and the Celebrating Baby Cocktail. On April 8 Kim Davis will share my Apple Cider Muffins recipe over on her Cinnamon, Sugar & and a Little Bit of Murder blog. Bon appetit!

SO many friends and fans have helped with this series. My former agent, John Talbot, who got excited about my idea for cozy mysteries set in southern Indiana. My older sister Barbara Bergendorf, who lived in Indiana for decades. Kathy Boone Reel and Jane Carter, who contributed recipes. Hoosier-of-origin Tim Mundorff, who told me about fried biscuits and various dialect bits. Jay, with his glowing reviews. My fellow Wicked Authors, always, who boosted me and helped spread the word. My Indianapolis Maxwell relatives, my sons, and my sisters, always my biggest boosters. And more whom I am sure I’ve forgotten.

Plus every single reader who said this is their favorite series, that they can’t wait to get back to Robbie and gang in the next story, that they miss South Lick between books (I do, too!), readers who preordered each book or asked their library to acquire it and who left positive reviews. You’ve all kept me going, and I’m grateful.

Readers: Do you have a favorite book in the series? A favorite character? I’ll send three readers a signed copy of the book, and if you’re in Canada or elsewhere, I’ll give you an audiobook code, instead.

PS: You still have until tonight at 11:45 pm EDT to bid on all of the fabulous donations to the Crime Writers for Trans Rights auction!

Most of the current and former Wickeds have items in the auction for readers and for writers. Click here to explore and bid before it’s too late.

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Published by Edith Maxwell

Agatha Award -winning author Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page) and short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries series, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the Cece Barton Mysteries (all from Kensington Publishing). She lives north of Boston in an antique house with her beau and cat Martin, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.

35 Thoughts

  1. Congratulations on your new book! Hard for me to believe, cuz I collect soooo many of your books, but I’ve not read one single book of this series! And I do love their titles.

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  2. Congratulations on another book. I just read the first book recently and it was so good I will be reading the rest. Thanks for the chance to win the new one.

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  3. Congratulations on your latest release, Maddie! It seems like just yesterday the first in the series released! All the praise for these books is so well-deserved!

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  6. Congratulations on the happy release of SCONE COLD DEAD!

    Love this series – each and every book in it! That means I also love the characters – both the ones we love and those that make it easy to dislike. For me, my favorite character has to be Robbie. After all, she’s the one that ties all the others together and makes it all work out – for the good in the end. However, I must say it’s how you magically mix the characters together so seamlessly that makes each and every book a joy to read.

    From the reader’s stand point – please never end this series! It would be like a death in one’s immediate family to see the series and the characters we have come to love and look forward to our next visit with come to an end.

    Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy of your new release! It’s on my TBR list and I’m dying to read it – with a review to follow.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  7. Here’s a big cheer for SCONE COLD DEAD being out in the world!

    I don’t have a favorite book in the series because as anyone who knows me can tell you, I simply love the entire series. It is my all-time favorite cozy mystery series and that Edith used my review quote in this blog post can surely tell you, I love Robbie Jordan and the Country Store mysteries!

    WE NEED MORE ROBBIE!!!!!

    I actually finished reading my copy that I received early (Thanks Larissa Ackerman and Kensington) and though I haven’t written my review yet, I did enjoy it. And an extra wow when I read the book’s dedication page…awww…Maddie made me blush!

    But now comes the part where I (and hopefully every other fan as well) beg, plead and cajole our beloved Maddie Day for more Robbie! Politely of course.

    Yay for Maddie, Yay for Edith and of course, yaay for Robbie Jordan, the cozy counterpart to the butt-kicking Jack Reacher!

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  9. Congratulations Maddie/Edith! Love this series, and the arc of the characters who keep growing and changing. 13 books! New readers have so much to look forward to.

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  12. Happy book birthday. I enjoy the Joanne Fluke’s series Hannah Swensen mysteries. I enjoy the Hannah Swensen character. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.

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  13. Congratulations! I have not finished reading the series yet. I have some catching up to do! I enjoy all of the characters, but I think Robbie is my favorite! Love the book cover.

    Thank you for the chance!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  14. Congratulations on your book. I loved Candy Slain Murder. I am especially fond of Christmas themed books. Robbie is my favorite because she is so gutsy. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

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