Crypt Suzette
A Five-Ingredient Mystery
by Maya Corrigan
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Kensington (August 27, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496722426
ISBN-13: 978-1496722423
Digital ASIN: B07L2GDD8H
Val Deniston is catering the debut of Bayport’s newest bookstore—but the death of a customer is about to draw her into a real-life murder mystery …
Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val’s granddad’s house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town—but she’s always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book.
After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver—and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette’s coworkers and fellow creative writing students, she grows more convinced that the dead woman’s demons weren’t imaginary—and that she needs to rip the mask off a killer …
Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!
About Maya Corrigan
Maya Corrigan blends her love of food and detective stories in her 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.
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 She won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mainstream Mystery / Suspense.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. Readers can connect with Maya Corrigan on Facebook.
Crypt Suzette by Maya Corrigan is the sixth A Five-Ingredient Mystery. Val Deniston is catering the grand opening of Title Wave which is the new bookstore owned by Dorothy Muir. There is a costume contest as part of the festivities with a gift card to the bookstore as the grand prize. Suzette Cripps, who has been renting a room from Don Myers, Val’s grandfather, enters the contest and wins with her creative entry. The next morning, Chief Earl Yardley visits the house to notify them that Suzette is dead from a hit-and-run driver. Val has a feeling that it was not an accident and decides to learn more about Suzette. After someone tries to run Val down, she has a feeling she is on the right track. There are multiple suspects, good misdirection and discreet clues. You will have to pay close attention if you want to solve this case before the reveal. While Val is working on Suzette’s case, Grandad is busy with his new ghost hunting business. He has two women who have had items disappear. Both mysteries are cleverly done and interesting to follow. We can always count on Grandad to provide humor and he does not disappoint in Crypt Suzette. He is certainly busy with his Codger Cook column, private investigating business, and now ghost hunting. Bayport is celebrating Halloween and the festivities help provide Val with a vital clue. Bram Muir has come to town to help his mother with her new business venture and Val has caught his eye. While Crypt Suzette is the sixth book in the series, it can be read alone. There is cooking a plenty in Crypt Suzette and the author provides a couple of recipes at the end of the book. I always enjoy the banter between Val and her grandfather. I like that they have a close relationship and share the same interests (cooking and investigating crimes). The ending of Crypt Suzette will have you laughing. Crypt Suzette is a spirited cozy mystery with clever costumes, devilish delights, a crafty killer, Halloween hijinks, morbid moaning, and a phantasmal plunderer.
A knot of people blocked the driveway where Val usually parked. She pulled in behind Granddad’s Buick parked in front of the house and jumped from her car. A streetlamp dimly lit the crowd. She recognized no one. If anything had happened to Granddad, surely neighbors would be here, not a bunch of strangers. Who were these people and why had they gathered here? Val edged toward the group clustered around a woman.
Crypt Suzette is available through Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play. You can find the complete list of A Five-Ingredient Mystery titles here on Amazon (Amazon UK). Enter the giveaway for one print copy of Crypt Suzette by clicking here or using the Rafflecopter form below (U.S. Only). Good Luck! Thank you for dropping by today. Tomorrow (hopefully) I am sharing my review of Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay. It is the tenth A Library Lover's Mystery. I am off to finish preparing for the hurricane heading in my direction. May you have a exuberant day. Take care, stay safe and Happy Reading!
My Thoughts
Crypt Suzette by Maya Corrigan is the sixth A Five-Ingredient Mystery. Val Deniston is catering the grand opening of Title Wave which is the new bookstore owned by Dorothy Muir. There is a costume contest as part of the festivities with a gift card to the bookstore as the grand prize. Suzette Cripps, who has been renting a room from Don Myers, Val’s grandfather, enters the contest and wins with her creative entry. The next morning, Chief Earl Yardley visits the house to notify them that Suzette is dead from a hit-and-run driver. Val has a feeling that it was not an accident and decides to learn more about Suzette. After someone tries to run Val down, she has a feeling she is on the right track. There are multiple suspects, good misdirection and discreet clues. You will have to pay close attention if you want to solve this case before the reveal. While Val is working on Suzette’s case, Grandad is busy with his new ghost hunting business. He has two women who have had items disappear. Both mysteries are cleverly done and interesting to follow. We can always count on Grandad to provide humor and he does not disappoint in Crypt Suzette. He is certainly busy with his Codger Cook column, private investigating business, and now ghost hunting. Bayport is celebrating Halloween and the festivities help provide Val with a vital clue. Bram Muir has come to town to help his mother with her new business venture and Val has caught his eye. While Crypt Suzette is the sixth book in the series, it can be read alone. There is cooking a plenty in Crypt Suzette and the author provides a couple of recipes at the end of the book. I always enjoy the banter between Val and her grandfather. I like that they have a close relationship and share the same interests (cooking and investigating crimes). The ending of Crypt Suzette will have you laughing. Crypt Suzette is a spirited cozy mystery with clever costumes, devilish delights, a crafty killer, Halloween hijinks, morbid moaning, and a phantasmal plunderer.
Excerpt from Crypt Suzette
A knot of people blocked the driveway where Val usually parked. She pulled in behind Granddad’s Buick parked in front of the house and jumped from her car. A streetlamp dimly lit the crowd. She recognized no one. If anything had happened to Granddad, surely neighbors would be here, not a bunch of strangers. Who were these people and why had they gathered here? Val edged toward the group clustered around a woman.
“I’ve given you the history of this house with no mention of the ghost.” The woman emphasized her final word in a throaty stage whisper that could have been heard in the balcony. “This house is a unique stop on our walk. At all the other places, the ghosts have been around for decades and, in some cases, for centuries.”
Val relaxed. The group was on a haunted house walk, and Granddad was fine. She glimpsed him creeping down the driveway, apparently to eavesdrop on the ghost tour. He and Val had heard from their neighbor, Harvey, that last weekend’s ghost tourists had trampled his chrysanthemums and talked nonsense about haunted houses.
“A ghost would be right at home in a house like this,” a woman on the tour said. Val looked up at the gables and the turret on the Queen Anne Victorian. Less of an eyesore now than when she’d moved in a year and a half ago, but outlined against the night sky, the structure resembled a classic eerie house. Granddad was only now catching up on maintenance he hadn’t done in the seven years since Grandma died. Despite the house’s appearance, Val had yet to encounter a ghost, though she sensed Grandma’s spirit in the kitchen, where they’d spent happy hours cooking.
“Who’s haunting the place?” a teenage girl said. “Someone only a little older than you.” The tour leader pointed at the girl. “A year ago this month, she was murdered in the backyard.”
Val’s jaw clenched. That young woman’s death had touched her and Granddad personally, and now someone was exploiting it. A teenage boy nudged the girl who’d spoken up. “Maybe if we hang out in the backyard at night, we’ll see the ghost.” Val was sure the young man had something in mind besides ghost hunting.
“Has anyone spotted this ghost?” an older man said, his tone skeptical. The tour guide paused before saying, “Neighbors have noticed a shadowy figure and strange lights in the backyard.” Easy to explain. Granddad or his tenant, Suzette, might have taken out the trash at night and used a flashlight crossing the yard.
Granddad emerged from the dark driveway into the light cast by the streetlamp. He resembled a professor in a pullover sweater with patched elbows, wire-rimmed bifocals, and the beard he’d started growing for his Santa Claus role in December. “If you folks are looking for the ghost, you’re wasting your time. It’s gone. As a qualified ghost hunter, I got rid of it.”
Kris
The Avid Reader
Tour Participants
August 26 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
August 26 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 26 – LibriAmoriMiei - REVIEW
August 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 27 – Brianne's Book Reviews - REVIEW
August 28 – I'm All About Books - CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 28 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – RECIPE, SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 30 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 30 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 31 – Reading Is My SuperPower – RECIPE, SPOTLIGHT
September 1 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW
September 1 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
September 1 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT
September 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 3 – Babs Book Bistro - SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 3 – Celticlady's Reviews - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
September 3 – That's What She's Reading – GUEST POST
September 4 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
September 4 – ebook addicts – REVIEW
September 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Dear Kris,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading and reviewing my book. The ghost cartoons are a fantastic addition to the review, and I love the excerpt you chose from the book. I really appreciate your review.
~Maya
Thank you for your review on "Crypt Suzette" by Maya Corrigan and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt which just makes me want to read the book all the more. Great cover!
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