Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone . . . Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on … managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end . . .
When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the Blair girls’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?
Includes quick and easy recipes!
“This smart cozy—full of heart and humor and surprises—has everything a mystery lover could ask for.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Trust Me
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I enjoyed that this cozy mystery highlighted pet adoption and the mystery was well-plotted. Although the main character in Two Bites Too Many does not cook or bake, I think the tone and writing make this a book fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson series will enjoy, as well as other readers of cozy mysteries.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TwoBitesTooMany #mystery #cozymystery
Excellent Cozy Mystery For Animal Lovers
This cozy mystery is very well done. The plot keeps the reader engaged, especially in wondering who was partnered with whom for what purpose. The animal end of it is very cute and realistic. We can all enjoy a bit more critter love. I want to read the first book in this series and more of this author’s work in general. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is a superb story with mystery, scandal, lies, corruption, and family dynamics.
Will Sarah clear her mom before the Police Chief arrests her?
Sarah our Sleuth
Just when Sarah thinks things are going good, everything goes crazy. Sarah is finding herself, and her confidence is getting better. She has a good job, lives in a lovely house, and has the best guy, her cat RahRah to keep her company. What more could she want? The one thing she knows for sure is she doesn’t want to cook. She has a great sense of humor and dedication to the local animal shelter. We could be friends.
The Mystery
The mystery was good. My mom and I debated over this one a lot, in the end, she figured it out before me. I like the way the town got involved in the fundraiser for the animal shelter and made it a success. However, I love all of the red herrings and the way that Sarah eliminated them.
The big question is which guy will Sarah date, Harlan her boss or Cliff the cute carpenter? I look forward to the next book to see.
5 Stars for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein
My rating for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is five stars. I think the mystery is excellent; the setting is adorable; the characters are well developed with fantastic backstories. I highly recommend this one to all cozy cat lovers.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
TWO BITES TOO MANY by Debra H. Goldstein
The Second Sarah Blair Mystery
Maybelle is on the warpath and grabs Sarah Blair to set the bank president straight. While Sarah wonders why her mother doesn’t take her twin sister Emily, since it was Emily’s loan that was denied, she knows its easier to go along. But Maybelle isn’t the only one angry at Lance as they discover another man whose loan was denied threatening him. But when Lance is found dead, the acting Chief of Police only has Maybelle in his sights. Will Sarah Blair be able to help her mom while organizing the town’s first YipYeow Day? Will she be able to make Emily see the dangers of agreeing to work for Thomas Howell and whip his floundering hotel restaurant into shape? Or will she find herself in trouble once again?
There’s a lot going on in the second Sarah Blair mystery. Emily and Marcus are without a restaurant and are anxiously awaiting the necessary permits. The rezoning of Main Street is still up for debate, a pet celebration is being organized, Emily seems to be helping the competition, and the bank president is murdered. Just another day in Wheaton, Alabama. Despite all this seemingly disparate activity, the book flows seamlessly. It’s like real life; multiple events are going on simultaneously and, like good mysteries, everything is eventually tied together.
I love how this book highlights animals, from the rich Siamese RahRah to the seemingly homeless Fluffy. I especially loved Fluffy’s transformation. I enjoyed seeing the town get together to help their animal shelter by organizing a YipYeow Day, even if some humans had ulterior motives.
TWO BITES TO MANY is an intricately plotted mystery with a compelling storyline. Richly developed characters and lots of future possibilities, positive, negative, and complicated, make me eager to read the next Sarah Blair Mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
Sarah Blair and her cat, RahRah, are settling in together and things are going their way. Unfortunately the murder of the local bank president quickly changes that. Her mother, Maybelle, becomes the prime suspect. Sarah is determined to protect her mother. She enlists her boss to represent Maybelle. Harlan is a good lawyer. Meanwhile Sarah will follow the clues. Can they find the truth? I was sorry that people were so quick to place blame. Especially since there was no solid proof. I was amazed that Sarah could juggle so many things. Her twin, Emily, has problems with the city council. She and her partner need to reopen their restaurant. I like Sarah. She has a good heart. Her involvement with the animal charity was heartwarming. Her investigative skills are impressive. She’s able to read people and understand their motives. The story has plenty of people with a motive as well as other shenanigans. Two Bites Too Many pulled me in. I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know who committed the crime. Debra H. Goldstein has written a delightful cozy mystery. I liked the characters, the smart dialogue and the small town setting. This is the second book in the Sarah Blair series. The writing is well done and the mystery is suspenseful. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
I’m glad to say that I enjoyed this second Sarah Blair mystery as much as the first. No sophomore slump for this mystery series. In the first book Sarah was the twin in hot water and her sister was the one with the talent to go far in the restaurant business. Things got sorted out for Sarah, her sister didn’t go to prison and now both sisters have plans. Those plans involve bank loans. Emily wants to open her own restaurant and needs a loan. While waiting for the loan, she is working at another restaurant. Well things take a nasty turn and another family member runs afoul of the law – their mother, Maybelle is accused of murder. After the bank president turns her down for the loan, Maybelle, truly a force to be reckoned with, takes Sarah with her to confront him and try to get him to change his mind. As they leave, with hope that they were successful, Maybelle goes back into his office and finds him dead. To the police that sure screams open and shut case, lock her up. Not so fast – Sarah isn’t about to let her mother go down for a crime she sure as heck didn’t commit. As she has already been involved in getting her sister off on a homicide charge, no reason why she can’t do the same for her mother, right?
Added to the family dynamics and the well crafted mystery, there are two animals in Sarah’s life – her cat Rah Rah and a new addition, a dog. Sarah is still working at the law firm and has added an animal shelter to her activities. Investigating another homicide tied to her family seems reasonable. All in all, this series has everything I love in a cozy series – a good puzzle, great characters, animals and food. I will be looking forward to reading the next in the series.
A fun light read. Nice when reality is so complicated and stressful.
good story line for the heroine and one that can be followed in any subsequent books. fun and comfy dog and cat cozy read