A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton is the first book in the new “Vintage Kitchen” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, May 2012

A Hoosier to die for?
When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier-brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister, Rebecca, that the nineteenth-century yellow brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s junk, she successfully outbids the other buyers and triumphantly takes home her Hoosier.

But that night on the summer porch where they’ve left the Hoosier to be cleaned up, a man is murdered–struck on the head with the steel meat grinder that is part of the cabinet. Who is this stranger, and what was he doing on their porch? Does his death have anything to do with the Hoosier?

As the police struggle to determine the man’s identity, Jaymie can’t help doing a little digging on her own, accompanied by her three-legged Yorkie Poo, Hopalong. But in her bid to uncover the truth about the hidden secrets of the Hoosier, Jaymie may be the one who ends up going, going…gone.

In this new series, we are introduced to Jaymie Leighton who is a collector of vintage cookware and works part-time. Jaymie is thrust into murder when a dead body is found near her prized purchased of the Hoosier kitchen furniture. Concerned for her safety and peace of mind, Jaymie begins to piece together snippets she overheard and facts she learned to unpeel a killer in her midst. This was a great book with good writing, great dialogue and an all-around nice place to visit and stay awhile. Jaymie is a strong heroine who shows her vulnerability and strength at the same time as she looks for clues to this murder mystery. The secondary characters are likable and I can’t wait to see more interaction between them. The author did a good job at keeping me guessing, especially when I thought it was all over and then BAM, the story wasn’t over and I was a bit surprised at the killer’s identity, as I didn’t see that one coming. A great debut and I’m looking forward to the next book in this wonderfully crafted series with bonus recipes.