Sally Muccio’s had her crosses to bear: a cheating ex-boyfriend, crazy Italian parents, and an unfaithful husband, just to name a few. After her divorce, she returns to her hometown to start a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include original fortune cookies, served with a sprinkle of foreshadowing. But there’s no warning when her ex-husband’s mistress drops dead on Sal’s porch, and police … police confirm it’s a homicide. Determined to stop her life from becoming a recipe for disaster, Sal takes matters into her own hands. With two very different men vying for her affection, dead bodies piling up, and a reputation hanging by an apron string, Sal finds herself in a race against time to save both her business and life—before the last cookie crumbles.
“The delightful whodunit kept me guessing until the end, and the tasty treats had my mouthwatering from start to finish! A fantastic culinary mystery in the vein of Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson!”
—Gemma Halliday, New York Times & USA Today bestselling mystery author
“Catherine Bruns has found a winning recipe for an exciting mystery mixed with a dash of humor and a heap of danger. Add in a little romance for spice, and you get one sweet reading treat.”
—Mary Marks, bestselling author of the Quilting Mystery series.
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I’ve been meaning to read this first book in the series for quite a long time now. I don’t know why it took me so long to get it to the top of my TBR list. It’s a super mystery. It has yummy cookies, a twisty murder to solve, and some great boyfriend material for our spunky heroine. I loved it!
Everyone needs a friend like Josie! What a fun mystery!
What a fun series, set in a cookie shop! I love the relationship between the amateur sleuth and her bestie. Lots of fun, twists, and adventures. Can’t wait to read more of Bruns’s mysteries.
Tastes Like Murder by Catherine Bruns is a good start to the Cookies and Chance Cozy Mystery series. Bruns really shines with the relationships between friends (some since high school or even earlier) and family. Josie is a true friend and a perfect business and sleuthing partner for Sally. I love Grandma so much, she’s a bit sassy, but also a fantastic role model for Sal.
I did wish Sal would stop ruminating on something that happened 10 years previous and towards the end when Sal goes to confront the killer it is a bit over the top. She had help right outside her car door, but she became the girl in a horror movie that is running up the stairs instead of out the door.
The reveal was interesting even though I did know part of it very early on. I did feel like the reasoning was a bit dated and checked to see when Tastes Like Murder was published. Being only six years ago, I can kind of see it, but… it won’t stop me from reading more in the series.
TASTES LIKE MURDER by Catherine Bruns is the first book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series. It’s the story of Sally “Sal” Muccio as she tries to make a success of her newly opened business with the help of her best friend Josie Sullivan. Sally’s Samples is a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include the original fortune cookies given free with every order.
When Amanda Gregorio stops by the bakery, Sal doesn’t know whether to be shocked or upset on the verge of anger. They’d never been friends in school. In fact, more the exact opposite. Amanda had always seemed to take great satisfaction in making life miserable for Sal. It all culminated years after high school when Sal found her cheating husband in bed with Amanda. With her divorce finalized a few weeks ago, she’s healing from that revelation and determined to put it behind her and not look back. However, she hadn’t been looking forward to running into Amanda when she moved back to her home town, much less in her own store. When she finds Amanda dead outside her establishment shortly after her second visit to buy cookies, Sal became one of the first suspects when Amanda’s death was ruled a homicide.
Officer Brian Jenkins is the lead investigator in the murder. Brian and Sal seem to have an almost immediate attraction to each other, but agree they must be friends for now. Sal isn’t sure she’s even ready to start any kind of relationship after her failed marriage. To complicate matters, Mike Donovan, an ex-boyfriend, keeps showing up, which brings back all those old feelings of that young love and their time together. However, right now all she needs to concentrate on is proving her innocence!
Along the winding road of finding out whodunit you can’t help but fall in love with the wonderful characters in Sal’s life. There’s quirky Nicoletta Gavelli, good friends with my Grandma Rosa, but who loves to give Sal all sorts of grief. Grandma Rosa is a true gem. The type of grandma we wish we all had. There’s Sal’s parents who are a hoot. Between her Dad who is obsessed about his funeral, which he is sure will be coming up real soon, and her Mom, who is trying to live the flirtation life of a teenager complete with mini skirt, you have to wonder how Sal managed to turn our so normal. Josie is the best of best friends – more than willing to do whatever it takes to help Sal. Amanda’s Mom, Kate, knowing that not many liked her daughter and for good reason, who instead of believing the fingers pointed as Sal, believes her so much that she asked her for her help. As Sal and Josie talk about Vido, you, too, will feel the need to wash your hands.
Can Brian keep Sal safe when she keeps investigating on her own? Will they be able to figure out whodunit before Sal loses everything and has to move back in with her parents? Was the person that vandalized the bakery the same one that murdered Amanda? Are the fortunes in the cookies mysteriously spot on? Will Sal’s investigating put her own life or those she holds dear in danger? Is there a future for Brian and Sal? Can Mike prove to Sal that he’s matured and changed before it’s too late? Will Sal be able to find that happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?
TASTES LIKE MURDER is a fabulous cozy mystery. Catherine Bruns does a fabulous job of having you connect emotionally with the characters, fastly turning pages as you try to solve the murder before the reveal only to be surprised when it is, and leaves you anxiously awaiting the next book in this new series. I most definitely recommend both this book and this author. I for one will be looking for the next installment in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series and see what adventures Sal takes us on next.
Really a fun read. I love the characters. The plot has just enough twists to keep you guessing until the end. Divine cookies with recipes!
Things turn deadly when Sal returns to her hometown to open a specialty bakery. This fast-paced book will satisfy your sweet taste for murder. This is an excellent first book for Catherine Bruns. I’m a fan of her infusion of comedy into her writing.
4.45 stars.
Why did it take me so long to start reading this series? It is serious fun!
Sally’s family and Mrs. Gavelli are really “colorful” and made me chuckle more than once. I am hooked and can’t wait to see how the crazyness is going on.
I wish the cookie shop that Sally owns and runs together with her best friend Josie would be just around the corner and I could go and try some of their delicious creations. Josies comments to some customers left me a few times with my mouth open in shock….what a girl!
There were a lot of twists and turns and never a dull moment in this mystery.
I will definitely read the next books in the series as well.
“Tastes Like Murder” earns 5/5 Cryptic Fortune Cookies!
Catherine Bruns has provided a superior read with colorful characters, worrisome predicaments, and exciting puzzles to unravel. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and HONESTLY… I LOVED IT! My suggestion is put on a pot of coffee, plate a couple dozen of your favorite cookies, find a comfortable chair, and enjoy a wonderful story!