I knew it was going to be a bad day when
1. I lost my job as a restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle
2. I had to go to work in my Aunt Abby’s food truck and
3. my aunt was wielding a knife. . .
I could have used a big, gooey cream puff.
Actually, it hadn’t been a great year, either. After catching my ex —Trevor the Tool— fooling around with another woman, I left our apartment and moved into my aunt’s Airstream parked at the side of her house. Could things get any worse?
As a matter of fact, they did. My Aunt Abby came very close to being jailed for murder.
Of course, that’s not a typical day for me. But it was the day I began my new “career” as assistant to my sixty-something aunt, a former cafeteria lady, in her “Big Yellow School Bus” food truck. It was my job to help her serve such comfort foods as “Cheerleader Mac and Cheese,” “Teacher Tuna Casserole,” and “Principal Pot Pie.”
That’s when I got the idea to write a cookbook filled with recipes from these colorful and creative trucks. The only trouble is, I don’t cook. But I do eat, and being a former restaurant critic, I know good food when I taste it. So I thought, why not write a book? With names like “India Jones,” “Conehead,” “Humpty Dumpling,” and “The Coffee Witch,” serving up such fares as Masala Nachos, Garlic Ice Cream, Great Balls of Fire, and Voodoo Ventes, how could I go wrong?
Yes, for now, I’m living in an RV, working in a food truck, and crushing on the dream puff guy while I try to work on my soon-to-be bestselling cookbook. I only wish dead bodies didn’t keep popping up to distract me. I never dreamed the food truck business would be so cutthroat!
But during the annual San Francisco Seafood Festival, the cantankerous, brick-and-mortar chef, Oliver Jameson was found dead after eating poisoned crab bisque. And everyone had overheard Aunt Abby threatening him with that big knife. So when she suddenly became the chief suspect, I had to do what I could to keep her from serving her comfort food in the prison cafeteria. With the help of Aunt Abby’s annoying hacker son/college drop-out, Dillon, and disbarred lawyer-turned-cream puff baker, Jake, I should be able to get back to my bestseller soon.
Meanwhile, I’m going to need another one of those cream puffs to keep me going. . .
You can read more about Darcy in Death of a Crabby Cook, the first book in the new “Food Festival” mystery series, published by Obsidian.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on August 11 for the chance to win a print copy of DEATH OF A CRABBY COOK. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, unless specified.
Meet the author
Penny Warner has published over 60 books for both adults and children. Her first mystery series, beginning with DEAD BODY LANGUAGE, features Connor Westphal, a deaf reporter living in the California Gold Country. The book won a Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, and was nominated for an Agatha and an Anthony Award.
Her second mystery series, beginning with HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, features event planner, Presley Parker, and is set in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presley solves mysteries on Alcatraz, at the de Young Museum, at the Winchester Mystery House, in Colma, the City of Souls, and in the Napa wine country.
Her newest series, DEATH OF A CRABBY COOK, features Darcy Burnett, a former restaurant critic who now works in her eccentric Aunt Abby’s food truck and lives in an Airstream RV. The book features food trucks and food festivals, beginning with the San Francisco Seafood Festival, followed by the SF Chocolate Festival and the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Her middle-grade mystery series, THE CODE BUSTERS CLUB, won the Agatha Award for Best Children’s Mystery, and has been nominated for the World Mystery Anthony Award for Best Children’s Mystery. The series features four kids who solve mysteries by cracking codes in each chapter. The books are set in Berkeley, on Alcatraz, at the Carmel Mission, at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, and the International Spy Museum in Washington DC. Her non-fiction book, THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK, was nominated for an Agatha Award.
She writes a column for the local newspaper on family life in the Valley, creates fund-raising murder mystery events for libraries across the country, and teaches child development at Diablo Valley College. She can be reached at www.pennywarner.com or her email.
I think I will look for a couple of her series. Thanks.
Another series to add!
Sounds like a great series, will have to look for it
I love the title, and I might even check out the series for kids, it sounds good!
Sounds like a fun read. I love cozies. Hope I win.
Fun cozy read, thank you for the chance to win in 🙂
This sounds like a fun read and I really want to check out the Official Nancy Drew Handbook.
Yes please Dru, I’d love to win a copy of Penny’s new book.
Oh Dru, It sounds like a great cozy! Hope I win!! 🙂
This sounds great. Have been looking forward to it! Thanks, Dru! lisaksbookreview@aol.com
I’d love to read this.
sounds like a fun read.
I’ve read the other mystery series with Connor Westphal so I know this one will be great! Thanks for the giveaway.
Oh, this one sounds so good, can’t wait to read it.
I’m looking forward to reading the book.
I would enjoy reading this book! Thank you!
The coming of food trucks in a mystery series is way cool. I’m looking forward to getting this book to read.
Sounds hilarious. I need to locate her previous books, too.
This looks to be hilarious. I need to read her books. Would love a copy of this.
How fun is this title, along with the cover and the main character! Sounds deelish — I’ll be checking this new series out for sure.
This sounds like a great new series!!!!! Death of a Crabby Cook, haha I like that title! Hope I win!!!
Thanks for including me on your wonderful blog, Dru!
Wish we had more food trucks in my area of the northwoods. I can just taste one of those creampuffs you are eating. Thanks for the contest, I’d love to read this book.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I’m looking forward to reading this. I love both the Connor Westphal and Presley Parker series!
Death of a Crabby Cook sounds terrific, add me please!
Food trucks are all the new rage these days, so great choice for a book topic. If you have to die unnaturally, a nice crab bisque sounds like a good way to go!
This sounds like my kind of read, if it has food it has to be good.
Love this title. Congrats on the new series.
Yet ANOTHER new series Dru? Wow! This one sounds like a good one…love comedy mixed with murder! Thanks for the chance to win!
Sandy in So. Cali
Oh, this sounds great!
This is going to be a fun series!
Sounds like a fun new series.
Curious about how it is living in an RV. Love the food “names”.
Looks good
It sounds like a great read. I have not read anything by her, but would love to win this book.
We love to try the food trucks when we go to Giants games! Sounds like a fun read.
Follow that food truck! 🙂
Oh, this sounds like so much fun!
a definite ‘must-read’ for me!!!!
thank you!!
When I saw the title, I just had to stop and think, were they talking about me? No, not me, at least not lately, as I have not been able to do any real cooking since February!!!! I do think that I was a happy cook when I was still able to do all the cooking. This sounds like a fun book to read and to get the series. By not cooking these days, I have much more time to read, so it works out in one respect. laugh….
Cynthia
Would love to win to start this new series!
Mystery and food is a great combination.
Sounds like a fun read for me.
I have the Nancy Drew Handbook love to read this..
contest is closed.