I'm pleased to let Mel O’Rourke take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Mel on the pages of the Pine Cove Mystery series by Marla A. White. RECIPE FOR MURDER is the second book in the series and was released last week.
Remember back in the 80s and 90s, when “Murder She Wrote” was on TV and the big joke was that people should stop inviting the main character, Jessica Fletcher, to parties because someone always dies? Let me tell you from experience, it sucks to be that person.
We’d barely re-opened the old B&B my family helped me purchase when a guy dies in my lobby. Thanks to some help from Jackson Thibodeaux, I was able to sneak it out before word got out and stash the body in his spare freezer, but still it wasn’t a great first week of business. Especially when another guest fell to their death shortly after, but neither one was my fault, I swear.
Not that long after, Poppy Phillips, my nemesis when I was on the force, comes asking for help when she’s been framed for murder. It kills me to admit it, but while Poppy is guilty of plenty of things she’s never even so much as carried a weapon, let alone kill someone. Of course, not long after that, another body turned up. I could hear the whispers starting even before a maniac blew up one of my cabins.
Thank God people are kind of morbid, and the news of all the murders seem to have actually driven business up. Go figure. I have to confess; I wasn’t much of a cozy mystery reader before moving up to this one-stop-light town. I mean, I was living the crime thing, the last thing I wanted to do was read about it. But lately my grandmother as well as my good friend, Doc Hart, have turned me onto the genre. It was fun reading at first, but by now I’m wondering how the heck do all these bakers, bookstore owners, chocolatiers, cheese store owners, and yes, inn keepers stay in business with book after book of murder and mayhem all around them? And don’t even get me started on the small towns in England where they have more murders than actual residents.
So, here’s my suggestion for all small business owners who also seem to be death magnets; get a boyfriend who is an actual cop. Not that I’ve been successful doing that. I’m not even sure I want Deputy Gregg Marks that embedded in my life. But it seems to me, if you have a cop hanging out around your business it will discourage the stabby-stabby killer types. Of course, that would put a cramp in my relationship with Jackson, my sweet and hot café owner neighbor.
The only other thing I can think of is a little advice from Bill Shakespeare and, “Get thee to a nunnery.” One of my aunts is a nun, she seems to like it? I don’t think it’s in the cards for me with my potty mouth, but at least it would get me out of the tension of this love triangle. And the only bodies dropping would likely be of natural causes. On the other hand, Sister Boniface saw so many murders, she set up her own forensics lab at the abbey. Ugh. I guess there’s no getting out from being a murder magnet.
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Bio: Mel O’Rourke used to be an LAPD uniformed patrol officer before her brilliant career came to a screeching halt thanks to pursuing cat burglar Poppy Phillips in a rooftop chase. One crushed ankle later, she started her “Second Act” (although she hates that term) as the part owner of a B&B in quirky Pine Cove, California. She’s not a writer but hopes to have one stay at The Brook one day. She only took a stab at this article when her cousin, the head of their social media, had another fire to put out. Literally.
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Review
The Second Pine Cove Mystery
Hurt that Jackson Thibodeaux has remained in New Orleans former LAPD officer turned innkeeper Mel O'Rourke is spending more time with Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks and is enjoying it, much to her annoyance. Jackson suddenly returns with a wild story that he found a fellow student murdered at their culinary school, the same woman his mother says he was dating. Police have ruled it a suicide, but Mel has her doubts, especially with someone taking shots at Jackson. But how can she look into the situation when she's over a thousand miles away and no longer a cop? How can she deal with both Gregg and Jackson back in her life? Not to mention plumbing issues! Mel will have to juggle it all along with her wacky family and the music festival coming to town. Finding a killer might be easier.
I absolutely love this series and this second installment is even better than the first. Though it certainly works well as a standalone mystery, you'll love it even more if you've read the first book. While I'm not fond of love triangles, and hope this one doesn't last too long, it works, and I have to giggle at Grandma's advice!
RECIPE FOR MURDER's murder is quite different in that the murder occurs in a different state and isn't considered a murder by law enforcement on the scene. The mystery is not just cerebral as some one has followed Jackson from New Orleans to California and is intent on silencing him...and Mel! I love how Mel and Gregg are on the same wavelength. As a former police officer myself it's true that there are some things only fellow cops can truly understand. He can be a stick in the mud, and can be a bit too by the book at times, but we're starting to learn that there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. I can't wait to uncover more about his past. Mel has to walk a fine line between helping a friend, figuring out her feelings, and worrying about loved ones leaving.
A fine mystery that's laugh out loud funny while still providing all the feels RECIPE FOR MURDER is an entertaining read that's certain to leave you smiling.
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Recipe for Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery) by Marla A. White
About Recipe for Murder
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Pine Cove, a fictional version of Idyllwild,
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: June 17, 2026
Print Length: 328 pages
Mel O'Rourke traded her LAPD badge for the quiet life, running a bed-and-breakfast in tiny, quirky Pine Cove.
But when Jackson Thibodeaux, the charming café owner who broke her heart, stumbles back into town, her tranquil second act is toast. While attending a culinary academy in New Orleans, Jackson found the body of a classmate. The police rule it a suicide, but Mel’s instincts—and Jackson’s near miss with a bullet—scream murder. Between a cooking school full of shady suspects, a reformed cat burglar for a sidekick, and a complicated love triangle involving the deputy sheriff, Mel has her hands full.
Perfect for fans of the sweetness of Jenn McKinlay and the snark of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan.
About Marla A. White
Marla White kills people for a living—on paper, at least.
An award-winning mystery and suspense author with roots in Hollywood, Marla White made a striking debut with Cause for Elimination, earning recognition from Killer Nashville, the RONE Awards, Reader’s Favorite, and a second-place finish with the Orange County Romance Writers in Romantic Suspense.
Originally from Oklahoma, Marla carved her path through multiple states before landing in Los Angeles, where she built a career in television development and now teaches screenwriting at UCLA Extension—including the fine art of script coverage and story analysis.
When she’s not plotting her next murder (fictional, we promise), she can be found in her garden, on a hiking trail, cheering for the LA Kings, or field-testing craft cocktails in the name of research.
