Robbie and her new husband, Abe O’Neill just finished enjoying fireworks in the park and are ready to head home when they hear a scream. Vi Perkell had come to the park with some of her fellow residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living. She was with Lieutenant Buck Bird’s father, Grant Bird. Unfortunately, Vi is dead from a puncture wound to her neck. The next morning, Buck stops by Pans ‘N Pancakes for sustenance and mentions that the crime is eerily similar to his mother’s murder which has never been solved. Robbie has good instincts when it comes to solving crimes. With Robbie’s restaurant being the equivalent of an office water cooler, she can pick up the latest gossip and ask some subtle questions. Robbie will need to unravel the clues and knit them together if she is going to help catch the killer. Batter Off Dead by Maddie Day is the tenth A Country Store Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. However, if you read the series in order, it allows you to get to know the characters and the town. I thought Batter Off Dead contained good writing and developed characters. The book moved along at a steady pace. I like the small-town atmosphere in this series. Robbie Jordan is happily married to Abe and her restaurant is doing very well. The restaurant is busier than ever. We follow Robbie as she goes about her day-to-day life in South Lick, Indiana. I like how the author incorporates Indiana phrases and history of the area into the story. The mystery has two components. It involves a murder in the present and one in the past. Both have a tie to Lt. Buck Bird. There were a handful of suspects in the death of Vi Perkell. Robbie asks questions and listens to diners to gather clues. Robbie needs to be careful, or she could get burned. The whodunit is wrapped up with a tense reveal and all my questions were answered. I like that we get to meet Buck’s father and grandmother. Simone, Buck’s grandmother, is sharp as a tack and a stylish dresser. Grant, Buck’s father, is a sweet man who can no longer see but creates lovely, knitted items. A friend of Robbie’s is pregnant, and it makes her think about the future. I enjoyed my visit to South Lick where I got to catch up with Robbie, Abe, Buck, and the others plus I got to solve a crime. There are recipes at the end for some of the items served at Pans n’ Pancakes. Batter Off Dead is a warm tale with delectable crepes, a cold case, a copycat crime, a crafting club, curious clues, and a caught killer. ( )

A new book in a good, long running series! It's hot and summery in South Lick, Indiana and while at the community fireworks with her still new husband Abe, Robbie's evening ends on a sour note when a local resident is found murdered as the crowds clear. I really liked how Vi's murder added twisty threads to the book and the cold case of a local policeman's mom death many years ago. Robbie spends time at local senior homes while unraveling the information between the present and past and the residents are a wonderful addition to the story. And being the owner of a local restaurant, there are lots of good food descriptions and a recipe for a corn salad that sounds perfect for fresh summer produce. ( )

Batter Off Dead is the tenth book in the A Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day.

Robby and Abe are settling in well to married life. Abe’s son is spending time with his grandparents, and both are looking forward to having him home.

South Lick has weekly fireworks during the summer, and Robbie and Abe have decided to attend this Friday’s show.
Shortly after setting up their chairs, Lt. Buck Bird stops by and asks if they would like to meet his father, unaware that he was alive and living so close. They meet Mr. Bird, his lady friend, Vi, and some other ladies from the Jupiter Springs Assisted Living place who seem to be enjoying their time knitting.

Shortly after the fireworks end, there is a call for help from a man. Robbie and Abe head over to where the call came from and find that Vi is dead. It was discovered that Vi died from a tiny puncture wound to her neck, possibly from a knitting needle. Buck will share that his mother died from similar circumstances and still hasn’t been learned who killed her.

Robbie, having recently gotten married, the last thing Robbie wants to do is to get involved in another murder investigation. But since Vi’s death touches Bird’s father’s life, she wants to get closure for Mr. Bird. Robbie will soon learn that Vi and a couple of the other women at the fireworks were members of a club, the Stitch and Bitch, and she will find out that Bird’s mother was also a member of the club. Robbie soon discovers that the club might have been involved in some of the club's illegal activities. She needs to learn more about these activities and who might want to keep them secret.

I always enjoy my visits to South Lick. The residents are all interesting and are always interested in helping Robbie in any way they can. I would be pleased to call them my friends. The book is well-written and plotted, and moves at a good pace. There are plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the killer was revealed.

There are also delicious-sounding recipes included in the book.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this exciting series. ( )

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

This 10th book in the Country Store Mystery series and I haven't read any of the previous 9, but I found it easy to slip into this world from page 1. This cozy series is set in South Lick, Indiana, and the setting feels grounded and full of detail. Robbie runs a country store with an accompanying restaurant--and does a fair share of sleuthing on the side. When at a fireworks show with her new husband, there's a murder nearby--an older woman from a nursing home, stabbed in the neck. As Robbie investigates, she finds out the murder resembles one from decades before.

This book is fun and the mystery has lots of nice twists and turns, even as it's awfully convenient that everyone happens to eat in Robbie's restaurant, including the investigating police. The cast of characters is pretty large; I have trouble keeping names straight, and that definitely had me confused at a few points as I read. Robbie is a fun, relatable character. She's 30, a hardworking woman (the text dwells often on the restaurant and antique-shopping, which I didn't mind one bit), and is considering having kids soon. I can't help but wonder how that will complicate her future mystery-solving endeavors! ( )

Indiana, restaurant, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, family-dynamics, family, friendship, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery, threats, thriller****

Seems like I only catch up with this series on the even numbered books, but it wouldn't have mattered
if this was the first one I've read because anything important was skimmed in this one.
Newlyweds Robbie and Abe own and operate a country store named Pans 'n Pancakes and are tuned in to all the local goings-on. When an elder is found to be murdered during the holiday fireworks, it sets off a lot of investigations, including an unsolved one from the past.
Great characters and a cohesive mystery plot are the best assets. Add in the concerns and lingo of the characters which are classic small town everywhere, the problems of the small business owner who is the central character, and a lot of witticisms. Great but quick read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )