Samantha Barnes, the Cape Cod Foodie, eats the best blueberry buckle she has ever experienced. She learns it is the recipe of renowned chef, Clara Foster. Clara agrees to a video shoot with Samantha where they will make the blueberry buckle. Samantha loves Clara’s beachside home with its original artwork and a wonderful cookbook collection. The next morning, Samantha learns that there was a fire at Clara’s house and the chef is dead. At first blush, it looks like the fire was an accident. When Samantha looks at the scene with Detective Vivian Peters, she notices a couple of clues that indicate foul play. Samantha with the help of her friends sets out to sift through the clues and question suspects. Samantha will need to be careful, or she could get burned. Murder is No Picnic by Amy Pershing is the third A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of Cape Cod. The food depictions will have your mouth watering. I just loved hearing about Clara’s wonderful cookbook collection. It contained one-a-kind cookbooks that collectors would kill to own. The mystery was interesting. There were some good clues at the scene, and it was interesting how the crime was set up. A foodie was definitely needed to discern the crime scene. There are a handful of suspects along with a red herring. There are clues to help readers identify the guilty party before the unique reveal. I like that we get all of our questions answered regarding the crime. Samantha, though, does need to work on her questioning technique. She lacks subtlety. I was surprised when the mystery was solved with about twenty percent of the book still to go. There was one item about this whodunit that was left up in the air. I wonder if it will be revisited in future books. I like the inclusion of the cat and dog in the story. I just love Diogi. He is such a sweetie. Samantha’s relationship with Jason is suffering while he is away in Santa Barbara. Sam worried about Jason and his feelings frequently while he was away. If Jason misses a call, Samantha worries that he is breaking up with her (or no longer cares about her). I wish there had been less focus on the romance and more on the mystery. I did feel that Samantha was a little “Sam” centric this time around. She was focused on her life, romance, house, etc. (and we get to hear all of her thoughts). I had to laugh at Samantha’s reaction to the news about the clock found in her attic. The whole world gets to enjoy her response since it was filmed for Antiques in the Attic. We are left with a cliffhanger at the end. I thought the question could easily have been solved before the end of the book. We will have to wait until next time to find out what happens. There are recipes at the end of the book for a summer picnic including one for a delectable blueberry buckle. Murder is No Picnic is a fun summer cozy mystery with blueberry buckle, a killer cookbook collection, an amazing art collection, a demanding dognapper, a beautiful boat, a curious crime, a Cape Cod clam bake, and fun Fourth of July festivities. ( )

Murder is No Picnic by Amy Pershing is the third book in the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries, and a cozy mystery series that I highly recommend.

Pershing writes wonderfully descriptive passages about Cape Cod, the town, and the food. So much so, that I always feel like I’m actually there. While many fans come back to a cozy series because the characters have come to feel like friends (and those in this series do too), I keep coming back because I am blown away by the details Pershing includes in every book. Even with things that I would not normally find too interesting (like how to sail a boat), Pershing is able to make it enjoyable.

And Pershing’s characters are another layer that adds to the stories. They are so well written and developed, even from book one, A Side of Murder. There are so many fantastic characters but I think Sam's next door neighbor, Helene, who is a librarian with a rich past, might be my favorite. And Diogi, Sam’s loyal and sassy canine friend, of course.

Another thing that I really enjoy about Pershing’s series is that while the main character and friends do go over the suspect list a time or three, it’s not too overdone like in other cozies I have read. I have stopped reading series because there was just so much fluff aka going over the murder board, that I got bored and decided not to go back.

So if you are looking for a near perfect cozy mystery series, you need to check out the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries! ( )