For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder! Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some … RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .
Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!
Includes quick and easy recipes!
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Liked the characters fun read
Sarah Blair gets a call from her sister asking for help. Her twin, Emily, is suspected of killing her ex-brother-in-law, Bill. He wasn’t to be trusted. He used people and discarded them. They just need to find which one killed him. Unfortunately things get worse. When her deceased ex’s girlfriend demands her cat, RahRah, Sarah is devastated, she loves her fur baby. Peter Mueller, the Police Chief, tells her she has to surrender him. Why is RahRah important? This cozy mystery grabbed me from the first page. I liked Sarah and Emily. They are interesting characters. They help each other, have a healthy curiosity and a determination to find the truth. Peter maybe an old friend and a by the book lawman. Why is he convinced that Emily is guilty? I liked how the Twins decide to investigate and find out who the murderer is. They have spunk. Luckily Sarah gets her boss to help them. Harlan is a lawyer and a good guy. Can he save both Emily and RahRah. One Taste Too Many is well written and filled with continuous twists. The ending was a total shock. I never saw it coming. The setting was quaint which highlighted the shocking crime. The dialogue moved the story along and helped me get to know the characters. I liked the writing style of Debra H. Goldstein. She is a new to me author but I plan to change that. She wrote an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing.
Great first book in a new series! When Sarah Blair’s ex-husband is found dead at the Civic Center by her twin sister, Emily, her sister becomes the prime suspect in his death. Also, her ex’s latest girlfriend supposedly has legal documents to claim ownership of Sarah’s cat. Lots of fun twists and turns and a second murder in this book. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sarah and Emily and of course, Rah Rah, too!
GOOD COZY MYSTERY. CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK TO COME OUT
I liked this. Good female character and tricky plot. Buy it.
Sarah Blair’s ex dies under mysterious circumstances and her sister Emily becomes the prime suspect. With a field promotion from receptionist to being part of her lawyer boss’s legal team, Sarah leaps to her sister’s defense. Soon the trouble extends to Sarah’s cat, Rah Rah, the only good thing to come out of her divorce. Full of twists and turns, One Taste Too Many is a fun romp through the Darwinian world of professional chefs.
“Peter probably isn’t the only one who ever accused the two of you of poking you noses where they don’t belong.” “That’s not fair. Sarah and I simply have a healthy level of curiosity.”
Sarah Blair never left her hometown. Married right of High School to a guy who divorced her a decade later, she now lives in a studio apartment and works as a receptionist in a local law firm. Her twin sister Emily has recently returned to the area in hopes of finding a chef’s job in an up and coming restaurant…until, Sarah’s ex husband is found dead with Emily performing CPR on his dead corpse apparently poisoned by Emily’s food.
Add to this her ex’s current has demanded Sarah return RahRah: the Siamese cat as she claims inheritance of Bill’s estate, including his late mother’s cat. RahRah and Jane are not friends, so something else seems rotten besides the spoiled contents of the refrigerator and it’s up to Sarah to clear her sister’s name and find the recipe that bring back RahRah.
This is the first on a new series for Debra H. Goldstein and her kitchen-challenged sleuth Sarah as they try to figure out what’s what. In my opinion, this book, which I won in a give away, was a little too convoluted for my taste, and about 50 pages could have been eliminated without changing the story much. Hey, every mystery author needs a starting point. Let’s see what happens. Recommended 4/5
One Taste Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is the first A Sarah Blair Mystery. Sarah Blair is a twenty-eight year old divorcee living in Wheaton, Alabama in a small studio apartment with her Siamese cat, RahRah while working as a receptionist for a local lawyer. Sarah is awakened during the night by a phone call from her twin sister, Emily. She is at the police station and the prime suspect in death of Sarah’s ex-husband, Bill. Sarah immediately calls her boss, Harlan and rushes to the police station. Peter Mueller, Wheaton’s police chief, is questioning Emily when Sarah and Harlan arrive at the station. Emily is a chef at Southwind, a local upscale restaurant, and in charge of the Southwind booth at the upcoming Food Expo. She states Bill called and told her there was a problem and to come down immediately. Emily found him on the floor of the Southwind booth covered in her rhubarb crisp. Then Jane Clark, Bill’s latest love interest, shows up and accuses Sarah of stealing a bracelet and RahRah (oh no). After leaving the station, Emily suggests that Sarah work the Food Expo with her, so they can track down the real killer. It will also allow them to get close to Jane and figure out what plan she is cooking up. They only have one little problem—Sarah is severely lacking in culinary talent (heating up takeout is the extent of her skills). When Emily is arrested for Bill’s murder, it is up to Sarah to cut through the clues and suspects. Can Sarah solve the case before Emily’s becomes the prison’s new cook?
One Taste Too Many is a lighthearted cozy mystery. This cozy mystery features plenty of mouthwatering food and a smart Siamese cat named RahRah. I liked the steady pacing and smooth flow between sections. Sarah and her twin sister, Emily may look alike, but they have very different personalities and talents. Sarah has divorced her cheating husband, but she has yet to discover what she wants to do with her life. While Emily is a talented chef, Sarah has no culinary talents. Actually, Sarah is not sure if she possesses any special skills or talents. Sarah is grateful for her cat, RahRah (my favorite character in the book). RahRah originally belonged to Mother Blair and, after her death, Bill asked Sarah to take him since he is allergic. It turns out that Bill forgot to mention that Mother Blair set up a special trust for RahRah with a stipend for his caregiver along with a place to live (must have slipped his mind). After Bill’s death, all the evidence points towards Emily as the killer. Emily convinces Sarah to help her ferret out the truth. There are several suspects with motive to want Bill dead and there are good clues to aid readers in resolving the crime. I was disappointed that the murder occurred before the book began. I would have appreciated the author taking the time to develop the main characters further (to know more about their past). Further information on Harlan would also have been nice—like his last name (did I miss it?). There are two recipes at the end of the book. One Taste Too Many will appeal to those who delight in pet and food cozy mysteries with a perplexing whodunit. Do not miss the first new diverting tale in A Sarah Blair Mystery series.
Sarah’s had a a lot of bumps in her life thus far and is starting over, back with her twin, Emily. She can’t seem to escape her past and Emily becomes the suspect to Sarah’s ex-husband’s poisoning. There’s lots of small town interactions and conflicts, some within the swanky restaurant where Emily is moving up. Sarah’s doing her best to use her new investigative skills to help out her sister, both to prove her innocence and on stage.
Emily and Sarah are twins, yet their personalities complement each other in many ways. Both are likable in their own way; you can’t help but pull for Sarah’s new life to be successful, as well as Emily’s. There are any number of suspects and some are being eliminated but then something else happens. In the end the silent and not so silent partners and connections come out with an unexpected killer. The story was well-written and enjoyable to read. This is the first in a new series and I look forward to reading more about Sarah.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
This is a wonderful start to a series that I hope lasts for a long time. I love the character’s interactions, and the plot twists kept me glued to the pages. I couldn’t put this book down. Sarah and Emily are twin sisters who will do anything for each other. When Emily is accused of murdering Sarah’s ex-husband, Sarah needs to find out the truth and figure out who the real culprit is. I didn’t figure out who had done it until the end. If you like cats, food, and a great cozy mystery, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book!
This was a good story with interesting characters. I like the way the cat was an important part of the story. I can’t wait to see what happens to them next.
A cozy mystery loaded with humor and heart.
Sarah was a fun character and easy to relate to. For me anyway. Maybe that’s because my cooking skills aren’t a whole lot better than hers. And when it comes to investigating her ex’s murder and proving her sister’s innocence, her loyalty shines through. She is able to identify potential suspects with a variety of motives, however an unexpected twist complicates matters – making it harder to identify the true course of events and who was behind them. This well written read is sure to be enjoyed by lovers of culinary cozies.
Love the cat!
Interesting concept with non-cooking sister and top chef sister.
Hard to second guess who to believe and trust.
The reveal works, but it’s somewhat a surprise.
Or is it?
Enjoyable book
Sarah Blair signs on to help her sister Emily, an ambitious chef, at a trade show featuring food booths and cooking demonstrations. The competition heats up when Sarah’s ex-spouse drops dead after eating a spoonful of her sister’s signature rhubarb crisp. Other evidence seemingly points Emily’s way, and when she’s arrested for murder, Sarah goes into full sleuth mode to find the real killer. A restaurant’s reputation is at stake, and so is her sister’s life. Sarah can’t trust anyone on their team and least of all, her own cooking skills. Can she muddle along well enough to catch the murderer before she ends up next on his lethal menu? A shifty group of suspects in a fun food expo setting will keep readers guessing. With all the twists and turns, I didn’t foresee the surprise at the end. Clever, witty, and delicious!