The national bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries presents this short prequel that started Meg Corey's mysterious adventures on the apple orchard in the small town of Granford, Massachusetts. Out of a job and living alone in a drafty Colonial house, Meg Corey is supposed to be fixing the house up to sell, but now she's got the flu and she's freezing and she feels very sorry for herself. Then Deborah Warren shows up to distract her—but is Deborah a ghost, or just the product of Meg's feverish imagination? Choosing to believe that Deborah really is a ghost, Meg sets out to discover the truth of why she's been around for 200 years when all she wants is to go home. About the After collecting too many degrees and exploring careers ranging from art historian to investment banker to professional genealogist, Sheila Connolly began writing mysteries in 2001, and is now a full-time writer. She wrote her first mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime under the name Sarah Atwell, and the first book, Through a Glass, Deadly (March 2008), was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel; Pane of Death followed in November 2008, and Snake in the Glass in September 2009. Under her own name, her Orchard Mystery Series (Berkley Prime Crime) debuted in 2008 with One Bad Apple, followed by Rotten to the Core in July 2009, Red Delicious Death in March 2010, A Killer Crop in December 2010, and Bitter Harvest in August 2011. Her new series, the Museum Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), set in the Philadelphia museum community, opened with Fundraising the Dead in October 2010, followed by Let's Play Dead in July 2011. She is currently planning a new series set in Ireland, which will debut in 2012/13. Her first short story, "Size Matters," was published by Level Best Books in 2011, and was nominated for an Agatha Award. Sheila is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of American and Romance Writers of America. She is currently President of Sisters in Crime New England, and cochair for the 2011 New England Crime Bake conference.

There's a killer in the orchard, and he's rotten to the core. INCLUDES RECIPES Meg Corey has come to the quaint New England town of Granford, Massachusetts, to sell her mother's old colonial home and apple orchard. Instead, she becomes embroiled in development plans that include her land, and her former flame from Boston. When he's found dead in the new septic tank on her property, the police immediately suspect Meg, whose only ally in town is the plumber Seth Chapin. Together, they'll have to peel back the layers of secrecy that surround the deal in order to find the real murderer, and save the orchard.

Second in the series that readers can sink their teeth into. Orchard owner Meg Corey must clear her name of murder after the discovery of a pesticide-poisoned body in her springhouse. Includes recipes.

In this latest Orchard mystery, amateur sleuth Meg Corey takes a bite out of crime... Some baby-faced chefs, fresh out of cooking school, are looking to open a restaurant in Granford. They plan on using local foods-great news for city girl banker-turned orchard owner Meg Corey. Yet when one of the chefs is found dead, face-down in a farmer's pig wallow, plans come to a screeching halt. And Meg soon discovers they may have a locally grown killer on their hands.

After an English professor-and old friend of her mother-is found dead in a cider house, orchard owner Meg Corey starts to wonder: Could her own mother have committed murder?

Now that Meg Corey's apples have been harvested and sold, she's enjoying some free time. But when the small but annoying mishaps plaguing her start turning sinister, Meg begins to worry that her first harvest may be her last.

Apple orchard owner Meg Corey is finally feeling settled into her new life in Granford—she's made friends, and her relationship with Seth Chapin is heating up—when her old Boston coworker Lauren Converse comes barreling into town, running the Congressional campaign for a former hometown football hero. But Meg doesn't have time to worry about why Seth seems reluctant to back Lauren's campaign when her neighbor, local dairy farmer Joyce Truesdell, is found dead from an apparent kick to the head from one of her cows. When an autopsy shows that the fatal blow actually came from a weapon, Meg is even more troubled. Popular opinion points to Joyce's husband as the culprit, but Meg can't help wondering if someone wanted the outspoken dairy farmer out of the way—but why? She'll have to find out who had a beef with the victim, before she's the next one to get creamed... INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES

BEETLE MANIA While orchard owner Meg Corey dreads the labor of manual irrigation to stave off a drought, her boyfriend, Seth, couldn’t be more excited about doing historic renovation on one of Granford’s oldest houses. Tagging along as he picks up supplies is supposed to give Meg a much-needed break, but the trip turns rotten when she almost trips over a dead body at an old saw mill’s forest reserve. But the body isn’t the only frightening discovery she makes. A mysterious insect infestation seems to have migrated to the area—one that could bring serious harm to local woodlands. And it's up to Meg to find out what’s behind this sudden swarm of trouble. Includes Delicious Recipes A New York Times bestseller!

The new Orchard Mystery—from the New York Times bestselling author of Golden Malicious and Scandal in Skibbereen A TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT It’s harvest time in Granford, Massachusetts, and orchard owner Meg Corey and her fiancé, Seth, are both racing to beat the New England winter. Meg is bringing in her apple crop with a team of workers, while Seth is working to restore an old building in the center of town. But when his project is set back due to the unexpected discovery of a skeleton under the building—and even worse, a young man related to one of Meg’s former apple pickers is found dead behind the local feed store—the couple’s carefully laid plans are quickly spoiled… Meg can’t help but are they just unlucky, or is there something rotten in Granford? If so, she knows she’s got to seek out the bad apple before it ruins the whole bunch… Includes Delicious Recipes

Wedding bells are ringing for Meg and Seth in the latest Orchard Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Picked to Die … The fall harvest may be just about over, but orchard owner Meg Corey is busier than ever planning her wedding to Seth Chapin. Who knew picking apples would be less work than picking out rings and a dress? And even though the happy couple has invited most of Granford, Massachusetts, to the ceremony, they might have to make room for one more guest… Ex-con Aaron Eastman has unexpectedly reappeared in his hometown, searching for answers to the tragic fire in his family’s past that put him behind bars twenty-five years ago. Moved by his sincerity, Meg vows to do everything she can to help him solve the cold case. As she cobbles together the clues, it becomes increasingly clear that Aaron may have been considered the bad seed of the family, but someone else was one bad apple… Includes Delicious Recipes!

The New York Times bestselling author of A Gala Event returns with newlyweds Meg and Seth Chapin who should be worried about writing thank you notes, not taking a juicy bite out of crime... With the bushels of time they spent organizing their wedding, Meg and Seth didn’t have a chance to plan a honeymoon. But now that winter has arrived, there’s not much to do at the orchard. So with their shared love of history and all things apple, they pick Thomas Jefferson’s orchards at Monticello as the perfect getaway. While they enjoy the beautiful sights, there’s a rotten addition to the agenda when Meg’s parents discover their handyman dead in the backyard. With a bitter police chief eyeing Meg’s father as a suspect, Meg and Seth have to cut their honeymoon short to find the root of the problem. Includes Delicious Recipes

An orchard owner searches for a poisoner in this Orchard Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Nipped in the Bud. The usually quiet town of Granford, Massachusetts, is even drowsier during the colder months. But this year it’s in for a jolt when Monica Whitman moves into town. She’s a dynamo who wants to make friends fast in her new home, and she throws herself into community activities. Meg Corey, now Chapin after her marriage to Seth Chapin, is intrigued by the new arrival, who has already sold the town board on a new, fun way to bring in visitors during the WinterFare, which will feature local foods (such as Meg’s apples) and crafts, as well as entertainment. Tragically, Monica falls ill and dies after the event in what looks like a case of food poisoning. When all the food served at WinterFare has been tested, including Meg’s apples, it becomes clear that there’s a more sinister explanation to the older woman’s sudden demise. Meg’s investigation uncovers a bushel of potential suspects, one of whom is rotten to the core. INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES

The New York Times bestselling author of A Late Frost returns with orchard owner Meg Chapin trying to stem the tide of crime . . . Winter still has a firm stranglehold on the small town of Granford, and newly married orchard owner Meg Chapin is restless to begin her spring pruning and planting, while Seth busies himself with a new project of his own. But their relative peace is shattered when a gunshot breaks the winter silence and they discover the body of a dead woman on their land. What’s just as troubling is that the state police have hushed up the murder and are warning Meg not to investigate. Never one to sit by idly with a killer on the loose, Meg starts digging for clues and probing for answers as discreetly as she can. When the victim turns out to have been an undercover reporter doing a story on the blossoming trade in illegal drugs in the area, Meg’s stunned to learn that this very modern crime has come to sleepy Granford. Unwilling to accept that the nasty business has put down roots so close to home—and led to a murder that occurred literally in her own backyard—Meg is determined to nip it in the bud before the town she knows and loves turns rotten . . . Praise for he Orchard Mysteries: “Delightful... [A] fascinating whodunit filled with surprises.” —The Mystery Gazette “Connolly’s cozy has sympathetic characters who are not stereotypes, nice details about life in a small town, and information about a heritage orchard—all of which make this a warm, very satisfying read.”—RT Reviews “Sheila Connolly’s Orchard Mysteries are some of the most satisfying cozy mysteries I’ve ever read... Warm and entertaining from the first paragraph to the last.” —Lesa’s Book Critiques About the Author: Sheila Connolly is an Anthony and Agatha Award–nominated author of numerous bestselling cozy mystery series, including the Orchard Mysteries, the Museum Mysteries, the County Cork Mysteries, and the Relatively Dead Mysteries. In addition, she has published Once She Knew, a romantic suspense; Reunion with Death, a traditional mystery set in Tuscany; and a number of short stories. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three cats and travels to Ireland as often as possible.