S'more Murders (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
by Maya Corrigan
About the Book
S'more Murders: A Five-Ingredient Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Kensington (July 31, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496709196
Digital ASIN: B0776HN51M
Managing a fitness club café and collaborating on a cookbook with her grandfather are Val Deniston’s usual specialties, but she’s about to set sail into nearby Chesapeake Bay—straight into a murder case . . .
Since catering themed events is a good way to make extra cash, Val agrees to board the Titanic—or at least cater a re-creation of the doomed journey on a yacht. The owner of the yacht, who collects memorabilia related to the disaster, wants Val to serve the last meal the Titanic passengers ate . . . while his guests play a murder-mystery game. But it is the final feast for one passenger who disappears from the ship. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Now Val has to reel in a killer before s’more murders go down . . .
Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!
About the Author
Maya Corrigan blends her love of food and detective stories in her A Five-Ingredient Mystery series set in a fictional historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The first book in the series, By Cook or by Crook, was published in 2014. It was followed by Scam Chowder in 2015, Final Fondue in 2016, and The Tell-Tale Tarte in 2017.
Before taking up a life of crime (on the page), she taught university courses in writing, detective fiction, American literature, and drama. She won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mainstream Mystery / Suspense. Her short stories, written under the name of Mary Ann Corrigan, have been published in anthologies. When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, tennis, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Her website features trivia about food and mysteries.
Purchase Links
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S’more Murders is nicely written,
and it has some interesting characters.
I find that Grandad (Don Myer) steals the show from Val. He is an eccentric and gregarious older
gentleman with a zest for life. Val came
across as bland and I am not a fan of her boyfriend, Gunnar. Gunnar is an amateur actor who wishes to
expand his skills. He is contemplating a
change and Val wonders how she will fit in with his plans. Personally, I would wish Gunnar good luck on
his new venture and look for a boyfriend who is more compatible. I would like to see the author flesh out Val’s
character and have her grow as a person. The mystery was intriguing with multiple
suspects and misdirection. I think that
many readers will be surprised when the full solution is revealed. I could have done with less speculation and rehashing
of the clues (it gets old). I did find
the pace to be a little slow, and I had trouble staying invested in the story
(my attention wandered). Val whips up
some delectable foods in the story and the descriptions will have your mouth
watering (and your stomach growling). I
like how friends and family come together to help and care for each other. S’more Murders can be read alone if you are
new to the series. Welcome aboard Val’s high
seas adventure in S’more Murders.
My Thoughts
S’more Murders by Maya Corrigan
is the fifth novel in A Five-Ingredient Mystery series. Val Dennison has been hired to cater a
special dinner hosted by Otto Warbeck who is a collector of Titanic memorabilia. He wants Val to recreate the last dinner
served on the Titanic on his yacht, Abyss.
It is a ten-course meal for eight guests and he insists it be held in a
few days on Saturday, April 14 (the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking). Val is reluctant to take this particular job,
but the money she will earn will pay for the repairs needed to Granddad’s home
(those blasted termites). On Saturday Val,
Bethany and Granddad board the Abyss and begin their dinner preparations while
the yacht heads out into open water. Bethany
oversees the s’more appetizers requested by Otto’s wife, Cheyenne. After they sit down for dinner, Otto
announces he has created a mystery game for them to play while they eat (he
even has scripts). The water becomes
choppy due to a storm, the pilot of the yacht is in distress and Otto cannot be
found. Val, with the help of her friends,
dives into the case. There are eight
suspects with motive to harm the victim.
Val wades through the clues with the hopes of spearing a killer.
S’more Murders is nicely written,
and it has some interesting characters.
I find that Grandad (Don Myer) steals the show from Val. He is an eccentric and gregarious older
gentleman with a zest for life. Val came
across as bland and I am not a fan of her boyfriend, Gunnar. Gunnar is an amateur actor who wishes to
expand his skills. He is contemplating a
change and Val wonders how she will fit in with his plans. Personally, I would wish Gunnar good luck on
his new venture and look for a boyfriend who is more compatible. I would like to see the author flesh out Val’s
character and have her grow as a person. The mystery was intriguing with multiple
suspects and misdirection. I think that
many readers will be surprised when the full solution is revealed. I could have done with less speculation and rehashing
of the clues (it gets old). I did find
the pace to be a little slow, and I had trouble staying invested in the story
(my attention wandered). Val whips up
some delectable foods in the story and the descriptions will have your mouth
watering (and your stomach growling). I
like how friends and family come together to help and care for each other. S’more Murders can be read alone if you are
new to the series. Welcome aboard Val’s high
seas adventure in S’more Murders.
I appreciate you stopping by
today. Please take the time to visit the
other stops on the Great Escapes S’more Murders Tour (see schedule below) and
enter the giveaway. You can enter the
giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below or click here. I hope you have a fascinating day. I will be sharing my thoughts on Italian Iced by Kyle Logan tomorrow. Stay cool and Happy Reading.
Kris
The Avid Reader
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
July 31 - Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
July 31 - Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 - Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 - Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
August 2 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
August 2 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Cozy Up With Kathy - GUEST POST
August 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 6 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
August 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 8 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 9 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 9 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 10 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
August 11 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
August 12 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
Thank you for your review on "S’more Murders" by Maya Corrigan and for being part of the Great Escapes Book Tour.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a marvelous book and one that I can't wait for the opportunity to read.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thank you for your excellent review of S'More Murders by Maya Corrigan. This is a new series to me. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of the book.
ReplyDeletesalvatoresmom71(at)yahoo(com).
Thank you for reading and reviewing S'more Murders! ~Maya Corrigan
ReplyDeleteAwesome book.
ReplyDeleteThe title makes me hungry.
ReplyDeletebrowninggloria(at) hotmail(dot) com
Thank you for introducing me to a new-to-me author. And the chance to win a print book!
ReplyDelete