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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated Up to No Gouda in Books

Jun 16, 2022 (Updated Jun 16, 2022)  
Up to No Gouda
Up to No Gouda
Linda Reilly | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gouda Debut
After losing her husband, Carly Hale has moved back to Balsam Dell, Vermont, and followed her dream by opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. Her new business is threatened when the building it is in is bought by her high school boyfriend, Lyle Bagley. Lyle wants her to move out so he can turn it into a clothing boutique for his fiancée. The day after Lyle makes his announcement, he is found behind Carly’s restaurant. When her server becomes the prime suspect, Carly starts investigating. Can she figure out what really happened?

What lover of culinary cozies could resist a book featuring grilled cheese as the hook? Not me! I’m glad I picked it up. The cast is filled with some unique characters for a cozy mystery – or at least a slight twist on the normal characters we’d see, and I really enjoyed that. Carly herself is an entertaining and engaging lead character. The pacing was slow a few times, but overall, this was a solid mystery with plenty of suspects and a couple of nice twists on the way to a surprising conclusion. And yes, you’ll find three grilled cheese sandwich recipes at the end to satisfy your cravings. I will definitely be returning to find out what Carly gets up to next.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 22, 2022  
Sneak a peek at the culinary cozy mystery A SHOT IN THE 80% DARK by Amber Royer on my blog, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-blitz-and-giveaway-shot-in-80-dark.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop is thriving. Despite everything she’s been through with the murders she’s helped solve, Felicity is ready to take on new challenges. So when a local museum offers her a contract to create a chocolate replica of a gigantic sailing ship sculpture for a gala celebrating Galveston’s history, she jumps at the chance to combine chocolate-crafting with art.

The project is fun – right up until there’s not just one but two dead artists on the scene, and Felicity has to change gears back to detective. Logan, Felicity’s business partner and previous bodyguard, and Arlo, Felicity’s ex who is now the cop investigating the case, are split on which victim they think was actually the intended one. Felicity may have to take some chances, both emotionally and in luring out a killer, to determine the truth.

Can she find out how Galveston’s history relates to the murders, unmask a killer, and prepare 2,000 chocolate desserts for the gala all at the same time?
      
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated A Christmas Candy Killing in Books

Oct 19, 2022  
A Christmas Candy Killing
A Christmas Candy Killing
Christina Romeril | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sweetly Festive Debut
Identical twins Alex and Hanna have made a life for themselves in a small Montana town, where they have opened Murder and Mayhem, a combination mystery bookstore and chocolate shop. In the time they’ve been here, Alex has become friends with Jane, one of their neighbors. Jane invites Alex over to view a true crime show because she believes that one of their neighbors is the killer still at large at the end of the episode. But when Alex arrives, she finds Jane’s dead body. The police think it was a robbery gone wrong, but Alex wonders if Jane was really onto something. Can she find the killer?

Between the culinary cozy theme and the Christmas setting, I have to give this debut a chance. I’m glad I did. The first couple of chapters had a bit too much background on Alex and Hanna, but once the murder happened, things picked up. I appreciated how the clues were folded into the story. Not that I figured out the killer using them. The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger. Likewise, the setting is good, but could be a little stronger. Both of these are minor complaints since I am definitely ready to visit my new friends and this location again soon. I enjoyed the Christmas timing as well. This is a delicious debut.