Sheila Connolly, Writer

When Boston investment banker Meg Corey moves to Granford, Massachusetts, things don't go exactly smoothly. She has left behind a Boston job that was swallowed up in a bank merger, and ex boyfriend Chandler Hale, in exchange for a crumbling colonial house and an orchard. She figures she'll spend a little time fixing up the house to sell while she looks for a new job and licks her wounds. Things take a turn for the worse when Chandler shows up in town to manage a proposed commercial development project, but Meg can handle that. But then Chandler is found dead by next-door neighbor, plumber Seth Chapin, in her septic tank, and Meg is the sheriff's favorite suspect. With Seth's help she identifies the killer, but by then she has discovered that she doesn't want to leave Granford and her orchard.

Reviews for One Bad Apple:

Publishers Weekly, July 2008: "The premise and plot are solid, and Meg seems a perfect fit for her role."

RT Reviews, July 2008 -- Four Stars: "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."

Harriet Klausner, June 2008: "There is a delightful charm to this small town regional cozy. ... Sheila Connolly provides a fascinating whodunit filled with surprises especially red herrings as the amateur competes with the cop to prove she is innocent by uncovering the identity of the guilty person."

Lesa Holstine, August 2008: "Some people snidely refer to a book as a cozy mystery. Sheila Connolly's One Bad Apple is an example of everything that is right with the cozy mystery. Her book has 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. Meg, Seth, and some of the women in this book are well-developed. Meg's opinion of Granford and her house changes as she learns more about them, and becomes a little more comfortable with small town life. The information about apple orchards is interesting, and the requisite recipes in recent mysteries is an added bonus. No, One Bad Apple won't make the bestseller lists where every other book seems to be a thriller. However, for all of us who like an interesting mystery, nice people, development as a relevant issue, along with a background that's a little different, One Bad Apple is just what we're looking for. Sheila Connolly has written a winner for cozy mystery fans."

The Orchard Series Red Delicious Death Berkley Prime Crime, March 2010 ISBN 978-0425233436 So much for apple-y ever after... Granford newcomer Meg Corey has more than enough to do, between restoring the colonial house she's inherited and trying to manage her orchard. Then a trio of young chefs fresh out of cooking school arrive in town to open a restaurant using local foods, and Meg volunteers to help them out. But then one of the chefs is found dead in a farmer's pig wallow. When Meg begins looking into the death, her investigation digs up some old town secrets–and Meg soon realizes that they have a locally grown killer on their hands. Now available in bookstores and electronic formats Help support independent bookstores: buy this book at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. Free shipping available.

*Rotten to the Core* Berkley Prime Crime, July 2009 ISBN 978-0425228760 Not everything is blooming this spring … Spring has come to Meg Corey’s apple orchard—and it’s quickly becoming a killer season. Just as she’s getting the hang of managing the two-hundred-year-old orchard she’s inherited, the dead body of a local organic farming activist is found in her springhouse. And the only thing that’s sprung is a murder accusation—against her… The young man’s body was found with traces of pesticide poisoning. Strange for someone opposed to all things chemical. And why did someone plant his body on Meg’s land—when Meg hadn’t even met him? Now Meg needs to pick her actions wisely and get rid of the seed of suspicion that’s been planted before the orchard—and her future—is spoiled for good.

One Bad Apple Berkley Prime Crime, August 2008 ISBN 978-0425223048 When Boston investment banker Meg Corey moves to Granford, Massachusetts, things don't go exactly smoothly. She has left behind a Boston job that was swallowed up in a bank merger, and ex boyfriend Chandler Hale, in exchange for a crumbling colonial house and an orchard. She figures she'll spend a little time fixing up the house to sell while she looks for a new job and licks her wounds. Things take a turn for the worse when Chandler shows up in town to manage a proposed commercial development project, but Meg can handle that. But then Chandler is found dead by next-door neighbor, plumber Seth Chapin, in her septic tank, and Meg is the sheriff's favorite suspect. With Seth's help she identifies the killer, but by then she has discovered that she doesn't want to leave Granford and her orchard. Reviews for One Bad Apple: Publishers Weekly, July 2008: "The premise and plot are solid, and Meg seems a perfect fit for her role." RT Reviews, July 2008 -- Four Stars: "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." Harriet Klausner, June 2008: "There is a delightful charm to this small town regional cozy. ... Sheila Connolly provides a fascinating whodunit filled with surprises especially red herrings as the amateur competes with the cop to prove she is innocent by uncovering the identity of the guilty person." Lesa Holstine, August 2008: "Some people snidely refer to a book as a cozy mystery. Sheila Connolly's One Bad Apple is an example of everything that is right with the cozy mystery. Her book has 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. Meg, Seth, and some of the women in this book are well-developed. Meg's opinion of Granford and her house changes as she learns more about them, and becomes a little more comfortable with small town life. The information about apple orchards is interesting, and the requisite recipes in recent mysteries is an added bonus. No, One Bad Apple won't make the bestseller lists where every other book seems to be a thriller. However, for all of us who like an interesting mystery, nice people, development as a relevant issue, along with a background that's a little different, One Bad Apple is just what we're looking for. Sheila Connolly has written a winner for cozy mystery fans."