Fishing for Trouble - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Charlie Cooke to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Charlie on the pages of the Alaskan Diner Mystery series by Elizabeth Logan. FISHING FOR TROUBLE is the second book in the series and was released last week.

I’m Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke stopping to visit from my hometown of Elkview, Alaska, where I own the Bear Claw Diner. Stop in on your way to Denali, whether to climb this highest peak in North America, or to take photos as you drive by on a tour bus.

I’m here to tell you, you can go home again.

That’s what I’ve done.

I grew up doing my homework on a red-vinyl-and-chrome stool at the diner, owned at the time by my mom. I left the small town of Elkview for college and after floating around a bit, including even law school, ended up at a culinary school in San Francisco. Some of us take the long way around, I guess, but eventually the timing worked out perfectly and I came home to take over the Bear Claw when my mom was ready to retire.

Along with the industrial size fridge and ovens, I inherited a wonderful staff in the kitchen, and an amazing companion at home, Eggs Benedict, aka Benny, a beautiful orange tabby. It’s Benny who listens nonjudgmentally when I find myself in a pickle that’s not from the large jar of them in the diner pantry.

Usually the pickle is generated by my unofficial status as deputy to Alaska State Trooper, Cody Graham. I’m lucky to have a cadre of friends who come to my assistance when I’m called on to help Trooper with an investigation. The most recent case involves a group of summer employees who come north to work in the fishing industry. Who knew there were so many secrets under water?

Not to brag, but I live in the most beautiful state in the country—“North to the Future” as our motto states, or “The Frontier State” if you prefer its nickname. Everywhere I look there are beautiful mountains and lakes. And when I’m not helping solve a murder, I can choose among a host of activities—hiking, kayaking, skiing, camping, fishing, rafting, boating, ice climbing. Or I can just gaze upon a giant glacier. Then there’s the aurora borealis. What a sight that is.

I should mention my BFF from first grade is also on the team, plus—ahem—a very cute former army man, Chris, who’s the local newspaperman, and one of the sleuths. Sometimes it’s not clear whether we’re working or on a date. Am I just a pretty new SUV with a heated steering wheel that he likes to drive instead of his beat-up truck, or is a romance budding?

Maybe I’ll have a better idea in the next book!

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Review

FISHING FOR TROUBLE by Elizabeth Logan
The Second Alaskan Diner Mystery 

When a young diner collapses at the Bear Claw Diner, owner Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke is concerned. Part of a group of summer workers at the J and M Fish Processing Plant enjoying a break at the diner, Ethan's order hadn't even arrived before his collapse, so Bear Claw food wasn't to blame for his death. Still feeling partially to blame, Charlie takes his distraught female friend under her wing, but once Ethan's death is declared murder the young woman takes off. With her lawyer ex in town, her parents on vacation, and her relationship with a journalist in flux, Charlie is unsettled. Something fishy is going on and Charlie's going to get to the bottom of it.

Friendships, romantic entanglements, and the ramifications of love highlight the second Alaskan Diner Mystery. I appreciate how Charlie and her crew of employees and friends gather together to solve a complex puzzle. Charlie's ex is a great new character to hate. His behavior is so scuzzy I wanted to take a shower after each of his appearances! I adore Benny, but am not a fan Charlie's high tech relationship with him, although as Miko (one of my cats) is so engaged with my keyboard as I try to type, perhaps I should be more open minded.

FISHING FOR TROUBLE had me scratching my head wondering just what was going on and who was to blame. Interesting characters and the Alaskan setting kept me engaged, hungry, and glad I don't work at a fish processing facility.

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Fishing for Trouble (An Alaskan Diner Mystery) by Elizabeth Logan

About Fishing For Trouble

Fishing for Trouble (An Alaskan Diner Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Publisher: Berkley (November 24, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Something fishy is going on at a local seafood processing plant, and Charlie Cooke is on the hook to solve the case in this new Alaskan Diner Mystery.

Summer has come to Elkview, Alaska, bringing twenty hours of sunlight every day, not to mention a surge of tourists and seasonal workers. Chef Charlie Cooke is eager for a busy yet relaxing season, but when a young man working a summer job at the local fish processing plant dies moments after walking into the Bear Claw Diner, she’s quickly swept into the investigation.

Soon, through her best friend Annie Jensen, Charlie learns that another student worker at J and M Processing has disappeared, leaving more questions and fewer answers. The near-endless sunlight gives plenty of time to search for clues, but Charlie will have to work with Annie and local reporter Chris Doucette to net the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

 

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  

GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/160580.Camille_Minichino 

 Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo- IndieBound  

 

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Mousse and Murder - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Elizabeth Logan to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Elizabeth writes the Alaskan Diner Mystery series. MOUSSE AND MURDER is the first book in the series and was released last week.

Kathy: In MOUSSE AND MURDER Charlie Cooke returns to her hometown in Alaska to take over her mother's diner. Why choose Alaska as the setting for your series?

EL: The 49th state is so different from my east coast towns (3 of them) and California town (1). Alaska offer an opportunity to present startling landscapes and such a different climate.


Kathy: Charlie is determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner. If you were opening a diner, what dishes would you put on your menu?

EL: I would stick with the classics! Grilled cheese, malts, and fries — and lots of pies.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

EL: Probably “Murder She Wrote” was the biggest inspiration. I remember thinking “I could write those!” (Well, not as easy as it looks!)


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?


EL: I write darker short fiction. It’s hard for me to sustain darkness in a work as long as a novel.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

EL: • The Periodic Table series, features a retired physicist living in Revere MA, helping the police solve crimes, each one of which is based on an element in the periodic table.


• The Miniature Mysteries, features a miniaturist and her preteen granddaughter who make dollhouse and roomboxes, helping the police, etc.!


• The Professor Sophie Knowles series, features a college math teacher, helping the police, etc.!


• The Postmistress series, features a postmistress in a small New England town, helping the police, etc.!


• The Alaska Diner series, features a diner owner in a small Alaska town, helping the police, etc.!


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

EL: Probably Gloria in the Periodic Table series, because she’s scientist as well as a likable person and I see her as promoting science literacy.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

EL: Just the flurry of characters and ideas that every writer has.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
EL: Who doesn’t?


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

EL: Dante (read him in Italian in high school; lots of questions!); Joyce Carol Oates, Mario Puzo, Ursula LeGuin


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EL: “8 Perfect Murders” by Malcolm Kershaw.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

EL: Miniatures/dollhouses, the Sunday NYTimes crossword (takes a week), teaching.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

EL: Ice cream, cookies, chocolate, cheese.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

EL: I’ll probably take a short story break after the 3 books in this new series.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

EL: Meeting, talking with readers and other authors at bookstores, libraries.

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Review

MOUSSE AND MURDER by Elizabeth Logan

The First Alaskan Diner Mystery

Charlie Cooke is used to having blowout fights with her chef. She's also used to him storming out after such blowups. But he's never wound up dead after an argument...until now. Teaming up with Chris, the good looking local journalist, Charlie decides to look into the life of her chef, who she discovers she really didn't know, and she if she can help find out who killed him.

MOUSSE AND MURDER introduces readers to an interesting cast of characters whose lives revolve around a small Alaskan town's diner. Charlotte "Charlie" Cooke has a lot to prove and a good deal to learn. Having taken over her mom's diner she discovers she really doesn't know her employees or how to deal with the long time chef with the French culinary credits. She also has a bit of a temper and can make more than one quick assumption. However, her willingness to admit her faults and try to learn from her mistakes makes her likable. There's also the romantic interest journalist, who is eager almost to a fault, and the solid state trooper. Although somewhat formulaic, the characters have enough personality to engage readers, even the flighty best friend and the workers who engage in diner lingo. I love Charlie's interactions Benny (short for Eggs Benedict, both of which are great names) who she cares for now that her mom is traveling. The app so she can check in and play with him while at work gives a modern touch and shows how technology can change pet interactions!

MOUSSE AND MURDER is an enjoyable introduction to a new mystery series.

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Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery) by Elizabeth Logan

About Mousse and Murder

Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series  

Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020) 

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

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  
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/160580.Camille_Minichino  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - IndieBound

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The Scent of Murder - A Review

Review

THE SCENT OF MURDER by Kylie Logan

The First Jazz Ramsey Mystery

It's an ordinary night in Cleveland, Ohio when Jazz Ramsey enters an old building to train a new cadaver dog. Jazz puts Luther through his paces, waiting for him to find the tooth she hid upstairs. But before he even heads to the second floor Luther signals a find; not a tooth, but the body of a young woman. The soon to be posh condo is now a crime scene. The detective in charge is a former lover, the dead woman is a former student, and Jazz's life just got a lot more complicated. 

I enjoyed meeting Jazz as well as her friends and family. I love the close bond Jazz has with her brothers and mother and I appreciate the grief they all feel and adjustments they must make after the loss of their dad, especially as my dad died a year ago as well. One of my favorite characters is Sister Eileen, who had me laughing out loud at one point! Of course, I am enamored with Luther, a smart, charming German Shepherd who I hope we continue to see in future books.

The mystery was very interesting, especially as the victim's personality was slowly revealed, layer by layer. Like Cleveland itself, there's a grittiness here, but a strength and an indomitable will to survive. I will admit to knowing who the murderer was fairly early on, but that did not diminish my continued interest in the story.

There is one issue I feel compelled to address, even though its inclusion did not mar the plot. At the memorial service the school girls release balloons as a tribute. As someone concerned about the environment and wildlife I feel the need to bring awareness to the dangers this activity causes. Balloons don't go to heaven, or even outer space. They fall to earth as litter. Some animals mistake the remains as food, which can hurt or even kill them, or they may be entangled by the balloon strings, which can also lead to death. I hope Jazz learns of these dangers and perhaps even educates people in a future book.

THE SCENT OF MURDER is an engaging start to a new series. Interesting, likable, yet flawed characters inhabit the pages which showcases a small urban enclave.

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Jacket Copy:

First in a new series from national bestselling author Kylie Logan, The Scent of Murder is a riveting mystery following Jazz Ramsey as she trains cadaver dogs.

The way Jazz Ramsey figures it, life is pretty good. She’s thirty-five years old and owns her own home in one of Cleveland’s most diverse, artsy, and interesting neighborhoods. She has a job she likes as an administrative assistant at an all-girls school, and a volunteer interest she’s passionate about—Jazz is a cadaver dog handler.

Jazz is working with Luther, a cadaver dog in training. Luther is still learning cadaver work, so Jazz is putting him through his paces at an abandoned building that will soon be turned into pricey condos. When Luther signals a find, Jazz is stunned to see the body of a young woman who is dressed in black and wearing the kind of make-up and jewelry that Jazz used to see on the Goth kids back in high school.

She’s even more shocked when she realizes that beneath the tattoos and the piercings and all that pale make up is a familiar face.

The lead detective on the case is an old lover, and the murdered woman is an old student. Jazz finds herself sucked into the case, obsessed with learning the truth.


Author Bio:

KYLIE LOGAN is the national bestselling author of The League of Literary Ladies Mysteries, the Button Box Mysteries, the Chili Cook-Off Mysteries, and the Ethnic Eats Mysteries. The Scent of Murder is the first in a new series.


Buy Links:

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Powells

IndieBound


Social Links:

https://twitter.com/KylieLoganBks

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan. This book is the first in the Jazz Ramsey Mystery series and was released yesterday!

It's an ordinary night in Cleveland, Ohio when Jazz Ramsey enters an old building to train a new cadaver dog. Jazz puts Luther through his paces, waiting for him to find the tooth she hid upstairs. But before he even heads to the second floor Luther signals a find. Not a tooth, but the body of a young woman. The soon to be posh condo is now a crime scene. The detective in charge is a former lover, the dead woman is a former student, and Jazz's life just got a lot more complicated.

Irish Stewed - Spotlight

I just took part in a book exchange and thought I'd shine a spotlight on the book I received. I was given IRISH STEWED by Kylie Logan. This book is the first in the Ethnic Eats Mystery series.

From the back cover:

Murder on the Menu

After flopping as a personal chef to a Hollywood movie star, jobless Laurel Inwood finds herself humbled in Hubbard, Ohio, helping her aunt, Sophie, run her restaurant. Much to Laurel's dismay, Sophie's Terminal at the Tracks is not the cozy bistro her aunt would have led her to believe-it's a run-down greasy spoon in an old railroad station. To save the dingy diner, Laurel cooks up a plan to feature alternating ethnic cuisine as specials.

But first there's the problem of the body in the dining room.Slumped over a table with a receipt spike in the back of his neck is Jack Lancer, aka "the Lance of Justice," an investigative reporter for local TV news, Assisted by the drop-dead gorgeous owner of the neighboring Irish store-who may or may not be a suspect-Laurel sets out to track down a killer who had no reservations about impaling a newshound. But as she turns up the heat, will she end up in the soup herself?

Recipe Included.