Murder on Mulberry Lane by Lori Soard

Item: Murder on Mulberry Lane
Rating: 4
Author: BaronessMom

Posted September 29, 2026 by BaronessMom in Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Mystery, Review, Series / 1 Comment

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Murder on Mulberry Lane

by Lori Soard

Series: Mildred Wiggins Cozy Mysteries #1
Series Rating:

Published by Independently Published on July 6, 2026
Setting: Maple Hollow, Indiana
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 211
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
Bookhype
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

Small town. Big secrets. One woman who refuses to mind her own business.

Mildred Wiggins isn’t nosy․

She just… pays attention․

It's been fifty years since Mildred moved to the small Indiana town of Maple Hollow․ She knows her neighbors by name‚ their habits‚ and when something isn’t right․ The man living near her on Mulberry Lane has been setting off every alarm she has․

He’s rude․ Secretive․ Always in trouble with someone. When he’s found dead at the bottom of his porch steps‚ most of the neighbors are not surprised․

The police deem it an accident․

Mildred calls it suspicious․

Armed with her surprising powers of observation‚ her keen sense of justice‚ and her exceedingly opinionated rooster‚ Sir Alphonse Beauregard Clucksworth III‚ Mildred sets out to solve the case․ Because in a town like Maple Hollow, everyone knows everyone… which means anyone could be hiding something.

The deeper Mildred digs‚ the more she believes his death was not an accident․

It was murder․

But it will take more than curiosity to prove it. Will Mildred be the only one brave enough to ask the questions no one else dares?

After all, in Maple Hollow‚ secrets don't disappear․

They wait․

Murder on Mulberry Lane by Lori Soard is a wonderfully written cozy.

Will Mildred help Colter find the culprit now and in the past?

Mildred Wiggins

Our sleuth is Mildred, a typical busybody. She doesn’t really have any boundaries when it comes to her neighbors. Mildred is a couple of steps above Gladys Travis. I do like her and Alphonse, her rooster sidekick. Although he would probably say that he was the main character. I did like her relationship with the sheriff; these two are about to knock each other over to get there first. It was actually endearing that he gave her the time and let her assist him. Do you like the way I did that? Like he let her? 🙂

The Mystery

We have a pregnant woman and the man who lives across the street from Mildred. His death is caused by his looking into what happened to a young lady about thirty years ago. He has tracked down most of the people who were there, but no one will talk. Then he figures it out, and he is killed. Trent is also a jerk; he’s mean-spirited and treats people badly. But that isn’t enough of a reason to kill him, or is it?

Four Stars

My rating for Murder on Mulberry Lane by Lori Soard is four stars. I enjoyed Ms. Soard’s take on small town life and that she stepped outside the box by making the sleuth’s pet a rooster. That said, the mystery was solid and kept me entertained, guessing, and engaged. I recommend it. Also, the cover art is pretty great; I love a pretty cover.

Giveaway

Prize: 1 Prize Package including an autographed copy of Murder on Mulberry Lane (US Only)

Giveaway

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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Murder on Mulberry Lane by Lori Soard.

Until the next time,

Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click a link and make a purchase, this blog earns a small commission. This helps cover website costs and a few giveaways.

About Lori Soard

Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing, but she’s hardly the stuffy professor type. She loves nothing better than a good romantic comedy and thinks the good guy should always win, and the ending should always be happy.

From an early age, Lori started honing her storytelling skills. As a kid, she was rarely seen without a book in her hand, even walking and reading at the same time. Her first stories were about the world around her. At twenty she wrote her first novel, which she admits was horrible. At twenty-one, she sold her first article to a local newspaper. Once she got that taste of having others read her work and realizing that she could reach others and touch their hearts, there was no turning back for this natural-born writer.

“If I can make someone’s day just a tiny bit better,” Lori says, “if I can make them smile even though they are sad, make them think things could be better, make them understand how much God loves them, then I have accomplished something. I write my stories, articles, and books with that one person in mind who really needs the message. If I can change one person’s perspective, then I’ve succeeded.”

Lori is a lifelong Hoosier and lives in southern Indiana with her high school sweetheart turned husband. They have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She always has her critters surrounding her, including a couple of miniature dachshunds and several rescue cats. “During the extreme low points in life, it has been my animals that have seen me through. There is nothing like the deep devotion of a dog or the unconditional love of a cat.” Lori adores animals, and while some of her dear friends have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, she will always stand by her belief that animals make the world a better place.

She loves to hear from her readers and blogs regularly.

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