Syrup to No Good - (Maple Syrup Mysteries) by Catherine Bruns (Paperback)

Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns takes us on a journey to Sugar Ridge, Vermont where Leila Khoury’s best friend, Heather is getting married in two weeks. Unfortunately, the murder of Heather’s aunt could halt her nuptials unless the killer is found. Syrup to No Good is the second book in A Maple Syrup Mysteries. Syrup to No Good can be read as a standalone. If you read A Doomful of Sugar (the first book in A Maple Syrup Mysteries) it will give you the backstory on the characters and it will clue you in on their relationships. I found Syrup to No Good to be easy to read. I did find some of the characters to be exaggerated. Their attitudes were over the top (I found myself rolling my eyes). I was not a fan of Leila’s ex-boyfriend. I did not understand why she felt she needed to go to dinner with him (if you are over him, just say no). I felt that she did not need to appease him or cause more drama (there was enough palaver). I was not a fan of the drama between Leila and her mother (reminiscent of teenage fights between a mother and daughter). It was obvious that the aunt was going to be the victim (the woman was nasty). She seemed to delight in saying mean things to people. Her gifts were in poor taste. The suspect list, naturally, is lengthy. The killer can be identified easily. The details regarding the murder and the victim as well as the clues are repeated over, and over, and over. There is a tense reveal, and we learn why the killer did away with the victim. I was curious as to how the victim could be so rich when she only owned a small jewelry store in a strip mall. I wanted to tell Heather’s father to grow a backbone. I enjoyed learning how maple syrup candy is made. Leila’s mother is a talented cook and baker. It is also interesting to learn about the food from other cultures (in this case Lebanese). Syrup to No Good is a sticky tale with scrumptious candy, a bloody bridal shower, an offensive victim, a surfeit of suspects, wedding woes, an ex-beau with an ego, mama drama, and sugaring off the maple syrup.