Mousse and Murder
An Alaskan Diner Mystery
by Elizabeth Logan
About Mousse and Murder
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0593100441
ISBN-13: 978-0593100448
Kindle ASIN: B07WCZPZY7
A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents' diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.
When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother's diner, she doesn't even consider saying no. After all--her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.
Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie's ideas--leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.
With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it's too late.
About Elizabeth Logan
Camille Minichino is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series. A retired physicist, she’s the author of 28 mystery novels in 5 series, with different pen names. Her next book is “Mousse and Murder,” May 2020, by Elizabeth Logan. She's also written many short stories and articles. She teaches science at Golden Gate U. in San Francisco and writing workshops around the SF Bay Area. Details are at www.minichino.com.
Author Links
Website - http://www.minichino.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/camille.minichino
My Thoughts
Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan has Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke running the Bear Claw Diner in Elkview,
Alaska after her mother’s retirement. Charlie
wants to add a chocolate bear claw to the menu, but it has head chef, Oliver
Whitestone up in arms. They have a terrible
row in front of customers and then Oliver storms off. Trooper Cory Graham arrives later in the day
to question Charlie because Oliver was found dead near his home. Charlie is asked by her mother, Evelyn to
work with Trooper Graham to uncover Oliver’s killer. Mousse and Murder is the debut novel in An Alaskan Diner Mystery series. I thought it
was unique to set a cozy mystery in Alaska.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Elkview which is a small Alaskan tourist
town. I thought the author captured the
Alaskan weather and lifestyle including the wildlife ingredients they utilize
(like moose meat). Charlie is a warm and
likeable main character. She works hard,
is a good friend and daughter, and a cat lover.
Charlie knows trivia and fun facts about Alaska. It was enjoyable learning more about our
fiftieth state. Charlie grew up in the
town and is known by the locals. Her
best friend, Annie Jensen owns Jensen’s Elkview Inn. I like how Charlie uses technology to
interact with her cat, Eggs Benedict aka Benny during the workday. She can talk to Benny, see how the cat is
doing, how much he has eaten, and even play with Benny using a laser. It is cute that she confides in Benny. There is a diverse cast of secondary
characters from Trooper Graham, Chris Doucette, Annie, diner staff, and diner
regulars. Oliver’s murder had a small
handful of suspects, good clues and a red herring or two. I would have liked to have gotten to know
Oliver before he was murdered. While I
was able to identify the killer early in the story, I did not know why. I joined Charlie and her friends as they set
out to learn the who and, most importantly, the why. They did uncover some interesting information
including something unexpected. I did
have a couple of unanswered questions at the end of the book and I wish they
had been addressed. Mousse and Murder is
a carefree cozy mystery with moose meatloaf, a cavorting cat, suspicious
siblings, a cold climate, and pleasing pastries.
 |
| Moose meatloaf |
Mousse and Murder is available at Amazon, B&N, and IndieBound. Fishing for Trouble is the next An Alaskan Diner Mystery series and it releases on November 24. Camille Minichino is the author of The Periodic Table series starring Gloria Lamerino. It is a delightful cozy mystery series that helped me get hooked on this genre. Under the non de plume, Margaret Grace she wrote A Miniature Mystery series. In honor of the tour, the author is giving away a gift basket. You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure to leave a comment for an extra entry. Good Luck! Thank you for joining me today. Tomorrow I am featuring The French Wife by Diney Costeloe. I hope you have a jovial day. Take care, stay safe and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Tour Participants
May 5 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
May 5 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
May 5 – I'm Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
May 5 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 6 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
May 6 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
May 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 6 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
May 7 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
May 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 7 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW
May 8 – Reading Reality – REVIEW
 |
| Igloo Hotel (now abandoned) |
May 8 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
May 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 8 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
May 9 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW
May 9 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 9 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews- SPOTLIGHT
May 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 10 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
May 10 – Literary Gold- SPOTLIGHT
May 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
May 11 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
May 11 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 11 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW
May 11 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 12 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW
May 12 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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Thank you for your review on "Mousse and Murder" by Elizabeth Logan and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful book and can't wait for the opportunity to read it.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
What a great post, Kris. I love all the photos you interspersed. Thanks for being a wonderful part of my tour. Camille/Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I loved the book, too.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great cozy. Thank you!
ReplyDelete