By Victoria Hamilton
Published by Beyond the Page
Merry Grace Wynter is an amazing lady. Her tenacity and level head inspires me to breathe deeply and count slowly when I would want to do otherwise. This was a very interesting story with a unique cast of characters. The best part, in my opinion, is the recipes at the end of the story that I cannot wait to test out in my kitchen. Without giving too much of the plot away, I will say that it was developed at a nice even pace and I did not completely figure it out. So many possible suspects. I was also intrigued by the idea that this scenario could quite possibly take place in this day and age in or around any small town. Some authors use their books to make a statement about social injustices or their personal beliefs regarding politics or religion. When those ideals are very strong it can take away from the light-hearted aspect of a cozy mystery. I do not think that is the case with Muffin but Trouble. Much like a good recipe, the blending of the topics, the characters, and the plot created a wonderful final product. I look forward to reading more Merry Muffin Mysteries and trying out more Merry Muffin recipes in my new silicone muffin pans.
by Debra Sennefelder
Published by Kensington Books
Full time blogger and part-time cook, Hope Early finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery. A house fire that leads to the death of a neighbor and the finding of a missing body was not on Hope's "to-do" list. She doesn't set out to stir up trouble but what is a blogger to do when her best friend is an investigative reporter egging her on to help him get the scoop first. Then there is her sister who wants Hope to host a proper English tea to help Claire's mayoral campaign by way of supporting a new potential member of the planning and zoning board. In the midst of all things that are not food blog or food photo related, Before too long Hope gets not one but two warnings, to cool it. In Hope's defense, it does help to know the Chief of police, especially when he is easy on the eyes and makes Hope's heart feel all mixed up. Highly entertaining and the recipes are AWESOME!
by A.I. Herbert
Published by Kensington Books
Soul Food and Soul Sisters mix murder with Suave Styling and Hair by Monique. Halia ( to her friends), owner of Sweet Tea southern comfort food at its best has a nose for a good mystery a side-kick cousin Wavonne, who is as sassy and saucy as the house-blend hot sauce. There is quite a variety of suspects each with unique personalities not unlike Ms. Monique Dupree, out beauty mogul victim. Local law enforcement does not take kindly to the caterer with a nose for clues and a great ability to create culinary diversions while eliciting tidbits of information. Too many secrets and they all seem so very scandalous, not unlike Wavonne's wardrobe. The story took a little while for me to get into it but once the groundwork was well laid I started to truly enjoy each every character from the stylist such n such Maurice to Halia's Momma who makes the best sweet treats. Of course, Halia is new type of cozy character for me and I truly enjoy hearing the thoughts in her head especially when she is thinking about what Wavonne is going on and on about.
By Maddie Day
Published by Kensington Books
The grass is always greener, especially when it's a parcel of land that a developer wants to replace with a high-end resort. Robbie's Aunt Adele is the leader of the resistance group wanting to save the town of South Lick from urbanization. A visiting eco lawyer and bike enthusiast is more than happy to wade in and fight, at least until he is found dead on the property in question. The developer is your typical city slicker, Fiona Closs, polished and all about the progress. Aunt Adele is your typical down to earth matron who doesn't back down to anyone or anything, which has Robbie worried about Adele's safety as the protesting starts. I'm not sure how Robbie manages to run a successful restaurant with delectable dishes (recipes included YUM), B&B, country store, and find time for a steady guy plus a little side sleuthing. Although, it would seem that local law enforcement does help to keep the bottom line healthy since Officer Buck is pretty much a fixture when it comes to meal times offering both tidbits of info and tidbits of comedy and local flavor. The story was as engaging as its predecessors and I look forward to the next installment.
By Devon Delaney
Published by Kensington Publishing
The only thing better than a cozy with great characters and yummy recipes is a cozy with creative characters, great recipes, and cooking tips! Sherry Oliveri (love her name) professional cooking contest winner/participant, Ruggery retail worker, Community Garden board member, tennis player, and part time sleuth. After cooking the winning entry in a multi-state competition, Sherry returns home to the news that the Garden coordinator/owner has been murdered and worse yet is under character assasination. Sherry not only mixes up wonderful recipes and helpful hints, she also has quite a knack for putting clues together like a new recipe. A nice variety of suspects from sibling rivalry to not so neighborly complaints and even political malfeasance. I must say that this is the first time I have read a cozy where it seemed like every other character encouraged the main one to actively pursue the murder investigation. Everyone except for local law enforcement of course. Looking forward to trying the artichoke hummus recipe and so happy that they are at the end of the story.
By Mary Lee Ashford
Published by Lyrical Press
Sugar and Spice Publishing is made up of two dynamite ladies with most excellent names. Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway aka Sugar and Dixie Spicer aka Spice or Spicy (but most people just call her Dixie) have my dream job, putting together cookbooks and testing the recipes. Speaking of recipes, you will find 3 must try breakfast recipes at the end of the book. Before you get those yummy recipes you will be tantalized by the descriptions of Dixie's cooking which must be good because Disco their retail neighbor seems to make an almost daily appearance. Everyone is quite neighborly as would be expected in a small town where everyone knows your name and if you skipped your usual muffin at breakfast they will be talking about before brunch rolls around. Small town but big secrets. Talking about rumors, the mill is churning when the prodigal Marchant boy comes home driving his fancy jag and fighting with his twin. In addition to being the designated taste tester, Sugar is also a designated driver for a group of lively seniors who take care of their own and fully expect Sugar to get to detecting when Alma becomes the victim of a hit and run.....with her own car...Needless to say, local law enforcement does not agree with Ms. Greer and her gang. You have got to love a story with lively seniors, they add a great touch of zest and small town seniors are the best! Great story line excellent characters!
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