Restaurateur Sally Solari’s cousin Evelyn may be blind, but she can see all too clearly that her chef mother’s death wasn’t an accidental overdose—she was murdered.Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is already boiling over as she deals with irate cooks and other staffing issues at the busy Gauguin restaurant. The rainy December weather isn’t cooling things down, either. So she’s steamed … So she’s steamed when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.
But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mom, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects—a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records—are out of place. She and her mom always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.
The cousins’ sleuthing takes Sally and Evelyn into the world of macho commercial kitchens, and the cutthroat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. In Leslie Karst’s scrumptious fourth Sally Solari mystery, Sally will have to chop a long list of suspects down to size or end up getting burned.
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Sally Solari gets the news from her father that her distant cousin Jackie has died of a drug overdose. While Sally is sad, she and Jackie weren’t close – in fact, they hadn’t spoken in years and she hadn’t met Evelyn, Jackie’s twenty-year-old daughter, who happens to be blind. Evelyn was still living with her mom, and she can’t face trying to live in the house alone right away, so she winds up moving into Sally’s spare room for a little while. The two women hit it off, and are soon plotting home cooked meals and plans for Evelyn’s twenty-first birthday.
A stop by Evelyn’s house to pick up a few things she needs bring some surprises to light. Things are out of place. Since Evelyn is blind, she and her mother kept everything in the same spot so that Evelyn could always find what she is looking for without needing help. Evelyn suspects this means someone else was in the house when her mom died. The police have ruled it a suicide by drug overdose, but is Evelyn right? If so, can Sally see the clues to find the killer?
There is a solid mystery here with several viable suspects. I did feel the pacing was a bit off, but I loved how Sally pieced things together and how the climax played out. Sally’s group of family and friends is wonderful, and a couple of sub plots allow us to see more of them. The book is set in the beginning of December; while it doesn’t have a lot of Christmas spirit, there is some, and it adds a fun touch to the book. The standout character here is Evelyn. Through her, we get a look at modern life for a person who is blind, and I found that fascinating. We get five recipes at the end, and they sound delicious if a bit ambitious for this lazy bachelor to attempt to make. (Not that I ever make any of the recipes in the culinary cozies I read.)
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the insight into the life of a blind person and the fact that she found some of the clues or evidence that solved the case. The characters were like able and the mystery plot was good too. There was plenty of suspects to keep you guessing, just don’t listen if you are hungry because they talk about food a lot and even give you some recipes at the end of the story.
Family stick together, that’s what Sally is finding out when her Dad asks her if the cousin she has never met can stay with her. Evelyn has just found her mother dead in there family home of an apparent drug over dose and Evelyn who is blind is rightly uncomfortable stay at home, while the police carry out an investigation. The problem is dissipate knowing her mum was having problems at work Evelyn doesn’t believe her mum used drugs or would take her own life. Sally busy at work running a restaurant and sorting out all problems that entails still finds time to help her cousin. Can the pair prove to the police that suicide was not an option for the single mum? Or better yet find the killer?
I liked the narrator and thought she did an excellent job with all the voices she had to do.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Murder from Scratch, the latest in Leslie Karst’s foodie mystery series featuring restaurant owner and recovered lawyer Sally Solari, is chock full of great meals, good friends, and a clever mystery. The California coastline setting is a bonus, along with a fascinating look at the world of Sally’s blind cousin.
Murder From Scratch by Leslie Karst is the 4th in the series. It could be read as a stand alone but you should really read them all.
Sally is a former attorney but recently became a restaurant owner. Now instead of dealing with clients and judges, she is dealing with employees and taking on a partner.
When a distant relative is found dead of a possible suicide, Sally moves the blind daughter, Evelyn, in with her since her home is a possible crime scene. Evelyn swears her mother would never have taken her life and enlists Sally to help find the killer.
This has a great and informative storyline. Karst takes you on a journey that has you guessing until the end. You have great characters not only the main ones but, also the supporting one. Karst takes you to California with the setting. Warning though, you will get hungry, as the meals all sound wonderful.
This is an easy read with a strong protagonist,
I was given an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.
Cozy Mystery with Recipes
This is a cozy mystery that should appeal to foodies who like Italian, SE Asian and Indian cuisine. There are some good looking recipes included for several dishes and homemade egg noodles with your pasta machine. There is also quite abit about jazz music from the 1940s to today. The story is very good. There are several viable suspects and the victim’s daughter is wonderful. There is a lot of layers to the story all going on at once. I really enjoyed the author treating the readers like we have brains and not spoon feeding each crumb of information. While this is not the first in the series, it stands alone very well. I received this ARC for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Jumping in at book 4 of the series, I felt that although I could tell it wasn’t the first of the series, it didn’t feel like I had missed a great deal. Amazing recipes at the back are always a win for me. The characters were fun and the world-building was excellent. The mystery was well written. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you to Leslie Karst, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the chance to read this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.
I loved everything about this Sally Solari Mystery. Karst does an excellent job of exploring all the culinary delights, providing delicious Italian recipes, and giving us insight into the restaurant industry as a business. I also really appreciated her introduction of Evelyn, a blind main character. It was so interesting to learn more about how the world would be without sight.
The mystery was done very well, and I loved the slow reveal of different clues. I also enjoyed the climax of the story and the showdown.
A mouthwatering mystery not to be missed!
Murder From Scratch is the fourth book in the Sally Solari Series by Leslie Karst. This is a really good, enjoyable mystery. Sally is no longer practicing law and is now running a successful restaurant called Gauguin. When her blind cousin Evelyn’s mother is murdered, Sally is drawn into finding out who the murderer is. This author never disappoints in writing a good mystery filled with relatable, likable, warm characters including all the elements of a good mystery. It is an easy enjoyable read and readers will also find their mouths watering as they read about all the wonderful food offered at Sally’s restaurant and the recipes included at the back of the book. For me personally, I thought it was great and rated it a five.
amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, family, restaurant, law-enforcement, California
Sally has enough going on in her work life, like a volatile chef and a pending partnership agreement with the other chef, when her father calls with a need for her to help out with a blind cousin whose mother is suddenly dead. Evie believes that the alcohol and pills death is not suicide as the cops believe, and Sally becomes convinced when events indicate that someone is trying to get information or eliminate evidence. Let the sleuthing begin!
The plot progresses through a lot of personal and professional problems full of twists and red herrings. Even an attempt to strangulate Sally! The publisher’s blurb will give you more clues, and no spoilers here. ENJOY!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I enjoyed these characters and the well-developed mystery. I would have preferred to read this book but listened to the audiobook. I wasn’t a fan of the narrator’s voices. Overall, a fun story.
Sally Solari has her hands full with her cooks, staff and other issues of her busy restaurant, Gauguin. Her dad persuades Sally to take in her blind cousin, Evelyn, whose mother has just been found dead in their home. Evelyn is not convinced that her mother’s death was an accident or suicide as the police suspect. Can Sally and Evelyn provide this was a murder?
Although this the fourth book of the Sally Solari series, it is the first one for me. I had no problems following the storyline even though I had not read the previous books. I will definitely be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list. The characters are interesting especially Evelyn, this is the first book I have read where they included a blind character. I found how she was able to help prove that her mother was murdered very intriguing. The mystery has its twists and turns to keep the reader invested in the storyline. As a bonus, there are recipes included in this book.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.