The Final Tap by Amanda Flower

This is the 2nd book in The Living History Museum Mystery series. I haven't read the 1st book in the series because that is the way I seem to do things! It didn't take long to catch up with who the characters were though so I didn't feel totally lost while reading.

I enjoyed the mystery of this new series and look forward to going back and catching up with the 1st book The Final Reveille. It appears that there has been murder on Barton Farm before. In this installment Kelsey is preparing for the maple sugar festival to be held on the farm. When Dr. Conrad Beeson turns up dead, and one of Kelsey's workers seems to have the most motive to have killed him, Kelsey makes it her mission to investigate and clear his name.

Kelsey seems to have a lot on her plate. Running the farm, caring for her son, dealing with an ex-husband and his soon-to-be-wife, contemplating a new relationship with a local EMT, and last but not least keeping the foundation that oversees funding for the farm happy. Add chasing murderers and it's a wonder that anything gets accomplished. Thankfully Kelsey has a good staff that seems to take up the slack while she pokes around to find the murderer.

I enjoyed The Final Tap and found the information about the production of maple sugar interesting. There were signature light-hearted and humorous moments while reading, but also plenty of suspenseful moments to keep the reader turning the pages. Kelsey seems to be a very nice person and a bit on the naive side when it comes to her perspective of human nature. She has seen what people are capable of by the 2 murders that have taken place on the farm, yet she can't seem to see the "bad" in those closest to her(her ex husband's fiance for example) until she is sideswiped by it. I'm looking forward to seeing how her relationship with the EMT will unfold, how her relationship with her ex and his fiance will develop, and what the next murder on Barton Farm will bring.