Murder’s on the menu at a Florida diner in this “fast-paced mystery that will leave you hungering for more!” (J. C. Eaton, author of the Sophie Kimball Mysteries). When Gia Morelli’s marriage falls apart, she knows it’s time to get out of New York. Her husband was a scam artist who swindled half the millionaires in town, and she doesn’t want to be there when they decide to take revenge. On the … to take revenge. On the spur of the moment, she follows her best friend to a small town in Central Florida, where she braves snakes, bears, and giant spiders to open a cheery little diner called the All-Day Breakfast Café. Owning a restaurant has been her lifelong dream, but it turns into a nightmare the morning she opens her dumpster and finds her ex-husband crammed inside. As the suspect du jour, Gia will have to scramble fast to prove her innocence before a killer orders another cup of murder . . .
Praise for Lena Gregory
“Family secrets, old mansions, and a growing list of murder victims—these elements and more blend together to make an intriguing as well as entertaining cozy mystery.” —RT Book Reviews on Occult and Battery
“As breezy and salty as a gust of wind off the chilly bay waters.” —Juliet Blackwell, New York Times–bestselling author of the Witchcraft Mysteries on Death at First Sight
“An intriguing opening to a fun new series.” —E. J. Copperman, national bestselling author of the Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries on Death at First Sight
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I enjoyed reading it. The characters were likeable and the plot kept my attention.
“Scone Cold Killer” earns 5/5 Fried Eggs with a Side of Karma!
Gia Morelli moved from New York to Florida for a fresh start; her bitter divorce from her scam artist husband, hassling phones calls, and friends no longer friends facilitated a need for a drastic change of scenery. Thanks to her BFF Savannah, she can look forward to the grand opening of her All-Day Breakfast Café in the touristy community of Boggy Creek. But her ex followed her, and Karma followed him. She finds him dead in the dumpster behind the café, and now her ex-wife motive just might trump those the ex scammed of their money. Detective Hunter Quinn comes on the scene, and although only trying to do his job, he gets scolded by Gia’s BFF. He’s Savannah’s cousin, and should know better than to assume Gia is a legitimate “person of interest.” But, Gia and Savannah will not sit on the sidelines, even if her innocence is more obvious. They take it upon themselves to uncover the truth, putting themselves, of course, in danger.
Breakfast? Good. Small town community? Great. Murder of a low-life ex-husband? Priceless! Lena Gregory has penned a great cozy with a “karma” bite. Although you think you know in what direction the mystery will take, she has provided some delightful twists, turns, and dead ends (literally, dead!) to keep you engaged to the “Oh, know I didn’t see that coming!” ending. “Scrambled” into the story we have the ins and outs of running the café with good, or not, employees and gaining a local clientele, learning about the community and her friends, and gaining independence and confidence. Great descriptions and dialogue bring the small community and personalities to life. Gregory’s characters are already well defined for a first-in-the-series book: favorite patron Earl who reminded Gia of the need for ‘grits,’ homeless good-guy Harley, a couple of badged friends and foes, four-legged Thor, and the best BFF, a great Ethel to Gia’s Lucy! I admire Gia, our heroine, desperately trying to overcome the emotional damage from her husband’s betrayal, and although she recognizes her insecurities, she also recognizes there just might be a nice bit of romance on the horizon. I highly recommend this book; it all works well and has made me eager for the next book.
Author Lena Gregory has served up a wonderful first course in her All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series.
I was hungry for this series the moment I heard about it! I mean, an All-Day Breakfast Café? That’s my kind of place to eat! So, I had very high hopes going into SCONE COLD KILLER. I wasn’t disappointed.
I enjoyed the setting, and could vividly picture the café in my mind. The eclectic cast of characters made for an interesting read. I enjoyed most of them. There is one character that I’m still unsure about, but am withholding judgment until the next book in the series. I look forward to seeing how all the characters grow, and how author Gregory fleshes them out.
An easy, flowing read, I flew through this tale quickly in one setting. The mystery was tight, and well done. I thought I had it figured out, only to find I had missed an important clue, and guessed wrong. So, that made for a surprising ending for me.
SCONE COLD KILLER is story cozy fans are sure to love. And the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries will certainly be on your must read list!
Scone Cold Killer is the first book in Lena Gregory’s new All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series.
After her husband is outed as a swindler and a cheat, Gia Morelli flees New York to beautiful, sunny Florida. Her best friend secured housing for her and Gia also purchased a small diner. Her world comes crashing down again when her ex’s body is found stuffed in the dumpster out behind the diner on opening morning. With many enemies and people who want him dead, and of course suspect Gia is one of them, her dream may very well crash and burn before she even gets to make it a reality.
Fortunately, Gia has support in form of her best friend, Savannah, and several of the townsfolk have rallied around her. Gia also has the support of Hunt, the detective in charge of the case, who just happens to be Savannah’s cousin. Of course, Gia does have motive, what with the betrayal, cheating, and alternate life that Bradley was leading behind her back, and is considered a suspect for that reason. She knows she didn’t do it and so do her friends, and now she has to figure out who did do it to keep her reputation from being permanently ruined and to keep her safe. Apparently whoever was after her husband has also made her a target.
I really enjoyed Scone Cold Killer. The book is paced really well – not too fast and not too slow. I was pulled in from the very beginning and engaged in the plot. The character development was done well. We get to know the characters pretty well and learn backstory without being bogged down with useless filler. The story was fun, exciting, suspenseful, and parts of it were sad as you realized the full extent of what Gia’s husband did and put her through. The world was constructed well and I was able to visualize the story.
Gia is a broken woman. She was betrayed horribly by someone that was supposed to love her and have her back. She does not come to Florida without emotional baggage. Gia also has stalkers in Florida, just like in New York. Gia has a strength about her that the reader can feel. The author does not, at any time, write her as weak or unstable. She’s just had a very rough past that she thought she would escape by moving away from her former life and completely starting over. Samantha and Hunt are stability characters for Gia. Savannah is a wonderful best friend and Hunt proves to be another person who has Gia’s back when the circus that is her past comes to town.
Gia does do some pretty questionable things in Scone Cold Killer that made me shake my head. A stranger walks in looking for not only a job but a place to stay, too. This character pretty much bullies his way into the kitchen and the apartment above the diner. No resume, no real interview, no background check, reference check – nothing. After everything she’s been through in New York and now in Florida, I found it really hard to believe that she could accept a stranger as quickly as she did. Also, she breaks into her ex’s hotel room and takes potential evidence. She’s already at the top of the suspect list…..
Despite the couple of issues I had, Scone Cold Killer was an enjoyable cozy mystery. The characters are all likeable, the setting in Florida is nice. the light chemistry between Gia and Hunt is nice. I prefer a little bit of soft romance in my cozy mysteries. I like the author’s writing style and love her Bay Island Mystery series, too. I look forward to book 2 in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series.
Scone Cold Killer sounded great when I saw a review and it was excellent. The plot was intricate and believable and I loved the central characters. For me characters are the key to any good book. Overall I could relate to Gia’s excitement and fears. She acted pretty intelligent and was the kind of person I would be glad to have as a friend. The couple of times she made decisions that I could sit back and say, “that is a bad decision” it was obvious that she was acting out of frustration and that she even realized that she was making poor choices. The friendship she shared with Savannah was great! There were several surprises to keep me on my toes which makes a mystery even more fun.
It didn’t hurt that the dog in the book is a precious as the dog on the cover. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to any reader of lighter mysteries.
Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory is the first book in An All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series. Gia Morelli has relocated from New York to Boggy Creek, Florida. Her ex-husband was an investor who stole millions from his clients and Gia needs to escape the upset investors. Gia purchased two properties and is turning one of them into the All-Day Breakfast Café. The other property (which she purchased sight unseen) will be her new home. Her best friend, Savannah helped her get the café ready for customers and she has hired two employees (she failed to look at their applications or check references). Gia opens her café the next day and it is a hit with the customers. The only drawback is her new cook, Maybelle who can only cook one meal at a time and lacks social skills (in other words, lazy and rude). At the end of a long day, Gia goes outside to put the trash in the dumpster and sees an arm sticking out. Gia recognizes the ring on the hand as well as the expensive manicure and realizes that her ex-husband’s crimes have finally caught up with him. Later that night when Gia arrives home, she discovers that someone has broken in. They are looking for something, but what? Gia then finds a threatening note in her mailbox. The killer believes she has something of her ex-husbands and they are willing to kill to get it. Gia needs to discover what it is they want before she ends up the next victim.
Scone Cold Killer has a good pace with plenty of activity. I felt, though, that the characters and town lacked development. We are told very little about the Boggy Creek. I was not fond of the main character, Gia Morelli. She is an emotional mess who should not be running a business. She jumps at every little noise. She starts shaking, sweating, etc. She is nervous thanks to the investors that have been harassing her in New York (someone needs to find her a good therapist). Gia is also afraid of spider, snakes (I can relate to this one), wild animals and so much more. Gia had a complete meltdown when she was confronted by a spider (it was just ridiculous). It seems that Gia did not do her research on her new town (unaware that wild animals were nearby). Would you hire someone without looking at their application or checking with past employers? Gia did! Would you open a restaurant without checking to see what locals like to eat? Gia seemed oblivious that Southerners like grits (I do not get the fascination, but my Father loved them). She is also scatter brained and a dreamer (her attention drifts in the middle of conversations). I can see how Bradley was able to take advantage of Gia. Gia came across as annoying and off-putting. Drama surrounding Gia and her anxiety took up a good portion of the book. Savannah, on the other hand, was a character I liked. She has a great attitude and personality. It is a shame she is not the main character. There is a love interest for Gia in the form of Detective Hunter Quinn. We know that he is handsome, well built, sexy, and manly (we are told this quite a few times). I never felt the connection between the two characters (no spark). The dialogue between them is lackluster. If I was Hunter, I would run (not walk) away from the anxious and whiny Gia. I was hoping that the mystery would be compelling to make up for the rest of the book, but I was once again disappointed. One tiny clue (if you need it) gives it away. Scone Cold Killer was not a good fit for me.
Divorcé Gia Morelli is trying to start a new life away from the victims of her ex-husband’s crimes. He conned a lot of people out of a lot of money, and some people refuse to believe she is innocent.
The first day in her new business starts well but ends with a body in the garbage.
Detective Hunter Quinn is a good honest cop and will do all he can to protect his cousin’s friend. Unfortunately she is not making it easy.
Our heroine has brought her troubles all the way from New York to Florida. Can she hope to make a good life in her new home?
A very entertaining murder / mystery with great characters. It was impossible to guess who the villain was until we are told. Just the way I like it.
Really good fun.
Gia Morelli’s marriage falls apart, and no believe her when she tells them she had no idea her husband was a lying, cheating, scumbag. She knows it’s time to get out of New York. Her husband was a scam artist who swindled half the millionaires in town. She has become their target for revenge, and she can’t take any more.
On the spur of the moment, she follows her best friend to a small town in Central Florida, where she braves snakes, bears, and giant spiders to open a cheery little diner called the All-Day Breakfast Café. Owning a restaurant has been her lifelong dream, but it turns into a nightmare the morning after she opens when she finds her ex-husband crammed inside her dumpster. As the main suspect, Gia will have to scramble fast to prove her innocence before the killer strike again, and she becomes the body in the dumpster.
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Series: All-Day Breakfast Cafe – Book 1
Author: Lena Gregory
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Culinary/Lyrical Underground
Author Lena Gregory has created a wonderfully fun entertaining story with believable characters and interesting scenarios. Scone Cold Killer will have the reader laughing happily and a bit concerned for Gia’s future but will also keep them turning the page and cheering her on.
Gia is a woman who is desperate for some peace in her life. Finding out that the man you loved, married and spent many years believing in was nothing more than a cheating con artist isn’t easy. Add in death threats, revenge of all manner and the “yeah, sure you didn’t know” game, puts Gia in the path of people who want revenge no matter what the cost. She’s a good person trying to stay one. Trying to start over isn’t easy and being the suspect in your husband’s murder doesn’t make things any better.
Savannah and Hunt are fantastic characters who help Gia even when she doesn’t want them too. Hunt may be a cop, but he is on her side, and even if she were guilty, he would still treat her with respect and care. Savannah is Gia’s best friend, but while trying to clear her name, she learns that she doesn’t know as much about her friend as she thought she did. Everything they go through makes their friendship stronger, and even though Gia doesn’t want to get involved with a man again, she can’t keep from liking Hunt and maybe more.
A small Florida town with forest views to die for and decent, hard-working people are the perfect setting for murder and intrigue. The town holds festivals, art shows and is filled with crafters. It is a dream come true for most people who have ideas and dreams and just want peace.
Scone Cold Killer is well written, filled with action and lovable characters. Readers will quickly fall for these characters and the town and will want to see everything turn out right for Gia. Overall this is a great first book in a new series and is extremely recommended to readers of cozies with a culinary and pet bent that is intricate to the plot and development of the characters.
Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory was an interesting introduction into a new cozy series.
Gia Morelli is a transplant from New York after running away from a scandal created by her criminal ex-husband. She’s decided to open a cafe/diner in Boggy Creek, FL where her best friend, Savannah, lives. I found Gia to be irrational and flighty throughout most of the story; but I was sympathetic toward her as she was dealing with being stalked and harassed because of her husband’s fraudulent activities. I adored Savannah as she was spunky, smart and supportive of Gia throughout the story. The plot was smoothly paced with a few twists and many shadowy suspects that no one seemed to “see” until the reveal. I really enjoyed meeting Earl, Trevor and Willow who are the cafe’s supporting characters. They made the time spent there special while I was reading. The reveal was informative and finally explained all of the violence and threats. I would definitely try the next book in the series. My rating is 3.5 stars.
I received a Kindle copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
It took a chapter or two but then I was totally hooked by the story. Very well paced and the characters, the setting and a dash of romance make for a true cozy read.
I even had to pull up my feet from the ground to the safety on my couch at one time – you’ll know what I am talking about when you get to that scene… Haha….I would have reacted the same way she did!
The twists and turns kept me guessing but I didn’t recognize the killer until he was revealed.
I very much enjoyed the writing style.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Kensington and the author provided me with a copy.