Welcome to the Bookstagram + Review Tour for One Rotten Apple by Penny Frost McGinnis, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! (I am only participating as a reviewer.)

About the Book

Title: One Rotten Apple

Author: Penny Frost McGinnis

Series: Lyndie Lavender Cozy Mystery #1

Release Date: March 1, 2026

Genre: Cozy Mystery

After twenty years of photographing war zones, Lyndie Lavender longs for peace. She finds it—at least at first—when she moves to her Aunt Cordy’s homestead near the quiet town of Seldom Seen, South Carolina. The gentle rhythm of her new life is upended when Lyndie stumbles across a dead body on the opening day of her aunt’s beloved Apple Fest.

Determined to uncover who killed one of the locals—and marred her aunt’s festival—Lyndie dusts off her camera and natural curiosity. With her sister Laurel at her side and Aunt Cordy’s charming new tenant, Zach Hudson, lending a hand, Lyndie finds herself snooping, spying, and untangling secrets the town folks didn’t even know.

Finding a killer isn’t on Lyndie Lavender’s calendar. But neither is walking away.

https://www.amazon.com/One-Rotten-Apple-Lavender-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0GMTGM4PJ

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About the Author

Penny Frost McGinnis has loved books for as long as she can remember, from sharing a childhood library with her cousins to working in libraries until retirement. An avid reader and lifelong learner, she lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and their golden retriever, Rosie May. Penny embraces her faith, family, and enjoys fiber arts, and baseball. She writes with the goal of encouraging and uplifting her readers.

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My Impressions

“I believe we all have choices to make when we grow up. I choose to be a better person.”- Walt

There you have it. One of my fave quotes from the story, about taking personal responsibility. I enjoyed this cozy novel, One Rotten Apple,  by Penny Frost McGinnis. I loved that it was set in small-town upstate South Carolina. Aunt Cordy is hosting her yearly Apple Fest, making for a good crowd and producing many possible suspects when the mayor’s murder is discovered. I loved the warmth of the family relationships between Aunt Cordy, Lyndie, Laurel, and then extending to Laurel’s hubby, Danny, as well as Zach, the young renter, and Walt, Aunt Cordy’s boyfriend. ( By the way, there is a short list of characters at the front. And a map! Yay! I like to be front-loaded this way!) 

I will say it is rather sticky for Lyndie to investigate as a civilian, because her brother-in-law, Danny, is the local police. He is constantly reminding Lyndie to let the police do their job. Just how Laurel is able to get involved, given her divided loyalties, made me uneasy just to think about it! 

When the murder is pinned on Aunt Cordy, Lyndie and Zach go to work with a little help from others investigating everyone, from another mayoral candidate to the mayor’s former secretary. 

Walt is one of my fave characters. He’s quiet, he’s wise, and he loves Aunt Cordy. He balances her. And he loves those Aunt Cordy loves. Which means he is concerned about Lyndie’s anxiety attacks  from her time as a war correspondent in far-flung areas of the earth. Determined to do something about it, he introduces 2 of my true fave characters to Lyndie: Valais Black-nose sheep!

Move over Highland Coos!! These remarkable animals are fluffy, soft, and comforting to anxiety-prone Lyndie. Cuter than cute with their little black faces, friendly, if accounts are to be believed ( by this point, I was off task and researching Valais Black-nose sheep)!!

With threads of faith, I found this first book of a new cozy series clean, warm, and comforting, perfect to read in between some very “serious” fiction. There’s also a lot of great, mouth-watering food described. (And one-not-so mouth-watering sandwich. Ugh!!)

I will be watching for more of Aunt Cordy, Lyndie, and of course, the Valais Black-nose sheep!

I received a copy of the book from the author via JustRead Tours. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Don’t worry. Every worry steals some joy.”- Lyndie, quoting Aunt Cordy

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted…”- Psalm 34:18

“In my distress and grief, I clung to the twenty-third Psalm. My shepherd’s goodness and love followed me. Even as I tried to catch a killer.” – (Lyndie)

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My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Clean, faith-filled cozy. I certainly have a new animal I would add to my dream hobby farm, if I had one!!