The New England Fall Food Fest has begun, and for competitive cook Sherry Oliveri, it’s a chance to take home a prize—and take down a killer . . . Sherry’s hoping her Savory Shrimp Lettuce Cups will impress the judges, and she’s invited her brother, Pep, to serve as her sous-chef. The good news is that she takes first place in her category, the bad news is that it’s easier to win when your … easier to win when your toughest competition is dead . . .
After contestant Fitz Frye is found with a fishhook in his neck, Pep’s strange behavior doesn’t help his case when the police consider him top suspect. While Pep sits through a shakedown, Sherry searches near and far for the real culprit—before another deadly course is served . . .
Includes Recipes from Sherry’s Kitchen!
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This is the 4th book in the Cook Off Mystery series, but this is the first book in the series that I’ve read, and had no trouble keeping up. There wasn’t anything that was confusing, and you don’t need to read the first 3 books before diving into this one, though afterwards you might be like me, and want to start the series from the beginning.
It’s time for the New England Fall Food Fest and Sherry Oliveri is ready! She’s got her younger brother Pep as her sous chef and they’re ready to rock out her Savory Shrimp Lettuce Cups for the judging. A little surprised to discover that there’s been a last minute contestant in her division, she’s even more surprised to discover it’s the same man who beat her in another competition, Fritz Frye, and he’s making a similar dish to her. With no time to ponder the addition, she’s got her heart and mind on winning.
Image everyone’s surprise when, after the competition, Fritz Frye is discovered dead with a fishing hook in his neck. Of course, with the way her brother’s been acting, people are starting to think he’s the murderer. Sherry’s got to put her detective cap back on and figure out who the real killer is before her brother’s arrested for this crime.
I love the relationship Sherry has with her family and friends, she’s true to them all and cares about them, no matter what. I did enjoy the relationship between Detective Bease and Sherry and I hope that eventually something will happen between them.
The writing in this story is good, the characters are well rounded, and there’s lots of red herrings placed throughout. I did solve the case before the end, but there were times the red herrings had me second guessing myself. I will definitely continue with this series, and as I stated above, I’m going to have to start from the beginning. I also loved the addition of the recipes at the end of the book.
**I received an ARC of this story from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I really wanted to put down the book several times and it took me about 5 days to finish. The mystery storyline was OK and I liked how the author was developing some background for a couple of secondary characters. However, Sherry just doesn’t connect with me and her family and Amber add nothing to help with that connection. I find them flat and uninteresting. I also found some of the characters’ actions/veral interactions off putting/strange (Pep for one).
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Sherry Olivieri has entered another cook off and it’s on her home turf. Her baby brother, Pep, is in town and she gets him to act as her sous-chef. Her entry is a savory shrimp dish and things look promising for a win until she discovers that one of the contestants not only has entered a dish very much like hers but he beat her in a previous contest. Too bad he can’t stop crowing about it to anyone and everyone. While Sherry is moving on, her brother isn’t best pleased with the boasting and he gets into a heated argument with him after the cocktail get together the night before the contest begins. The next day Sherry wins in her category but the joy fades when she discovers that Fitz Frye, her competition, has been found dead and it’s declared a homicide. In no time the police focus their attention on Pep and Sherry shifts into detecting mode to clear her brother and catch the killer. With plenty of suspects and the go ahead from the detective on the case, Ray Bease, she takes on the challenge.
The mystery was complex enough to keep me guessing with just the right amount of red herrings and twists to get me to guess wrong. The setting is perfect and the cast of regulars – her family and friends -were well developed. As for the recipes, well they had my stomach growling.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.