Book One in the harrowing and heartwarming Supper Club Mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams!Meet the Supper Club, a group of friends dead set on counting calories and catching killers . . . After giving up his dream job and moving back home to the small town of Quincy’s Gap, English literature professor James Henry is tired of finding his happiness at the bottom of a … finding his happiness at the bottom of a bag of cheese doodles. In an effort to expand his social life and reduce his waistline, he joins a supper club for dieters who lovingly call themselves the Flab Five. He knows he and his new friends will have to watch what they eat, but he never expected to find murder on the menu.
Former high school football star Brinkley Myers was worshipped by fans and loathed by women. When he mysteriously drops dead in the local bakery, a young waitress at the town diner is suspected of foul play. Convinced she’s innocent, the Flab Five team up to weigh in on the investigation.
As the group begins to digest the clues and track down the real killer, they start to worry that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew, and it will take every ounce of willpower they have to keep losing weight without losing their lives . . .
Includes tempting recipes!
This is a brand-new, fully revised edition of a book originally published under the name J. B. Stanley.
“The first Supper Club mystery introduces the very likable and flawed James Henry. . . . Great pacing and characters make this a first-rate book. Readers will definitely want to come back for a second helping.” —RT Book Reviews
About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Her series include the Supper Club Mysteries, the Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries, and the Book Retreat Mysteries, among others.
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I want to be a member of The Flab Five! I loved it! I laughed, cringed and held my breath for that kiss. The food sounded yummy and I might just try it. I’m ecstatic that I found this series!
What an interesting twist to the cozy mystery genre! A group of plus sized folks who become friends as they support each other on their quest to become healthier and it leads to helping solve a mystery! Great characters, the main character is male which is a nice change of pace, that are well fleshed out and brought to life which only enhances the plot line all that much more. The best part is that it appears that this entire series is available via audiobook so I am really looking forward to listening to the entire series!
This book was just ok for me. As I think how to review this book, I find myself struggling what to say. I found the book a little boring. I really liked the idea of the book. Maybe this series isn’t for me. I might give book 2 a try.
In this first book of the series we are introduced to Professor Henry who isn’t quite satisfied with his life. Like some people he tends to eat his worries away and looks for happiness in the foods that he eats. He decides that it is time to make some changes in his life and joins a group of dieters who form a supper club to help one another watch their weight. They deem themselves the Fab Five and look forward to helping one another out in their food struggles. When local Brinkley Meyers dies while visiting the local bakery the group wants to help the young lady accused of killing the man. You see Meyers was a local high school football hero that was adored by some and hated by many. Follow along as the gang works their way through facts, clues, and gossip. Will they be able to come up with the answer to who killed Meyers or have they worked themselves into a corner. This a truly a great read filled with realistic characters, a lovely setting, and a fun whodunit mystery. I loved the humor in the characters and appreciated the way the author handled the subject of weight loss.
Carbs and Cadavers by Ellery Adams is the first book in her Supper Club series. It was a good beginning to this cozy series. Ms. Adams has written a richly detailed story that includes characters that I could relate to on many levels.
James, Lucy, Lindy, Bennett and Gillian all want to lose weight but haven’t been successful on their own. They band together to provide recipes, encouragement and support as they strive to achieve their goals. Although strangers they soon begin to bond over future goals and dieting woes. In the process they become involved in a murder investigation. There were plenty of twists and red herrings to keep me confused until the reveal.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Beyond the Page via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Fun and Engaging Story
Carbs & Cadavers is the first book in Ellery Adams’ Supper Club Mysteries series and is an enjoyable read. The storyline is well thought out and the well-developed characters are likeable. The main characters are relatable, as they have hopes, aspirations, regrets, and flaws, and they develop an enviable camaraderie as they get to know each other, support each other in their quest to lose weight, and work together to solve a mystery. There isn’t any gratuitous adult situations or graphic violence, but there is some adult language. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
James Henry is an unhappy, overweight, thirty-five year old man, whose wife recently divorced him, and after the passing of his beloved mother gave up his job as an English literature professor at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg so he could move back to Quincy’s Gap, Virginia to care for his grumpy, reclusive father, Jackson. It had been almost two months since James moved back into his childhood room and he took over the position of head librarian at Shenandoah County’s main library, the King Street Branch, one month ago. He’s also shy, insecure, and somewhat socially challenged but is caring a, has a huge heart, and is a great listener. When Rosalind “Lindy” Perez, an art teacher and student advisor at Blue Ridge High, stopped by the library with a flyer she’d like to post on the bulletin board in the lobby and asked him to join a supper club, he agreed. The other members are Lucy Hanover, who works as an assistant at the sheriff’s department, Bennett Marshall, a USPS mailman, and Gillian O’Malley, who owns Yuppie Puppy, and he becomes the fifth member of a supper club for dieters who decide to call themselves the Flab Five. When Brinkley Myers, a former high school football star, who was worshipped by men, which he savored, and loathed by women because of his disparaging remarks and behavior when he had an audience, mysteriously dropped dead in Sweet Tooth, a local bakery owned by Megan Flowers, her daughter, Amelia, tried to help him. Sheriff Huckabee and Deputy Keith Donovan suspect Whitney Livingstone, a young waitress at Dolly’s Diner and part time student at James Madison University put Coumadin in Brinkley’s meal at Dolly’s Diner. Unfortunately, Beau Livingstone is the only person in their small community with a prescription for the blood thinning medication. Convinced she’s innocent, the Flab Five team up to investigate. Whitney admits she hated Brinkley, but denies killing him and says Dolly served him his meal on Saturday, not her, and because it was homecoming day, everyone ate Dolly’s traditional Victory Loaf before going to the football game between the Blue Ridge Red-Tailed Hawks and the Jefferson High Cougars.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.