Maya CorriganRezensionen
Autor von By Cook Or By Crook
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The Codger Cook and his granddaughter are at it again, only this time they take their sleuthing on the road. When their killer weekend at a mystery fest comes with an actual dead body they can’t help but investigate. With a new setting Val wasn’t the only one feeling slightly discombobulated. A story fill with twists and turns that left me feeling like that special ingredient usually found in one of the Five Ingredient Mysteries was missing.
Who was the skeleton in the freezer of the burned house with the body of a familiar woman in it?
The dead woman was a popular actor in local theater and there are more questions each chapter. Lots of friends help with providing and dissecting gossip as Val and Grandpa dig into the pasts of everyone relevant. Excellent sleuthing with some really inventive twists and red herrings.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
So begins a tight tale of murder, exposed crimes, vengeance, and suspicion. It's woven tightly and with the threads difficult to unravel. Just as Val and her grandfather think they've found one clue; another red herring pops up to move them in a different direction. Or does it? Are they being manipulated intentionally? Or are there just that many things occurring at the same time?
When Val is roped into playing Jane's part, she meets the other people in the play, and it appears to her that they might have secrets of their own. In fact, they may have known what Jane knew, so are they suspects or potential victims?
This time, Val might be playing a dangerous game with others' lives without even knowing it, and will she be able to figure it out in time? Or will her personal life keep her on her toes, as Bram has been leaving small hints himself when he speaks to her. Val knows one thing -- if there's been one murder, there could very likely be two -- or three. Will she be able to prevent them or will she be a victim herself?
This is a delightful mystery, one that pulls you in from the death in the beginning to all the clues scattered throughout. Ms. Corrigan is talented enough that she can weave a tale that keeps you guessing, and hoping that you have everything right. After all, half the reason you read mysteries is to see if you can solve it before the protagonist. Even if you do, you might not have the right answers as to why the murder was committed. When we come to the end, and the murderer is revealed, it all turns into a very good mystery that kept me reading throughout the night. I love this series, I love the author, and the story (and the others) are written well with plots that are indeed worth it all. Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
However, not long after, one of the competitors turns up dead! The jovial bake-off event takes a turn for the worse, or maybe even is being cursed.
I was intrigued by the BAKE OFFED book cover, which illustrates appetizing desserts that are the clues to the story, and its mystery essence has drawn me into the deadly atmosphere of the baking competition!
Maya Corrigan creatively portrays her BAKE OFFED, a Five-Ingredient Mystery, as a deliciously cozy mystery that I savored very much!
One of the bake off contestants is found dead and, unlike most mysteries, timing, to the minute, is of the essence here.
A clever plot, great characters, and fun. Who could ask for more.
Highly recommended!!
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
A mystery themed bake-off with contestants as the chefs of famous sleuths, big rivalry, a theft, a murder of a rather poisonous contestant. Enter Val and her grandfather to sleuth once again. I didn't realize that this was book 8 in series, so I think that a devotee of the series would appreciate it more than I did. But there are some very interesting characters, intriguing red herrings, and plot twists to die for (couldn't resist). The publisher's blurb is a good hook! A good read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
At night after a full day, Val hears a teakettle whistling, and gets the security guard to open Cynthia's door, where they find her dead. At first it seems an accident, but then is discovered to be a murder by the police. Now Val feels she needs to do a little research to find out who had a real grudge against the woman -- enough to kill...
This is the eighth book in the series and I have read them all. I will admit that at first it started out slower than the previous books, but then reading on, I began to see that it is much different. This book is almost like those old classic movies where someone in a dark house is murdered, and then the rest of the guests staying there are all suspects; finally, the protagonist discovers the murderer. Yes, it is just like that.
The 'guests' in this story are people that are attending the fest. There are several that might have a grudge against the dead woman, and yet all of them seem to have alibis (such as in a movie). Now it is up to Val and Granddad to disprove the alibis -- at least of one of the guests; the murderer.
It's a fun tale that keeps you wrapped up in the story, and working right alongside Val to figure out who the killer might be. With red herrings everywhere, and so many people to talk to, you need to keep an eye on the prize: who the killer might be. And when it's finally discovered, it's strange enough to be true, and sad enough to make you wonder what goes through a killer's mind.
As always, Ms. Corrigan weaves a tidy tale that has has enough action and sifting through peoples' statements to finally come to a completely satisfying end. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val's granddad's house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town--but she's always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book.
After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver--and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette's coworkers and fellow creative writing students, she grows more convinced that the dead woman's demons weren't imaginary--and that she needs to rip the mask off a killer ...
This was a good mystery best read around Halloween.
*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
In this installment, there's murder at the town's Dickens Christmas festival and soon, more murders/attempted murders. It's a very cleverly-plotted puzzler.
Very highly recommended!! In fact, as soon as I finished, I picked up a copy of the first mystery in the series so I can get up to speed on it.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
This is the first book in the 5-ingredient Mystery Series that I have read. S'More Murders is the 5th book in the series. I was easily able to follow the story and the characters without reading any of the prior books. There is some character development and background that I was lacking, of course, but I still enjoyed the story. I will definitely be backtracking to read this series from the start.
The mystery kept my attention. I liked the recreation of the Titanic dinner with a murder mystery game element added. There were plenty of suspects and sleuthing, and having the murder victim disappear off a ship at sea was a creative, interesting way to bump him off. Val and her grandpa are great characters, and I even liked all of the side characters. The fact that Val is helping her grandpa write a cookbook about old codger's favorite recipes made me smile. Cute! Plus, there are several yummy sounding recipes based on the Titanic cuisine in the back of the book! I love it when cozies include recipes that aren't all sugary desserts or cookies! An example of a first class dinner menu from the Titanic is included as well. I found it an interesting fact that none of the actual recipes for foods cooked on the Titanic still exist. Val had to wing it and create her own in the story. I'm surprised the White Star Line doesn't have a record of food preparation or recipes on its liners from that time....but I suppose the Chef also winged it and created his own versions of the foods. After finishing the book I did a little online research. Head Chef Charles Proctor and most of his staff did not survive the sinking. The ship's Head Baker, Charles Joughin, did survive, floating in the water in a lifebelt until rescue arrived. So, no wonder there are no authentic recipes for the foods served to first class on that fateful voyage. There are several restaurants around the world offering a recreation of the last meal served to passengers -- one even offers a 1907 vintage wine that was actually salvaged from the wreck (I find this morally wrong....but they didn't ask my opinion) for nearly $2,000 per person.
Enjoyable cozy! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series...and more by this author!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
At the dinner, Jake's wife and Mrs. Claus, Jewel, are the center of attention. It seems Santa has had too much to drink and she's trying to get him to quiet down. But the action changes when someone enters the back of the bookshop where they're having their private tea in the CAT room -- dressed all in black with a gift bag on their head and distributes gift bags to each person and then leaves without saying a word. While everyone else is stunned, Jake is delighted to find the bag contains a gingerdead man -- a gingerbread cookie dressed like a skeleton, and he eats his, lauding the wonderful taste. But seconds later he falls over and later dies.
But things don't end there: Val is catering a private birthday party for a resident, and there's trouble in the home while she's there. When she leaves, she thinks that will be the end of it -- but it's not. Not only does she find something else to worry about, her best friend is soon brought into the mix, and everyone thinks a serial killer is on the loose. Now Val and her grandfather will have to do some fancy footwork and dig deep to find out who killed Santa and why. If they don't figure it out, no one will be having a Merry Christmas...
This is the latest book in the series, and I am liking it better with each one. This time out it's nearing Christmas, and Val is busy catering small parties and running the café, while also volunteering at the Dickens festival. It's a busy time of the year, and she and her grandfather both have their hands full. But when the Santa dies after eating the cookie, neither she nor Don think it was natural causes. After it's confirmed, they want to know who wanted to kill him, and start investigating on their own.
But when Val has problems at her latest catering gig, it soon leads to even more problems, and she needs to figure out a way to counter it. (I am loath to mention more, because this is a new book, and I don't want to give away any spoilers -- so I won't).
What I do like about this series is the reference to classic movies, which, as I have stated many times over, is my other passion besides books. There probably isn't a classic I haven't seen or can't quote a line from. It gives me even more pleasure when I read the books (and everyone should watch the movies referenced).
I am beginning to like Don more and more; he's learning things all the time and not withering away into a grouchy old man, and I love that. Val is entering a new chapter of her life, too, and both of these things keep the series fresh and moving along. They both keep their lives moving forward, and I enjoy reading about their latest ventures.
This tale is very good, with the mystery taking forefront, and adding a bit of tension along the way; it keeps the reader interested throughout the story and wondering what will happen next. The red herrings are thrown out, with clues leading back and forth, and eventually the killer is found, but it was almost a surprise to me, and that was entirely delightful. In the end, it was probably one of the most fun books I've read in awhile, and I really wish I could read the next one right away. Highly recommended.
I have to say that when I first started reading this book, one name in particular struck out at me. Being a huge classic film fan (I own thousands of them), I was later happy to see that I wasn't the only one in the book who noticed it, and where it was from. But I will say no more on that subject, since I don't want to ruin the book for others who might not know until it's pointed out.
That being said, I really enjoyed the book. When I first started reading this series, I wasn't impressed. But I'm glad that I stuck with it, since both Val's grandfather Don and Val herself have been growing throughout the series. I am impressed at how far Don has come, and finally showing his granddaughter how much he loves and appreciates her; and that Val's bitterness toward what was her life has turned into happiness at what her life has become. These are good things in a book.
But back to the plot: after Suzanne is killed, Val and her grandfather want to know why. They start researching the people she worked with in her job as a hotel clerk, and also her co-writers in a writers' group. What Val finds is disturbing on both counts. But without any evidence, police chief Earl Yardley isn't going to go along with it, stating that it was probably an accident.
But along with that, Don has been hired to find out why things are missing from his clients' homes, and the person who owns the Title Wave bookstore, Dorothy Muir, is an old friend of Don's, but the same can't be said of her son, Bram. He doesn't like the idea of hiring a caterer, and he seems harsh and stolid. But is that because of his personality, or because he doesn't understand how small towns work? At any rate, Val is about to find out.
When it becomes apparent that there's more to Suzanne's past that leads them to the point they now are, Val figures it out eventually, and when she does, it comes to a nice conclusion that wasn't really expected. While rather sad at points, there's no reason for taking a life, and the ending leaves us looking forward to the next in the series. I really enjoyed how all the threads eventually came together, and I do like the fact that Val never puts herself in harms' way (at least intentionally); and yet she manages to get to the bottom of things. I also have to say that I'm glad the way the series is going and looking forward to reading the next one soon.
When she's approached by Otto Warbeck, she's taken aback by the request, and the fact that it has to be done in little time. But she's agreed to it because she needs the money, and he's offered her a good amount of it. She's also being helped in the kitchen by her grandfather and Bethany, her assistant at the café. The dinner will be held on Otto's yacht, which will be sailing, so that's one more thing Val needs to worry about.
When a guest doesn't show up, Bethany is coerced into acting a role in the game that Otto has planned for his guests, supposedly about a passenger who disappeared the night before the ship hit the iceberg. But during courses, someone goes missing they run into a squall, so when they check on the pilot, it's discovered he's asleep, and it's up to her grandfather to get the boat back to shore while they call the Coast Guard.
But all is not well -- with the passenger missing, Val finds out that Jerome Young, the young pilot, might be charged with a crime, she finds out his aunt is an attorney that she knows from the club. She's also asked to try and find out what happened by someone on the boat. To make matters more troublesome, she's having problems in her relationship with her boyfriend Gunnar, who doesn't seem to care about anything but his new 'career' as an actor. Val certainly has her hands full, and if she doesn't watch it, she might be the next person to go permanently missing...
This is the fifth book in the series and I've read every one of them. While I like how things have progressed (I didn't care for her grandfather at all in the beginning, but he's changing and not taking advantage of Val any more), I still don't care for Gunnar. On his list of things that matter to him, Val is probably at the bottom. Enough said about that.
The plot is a very good one -- it appears on the surface to be a mini-play about what might have happened to a missing person on the Titanic but soon becomes something different. And it is this nuance that makes all the difference. You don't notice it happening, but a clue is given almost immediately, and it causes everything to move in the direction it is supposed to. When Val starts looking into the murder, she learns things about the various guests that make her wonder if the missing man didn't plan things this way all along. And when she starts to put it all together, along with the help of her grandfather, it soon begins to make sense.
But it isn't until the last third of the book that you start to see what is going on all along, and it's this that makes you continue reading. When the murderer is discovered, it's not so much a shock, but more that you already know and expected it; yet Val finds a clue that we never even thought to look for, and that makes the book worth reading. I can't wait to dig into the next in the series. Recommended.
She's also helping her grandfather create recipes as The Codger Cook -- writing for the local newspaper, but if truth were told, it's her recipes and he's "borrowed" them so everyone thinks he can cook and he'll get local recognition. After Val has helped solve a couple of local murders, her grandfather also wants to become a PI and is taking online courses to do so. But now he's planning on a recipe of his own - a chocolate fondue - that he wants no help with and intends to enter in the local cook-off for the town's tricentennial celebration.
Val has also convinced him as a way to make money would be to take in temporary boarders during the festival. Her grandfather, unfortunately, has also rented out Val's room and insists she stay with her cousin Monique. As if that weren't bad enough, Val's mother calls and says she's coming for a visit, and Val's ex, Tony, shows up unexpected and unannounced, causing problems between her and Gunnar.
But Val's determined to make it work. With cooking breakfasts for the four people in a wedding party that are staying with them, driving to her cousin's, working at the festival and the café, trying to avoid Tony and see her mother and Gunnar, you'd think that would be enough. But it isn't: on the first night at the Victorian, one of the wedding party is murdered. Now Val's drawn into another investigation -- and since the bride-to-be is obviously being threatened, she needs to decide who's trying to kill the people in the wedding party, and why...
This is the third book in the series, and it's starting to grow on me. While I enjoy the writing style and I do like Val, since she has what I call grit in sticking to her obligations, she allows people to walk all over her, and that gets to me. I still haven't been able to warm up to her grandfather. Yes, he has moments of care for her and it shows, but I still think he's taking advantage of her in more ways than one. It's almost as if he expects her to do what he wants, but I see him give nothing in return. It's difficult to care for someone who's so selfish as a person. One moment of kindness does not make up for hours of grief.
I also haven't been able to warm up to Gunnar. He supposedly is her boyfriend, but he never makes any time for her. He makes excuses why he can't spend time with her; what kind of relationship is that? I'd rather see her with someone who appreciates her; but if she allows her grandfather to walk all over her, then I guess she'll let Gunnar walk all over her, too. Even her mother nags her, and she listens to it. Val also mentions as how Bethany is just a kid at twenty-five; Val is thirty-two. She's seven years older but apparently thinks that's much older than Bethany. Hmmm...
Anyway, the mystery is done nicely, and while the clues are there, it was a little difficult to figure out who the murderer was and why; but when I did, I enjoyed watching Val put all the pieces together as she always does; even though in this book she was never in danger, it was still a lot of fun to see everyone's reactions as she went through the clues one by one until the killer was figured out.
When the ending comes and everything is said and done, it was for the most part an easy read that can be done in one evening, and worth the venture into Val's world. Recommended.
One night he decides to give a dinner party, inviting his lady friend Lillian and several other people, and wants to put a certain guest named Scott on the hot seat, because he thinks Scott bilked his friend out of twenty thousand dollars. So Val cooks two different chowders and then hides in the butler's pantry while cooking if someone enters the kitchen. But the party doesn't go the way it should, and when Val senses trouble, she uses a back exit to run to the front of the house, and finds that Scott's taken ill...and later dies. Everyone thinks it was Granddad who killed Scott, and Val decides to involve herself and find the killer, since she thinks the police are only focusing on her Granddad.
But to make things worse, her semi-boyfriend Gunnar's ex-fiancée Petra shows up, and suddenly things start going south for Val at her job, and it just gets worse. Unless she can prove Petra had something to do with it, she might lose her job. Now Val finds herself in the middle of two things causing grief, and both need to be figured out or Granddad will be in jail and she'll be out of a job...
This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed the first, but found that this book still had the same problems. Gunnar seems a bit self-centered (and dull), and only comes around when it's convenient for him; while I get that he likes Val, he never acts like a boyfriend toward her. While I hope this doesn't turn into a love triangle, Val's decision not to trust good-looking me is ridiculous. If she stays with Gunnar, I sure hope he treats her better. As far as her granddad goes, I would like to see him also treat her better. He's using her for her recipes and ability to cook, but doesn't give her any of the credit. Val is good as a doormat.
As far as the mystery goes, it was certainly one that needed to be unraveled. There were plenty of threads that became twisted together, and taking each one apart not only took time, it took effort on Val's part and several other people to help her see which thread was the one that led to death. It was interesting and enjoyable; and when we got to the end it all came together nicely, and gave us a murderer who had no remorse over what was done, which is the worst kind to come across. I will read the next in the series, and there are also some nice recipes in the back of the book. Recommended.
This was slow moving and quite frankly, boring. Takes too much time to set seen. She is, apparently quite fat phobic by what she says about others. As someone writing a food mystery how can you never have seen avocado or hearts of palm? Grandad is a particularly unlikable character. Anyway BORING!
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That starts some unsavory rumors about Jane and her past life, as well as others!
When Val and her sleuth-thinking Grandad start to dig into the investigation, they discover some more unpleasant secrets that have been well-hidden!
Who actually has committed this perfect crime?
I truly enjoyed Maya Corrigan’s A PARFAIT CRIME which is a splendid cozy mystery with some interesting twists and turns, especially Grandad’s five-ingredient parfaits, that would delight your day wherever, whenever you read it!