Penny Pike | DEATH OF A BAD APPLE

Cozy mysteries are as American as apple pie. That’s why I chose Apple Valley as the setting for the third book in my Food Truck/Food Festival mystery series. Although comfort food and murder don’t necessarily go together, there’s always a bad apple in every murder mystery wanting to make mincemeat out of some poor victim or two.

When Darcy Burnett, former restaurant critic, is greeted by the intoxicating
fragrance of cinnamon, sugar, and baked apples coming from her Aunt Abby’s
kitchen, she wants to know what smells so good. Her aunt, a former cafeteria
lady, shares a bite of her latest comfort concoction, and informs Darcy she’s
signed up her School Bus food truck to Apple Valley for the annual Apple
Festival. And she invites Darcy and her son Dillon to come along. After Darcy
reads over the festival promotional materials, she can hardly decline.

“Nestled in the rolling Sierra foothills of El Dorado County is a wonderland of apple orchards and farms, apple wineries and breweries, all waiting to bring apple lovers a variety of sweet, tart, and tempting apple treats. The area, known as Apple Valley, provides the perfect place for a fruitful getaway, where you’ll find everything from Apple-Cranberry Cake to Zucchini-Apple bread, all prepared from the freshest farm ingredients. While you’re there, be sure to sample such homemade specialties as Apple Crips, Apple strudel, Apple Bread, Apple Donuts, Apple Butter, Apple Cider, Caramel Apples, Bakes Apples, and everyone’s favorite—All-American Apple Pie. And don’t forget to enjoy the food tents and trucks, craft booths, and the A-MAZE-ing Hay Maze. Remember: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away—as long as you buy your apples from an Apple Valley certified grower.”

Darcy’s looking forward to a quiet weekend in the country with Jake, the dream
puff guy, who joins the group, along with Dillon, Aunt Abby’s computer hacker
son. They’ll be staying at the Enchanted Apple Inn, a bed and breakfast farm,
and enjoying apple wines, scooter rides, and a scarecrow contest. But even when
it comes to something as classic as an apple, not everything in Apple Valley is
in apple pie order. Somebody’s been upsetting the apple cart lately, and it’s
let to murder. Apparently some Genetically Modified Organism—GMO—companies are
trying to infiltrate the industry and they’re causing quit an uproar among the
farmers.

Darcy’s reporter instincts kick in and she discovers there really is a worm in
the apple industry—and it’s name is Frankenfruit. According to her research,
this brave new world of apple modification is unlabeled and drenched in toxic
pesticides, posing health risks not even considered.

While the controversy over these GMO fruits has raged for nearly a decade, when
the GMO apples begin appearing on the shelves, the organic apples know they
won’t stand a chance. Why? Because the GMO apple will “look” perfect. When Darcy
learns there have been several fires at the apple farms in the area—including at
the Enchanted Inn, she wants to make sure her aunt stays safe. Unfortunately,
when one of the Enchanted Apple Inn’s guests dies right under Darcy’s nose. it’s
up to her to figure out why the victim was murdered—and who done it—before
another guest at the inn becomes the next victim.

Naturally, recipes are included!