"A Holiday for Homicide" By Devon Delaney: Review/Giveaway

Review by Sarah Erwin

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

A Holiday for Homicide is book nine in Devon Delaney’s Cook-Off mystery series and readers new to this cozy mystery series can easily read it as a standalone.

Sherry Oliveri lives in the small town of Augustin and is a seasoned participant in cooking competitions. She’s recently been selected for a three-day cooking challenge filmed in her hometown and set to air on national television on Labor Day. As excited as she is, Sherry is bound by a contract with the film company to keep everything related to the competition a secret until it airs.

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Image Source ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing

Sherry stays busy working in her family’s business and playing tennis most every morning with her friend Kat, who works for the mayor. After tennis, they frequently enjoy breakfast from Sherry’s brother’s food truck. Just as buzz about the film crew starts around town, pre-printed napkins appear at the food truck and reveal secret details about the cooking competition. No one is sure who is writing these or even what the sparse text on the napkins means.

When a person is murdered, Kat becomes a suspect. Sherry is sure her friend can’t be guilty, but why is Kat being so secretive? And why do the mysterious notes printed on the napkins suddenly take a darker turn in tone and content? What buried secrets are waiting to be revealed?

Fans of culinary cozy mysteries should snatch up this series! This is a page-turner and does an excellent job of creating a light-hearted tone without skimping on the mystery. Clues (and red herrings) abound, and while I had a guess at the true culprit, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure and enjoyed sorting through and piecing the clues together with Sherry.

I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, some of whom added humor to the story. They fit perfectly into the small town and the story. The recipes included in the back sound delicious. Devon is an accomplished cooking contester herself, and her experience brings the descriptions on the page to life. Lots of fun!

To enter to win a copy of A Holiday for Homicide, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "holiday homicide,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 30, 2024. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. 

 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! 

You can click here to purchase this book.

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

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.