Kelsey Taps for Something Much Deadlier Than Sap March on Barton Farm can only mean one thing: maple sugar season. To combat the winter slump, resilient director Kelsey Cambridge organizes a Maple Sugar Festival, complete with school visits, pancake breakfasts, and a tree-tapping class. She hires curmudgeonly maple sugar expert Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the workshop, despite misgivings over his unpleasant demeanor. It's a decision Kelsey ends up regretting when, before the first tree can be tapped for sap, Dr. Beeson ...
Read More
Kelsey Taps for Something Much Deadlier Than Sap March on Barton Farm can only mean one thing: maple sugar season. To combat the winter slump, resilient director Kelsey Cambridge organizes a Maple Sugar Festival, complete with school visits, pancake breakfasts, and a tree-tapping class. She hires curmudgeonly maple sugar expert Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the workshop, despite misgivings over his unpleasant demeanor. It's a decision Kelsey ends up regretting when, before the first tree can be tapped for sap, Dr. Beeson turns up dead. His death threatens to shut down not only the festival, but also Barton Farm itself. Kelsey has no choice but to tap for the truth and solve the murder to escape an increasingly sticky situation. Praise: "[Flower's] a prolific, and facile, author...In addition to interesting characters and a seamless plot, there's plenty of fascinating lore about the whole process of converting sugar-maple sap into the syrup that is so highly valued."-- Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine "A very entertaining murder mystery."-- Suspense Magazine "As series protagonists go, Kelsey's role as the director of a niche nonprofit in northern Ohio is certainly unusual, but Flower makes it appealing by focusing on a close-knit community of people who care about their work and each other."-- Booklist
Read Less
Add this copy of The Final Tap to cart. $2.88, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery, 2) to cart. $2.88, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery, 2) to cart. $5.02, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
Add this copy of The Final Tap to cart. $6.73, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Wheeler Publishing Large Print.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery) to cart. $7.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery) to cart. $9.00, very good condition, Sold by Shootingstar Media rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Carpentersville, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery) to cart. $48.59, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Wheeler Publishing Large Print.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery) to cart. $61.68, new condition, Sold by Integrity Books & Music rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Mayfield Heights, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
Add this copy of The Final Tap (a Living History Museum Mystery, 2) to cart. $74.24, new condition, Sold by eQuip Online rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Aliquippa, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Midnight Ink.
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.
