Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber

 

Murder on the Page

 

Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

About Murder on the Page

Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 

1st in Series 

Setting - North Carolina 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (October 22, 2024) 

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Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

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My Thoughts

I sat down eager to read Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber which is the debut of A Literary Dining Mysteries. There are a number of characters introduced in the beginning and it took me a while to keep them all straight.  Allie Catt is a talented chef and avid reader.  The mystery was interesting, but Allie needs to work on her sleuthing techniques (it is her first murder).   There were plenty of clues to help readers solve the crime.  We get a play-by-play of Allie’s daily activities, how she made each dish, and what each person wore (down to their boots). These details felt like filler since they did not contribute to the story (you may find yourself envying a pair of boots). The food descriptions will have your mouth watering.  Pride and Prejudice fans will enjoy the references to that tale as well as the quotes. The beginnings of a romance between Allie and a certain someone lacked believability.  We will have to wait and see what happens in the next A Literary Dining MysteryMurder on the Page is a curious culinary cozy with busy bookstore, gastronomic triumphs, a dead friend, a rival caterer, a cold detective, curious clues, a revealing will, and a plucky chef. 

Murder on the Page is available from  AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, BOOKSHOP.ORGKOBO, and MYSTERIOUS GALAXY.  You can find Daryl Wood Gerber's other novels here. Daryl Wood Gerber has Essence of Foul Play coming out March 25, 2025.  It is the debut of An Aroma Wellness Mysteries. Would you like to win a copy of Murder on the Page along with some swag?  Click here to enter.  Good Luck!  Thank you for stopping by today.  I was not sure that I would be able to do this post.  Hurricane Milton was extremely destructive and my home was not spared.  I was certainly grateful when our power was restored.  Our carport, storage shed, and screened in porch suffered damage as well as our roof (it looks like the edge of our roof was pried up). Naturally, that means water has gotten inside and caused damage.  Thankfully, my mother and I are okay as well as our neighbors.  I am lucky to live in such a caring and helpful community.  I will return tomorrow to feature A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber.  Do not forget to enter the giveaway!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Tour Participants 


October 15 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

October 15 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Deal Sharing Aunt – REVIEW

October 16 – Reading With Mrs Leaf – RECIPE

October 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Christy's Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 17 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 18 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 18 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
October 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 20 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW

October 21 - Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
October 21 - Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

October 21 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

October 21 - Ascroft, eh? – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Another week and another hurricane!

 Another Storm
Hello!  I was going to feature A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay today, but I am busy preparing for another storm to hit Florida.  This one is going to hit a little too close to home.  I need to have everything ready at the house plus have our bags ready in case we need to leave (my belongings as well as my mother's).  I will return as soon as I am able. I wish they would find a way to stop hurricanes.  Take care and Happy Reading!


Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Thursday, October 3, 2024

The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts

 The Merry Matchmaker

Book Summary

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this joyful Christmas romp tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after—even when her help leads to disaster.

Frankie Lane knows what’s best for just about everyone but herself. Her divorced sister, Stef, who is too young to give up on love; her shy employee, Elinor; and her daughter, Natalie, who works in Frankie’s shop, Holiday Happiness, and really needs to start her own business selling the delectable chocolates she makes at home; even her best friend, Viola, who is trying to renovate her old Victorian. Frankie knows she could help all of them, if they’d just let her—and if all of her help didn’t end in utter disaster. 
Then there’s Mitch Howard, the owner of the local hardware store. They’ve been friends ever since Frankie opened her store, nine years earlier. He got her through the nightmare when she lost her husband in a freak accident, and he’s her favorite shoulder to cry on. He’s been divorced for years, and it’s such a waste of man! Mitch is the fittest, finest man Frankie knows. He’s easygoing, wise and kindhearted. Mitch needs someone. And she’s determined to help him find that someone—whether he likes it or not.
My Thoughts

I have been reading Sheila Roberts Christmas stories for many years, and I look forward reading a new holiday tale each fall.  The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts is a modern twist on Jane Austen’s Emma.  Frankie Lane, the protagonist, believes she knows what is best for everyone (if you look up the definition of meddler in the dictionary, you will find Frankie’s name listed).  Frankie and her antics got on my nerves after a while.  Frankie believes that she knows what is best for everyone despite their protests (I would not want to be related to her).  It was especially annoying when she would complain about something that was her fault (this is what happens when you meddle). 

I liked that the story had middle aged characters instead of twenty-somethings.  I was not a fan of some of the characters as well as some of the choices they made.  There was minimal character growth.  The point-of-view switches between the various characters.  It gets confusing with so many characters in a dialogue heavy story especially when the POV switches with no warning (you must figure out which character is speaking now). The multiple points-of-view leads to repetitive details.  The Merry Matchmaker is a slow starter with the story seeming to go around in circles in the middle and a rushed ending.  I liked the Christmas atmosphere and the festival. The story does wrap up nicely at the end. Unfortunately, The Merry Matchmaker did not make me merry.  

The Merry Matchmaker is available from Amazon*.  While The Merry Matchmaker did not appeal to me, I do suggest you download a sample to check it out for yourself.  My favorite Sheila Roberts holiday tales are On Strike for Christmas, The Nine Lives of Christmas, and The Snow Globe.  You can find Sheila Roberts other novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Tuesday, October 8 with A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay.  It is the fifteenth A Library Lover's Mystery (how time flies).  I am happy to say that I have gotten the camera on my new computer to work and I stopped the virtual keyboard from popping up (hooray).  I hope that you have a relaxing weekend.  I am hoping to finish up my Halloween display.  It is so hot and humid that I can only do a little at a time.  It is starting to take shape.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.


*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

 

One Big Happy Family
Book Summary

For fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Jenny Bayliss, and Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's witty and heartfelt story of a mother who couldn't love her kids more but hopes that, just this once, they please don't come home for Christmas.


Don’t come home for Christmas. . .


Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s low-key joyful that they want to skip a big Christmas this year. Her son Nick is romancing his bride Blair with a belated honeymoon, while her daughter Dana plans to purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie’s excited to hole up for the holiday with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.

Her plans go from cozy to chaotic when her kids change their minds and plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their beloved father. Julie can’t refuse, despite being nervous about the over-the-top traditions her grown children still enjoy—and anxious about how they’ll feel when they meet Heath and realize she’s been lying to them for months. She has justified her deception by insisting to herself that they’re not serious, despite the spark she feels whenever he’s near.

As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s beautiful young ex, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they all let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.

About the Author

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.


Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She's passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the Ragdoll cat and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.

Author Links


Author Website: https://www.susanmallery.com/ 


X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanmallery 


Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanmallery 


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/susanmallery 


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanMallery 


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@susanmallery 

My Thoughts

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery shows what happens when Christmas plans go awry.  Julie Parker was looking forward to a quiet Christmas with her new beau, Heath, but her adult kids had other ideas.  The story has multiple characters, storylines, and points-of-view.  It can be confusing as it switches from one character to the next. There is a lot of drama (of course, it would not be a holiday without family drama).  Blair’s critical mother, Gwen who criticizes everything, Julie having a hangup about the twelve-year age difference between her and Heath (I got tired of hearing about it and I wanted to yell at Julie to get over it), Julie’s son, Nick not wanting to take over the family business, Dana trying to get over Axel, and so much more (I have barely scratched the surface).  The storyline about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) brought attention to a sensitive topic, but I did not feel it was needed in this story.  The details were a little too graphic at times.

 All the drama got to be a bit much around the two-thirds point (I found myself rolling my eyes). It seemed like one thing after another happened (I would have run from that house screaming).  The multiple POVs also leads to repetitive details and the story dawdled in places (which had me skimming).  I did not feel that every character needed to have an issue which, of course, had to be resolved before the holidays (they need to have a Merry Christmas).  There is some humor here and there. I do not feel that I was the right audience for One Big Happy Family (I wanted to push Gwen off the mountain).  The story seemed to go one forever (I was beginning to wonder if Christmas day would ever arrive) and if one more issue arose, I was going to shriek.  One Big Happy Family is a chaotic holiday tale with a complaining mother, a clandestine boyfriend, a commodious cabin, trimming the tree, unanticipated guests, a trouble or two, and a cheerful Christmas.  

Excerpt

Thirty minutes after that, she pulled into the tow yard, driving under the big Parker Towing sign her grandfather had installed nearly fifty years ago. She parked the small tow truck she’d used for the call, then ran through the pelting rain to the safety of the main office where Mariah Carey’s version of “Santa Baby” played over the speakers. She hung the keys on the pegboard in the locking cabinet and put the credit card reader on the docking station where it would automatically download and tally the transaction. 

Huxley, the office manager slash driver whisperer slash mother hen, looked at her over his reading glasses. 


“Why do you do that? Why do you take a call like that? I go to lunch and when I come back, you’ve taken one of the trucks and gone out to face God knows what in this kind of weather. I don’t like to worry. When I worry, I get hives, and then I have to go see the doctor and that costs our insurance company money. Do you want the premiums to go up? I don’t think so. But you do this. Every six months or so you think it’s twenty-five years ago and you’re still driving a damned tow truck. You’re the boss. You’ve been the boss for a long time. It’d be really nice if you remembered it.” 


“I was delivering gas, not doing a repo. I was fine. Besides, it’s fun to take one of the trucks out every now and then. I want to keep my hand in. The men need to respect me, and for that I need to prove my skills.” 

“A chicken could drag gas out to some fool who forgot to fill up his car. What skills are you going on about?” 


She laughed. “I had a good time. I’m allowed. Leave me alone.” 


“I can feel those hives popping out all over my body,” he said as she started for her office. “And Axel’s waiting to talk to you. He has today’s list.” 

Julie’s good mood instantly faded. She walked purposefully toward her office, not breaking stride as she crossed the threshold and headed for her desk. She ignored the tall, fit man standing by the window, a folder in his hands. As she took her seat, she allowed her gaze to linger on the baseball bat leaning casually against the corner. 


From the time she was eight until she was thirteen, her father had insisted on weekly batting practice at the cages up by the park. After all those sessions, she had a hell of a swing, and she wasn’t afraid to connect with a ball or anything else that needed hitting. 

Not that she went around beating people with a baseball bat, but it had been a deterrence on more than one call and keeping it nearby in certain situations gave her a sense of security. The world was a better place, at least from her perspective, when she knew she could handle whatever came at her. She never asked for help—instead she took care of the problem herself. 


She drew in a breath, then raised her head and looked at the man watching her. “Axel.” 


He moved toward her desk and set down the folder. “I have five for tonight.” 

“Five’s a lot.” 


She glanced at the papers. Sure enough, there were five cars the bank wanted back. They were all high end, late models with appropriately high repo fees. 


After taking 25 percent off the top to cover expenses, including the lookout car, the company and repo guy split the fee fifty-fifty. It was dangerous work for not much reward and a part of the business she’d never understood. But repo guys lived on adrenaline, and she supposed someone had to go out and take back that which had not been paid for. 

She closed the folder and pushed it toward him. “Try not to get shot.” 


Axel flashed her a smile. “Me getting shot would solve a lot of your problems.”


“Why would you say that? You’re my repo guy. I have no interest in finding another one.” 


“You’re still mad at me. Any chance you could see your way past that?” 

Mad didn’t come close to describing what she was feeling, she thought grimly, taking in his handsome face and dark eyes. He was the kind of man women noticed. A little dangerous, a little sexy, a lot of trouble.


“How long did you go out with my daughter?” His smile faded and he took a step back. “About two years.”


“How many times did she foolishly let you back in her life so you could break her heart yet again?” 


His eyes became unreadable. “Three.” 

“My count is four, but I’m not sure that matters. I’ll see my way past what you did to her when I’m good and ready. I’m thinking about thirty years, give or take.”

One Big Happy Family is available from Amazon*,  Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and HarperCollins.  I suggest you download a sample of One Big Happy Family to see if it suits you (what one reader does not find appealing, another reader loves--that is the beauty of books).  You can find Susan Mallery's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I will be sharing my thoughts on The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts. I am off to continue working on my front yard display.  It takes time to get each piece in the right place and then set up (the heat and humidity do not help).  I hope that you have an enjoyable day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.  Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.