Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.
Death on a Serving Board
A Charcuterie Shop Mystery
JC Eaton
Level Best Books
This was my first time reading a book from the Charcuterie Shop Mystery series. I have been a fan of JC Eaton for a while and can be found laughing out loud over the chaos that is often associated with both the Wine Trail mysteries and the Sophie Kimball mysteries. I am not surprised that Death on a Serving Board delivered on all cozy aspects including comedy that I have come to expect from this amazing husband and wife writing team.
The first thing you notice about this book is the cover art. Who could have guessed that a charcuterie board could be so artful, or that teaching a class of adult students on how to create such a masterpiece would drive a person to drink. Char-Board owner Katie Aubrey thought it would be a great idea, increase business for the café, maybe even find a possible part time server. What she found was a headache and a dead body. Well she didn't find the body. Actually there was two bodies and while she didn't find either of them they are way too close for comfort both figuratively and literally. Katie is spurred on to sleuth by her ghost of a roommate, food critic, Edith Ellory. The house that Katie is renting came with the usual rental items and the former owner, Edith. While you don't have to read the two previous books to have a good idea of the who, what, where, and when, but I am most likely going to binge read them very soon. Edith is not a ghost for the faint of heart. She likes to pop up in a swirl of colored haze and drive Katie crazy. And crazy is what people are going to start thinking about Katie if she doesn't get a handle on talking back to Edith since no one can hear their conversations, well not both sides of it. People often tell Katie that she looks like she has seen a ghost and while her verbal response is that she is tired or thinking thoughts, what she would really like to say is "yes, seen one, talked to one, yelled at one, you name it." The back and forth with Edith keeps you chuckling and heaven help Katie when time comes to tell Ian.
While some aspects of work and home drive Katie crazy, there are great aspects of the book that keep her sane. The crew at The Cha-Board, Javie, Matt, and Lilly-Ann are ready and willing to work hard and support Katie when she is hatching a plan or "The Plan." Katie also gets support and a little extra from aspiring chef Ian Monroe whom she has been seeing for a few months now and couldn't be happier. Ian is willing to actually go looking for clues with Katie which is HUGE in my book. The couple that sleuths together stays (alive) together. As with any good cozy, there is also a canine companion by the name of Speedbump, a laid back beagle that also came with the rental. To round out this cast is local law enforcement, Deputy Vincent, not a fan of Katie's poking but also not a combatant either. Which is good because Katie and crew do a great job of finding and sharing the clues. The multiple death mystery with a touch of robbery cold case kept my attention, the red herrings kept me guessing, and the charcuterie directions have inspired me to make my own treat laden board.
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