The time seems ripe for success as Angie Turner opens her farm-to-table restaurant in her Idaho hometown—until her new tomato supplier is accused of murder and Angie has to pick the real killer . . . To Angie, nothing tastes more like summer than her Nona’s fried green tomatoes. Eager to add the recipe to the menu at the County Seat, she’s found the perfect produce supplier—her sous chef … supplier—her sous chef Estebe’s cousin, Javier. Just one problem: ladies’ man Javier’s current hot tomato Heather has turned up dead, and he’s the prime suspect. Somehow, between managing her restaurant and navigating a romantic triangle between Estebe and Ian, the owner/manager of the farmer’s market, Angie needs to produce evidence to clear Javier—before this green tomato farmer gets fried . . .
Praise for Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mysteries
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.”
—Fresh Fiction
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You’ll want to book your reservations to the County Seat well in advance for a nice table with a great view while you enjoy a batch of Chef Angie Turner’s fried green tomatoes! Angie and her friend/co-partner, Felicia, have their new restaurant running smoothly when head sous chef, Estebe takes a leave of absence after a family member, Javier, is accused of murder and jailed. Author Lynn Cahoon scatters seeds of doubt among the cast of characters who come and go through the doors of the County Seat. As one family wars for control of a legacy, the guilty wilt and show their hand under the pressure the sheriff and Angie put them under.
Fresh as rain the springtime, this fast moving plot grows on you, and there are bushels of clues to sift through. I adore Angie’s St. Bernard puppy, Dominic, who is one of her protectors, along with her boyfriend, Ian. Neighbor, Mrs. Potter, provides lots of chuckles as she moves over and spends a week with Angie and they comically ‘speak a different language’! Farm living is one of the ‘in’ themes for cozy mystery’s, and I’m sure enjoying this tasty series!
I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.
This one was slightly better than the first one. Slightly.
What drives me crazy is that most of the characters are really good. Angie is a very good MC and the side characters [with the exception of her best friend Felicia, who for some reason, bugs the heck out of me] are also good. I love Mrs. Potter and her interaction with Angie and the week that they spent together is hilarious. And Mrs. Potter’s granddaughter is also a lovely treat. The kitchen staff is also well written and I like the interaction between them and Angie.
Felicia, the Sheriff [who is written as a bumbling small town man who barely can do his job] and unfortunately Ian [who wasn’t that bad in the first book, but has become kind of obsessive and controlling and rushing the relationship] are the parts of the book that make it drag and also make me roll my eyes and need to be written better or rewritten all-together; that would make the stories both better and more cohesive. They are weak characters and they drag the story down.
This story is…average. By the middle of the book I had part of it figured out and by the reveal I knew who and why. And by the end, I really felt the story had taken way to long to get to the end and was glad that it was over.
I do think with some character development and a stronger story, these could be really good stories that people could really enjoy. Let’s hope for the next one!
really enjoyed the second book in the Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. I love Angie, Ian, and the rest of the crew. And the mystery/storyline is interesting and intriguing. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
I really like the characters in this series. The employees make a great make shift family and I this it’s awesome everyone comes together to make things happen. I can’t wait to start the next one.
Killer Green Tomatoes is the second book I have read by this author. The plot was well written and entertaining. The characters were ones I would like to visit with again and again.
Fun series. Easy to read
Once I started reading I couldn’t stop until I read the whole book.
Good characters
Loved it . .especially that Grandmother’s recipes were saved, cherished and used.
I absolutely love this series! The characters are unique and the setting in Idaho is near and dear to my heart. The plot of this book was interesting, multi-layered and fun to untwist to get to the end. I am absolutely going to read the next book in this series!
Could not put down. Don’t ever stop writing love everyone of your books.
In Lynn Cahoon’s second book of the Farm-to-Fork series, titled Killer Green Tomatoes, Angie and Felicia are beginning to hit their groove with the rest of the restaurant staff. The County Seat is a popular place to eat, with reservations needing to be secured well in advance.
Angie soon finds she has more than she can chew, though, when she has her elderly neighbor for a house guest and Estebe, her sous chef, has family involved in a murder and disappearance.
I really enjoyed the difficulties between Angie and Mrs. Potter. (Sorry, Angie!) They made for very realistic, yet hilarious times.
The portrayal of the Basque people was very tasteful and sensitive to a group very proud of their heritage.
In this book, we start to see the inner connectivity of people in the town. Several attitudes and actions are based upon someone’s protectiveness or love for another. This is actually true for multiple characters. Small town living, as Angie rediscovers, has both its joys and its jinxes.
Things one may not like: some may figure out the murderer, but there were enough twists that I was ultimately surprised. Sex was mentioned quite a bit. However, true to cozy form, there were no bedroom scenes.
Bottom line, I enjoyed this book, as Angie and Felicia and their crew really start to become their own “work family.”
I gratefully received a copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions, for which I am responsible. I was not required to leave a positive review.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have never been a fan of fried green tomatoes but I am a fan of this story.
Angie Turner’s farm to fork restaurant is becoming a big success. She wants to add her Nona’s fried green tomatoes to her menu and sous chef, Estebe Blackstone, tells her he has the perfect supplier, his cousin, Javier. Estebe takes her to his farm to check things out. Javier is not what she suspected, he’s a bit of a “player”, a flirt, thinks he God’s gift to women, but his produce is fantastic so she places her first order. Shortly thereafter, Javier’s current girlfriend is dead and he is the police’s #1 suspect. He begs Angie to help him clear his name. She doesn’t want to get involved but again she ends up right in the middle of the investigation.
We meet more of Estebe and Javier’s family and Angie’s steps up to take care of her elderly neighbor while her granddaughter takes a vacation. Mrs. Potter is not a very happy houseguest and adds more stress to Angie’s life. I applaud Angie, she kept her wits about her and her sense of humor. I don’t think I would have handled things half as well. As for the Blackstone family, they are planning for the Basque Festival in Boise. It is a very important event for the family. Estebe has taken the week off from the restaurant and has invited all the staff to come for a special breakfast.
I don’t know how Ms. Cahoon packs so much into these pages. The characters are well defined including Dom, Angie’s growing St. Bernard puppy, Mabel, a black and white chicken and Precious, the goat. The mystery is well plotted out and the setting is wonderfully described. The romance between Ian and Angie is comfortable and doesn’t overtake the mystery. The pace is quick too. I was unable to set the book down, I read it all in one sitting.
I am really enjoying this new series from Lynn Cahoon. I am excited for One Potato, Two Potato, Dead coming March 19, 2019.