Have a Deadly New Year by Lynn Cahoon

Good Day!  Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower comes out on December 31.  It is the debut book in An Amish Matchmaker Mystery series which is a spin-off from An Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.  Verse and Vengeance by Amanda  Flower releases on December 10.  It is fourth tale in A Magical Bookshop Mystery series.  I am featuring author Lynn Cahoon today who writes A Tourist Trap Mystery series as well A Cat Latimer Mystery series and A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series.  She also writes romance novels penned under Lynn Collins.  Lynn lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and three fur babies.  Get a free A Tourist Trap Mystery short story when you sign up for her newsletter by visiting her website.  You can follow Lynn on Amazon (get emails when she releases a new book), Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter.

Sun Valley, Idaho

Have a Deadly New Year by Lynn Cahoon has Angie Turner, chef and co-owner of County Seat, along with her business partner, Felicia Williams and their staff off to Sun Valley.  They have agreed to cater a party for Cliff Henry and his recently reunited band.  The first night turns sour when bandmate, Dane begins arguments.  The next morning, Angie comes downstairs and finds Dane dead in the dining room.  Angie and her staff are trapped in the house with the band when a blizzard comes blowing in.  Angie does not know which person killed Dane, but she intends to find out.   Will Angie and her staff make it to the New Year with a killer on the house?

Have a Deadly New Year by Lynn Cahoon is the fourth A Farm-to-Fork Mystery.  Angie Turners, chef and co-owner of County Seat, along with Felicia Williams and the rest of their staff are at Cliff Henry’s house in Sun Valley.  Cliff is the lead singer of the newly reunited band, Postal Mutiny.  County Seat has been hired to cater a party that evening, and they get the opportunity stay at the cabin until New Year’s Day.  During this retreat, Angie wants them to work on new recipes for the upcoming season.  Angie’s plans fly out the window when band member, Dane is found dead at the dining room table the next morning with a drumstick protruding from his chest.  Sheriff Pearson suspects it is an accidental death from Dane overindulging in alcohol until the test results come in.  Unfortunately, Angie and the gang are stuck at the house with a blizzard raging outside and a killer on the loose inside.  The group from the County Seat attempt to identify the guilty party in between whipping up delectable meals.  The mystery was simple with little investigation (seemed like Angie was avoiding it).  The focus of the book was on food and not murder.  Avid cozy mystery readers should have no problem pinpointing the guilty party before the first course is served.  I suggest reading Who Moved My Goat Cheese? Before reading Have a Deadly New Year.  As it is a novella, you do not get the opportunity to know the characters or their background.   I found the story to be disappointing and not like Lynn Cahoon’s A Tourist Trap Mystery series.  The characters felt flat and so did the story.  I felt Have a Deadly New Year was a miss and not in tune with the other books in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series.  This will not keep me from reading the next A Farm-to-Fork Mystery this spring titled Deep Fried Revenge. 

Have a Deadly New Year is available here (UK).  I suggest you obtain a sample of the book to see if it is the right fit for you as we all have different reading tastes.  You can find the other titles in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series here. Deep Fried Revenge is the next A Farm-to-Fork Mystery and it releases on April 7, 2020. Thank you for stopping by today and reading my review.  I hope that you have a beautiful day.  I will be back tomorrow with Holiday Homecoming Secrets by Lynette Eason.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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One Potato, Two Potato, Dead by Lynn Cahoon

It's Hump Day!  I hope everyone is having a good week.  Canyons, Caravans and Cadavers by Tonya Kappes will be released on March 25.  It is the sixth story in A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series.  Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson, Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien and Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling come out on March 26.  The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis published on April 2.  Murder in the Reading Room by Ellery Adams comes out on April 30.  It is the fifth A Book Retreat Mystery (I cannot wait to read it).  There are so many wonderful new books coming out this spring.

One Potato, Two Potato, Dead by Lynn Cahoon is the third A Farm-to-Fork Mystery.  Angie Turner, Ian McNeal and the staff from The County Seat are volunteering at a local homeless mission where they will cook and serve dinner.  It gives Angie an opportunity to check out Felicia’s new boyfriend, Taylor Simpson who runs the mission.  They are surprised when Professor Daniel Monet arrives to volunteer.  He is a visiting professor from Canada this semester and it is obvious to all of them that Hope Anderson, training to be a chef, is smitten.  There is an odd tension between Ian and Daniel all evening.  At one point, Ian calls Daniel by a different name.  The next morning, Sheriff Allen Brown is on Angie’s doorstep with the news that Daniel has been murdered and Hope has been taken in for questioning.  Hope drove Daniel home the previous night and her fingerprints were found on a wine glass near the body.  Angie calls Ian only to find that he left town that morning for England.  Angie is not going to allow innocent Hope to remain on the suspect list.  She decides to nose around campus and do a little online sleuthing.  Angie soon learns that Professor Monet was quite the ladies’ man, but his culinary talents left something to be desired.  What secrets were Daniel Monet hiding?  Can Angie figure them out before the killer comes after her?

One Potato, Two Potato, Dead is light, relaxing story with a smidgen of mystery tossed in.  If you have not read the previous A Farm-to-Fork Mystery novels, you will not be lost.  The author provides the necessary information for new readers.  Angie Turner is not herself in this story.  She is moody, short-tempered and negative (it is off-putting).  Angie has her farm with Mabel (the hen), Precious (the goat) and Dom (St. Bernard). I am particularly fond of Dom (though I could do without the endless walks Angie and Dom take).   She co-owns The county Seat with her best friend, Felicia.  While Angie is a whiz in the kitchen, she leaves the front of the house to Felicia.  There are a variety of characters that include Estebe Blackstone (chef at the restaurant), Hope (dishwasher, college student training to be a chef), Bar Travis (owner/bartender of the Red Eye), Ian McNeal (the boyfriend) and Sheriff Allen Brown (who loves Angie’s baked goods).  Felicia is dating Taylor Simpson who runs the local homeless mission and Angie wants to check him out to see if he is suitable for her friend.  I will say that Taylor is dedicated to the mission.  Hope is infatuated with Professor Daniel Monet, a visiting professor and chef from Canada.  When Daniel turns up dead the morning after Hope gives him a ride home, she is at the top of Sheriff Brown’s suspect list.  It does not help that her fingerprints are on a wine glass near the body.  There is little investigation into the murder.  When Angie tries to give Sheriff Brown information, he tells her to keep her nose out of the investigation (which she cannot do).  It is not apparent that the sheriff is investigating (it is not mentioned).  There needed to be proactive investigating by Angie and Sheriff Brown.   Angie feels Hope is young, innocent and naïve and wants to protect her.  There is a lack of suspects, and, when the killer is finally introduced, it is obvious that this person is the guilty party. Most of the novel comprises Angie doing day-to-day activities like feeding her animals (twice a day), walking Dom, cooking, working on her cookbook, chatting with friends, eating, driving, working at the restaurant, getting ready for the day, and wondering why Ian took off without talking to her (he left for England the day after the murder).  There were a couple of mentions that Angie’s neighbors are out of town.  I kept expecting that to play into the story (like the killer using their house as a hideout), but it never did (then why was it mentioned more than once).  The books pacing is mild (it lacked action).  This is not my favorite book by Lynn Cahoon.  It needed more substance. One Potato, Two Potato, Dead is a charming story with adorable animals, delicious food, good friends, helping hands and an irksome homicide that needs to be deciphered.

The first two books in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series are Who Moved My Goat Cheese?  (cute story) and Killer Green Tomatoes.  Lynn Cahoon also writes A Tourist Trap Mystery series (I love them).  The next full length installment is Memories and Murder which will be out on November 12.  I will be reviewing Cookin' the Books by Amy Patricia Meade next time.  It is the first A Tish Tarragon Mystery.  I hope you have an unbelievable day (we all deserve days like that).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Killer Green Tomatoes: A Farm-to-Fork Mystery

Happy Book Release Day!  The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall, Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert, Amish Celebrations by Beth Wiseman, A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo, A Souffle of Suspicion by Daryl Wood Gerber, Poisoned Pages by Lorna Barrett, Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker, Disorderly Conduct by Mary Feliz are a few of the books that were published today.  So many delightful new stories to read!

Killer Green Tomatoes by Lynn Cahoon is the second story in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series.  Angie Turner is the co-owner as well as the head chef at County Seat.  She has been trying to recreate her Nona’s fried green tomato recipe for the restaurant, but she has yet to get it exactly right.  Estebe Blackstone, Angie’s sous chef, knowing that Angie is looking for good produce suppliers recommends Pamplona Farms which is run by his cousin, Javier Easterly.  Javier is quite the flirt and is known for his rotating girlfriends.  The produce, though, is exceptional and Angie is excited to create new dishes for the County Seat with the fresh veggies.  One day Estebe gets a call at work from an agitated Javier.  His latest girlfriend, Heather was found murdered behind the Red Eye Saloon after a very public disagreement.  Javier is accused of the crime and Estebe asks Angie for her assistance.  Angie will need to work in her investigating in between managing the restaurant, filling in for Estebe, making sure her farm animals get fed and taking care of her temporary roommate.  Erica, Mrs. Potter’s granddaughter, has the chance to take a vacation in Cabo, but she needs someone to take care of Mrs. Potter.  Angie agrees to watch out of for her elderly neighbor despite her misgivings.  Angie is in for a busy and entertaining week.  Things are heating up and Angie needs to be careful or she will get burned.

I enjoyed reading Killer Green Tomatoes.  I like the author’s conversational writing style and the engaging characters that she created.  Angie is a smart, hardworking woman who is getting her new business off the ground.  I find Angie to be a likeable and relatable main character with her unusual pets of Mabel, the chicken and Precious, the goat as well as the lovable, Dom (her St. Bernard puppy).  Mrs. Harriet Potter is a delightful addition to the series.  I am glad that she had a more prominent role in Killer Green Tomatoes.  Mrs. Potter provided levity with her well-meaning antics (you will have to read the book to find out what I mean).  Angie’s romance with Ian is progressing.  I appreciate that the author is not rushing their relationship.  They are taking the time to get to know each other.  Working in time for dates is difficult, though, with their busy schedules and the pesky murders.  The mystery was well-plotted and is woven throughout the story.  The author manages to combine the cozy and mystery elements, so they are balanced.  If you are an avid reader of cozy mysteries (like me), then you will not have a problem arriving at the solution.  There are many cozy moments in Killer Green Tomatoes with friendship, animals, cooking, romance, mishaps, creating new recipes and, of course, eating.  I like how everyone who works at the restaurant comes together for a meal each week.  It gives all the workers a chance to try the food and get to know each other.  Killer Green Tomatoes can be read as a standalone.  Personally, I would read Who Moved My Goat Cheese? prior to Killer Green Tomatoes.  It will allow you to see the development of the characters and the restaurant.  My rating for Killer Green Tomatoes is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  There is a recipe for fried green tomatoes at the end of the book.

The next book in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series is One Potato, Two Potato, Dead which is scheduled to be published on March 19, 2019.  Thank you for visiting.  I will be featuring Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert tomorrow (July 11) and there is a giveaway. The first book in A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series is A Murder for the Books and the ebook version is currently $1.99 on Amazon.  I hope you have a satisfying day.  Stay cool and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Who Moved My Goat Cheese?: A Farm-to-Fork Mystery

Good Day!  The Broken Girls by Simone St. James will be available on March 20 along with The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman, Beneath the Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer, and A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot.   

Who Moved My Goat Cheese? by Lynn Cahoon is the first story in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series.  Angie Turner has moved to River Vista, Idaho to live on the farm she inherited from her grandmother (Nona).  She has partnered with her best friend, Felicia Williams to open The County Seat which has a farm-to-table concept.  It is only three weeks until they open, and the pair are still working to line up all their local vendors.  One of the vendors they would like to work with is Gerald Moss of Moss Farm who sells goat cheese.  The one caveat is the crusty Mr. Moss who only sells his products to people he likes.  Fortunately for Angie, Mr. Moss and his goat Precious take to Angie right off.  He talks to her about his farm, his cheese cave and a secret that he will enlighten her on in the future.  The next morning Angie is told that Mr. Moss is dead.  Angie soon discovers that not many people cared for Mr. Moss or are upset at his passing.  This distresses Angie especially since Mr. Moss knew her Nona, and it sets her on the path to solving his murder.  When Angie goes to investigate the scene of the crime, she comes across Precious and ends up with a new farm resident.  Angie fits in her sleuthing in between setting up the restaurant, taking care of Precious and Dom (her St. Bernard pup), purchasing supplies for the restaurant, and visits from her neighbor, Mrs. Potter.  Who disliked Mr. Moss enough to kill him?  Angie is determined to find out in Who Moved My Goat Cheese?

Who Moved My Goat Cheese? is a good start to A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series.  I liked the authors conversational writing style and the story had a steady pace.  It made reading Who Moved Goat Cheese? a pleasure.  The story has good characters, but I wished the author had given readers more of Angie’s backstory.  I hope we learn more about Angie and Felicia in the next story.  I loved Dom, Angie’s St. Bernard puppy.  He reminds me of my dog, Doozy (his name tells you about his character).  Dom was a delightful addition to the story as was Precious, the goat. Both were quirky, entertaining and added levity to the story.  I like the theme of farm-to-table and it was nicely incorporated into the mystery.   The mystery had several suspects and there was good misdirection.  I was able to identify the killer early in the story, but it took longer to find out why this person killed Mr. Moss.  The mystery had some intriguing elements (I would say more but I do not want to spoil it for you).  I would like to have a little more action in the next book in the series.  The life lesson about not being able to change the past and not to dwell on it is a good addition to the book.  It is one many people struggle with daily (myself included).  I am giving Who Moved My Goat Cheese? 4 out of 5 stars.  I will be reading Killer Green Tomatoes when it comes out.   Who Moved My Goat Cheese? is a feel-good cozy mystery that readers of Lynn Cahoon and cozy mysteries will enjoy.

I appreciate you reading my review.  I will be sharing my thoughts on Cold Blooded Brew by Tonya Kappes tomorrow.  I hope you have a relaxing day that is filled with lovely books to read.  Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader