"Have a Deadly New Year" A Farm-to-Fork Mystery Novella By Lynn Cahoon: Review/Giveaway

by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of this novella, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Farm to Fork to...Murder?
Angie Turner needed a fresh start after she and her BFF Felicia Williams had to close their restaurant in San Francisco when renewing their lease became too cost “ineffective.” The two friends were not deterred, moving north to Angie’s hometown of River Vista, Idaho, and her late grandmother’s farm to open a new restaurant with a twist. The County Seat would be a farm-to-table experience taking advantage of all the fresh ingredients local farms have to offer. It didn’t start out smoothly with several farmers not keen on participating, several unexpected animal antics causing problems, and pesky murders putting them in an uncomfortable spotlight, but they persevered and now have something of which they can be proud.

Farm-to-Fork Mystery

Who Moved My Goat Cheese? (2018)
Killer Green Tomatoes (2018)
One Potato, Two Potato, Dead (2019)
Have a Deadly New Year (2019)

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Image Source Lyrical Press
Have a Deadly New Year earn 5/5 Drum Solos...Easy Entertaining Fun!
Felicia contracted an exciting and well-paying catering gig that she and Angie are also able to turn into a business retreat. For the weekend, they’ve planned marvelous dining experiences for Cliff Henry, one of Felicia’s old friends from her boarding-school days, and his friends. Afterwards, they’ll have the run of his over-the-top Sun Valley residence for an extra week to brainstorm, plan, and set into motion ideas for the restaurant in the coming new year. Lesser known is it provides Felicia an opportunity to show off and prove “what an amazing woman she’d turned out to be.” Cliff Henry was the lead singer of the rock band Postal Mutiny, and having attended school with Felicia, his behavior and her reactions make it seem they were more than just classmates. The band had broken up, but a reunion had been negotiated, and this weekend is meant to celebrate the contract they are set to sign. But, everyone’s demeanor, attitude, and old wounds reopened make this gathering an “8” on a ten-point awkward meter. It explodes to a “10+” when a body is found, stabbed with a drumstick. Worse...a storm, police delayed, and they are trapped in the house with a killer!

Drum roll, please! I highly recommend this new novella #3.5 in Lynn Cahoon’s Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. The drama is clever, intriguing, and kept me guessing with several possible suspects with motives, and the connection between some characters and Felicia made it all personal. With several main characters having equal importance, it is understandable that Lynn used the third-person narrative. Although it’s not my favorite perspective, I miss the “I” insights, she did an excellent job with descriptive language, dialogue that illustrates well the tone and personalities, humor, and a realism to the reactions, responses, and investigative techniques that I enjoy. There are several themes addressed, but I find the idea to essentially be true to yourself poignant. I like these shorter cozies, easy and to the point reads, but I found I missed some of the details, depth, side story excursions and big, perilous reveal usually found in the full-length version. Personally, I am a “spud” myself, born in Idaho with immediate family connections to Boise, Boise State, and in my youth, skiing at Sun Valley, so those references are very personal and beyond enjoyable. Lynn Cahoon is a master at putting her characters into short holiday mysteries...so ring in the new year with her, Angie, Felicia, and The County Seat crew!

Bonus! I love getting delicious recipes in my cozy, and Lynn gives us a delightful and easy-to-make appetizer. The “handwritten recipe on a large stickie note, burned and weathered with age” was a treasure she was given by Shirley, a wonderful co-worker many years past: NYE Sweet and Sour Chestnuts. She did spice up the sauce a bit. Yum!

Be on Alert! Releasing in April, book four, Deep Fried Revenge, will be a full-length novel. Fans are treated to a sneak peek....State Fair culinary contest to crown Boise’s best restaurant turns deadly when top contenders starting dying off. Oh, I’m hooked!

Be a Big Fan!
First, a big shout out to this fellow spud, Lynn Cahoon! New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Lynn Cahoon pens the ten-book Tourist Trap Mystery series. Within this popular series, she has six novellas that highlight a particularly fun holiday or season. Along with the Tourist Trap Mystery, Lynn Cahoon writes two other cozy mystery series: the five-book Cat Latimer series set in small town Aspen Hills, Colorado, and the three-book Farm-to-Fork series set in River Vista, Idaho. Both have an entertaining writing style and delightful set of characters.

Facebook—Lynn Cahoon Author
Website—Lynn Cahoon Be sure to sign up for her newsletter.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Have a Deadly New Year, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "year,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 18, 2020. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. We delete all emails after the contest is over.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:



Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.
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Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

  1. Thanks for the opportunity! Looks like a great book!

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  2. Lots of folks priced out of Frisco. Sounds interesting. Count me in!

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  3. Would really like to read. Thanks for the chance.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. This looks so good! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  5. This is a new-to-me series, but it sounds great. Rita
    rgp1950@yahoo.com

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  6. This sounds soooo good and I love the cover. Thank you for the chance.
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail (dot)com

    ReplyDelete

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