Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon: Review and a Giveaway!


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.


This reminds me of innumerable kitty scratches that were our rewards for trying to hold and pet the barn kitties!  You would think we would eventually learn and leave them alone...never did.

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?
autumn harvest - bushels of apples

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. 
Delicious apple scone recipe, delicious, easy scones bursting with cinnamon and shredded apple. Easy and perfect for your busy mornings!
Sconed to Death is available at AmazonB&NKobo, 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 CharacterA 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

Tour Participants

June 6 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 7 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

June 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, EXCERPT

June 8 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 9 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

June 9 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW

June 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 10 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

June 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW

June 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 11 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 11 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

June 12 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

June 12 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – I'm All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 13 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW

June 14 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
A cat serious about reading, poster

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the chance to win this book. I’m looking forward to reading it. Looks really good!

    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really enjoy cozies. Thanks for this opportunity.

    ReplyDelete