Table Of ContentPraise for the Orchard Mysteries
“Meg is a smart, savvy woman who’s working hard to fit into her new
community—just the kind of protagonist I look for in today’s traditional
mystery. I look forward to more trips to Granford, Massachusetts!”
—Meritorious Mysteries
“An enjoyable and well-written book with some excellent apple recipes at the
end.”
—Cozy Library
“A wonderful slice of life in a small town…The mystery is intelligent and has an
interesting twist…Rotten to the Core is a fun, quick read with an enjoyable
heroine, an interesting hook, and some yummy recipes at the end.”
—The Mystery Reader (4 stars) “Full of rich description, historical context, and
mystery.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“There is a delightful charm to this small-town regional cozy.”
—The Mystery Gazette
“A true cozy mystery [with] a strong and feisty heroine, a perplexing murder, a
personal dilemma, and a picturesque New England setting…Meg Corey is a very
likable protagonist, and her future in Granford hopefully guarantees some further
titles in this delightful new series.”
—Gumshoe Review
“An example of everything that is right with the cozy mystery…A likable
heroine, an attractive small-town setting, a slimy victim, and fascinating side
elements…There’s depth to the characters in this book that isn’t always found in
crime fiction…Sheila Connolly has written a winner for cozy mystery fans.”
—Lesa’s Book Critiques
“A warm, very satisfying read.”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars) “The premise and plot are solid, and Meg seems a
perfect fit for her role.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Meg Corey is a fresh and appealing sleuth with a bushelful of entertaining
problems…One crisp, delicious read.”
—Claudia Bishop, bestselling author of
the Inn at Hemlock Falls Mysteries “A delightful look at small-town New
England, with an intriguing puzzle thrown in.”
—JoAnna Carl, author of the Chocoholic Mysteries “Thoroughly enjoyable…I
can’t wait for the next book and a chance to spend more time with Meg and the
good people of Granford.”
—Sammi Carter, author of the Candy Shop Mysteries
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Sheila Connolly
Orchard Mysteries
ONE BAD APPLE
ROTTEN TO THE CORE
RED DELICIOUS DEATH
A KILLER CROP
BITTER HARVEST
SOUR APPLES
Museum Mysteries
FUNDRAISING THE DEAD
LET’S PLAY DEAD
FIRE ENGINE DEAD
eSpecials
DEAD LETTERS
Sour
Apples
Sheila Connolly
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a
division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England •
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) •
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of
Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel
Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24
Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80
Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents
either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher
does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or
their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The
publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision.
The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.
SOUR APPLES
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / August 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Sheila Connolly.
Cover illustration by Mary Ann Lasher.
Cover design by Annette Fiore Defex.
Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375
Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58131-5
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group
(USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
(USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was
reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received
any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
Acknowledgments
Anyone who has ever worked on a political campaign knows the heady feeling
of excitement and enthusiasm it generates. I’ve been part of a few, and I know
how deeply committed volunteers can become. I still rank my first campaign
experience as one of the most exciting and intense periods of my life—even
though my candidate lost.
But it’s that intensity that raises the question: how far would someone go to
get elected? That’s what inspired this book. None of the characters portrayed is
based on any real person, and I did not know that there would be an open
congressional seat in the Massachusetts First District, where Granford is located,
when I wrote it.
Both of my grandfathers were dairy farmers at some point in their lives, and
my mother’s father always favored Guernseys for their rich milk, so I had to
include a few in my Granford herd. Barb Goffman won the right to name the
starring cow Cyndi, with the highest bid at the 2011 Malice Domestic Auction.
The other major factor in the story is the remediation of a polluted piece of
land owned by the town of Granford. Massachusetts has long been scrupulous
about enforcing regulations regarding environmental hazards, for both homes
and industrial sites. While as the owner of an older home with layers of lead
paint and antiquated plumbing and wiring I may grumble, I applaud the
principle. I created the contaminated Granford site based on one event with
which I had a personal connection: the remediation of a nineteenth-century paint
factory site on the Wellesley College campus. I participated in archeological
excavations of the site when I was an undergraduate there—before anyone even
thought about the toxins left behind by that factory—so I followed the reports of
the site treatment with interest. To its credit, the college made all reports public,
at every stage of the remediation, showing clearly that it was a long and
complicated process.
As always, thanks go to my tireless agent, Jessica Faust at BookEnds, and to
my amazing editor, Shannon Jamieson Vazquez at Berkley Prime Crime, who
manages to keep my plots coherent. I salute Sisters in Crime and Mystery
Writers of America for guiding writers through the turbulent publishing industry
Writers of America for guiding writers through the turbulent publishing industry
as it changes weekly. I also thank my blog buddies who generously share
information, sympathy, and encouragement, and I wave a fin at the SinC
Guppies, the best support group any mystery writer could have.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
