Al Dente's Inferno - A Review

 Review

AL DENTE'S INFERNO by Stephanie Cole
The First Tuscan Cooking School Mystery

 

After successfully setting up a cooking school in the Berkshires and ending a regrettable relationship, Nell Valenti is thrilled to start her next venture, starting a farm to table cooking school in Tuscany at the home of her culinary hero. She arrives to discover a dilapidated villa with a derelict chef who seems more interested in bocce than braciole! Not only that, the villa's residents a have invited local dignitaries to a special dinner the following night to garner interest in the future school that will be filmed as part of a documentary. Worse, the director happens to be the best forgotten ex she left in the Berkshires! Surprisingly, the evening in question unfolds beautifully...until a chef goes missing and a dead body is found. Now it's up to Nell to find a killer and save the future school - and herself!

 

Cooking in Tuscany? What's not to love? The concept of creating a cooking school in such a wonderful locale is a great one, but making it a dilapidated villa with eccentric characters is brilliant! Nuns who love Billy Joel!?! A moss filled common room? I love how Nell begins to find herself as she whips the villa into shape. 

 

The first Tuscan Cooking School Mystery provides a complex mystery, made more intriguing by the varied relationships between the characters.

 

AL DENTE'S INFERNO is a wonderful escape into Tuscany. Eccentric characters, wonderful food, and a good dose of humor make a delightful start to a new series.

 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Crime of the Ancient Marinara by Stephanie Cole. This book is the second in the Tuscan Cooking School Mystery series.

Nell Valenti has whipped a ramshackle Tuscan estate into shape and the newly minted Villa Orlandini Cooking School is ready to host its first students. Five intrepid Americans are eager to learn Chef Orlandini's marinara tricks, including the secret prima marinara recipe that made him famous. Despite minor issues and personality clashes, field trips to a vineyard, a hunt for truffles, and a lesson on mushroom foraging keep the workshop on track. Until someone decides to commit murder. Will Nell be able to piece together the solution? Or will this murder signal the end of the Villa Orlandini Cooking School for good?

Death on the Set - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Rose Kerr to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Rose writes the Brenna Flynn Mystery series. Death of the Set is the first book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In Death on the Set Brenna Flynn is hired as a production assistant on a reality cooking show. I admit to enjoying several cooking shows, most notably the Great British Bake Off. Are you a fan of cooking shows? Do you have a favorite?

RK: I watched a lot of cooking shows when I was researching for Death on the Set. The ones I watched the most included: Chopped, Hell’s Kitchen, Master Chef. I still watch Chopped and Master Chef and I’ve started watching a lot of the baking shows. Great British Baking Show, The Great Canadian Baking Show, Cupcake Wars, and all the themed baking shows are favorites. Thank goodness for PVR!


Kathy: Previously, Brenna was a high school guidance counselor. Did you ever want to be a counselor? Or work with high school students?

RK: I’ve never been a high school guidance counselor, but I have worked with adults who were returning to school to change careers. Part of my job was to help students research different college or university programs that would fit their needs. That was one of the most rewarding jobs I had.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

RK: I enjoy the characters, the settings, and the puzzle of solving the mystery. The first cozy I read was by Carolyn Hart, the Death on Demand series. I really enjoyed the setting in the series and the characters were intriguing.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

RK: No, I stay with cozies.

 

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

RK: My main character, Brenna Flynn is a former high school counselor who can’t find work in her field. She takes on temp jobs in each book in the series and has to solve a mystery in each book. At this time, the Brenna Flynn Mysteries is the only series available.

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

RK: Brenna Flynn, my main character is my favorite. She’s learning she’s much more resilient than she previously thought she was.


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

RK: I was watching a cooking show one evening and said, “One day, that chef is going to get himself knocked off.” Our son was watching with me and he said, “Mom, there’s your story.” I just had to figure out how to make it all work.

 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

RK: Becoming a published author is something I wanted for a long time. I’m glad it’s happened.


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

RK: Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton Robert B. Parker, and Dan Brown.
 

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RK: I’m reading Agatha Christie’s Appointment with Death.
 

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

RK: I enjoy walking along the lake and taking photos of nature, traveling, antiquing, and reading.


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

RK: Pasta, extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, chocolate.


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

RK: I have book 2 in the Brenna Flynn mystery series to my editor and am currently writing book 3. I'm hoping the series will continue.


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

RK: Creating the characters and their world. It’s so much fun to develop the characters and to build the world.

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 Death on the Set (A Brenna Flynn Mystery) by Rose Kerr

About Death on the Set 

Death on the Set (A Brenna Flynn Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Michigan
TouchPoint Press (March 29, 2022)
Number of Pages: 274

Former high school guidance counselor turns amateur sleuth to save herself from murder charge on reality show.

Brenna Flynn, returns home to Bayview City after the sudden death of her husband. Unable to find work in her field, she signs up with a temp agency to find employment. Sent on an interview for a cooking reality show, she aces it and gets the job of a production assistant.

On her second day at work, Brenna discovers a body in the studio. She soon learns she's the police's primary suspect. Determined to clear her name, she uses some skills she's honed as a guidance counselor to learn more about the victim. Drawing people out comes naturally to Brenna, and she becomes a confidante to cast and crew on the show.

The stakes are raised with threatening notes, poisonings, and blackmail. Can Brenna uncover who the killer is before someone else dies?

About Rose Kerr

Rose Kerr grew up in a small community in Nova Scotia. A graduate of Acadia University’s Bachelor of Arts Degree, Recreation and Physical Education, Rose worked for several organizations: Nova Scotia Figure Skating Association, Synchro Swim Nova Scotia, Northern Options for Women, and Contact North|Contact Nord. She traveled from Newfoundland to British Columbia and most provinces in between for work.

Rose and her husband settled in a small town, on the shores of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario to raise their family. A strong believer in lifelong learning, Rose took creative writing courses and began writing mysteries. More recently, Rose, her husband, and their dog Jake have moved to Southern Ontario. When she isn’t writing, Rose and her husband enjoy exploring the new region.

Rose is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Guppy Online Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Canada. For more info visit www.rosekerr.com

Author Links:  

Website: www.rosekerr.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/RoseKerrauthor/  

Twitter: @rkerrwriter  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/rosekerr  

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

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Claws for Suspicion - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake. This book is the third in the Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series and will be released May 3, 2022.

Blurb:

When someone from her past comes to town to cause trouble, Kari Stuart and her sassy kitten Queenie will have to work hard to protect the Serenity Sanctuary in this new Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery.

Kari Stuart is finally starting to relax into her role as the new owner of the Serenity Sanctuary and is looking forward to the various fun autumn activities in the beautiful Catskills town of Lakeview, like the annual Oktoberfest celebration. It’s time for friends and quality bonding with handsome vet Angus McCoy. Until the unexpected arrival of her unpleasant ex-husband, Charlie Smith.

He comes bearing a shocking revelation—the paperwork on their divorce never went through, and they are still married. Worse yet, he thinks this entitles him to half of her lottery winnings—although he’ll happily take partial ownership of the sanctuary instead. Kari isn’t sure if he’s telling the truth, or if it’s just another one of Charlie’s lies.

But things go from bad to worse when an unexpected death makes Kari the main suspect in a murder investigation. Will she and Queenie be able to find the real killer and keep the home they’ve built at the sanctuary safe, or is their string of luck finally tapped out? 

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Buy Links:
Amazon |Amazon Print |Penguin|Nook |Kobo |Apple 

 
Author Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/deborahblake

Newsletter: http://dld.bz/dWEQs

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/deborahblake

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.blake

Blog: http://deborahblake.blogspot.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deborahblakeauthor/

Website: http://deborahblakeauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/246753.Deborah_Blake

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Bio:

Deborah Blake is the author of the Baba Yaga Series from Berkley (Wickedly Dangerous, Wickedly Wonderful, Wickedly Powerful), as well as the Broken Rider Series, and the Veiled Magic series. The Catskills Pet Rescue books are her first cozy mysteries. She has also published thirteen books on modern witchcraft with Llewellyn Worldwide, along with a tarot and an oracle deck. She lives in a 130-year-old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with various cats who supervise all her activities, both magical and mundane.

One April After the War: Louisville to Cumberland - A Review

 Review

ONE APRIL AFTER THE WAR: LOUISVILLE TO CUMBERLAND
By G. S. Boarman
M. Warner Annals Book I

In April of 1870 Secret Service agents Argent and Merritt have finished up a counterfeit case and agree to escort a woman from Kentucky to the White House on behalf of President Grant. Instead of an elderly lady they find an unusual young woman. A young woman who does not want to go. 

ONE APRIL AFTER THE WAR: LOUISVILLE TO CUMBERLAND is a work of historical fiction that also works as a morality tale. Issues such as race, gender, and human rights all come into play. Mary is not the "normal" woman to be found in Kentucky in 1870. She is grief stricken. She has strong beliefs. She has some idiosyncrasies. There is some moral ambiguity here. People continually are doing things in her best interest. But is it in her best interest, or is it just making things easier for those doing it? That goes for not only the secret service men, but Mr. Howard and Miss Carrie, people who actually love her too.

I love the historical detail, and the fact that the days match this year's April days is a fascinating feature. I enjoyed recognizing facts, such as Roebling's suspension bridge, and places, such as Athens, Ohio, and seeing things though M's eyes. The relationship between M, Merritt, and Argent is fascinating, at once a job, perhaps something more. But in her eyes, is it growing friendship, or certainty that she is a prisoner?

Although I knew the book wouldn't finish the story, it says Louisville to Cumberland on the cover after all, I didn't anticipate the book ending on a cliff hanger! I am now desperate to see what happens next, even though I know Book II will not answer all of my questions as there is also a Book III!

Part travel journal, part morality tale, part mystery, ONE APRIL AFTER THE WAR: LOUISVILLE TO CUMBERLAND brings readers on a post Civil War adventure encouraging a thoughtful glimpse into 1870s America.

Serpent's Doom - A Review

 Review

SERPENT'S DOOM by Connie di Marco
The Fourth Zodiac Mystery 

Sometimes astrologer Julia Benotti gets too invested with her clients. Such is the case with young Frankie Chan. The 11 year old with a big attitude and a missing mother is not the only one either, there's the abused wife and the worried mother, but it's Frankie who galvanizes her to act. As Julia tries to help him she soon discovers that things are connected in ways she never would have believed.

Pulse pounding drama and suspense await you in Connie di Marco's latest Zodiac Mystery. She creatively melds together several storylines into one jaw dropping mystery. The astrological aspects flow seamlessly into this tautly written novel and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I really like Julia, although I wanted to yell at her a few times-Tell someone where you're going! For heaven's sake, read his journals! I love the slow burn on Michael's story. His death is going to be so much more than a tragic accident and while I can't wait to learn more, I love the slow manner in which his story is unfolding. Julia has great friends who really get involved and I love the addition of Rupert to the Mystic Eye crew.

SERPENT'S DOOM is an exciting mystery melding cultures, astrological aspects, friendships, and betrayals.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Serpent's Doom by Connie di Marco. This book is the fourth in the Zodiac Mystery series and will be released April 26, 2022. 

Sometimes astrologer Julia Benotti gets too invested with her clients. Such is the case with young Frankie Chan. The 11 year old with a big attitude and a missing mother is not the only one either, there's the abused wife and the worried mother, but it's Frankie who galvanizes her to act. As Julia tries to help him she soon discovers that things are connected in ways she never would have believed.