Sconed to Death
(A Cat Latimer Mystery)
by Lynn Cahoon
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Kensington (May 28, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1496716833
ISBN-13: 978-1496716835
Kindle ASIN: B07H1ZCS2Z
Cat Latimer pursues a scone-cold killer who iced a top chef in a local bakery . . .
Cat has a full plate at her Aspen Hills Warm Springs Resort, as a group of aspiring cozy mystery authors arrives for a writers retreat. So when baker Dee Dee Meyer stirs up trouble by filing a false complaint with the health inspector against the B&B—all because she insists Cat's best friend Shauna stole her recipes—Cat marches into the shop to confront her.
But Dee Dee's about to have her own batch of trouble. Greyson Finn—a celebrity chef and, until today, one of Denver's most eligible bachelors—has been found dead in her bakery. Cat's uncle Pete, who happens to be the chief of police, warns her not to engage in any half-baked sleuthing. But as her curiosity rises, Cat's determined to discover who served the chef his just desserts—before the killer takes a powder . . .
About the Author
Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several New York Times and USA Today bestselling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in central coastal California with six holiday novellas releasing in 2018–2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, debuted in 2018. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.
Author Links
Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon Author Page, and Website
My Summary of Sconed to Death
Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon has readers enjoying fall in Aspen Hills, Colorado. Cat Latimer runs Warm Springs Writers’ Retreat where she is getting ready to welcome a group of cozy mystery writers from Chicago. Cat is talking with Shauna Marie Clodagh in the kitchen about the cookbook she is working on when Dee Dee Meyer, owner of the Happy Cupcake, bursts into the kitchen. Dee Dee accuses Shauna of stealing her recipes and threatens to sue her if she puts them in her cookbook. The next morning, they get an unexpected visit from Nate Hearst, the local health inspector, who received an anonymous complaint. Seth asks Cat will talk to Dee Dee to see about calling a truce. Cat visits the bakery and notices a man sitting outside who goes out of his way to avoid her seeing his face. Uncle Pete, Aspen Hills chief of police, shows up at the house and announces that Dee Dee found a man dead in her bakery kitchen. It turns out to be Greyson Finn, a Denver chef who is popular with the ladies. Cat learns that Chef Finn is her old friend, Jessica Blair’s brother-in-law and Uncle Pete has her on the suspect list. Cat is curious about the case and decides to ask a few questions around town. Can Cat serve up the killer?
My Thoughts
Sconed to Death is the fifth novel in A Cat Latimer Mystery series, but it can be read alone. The information a readers’ needs to know is incorporated into the story. Cat Latimer is a former English professor who inherited her ex-husband’s Victorian and turned it into a writer’s retreat. She offers retreats one week a month and spends the rest of the time writing her young adult series. Cat is fortunate to have Shauna and Seth working with her to make the retreats run smoothly for their literary guests. Cozy mystery writers from Chicago descend upon the Victorian for a week of writing, research, critiquing and workshops. When popular Denver chef, Greyson Finn turns up dead at the local bakery, Cat cannot help but look into the crime (despite being told by Uncle Pete and others to not investigate) especially when she learns Jessica Blair, an old friend, is a suspect. I liked that the writers in the retreat were cozy mystery writers. I enjoyed their plotting sessions, discussing reviewers and ratings (three stars is not bad rating), and their inventive book titles. The title session was particularly humorous. It is nice that there is a new batch of writer’s in each book with a variety of personalities and situations. The kittens were adorable and with the writers’ words, I could picture them scampering about getting into mischief. Shauna receives a large batch of apples and she comes up with some creative as well as delicious recipes for them. There were several viable suspects in Chef Finn’s death, red herring and good clues. My favorite phrase came from Miss Applebome who said to Cat, “Try not to get yourself killed. I’d hate to be the one to tell your uncle what you were doing.” Sconed to Death is a cozy readers delight with a dead chef, an inquisitive writer, appetizing apple creations, and impish tabbies.
Sconed to Death is available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Google Play. The other novels in A Cat Latimer Mystery series are A Story to Kill, Fatality by Firelight, Of Murder and Men, and Slay in Character. A Field Guide to Homicide is the next book in the series and comes out January 28, 2020. There is a giveaway for one print ARC of Sconed to Death. Click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Leave a comment for an extra entry. Visit the other stops on the tour (schedule below) for character interviews, reviews, spotlights, recipe, excerpt, character guest post and author interviews. I appreciate you stopping by today and reading my review. Stop by tomorrow when I feature Love's Truest Hope by Laura V. Hilton, Rachel J. Good and Mary Alford as part of the Celebrate Lit tour. Good luck, take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Thanks for the chance to win this book. I’m looking forward to reading it. Looks really good!
ReplyDeletefaithdcreech at gmail dot com
I really enjoy cozies. Thanks for this opportunity.
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