"Much Ado About Nutmeg" A Pancake House Mystery By Sarah Fox: Review/Giveaway

by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of this book, and a link to purchase it.

The Flip Side and...Murder!
Marley McKinney arrived in Wildwood Cove agreeing to help run a popular pancake house, The Flip Side (one of the best names for a restaurant), while her aging cousin recuperated from a bout of pneumonia. However, tragedy strikes, a murder investigation ensues, a killer is caught, and she ultimately inherits the restaurant and a lovely Victorian home. Marley decides to stay and make Wildwood Cove her home, however that murder was not a “one off,” mayhem and a few suspicious deaths seem to plague young Marley’s life. She’s not alone as she has a great support system: soon-to-be husband Brett Collins, BFF Lisa Morales and her boyfriend/The Flip Side chef Ivan Kaminski, employees Tommy, Leigh, and Sienna turned family, a law enforcement connection Detective Ray Georgeson, and a plethora of regular customers with a wide range of insights, knowledge, and skills. Oh, there’s also Bentley the goldendoodle and an orange tabby aptly named Flapjack (another great name) to round out Marley’s crew.


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Image Source Lyrical Press
Much Ado About Nutmeg earns 5/5 Golden Oldies...Engaging Entertainment!
Wildwood Cove is hosting the Golden Oldies Games, a statewide sporting event for athletes who meet the age requirement of fifty and over. Everyone is anticipating crowds of athletes, coaches, and spectators; Marley is adding tables to meet the demand she expects for pancakes and crêpes...carbs are great for athletes, right? One of her restaurant regulars, Marjorie Wells, has been training for months to ready herself to compete, a regular competitor, Claudia Wu, looks like she doesn’t meet the age minimum, and a trio of newcomers (Easton Miller, his wife Rowena, and friend Pippa who is accompanied by her “very personal” trainer) are all set to join in. But along with competitors and spectators, there’s the media. Tommy, assistant kitchen staff, is freelancing as a photographer for the Wildwood Cove Weekly, and ingratiating herself is Yvonne Pritchard, a sports reporter from the Seattle Insider. Yvonne has captured the attention of Ed Herman, another regular patron of The Flip Side and twenty years her senior. Marley is horrified overhearing Yvonne’s comment about Ed seemingly to brag, “I figure it’s worth putting up with him for a few days since he likes to pay for my meals.” But it’s not just Ed who might be hurt by this woman, she has plenty of disgruntled acquaintances in her past. Marley again overs a young man shocked Yvonne “dared to show her face here,” and Claudia’s angry face off was witnessed by all. Things go from bad to worse with reports Easton fell overboard into the bay and is missing, but the body found on the rocks is not a man...it is Yvonne!

Ready! Set! Go for the Gold! Sarah Fox and her Pancake House Mystery are both big favorites. I am greatly entertained by her writing style with expressive dialogue and descriptive language that makes this clever mystery an engaging page-turner. The mystery kept me guessing, and with an extra murder, I couldn’t put it down...my inner Sherlock was spinning. Clues went one way, suspects popped up, then more, and a u-turn leading to a nail-biting “What?!” conclusion. I loved it! The characters are the main draw. They are well defined, developing well through this six-book series, responding and acting realistically in the face of an everyday busy life and extraordinary events like murder, and through their actions and words it’s easy to determine their personalities: admirable, helpful, quirky, good, and not-so-good. It’s not just a murder mystery, though, Marley is running a popular business, available as a friend to others, and planning her wedding; a small wedding she hopes will not have a lot hiccups with a dress on order and her “rarely smiles” chef volunteering to do the cake. But the whole town helps out making it a Wildwood Cove affair.

BONUS! I am always eager to see what delicious recipes Sarah adds straight from The Flip Side’s kitchen! In this book, we get everything for a quiet Sunday breakfast or a family brunch: Belgian Waffles with Strawberry Syrup Strawberry Syrup, Apple Cinnamon Scones with Maple Glaze, and my favorite breakfast choice Banana Nut Pancakes. Also enjoy a peek at An Ale of Two Cities, book two in her Literary Pub Mystery series, for which I give high praise!

A Pancake House Mystery (Available in Print, eBook, or Audio)
The Crêpes of Wrath (2017)
For Whom the Bread Rolls (2017)
Of Spice and Men (2017)
Yeast of Eden (2018)
Crêpe Expectations (2019)
Much Ado About Nutmeg (2020)

Be a Big Sarah Fox Fan!
Along with this six-book Pancake House Mystery, USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox penned the three-book Music Lover’s Mystery: Dead Ringer (2015), Death in A Minor (2016), and Deadly Overtures (2017). taking us into the world of the music with Midori Bishop who is living her dream with the Point Grey Philharmonic, but in this series she finds a not-so-well-liked cellist, dysfunctional families, and a music competition crescendoing to murder. She also writes the Literary Pub Mystery about book lover Sadie Coleman who transforms an old Vermont pub into The Inkwell, a spot to enjoy literary-themed cocktails, a book, and murder: Wine and Punishment (2018) and An Ale of Two Cities (2019).

Facebook – Author Sarah Fox
Website – Cozy Crime with a Foxy Flair

To enter to win a copy of Much Ado About Nutmeg, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "nutmeg" or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 1, 2020 . U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. Be sure to include your mailing address if entering via email in case you win-we will delete emails after the contest. 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! One of our past episodes features another of Kathi's books. You can listen to it here: mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com/e/boxes-in-the-basement-by-kathi-daley 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. I love cozy mysteries and especially when there’s food involved!! This sounds great!!

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  2. I love the title and the cover, so much fun! Thank you for the chance.
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail (dot)com

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  3. Love mysteries, sounds good! tWarner419@aol.com

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  4. This looks like a lot of fun and the recipes sound delicious!
    kozo8989@hotmail.com

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  5. This sounds like a wonderful series. Thanks for the contest! ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  6. Cute cover, love when these reads include recipes! tWarner419@aol.com

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  7. Mmm, pancakes. I'd love some thanks, and this great looking book as well. Thanks for the chance to win a copy. crs(at)codedivasites(dot)com

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  8. Cozy mysteries are fun to read. Thank you for the chance this sounds amazing.

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  9. Not sure my comment posted. Thank you for the chance

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  10. This is a new author to me. This is on my TBR list and I'm looking forward to reading the book.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. I recently started reading cozies and am loving them. I especially love the ones in small towns with animals and recipes. quilting lady 2 at comcast dot net

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  12. Sounds like such a fun book - thanks for the chance to own it. - trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com

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  13. Sarah Fox is a great author who provides her readers with a fantastic plot in her books. Thanks for providing background about the book and Sarah. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. Thanks Kathleen, always love your reviews! Yes, I'd love to win this one! nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  15. Please count me in! Sounds great! ruthaw_1974 (at) yahoo(dot)com

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  16. It's on my TBR, but would love to own it, since it will be a while before my library gets it. Thanks for the chance.

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