Southern Sass and Killer Cravings
(Marygene Brown Mysteries)
by Kate Young
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (May 28, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 1496721454
ISBN-13: 978-1496721457
Digital ASIN: B07H1VWGBS
Life has always been sweet on Georgia’s Peach Cove Island, but a case of murder has Marygene Brown down in the pits . . .
For generations, the women of the Brown family on Peach Cove Island have been known for their Southern sass and sweet homemade desserts at their beloved Peach Diner. Since their mother's passing two years ago, Marygene has been stuck in Atlanta while her sister Jena Lynn has been running the family business. Now Marygene has left her husband and returned to her hometown, where she can almost feel Mama's presence.
But all is not peachy back home. Marygene has barely tied on an apron when a diner regular drops dead at the counter. When it turns out the old man's been poisoned, Jena Lynn is led away in handcuffs and the family eatery is closed. Now, to save her sister and the diner, Marygene must find the real killer. With some startling assistance from her Mama's spirit, Marygene will be serving up a special order of just desserts . . .
Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene’s Kitchen!
The author is hosting a pre-order giveaway! CHECK IT OUT HERE!
About the Author
Kate Young writes humorous southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she's reading or cooking.
Author Links
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateYoung/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KAYoungBooks
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kate-young-b3339e9c-d2e4-482d-a637-5afd7b064d73
Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is set on a small island off the Georgia coast called Peach Cove. The Peach Diner was started by Marygene’s grandmother, Nanny after her husband gambled and drank away their money. Marygene has a natural talent for cooking and baking. She knows what is needed to elevate a dish and how to fix a wonky recipe. I thought Southern Sass and Killer Cravings was nicely written and it moved along at a steady pace. I liked the author’s conversational writing style which made the story easy to read. Southern manners and hospitality are the code in the South. Southern women are polite and always have sweet tea ready for guests (even if they are unwelcome). I liked that Marygene is a friendly yet flawed character (realistic) who has gotten herself out of a bad marriage. She has made mistakes and knows that she needs to make amends (to family and friends). There are an assortment of characters in the story that include Marygene’s sister, her half-brother, biological father, shop owners, residents, a reporter, and land developers. Betsy Myers, Marygene’s best friend, is over-the-top and boisterous (she is quite a characters). With Carl Ledbetter’s father dead, he is ready to let developers buy the land he inherited for high rise condos and a resort. Other residents do not want this type of development which leads to animated debates. There is plenty of action throughout the story, but I could have done without the repetition of case details. The mystery was mixed for me. The method of murder and the killer’s identity are easily discerned by avid cozy mystery readers. It was interesting, though, following the investigation to learn more about the victim and why he was killed. There are two potential love interests for Marygene. Personally, I thought it was too soon for Marygene to move on after her abusive marriage (she still had bruises on her neck). There is mild foul language in Southern Sass and Killer Cravings and references to the abusive Marygene suffered. My favorite phrase from the book is “the past always has a way of coming back and biting you in the keister” (so true). There are recipes from The Peach Diner included at the end. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is a humorous cozy mystery that is perfect to read on the front porch in a cozy rocking chair with sweet peach tea on a table nearby. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings has Southern hospitality, friendship, sweet tea, gossip, tasty treats, a dead man, secrets, an island spirit and a new amateur sleuth.
![A Second Chance: An Amish Romance (Chronicles of St. Mary's Book 3) by [Byler, Linda]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cMNPFGALL._SY346_.jpg)
My Thoughts
Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is set on a small island off the Georgia coast called Peach Cove. The Peach Diner was started by Marygene’s grandmother, Nanny after her husband gambled and drank away their money. Marygene has a natural talent for cooking and baking. She knows what is needed to elevate a dish and how to fix a wonky recipe. I thought Southern Sass and Killer Cravings was nicely written and it moved along at a steady pace. I liked the author’s conversational writing style which made the story easy to read. Southern manners and hospitality are the code in the South. Southern women are polite and always have sweet tea ready for guests (even if they are unwelcome). I liked that Marygene is a friendly yet flawed character (realistic) who has gotten herself out of a bad marriage. She has made mistakes and knows that she needs to make amends (to family and friends). There are an assortment of characters in the story that include Marygene’s sister, her half-brother, biological father, shop owners, residents, a reporter, and land developers. Betsy Myers, Marygene’s best friend, is over-the-top and boisterous (she is quite a characters). With Carl Ledbetter’s father dead, he is ready to let developers buy the land he inherited for high rise condos and a resort. Other residents do not want this type of development which leads to animated debates. There is plenty of action throughout the story, but I could have done without the repetition of case details. The mystery was mixed for me. The method of murder and the killer’s identity are easily discerned by avid cozy mystery readers. It was interesting, though, following the investigation to learn more about the victim and why he was killed. There are two potential love interests for Marygene. Personally, I thought it was too soon for Marygene to move on after her abusive marriage (she still had bruises on her neck). There is mild foul language in Southern Sass and Killer Cravings and references to the abusive Marygene suffered. My favorite phrase from the book is “the past always has a way of coming back and biting you in the keister” (so true). There are recipes from The Peach Diner included at the end. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is a humorous cozy mystery that is perfect to read on the front porch in a cozy rocking chair with sweet peach tea on a table nearby. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings has Southern hospitality, friendship, sweet tea, gossip, tasty treats, a dead man, secrets, an island spirit and a new amateur sleuth.
Southern Sass and Killer Cravings comes out on May 28 and can be purchased at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Indie Bound, ibooks, and BAM. Do not forget about the pre-order contest giveaway. Click here for more information and to enter. Do not forget to visit the other stops on the tour for author interviews, recipes, and reviews (schedule below). Thank you for stopping in today and reading my review. I will share my thoughts on A Second Chance by Linda Byler tomorrow. I hope that you have a splendid day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Tour Participants
May 18 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW
May 18 – Moonlight Rendezvous - REVIEW
May 18 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 18 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
May 18 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
May 19 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
May 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
May 19 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder - REVIEW, RECIPE POST WITH PICTURES
May 19 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW
May 20 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
May 20 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
May 20 – ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ - SPOTLIGHT
May 20 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
May 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
May 21 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
May 21 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 21 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
May 22 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 22 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ - SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews - RECIPE POST WITH PICTURES
May 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 23 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
May 23 – ❧Defining Ways❧ - RECIPE POST WITH PICTURES
May 23 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
May 24 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW
May 24 – Brooke Blogs - RECIPE POST WITH PICTURES
May 24 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
May 24 – Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – REVIEW
May 25 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW
May 25 – The Book Diva's Reads – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
May 26 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
May 26 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – That's What She's Reading – SPOTLIGHT
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