It’s up to Sally Solari to serve up a killer before their family restaurant’s reputation goes up in smoke.It’s early autumn in Santa Cruz and restaurateur Sally Solari decides an open-air painting class is the perfect way for her to learn more about Paul Gauguin, the inspiration for the restaurant she has recently inherited. But the beauty of the Monterey Bay coastline is shattered when Sally’s … shattered when Sally’s dog Buster sniffs out a corpse tangled up in kelp.
The body is identified as Gino, a local fisherman and a regular at Solaris’ until he disappeared after dining there a few nights before. Witnesses claim he left reeling drunk, but his waitress swears the old man only had two beers with is meal. And then the fingers begin to point at Sally’s dad for negligently allowing an inebriated customer to walk home alone at night.
From a long menu of suspects, including a cast of colorful characters who frequent the historic Santa Cruz fisherman’s wharf, Sally must serve up the tall order of clearing her father’s name in Death al Fresco, Leslie Karst’s third delectable Sally Solari mystery.
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Sally Solari is working very hard to make a name for herself at her recently inherited restaurant, but her father has different plans. He doesn’t seem to remember that she no longer works at the family restaurant Solaris’ and keeps pulling her in. While taking an open-air painting class of the Monterey Bay coastline, Sally’s dog Buster finds a corpse tangled up in the kelp.
The body is identified as Gino, a local fisherman and regular patron at Solaris’. Is it true what everyone is saying? Is Sally’s dad negligent for allowing an inebriated customer to leave the restaurant alone at night? Witnesses claim that Gino was drunk when he left the restaurant, but his waitress swears that she only served him to beers with a full meal. Can she find out the truth before her father’s reputation and that on his restaurant goes down the drain?
This is not your average cozy mystery full of cuteness. Sally is a smart and multifaceted character that has you cheering for her to find the bad guys.
“Death al Fresco” earns 4/5 Bodies in the Surf…Murderously Fun!
Santa Cruz, California? Painting outdoors? Treats from two restaurants? And a body in the kelp? Yeah! All the boxes checked off for this entertaining cozy from Leslie Karst’s Sally Solari Mystery series. Newbies need not shy away from enjoying “Death Al Fresco,” third book in the series, because background is revisited and character connections do have a reasonable explanation to keep readers engaged. The murder and subsequent investigation starts relatively quickly, a technique I enjoy in my cozies. Gino Barbierie, a local fisherman and regular at Sally’s father’s restaurant Solari’s, is found dead, but when the main ‘person of interest’ is very close to home, Sally must use her amateur detective skills to uncover the truth behind the victim’s death. The trail of clues and evidence, motives and suspects, dead ends and red herrings is engaging to follow, and the ultimate solution was a twist I didn’t see coming, but totally enjoyed. However, I question how realistic it is for a conscientious restaurateur to abandon her responsibilities to go painting on a busy Saturday or off investigating a murder. Sometimes this happens in cozies, but how else will the busy main character get time to act as a detective? Garnering personal interest, Karst touched on the history of Italians settling in the Santa Cruz area in the early 1900s, and her description of the seaside brought to mind my numerous summer vacations and visiting my sister who lived there for a time. I enjoyed the rich characters Karst has created, well developed if not some quirky, and the dynamic between Sally and her father is entertaining…like most father/daughter relationships it is bittersweet, loving, but contentious. I totally identified! I also found interest in the friendly nature of the relationship between Sally and her ex. It provides a great partnership during the investigations (it’s always good to have a DA on your side), but could more be rekindled? I am eager to see how all got here from there, so the previous two books are at the top of my “TBR” list! I highly recommend this book!
My favorite words in my cozies…Recipes Included! Sally has her own restaurant focusing on French/Polynesian cuisine called Gauguin, and along with her father’s Italian restaurant Solari’s, they have inspired four “friends will be envious” recipes: Solari’s Spinach Salad with Orange, Fennel, and Black Olives to accompany the Tagliarini pasta with Brown Butter, Sage, and Porcini Mushrooms, and from Gauguin’s Black Cod with Miso and Sake and Duck à la Likikoi. Yum!
As satisfying as a big plate of the pasta served at Solari’s Restaurant, Death al Fresco is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters in this book were strong and relatable. I love multi-generational families and watching how the dynamics play out within them. This book also did a nice job of endearing you to the characters so you are hooked and want to be sure to come back for future installments.
My complete review can be found here:
https://cozyexperience.com/death-al-fresco-book-review/
An excellent addition to the Sally Solari Cozy Mystery series. Once again we see interesting characters that have been well developed including a grouping of characters that could be the villain in the mystery. The plot is interesting, funny and very entertaining. Combine interesting characters and intriguing plot and you have an entertaining read to while away an afternoon with! Be prepared though, you will be craving Italian food by the time you finish the book! Fortunately the author includes a few recipes to feed that craving at the end of the book, a true cozy mystery!
Sally and her friend Eric are taking an outdoor painting class around Santa Cruz. During class one Saturday, Sally’s dog finds a dead body in the kelp. The man was a regular at Sally’s family’s restaurant, and his last few days seem to be connected to his time there. Can Sally figure out what happened before the restaurant’s reputation is ruined?
This book has a good mystery with viable suspects and a couple of good twists to it. It also has some strong sub-plot, which are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they take the focus off the mystery a bit too much at times. On the other hand, they are the perfect showcases for some of the recurring characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again and how they are growing. Overall, I found this a satisfying read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
It’s summer in Santa Cruz, and restaurateur Sally Solari decides an open-air painting class is a perfect way for her to learn more about Paul Gauguin, the inspiration for her restaurant. But the beauty of the Monterey Bay coastline is shattered when Sally’s dog Buster sniffs out a corpse tangled up in kelp.
The body is Gino, a local fisherman and a regular at her father’s restaurant, Solaris until he disappeared after dining there a few nights before. Witnesses claim he left reeling drunk, but his waitress swears Gino only had two beers with his dinner. Fingers begin to point at Sally’s dad for negligently allowing an inebriated customer to walk home alone at night.
From a long menu of suspects that includes Anastasia, the mysterious woman who dined with Gino that fateful night, Gino’s deckhand Bobby, and bocce player Frank who accused Gino of cheating, Sally must serve up the tall order to clear her father’s name.
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Series: A Sally Solari Mystery Book – 3
Author: Leslie Karst
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books – Publishing Date March 13, 2018
Death al Fresco is the third book in the “A Sally Solari Mystery” series. It is a quick, enjoyable read with plenty of plot twists and clues that may or may not be what they seem. Leslie Karst is a wonderful writer who knows how to build suspense and intrigue without getting bogged down in unnecessary verbiage.
Sally has her hands full working in her new restaurant as well as her father’s restaurant, Solaris and things do not look for getting better any time soon. With a big celebration at Solaris add her touchy cook, Javier at Gauguin’s, she isn’t sure whether she is coming or going. Things spiral downhill fast as she races against time to solve a murder before her father and she ends up out of business.
The cast of characters in this new addition to the series are fan favorites. They are likable and lovable, and readers cheer from the sidelines as each of them plays their part. Sally’s father, as well as her bf and old flame, Eric play a starring role in the story and add to the enjoyment of the book and the reader.
Santa Cruz is a wonderful location to set a series, and Ms. Karst uses it well as the backdrop of an intriguing and highly pleasurable plot. The recipes are mouthwatering and will have readers tracking down their local Italian restaurant to see if they have the delightful dishes described in the story.
When the killer is unmasked, the motive is a bit confusing and the killer although a suspect still seems a bit of a surprise. Although the motive for the murder is not explained very well and is left up to the reader to scrutinize its meaning, Death al Fresco is recommended for anyone interested in a good story filled with action and fun.