Daisy is busy helping her daughter plan her wedding, but she never too busy to help a homeless man and his young daughter. When a man is murdered, this man comes under suspicion, but Daisy believes him to be innocent. Her dogged determination to gather proof is almost her undoing. It’s a clever mystery, and quite intriguing. And the problems that Daisy has to deal with her daughters just adds to the reality of the story as well as adding interest. ( )

Murder with Cherry Tarts by Karen Rose Smith has Daisy Swanson preparing for her eldest daughter’s wedding in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania. She cannot help but notice that that something seems to be going on with Karina Post, one of her employees at Daisy’s Tea Garden. Since Karina will not open up to Daisy, she is left with only one choice. Daisy and Jonas follow Karina one evening to discover that she is helping Keith Robert and his daughter, Mandy who are living in a van. Keith’s deceased wife has ovarian cancer which led to a number of medical bills and time missed from work. Keith lost his wife, his job and his home. The father and daughter duo have been living in the van with Karina providing food that she purchased from the tea shop and Keith earning money by selling antiques to Pirated Treasures. Jonas moves Keith and Mandy into his home while Keith works at getting back on his feet financially. Then Otis Murdock, owner of Pirated Treasures, is found bludgeoned to death with a marble rolling pin. Keith’s fingerprints are on it which makes him a prime suspect. Daisy and Jonas need to clear Keith’s name or Mandy will end up without her only parent. Murder with Cherry Tarts is the fourth novel in A Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery series. It can be read on its own for those new to the series. Daisy is busy helping her daughter, Violet plan her wedding to Foster Cranshaw. She has an apartment created for them and they will be moving in after the nuptials. Violet is going to need her mother to get through the wedding and what lays ahead with the baby. Jazzi, Daisy’s sixteen years old adopted daughter, wants to invite her birth mother and her husband to the wedding. Jazzi wants to get to know her bio mom. As if Daisy does not have enough going on in her life, Karina has been acting odd. I like that Daisy was concerned about her employee and wanted to help her. In the real world, though, I have a feeling that following her would not fly. The characters are kind, thoughtful and relatable. The mystery was straightforward and those who read cozy mysteries frequently will have no problem fingering the guilty party. There were some clever developments in this whodunit that I enjoyed. I am not a fan of Detective Zeke Willet. I would like to see him replaced in the series. I thought the pacing was mild with it picking up near the end. Murder with Cherry Tarts focuses on the people. Daisy cares about her family and friends. She will go out of her way to help those in need. When it is time for a discussion, the food comes out. Cherry tarts and chicken soup were the two items featured in this cozy mystery. My favorite lines from Murder with Cherry Tarts is, “Happily ever after is not a fairy tale. It’s a choice.” Murder with Cherry Tarts is a lighthearted cozy mystery with tempting treats, wedding worry, mom melodrama, antique artifacts, and a disagreeable detective. ( )

Murder with Cherry Tarts by Karen Rose Smith is a 2019 Kensington publication.

A well-plotted, clever whodunit!

Daisy is back and life is as complicated as ever! Vi’s emotions are all over the place, Jazzi is still trying to find a place in her biological mother’s life, while Daisy is concerned about one of her employees who is suddenly asking to take home all day -old food and was spotted out in a dangerous part of town.

When Daisy and her new beau discover the truth, they rise to the occasion, helping a single father named Kevin, and his young daughter, who have fallen on hard times. However, when an antiques dealer is murdered, Kevin becomes the prime suspect. Naturally, Daisy feels compelled to investigate the situation, while helping Kevin navigate the inevitable and pointed interrogations aimed at coaxing a confession from him.

This fourth installment in the Daisy’s Tea Garden series, boasts one of the most complex plots we’ve seen to date. It’s a very clever, twisty, mystery that will keep you guessing from start to finish.

Right away, I picked up on an underlying sense of foreboding, as shady dealings and puzzling intrigue abound. Daisy’s experience with solving murders has emboldened her just a little, and she is less intimidated by official law enforcement agents, especially those with an ax to grind.

Naturally, Daisy’s personal life is almost as big of a draw as the mystery, and there’s plenty of drama to go around. Jonas was particularly funny in this book when he gets bitten by the green-eyed monster. By the book’s end, progress is made in some places, while other relationship woes still need more work and more time.

Overall, the family drama, romance, and mystery elements are very well-balanced and perfectly executed. This is one the strongest additions to the series to date!! Keep ‘em coming! ( )

This is a cute, cozy mystery read. I liked this book; despite having not read the prior novels in this series. Yet, this book can be read as a stand alone novel. Daisy is sweet. All of her treats sounded so yummy.

I would like to get to know the rest of the characters better. They seemed like people that I would want to hang out with. However, as much as I did find everyone enjoyable; there was a bit of a barrier where I felt like I was not able to fully embrace them as closely as I would have liked.

The overall story was fine. It seemed to move slowly with Daisy helping to solve the case. The last several chapters of the story is where it all came together and the pacing did pick up. Cozy mystery readers might want to check out this book. ( )

Daisy Swanson has a lot on her plate - between her business (Daisy's Tea Garden), her pregnant daughter's upcoming wedding, and helping a homeless father and child, do you think that she can fit in a murder investigation? When Barry Storm, an unscrupulous antique dealer, is found bludgeoned to death and the homeless father is a prime suspect, Daisy squeezes one more thing on her plate and decides that helping a stranger in need is something she has to make time for.

I love this series - the characters and their interactions plus the attention to the details just makes this such a joy to read! Just wish I could find Daisy's Tea Shop in reality! ( )