Shawn Reilly Simmons has cooked up something rocky this time, and it’s going to be a delicious read. After surviving a brazen attack at one of her favorite local cafes, Penelope Sutherland is ready to escape the big city and head to her next film set. She and her Red Carpet Catering crew set up their kitchen on location in the tranquil mountains of Vermont.But peace and quiet aren’t on the menu.… aren’t on the menu.
It starts to get hot when a series of accidents befall the celebrity tennis pro consulting on the film. Then mix in an uptight director, an isolated location, and a quirky bunch of locals with secrets of their own and that’s a recipe for disaster.
Penelope soon suspects a connection between the cafe attack and the incidents on set, and you know what comes next. She must uncover the truth before her goose gets cooked.
This page-turner is serving up the coziest of entertainment, and you do not want to miss it.
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MURDER ON THE ROCKS by Shawn Reilly Simmons | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
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Another great story with characters that are like old friends.
“Murder on the Rocks” earns 5/5 Felonious Film Sets…Murderously Fun!
This fifth book, “Murder on the Rocks,” in Shawn Reilly Simmons’s Red Carpet Catering Mystery series has made this newbie a very eager fan. This page-turner grabbed me right off with an action-packed movie scene, then a real-life traumatic robbery and lots of mayhem on the set of Arlena Madison’s new movie…any connections? Penny Sutherland’s Red Carpet Catering heads up to an out-of-the-way, cell phone/Wifi ”black hole” location in Vermont to support the cast and crew of BFF Arlena’s new biopic, but “peace and quiet” will not be served up. The well-known, yet eccentric, producers/directors Truegood brothers make demands Penny finds stressful to accommodate, panic attacks prove disturbing, a possible stalker suspiciously appears, and the “accidents” that plague the set put everyone on edge…what else, murder? A well-written mystery with twist, turns, more than a few nail-biting predicaments, and a very satisfying solution, Simmons also provides a look behind the scenes of a movie production, a new chef joining the catering business, an evolving romance between Penny and Joey, and the luscious Vermont environment. However, she doesn’t rely on the narrative or stereotypes by penning dialogue to cleverly illustrate the personalities and emotions of a rich group of characters. In this five-book series, many events have happened, and like real life, the characters have grown and relationships strengthened. But enough background (no spoilers) and character connections are revisited to make it easy for newbies to join in. I highly recommend this book, and fans will agree start here, but don’t forget the other books that will offer an understanding of how we all got here from there.
“Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from NetGalley. This review is voluntary and my opinion and insights are honest.
Arlena and Penelope are getting ready to head up to Vermont where Arlena will have the starring role in a biopic based on the life of Tennis Legend Helen Wills. Ms. Wills was one of the first celebrity athletic stars of her generation which was in the late 1800s through the 1940’s. This is a role of a lifetime for Arlena because of the famous Truegood brothers who have not only written the film but will also be producing and directing it as well.
Penny and Arlena are in Glendale having brunch waiting to meet up with one of Penny’s oldest friends Nadia who just happens to be a current Tennis star who has agreed to help coach Arlena and add support on the technical side of the game. When Nadia arrives at the café they are just finishing up with introductions when the café is robbed. The trio of friends are all seated outside, and Penny gets a good look at one of the robbers. They are shaken up by the violent occurrence that is out of place for Glendale. Joey, Penny’s boyfriend who is also an investigator with the Glendale police department comes over later that evening to deliver some property that was recovered, and Penny tells him what she witnessed.
The show must go on, as they say, so off they go headed for bucolic Vermont hoping to leave all this bad business behind them. Penny’s catering company is growing fast. She has hired a new chef, Tama and this will be the first time they will be working together so Penny’s excited to be on this trip. She felt a connection with Tama and hopes she made the right decision in hiring her.
Once they make the long drive up to Vermont, her caravan of trucks is greeted by one of the Truegood brothers. These guys are eccentric to the extreme!!! How is she expected to run her catering business with all these rules, to make matters worse they are in the middle of a dead zone and the nearest town is a 30-mile drive away. They feel like they have been dropped into a time warp, Penny’s about had it with these two nuts, but she perseveres for the sake of her good friend Arlena. The only thing keeping Penny sane is her infrequent chats with Joey, who is waiting for her back home. Their relationship is growing as fast as her catering company.
The awful robbery in Glendale that is still close in their minds plus odd happenings in Vermont keeps Penny on her toes. Jeremiah Truegood is the oddest of all, just what is it with this old guy?
This was a super-fast read, it held my interest and with all the other sideline plots going on it’s another win, win for Ms. Simmons. I love the spunky Penny that’s for sure, she’s really grown with this series, I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for her.
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinion expressed above are mine alone.
Enjoyable book. I have read at least one other in this series and enjoyed it as well. Penelope is a chef extraordinaire. Her best friend is an actress, Arlena. Together they have adventures. In this book, they are embroiled in two mysteries/crimes. One has to do with a robbery at a restaurant while they were eating and another has to do with a mysterious man that seemed to be watching them at the restaurant.
I liked the characters. Arlena and Penelope are great. Some of the other characters you wanted to hit over the head! But that is what makes it fun, quirky people. They mystery was good and kept my attention. In fact I was a little surprised with both mysteries were solved. It wasn’t what I expected. I would recommend this book to all cozy lovers.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
Murder on the Rocks by author Shawn Reilly Simmons is a cozy mystery which starts out with an interesting scene in which Arlena is performing in a screen test for a Jack Sloan film. The next day Penelope and Arlena see drama for real when they meet for brunch at Sonya’s Cafe. Soon after Penelope’s friend Nadia arrives, the cafe is the scene of a horrible violent attack for robbery by two local hockey players. Some of the customers are injured, people are robbed, and hours later Sonya is dead. This sets the serious tone for the book as Penelope, Arlena, and Nadia are soon off to Vermont for the filming of a movie called Grand Slam. Nadia will be a consultant for Arlena on the set. Penelope will have some mysteries to solve as Nadia becomes a target during s series of accidents. What is going on? Is there a connection between the attack at the cafe and Nadia’s accidents? I wont’ post spoilers, but it will hook you and keep you reading!