Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan is the first book in the NEW “Alaskan Diner” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Penguin Random House, coming May 5, 2020.
A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.
When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all–her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.
Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie’s ideas–leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.
With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it’s too late.
Dru’s Musing:
This was a fun book to read that I could not put down, quickly becoming a page-turner.
The author’s descriptive narrative captured the landscape of Alaska with me sitting in the diner with Charlie or traipsing through the local scenery of the 49th state while searching for clues to the killer’s identity. With dialogue guiding the action, I enjoyed watching this play out through the eyes of Charlie and those she interacted with from the local trooper to the diner employees to her BFF to the journalist and the potential suspects along the way – all who had pivotal roles that enhanced my reading pleasure.
The mystery kept me intrigued to all possibilities with several red herrings that were placed to thwart my efforts in figuring out person responsible. Overall, a great read and I look forward to more adventures with Charlie and her friends.
**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Sounds like a great series – thanks for your musing!
Sounds like a great start to a new series!
I can hardly wait to order this book and get it read. I love the location and concept and I’m really sure it’s going to be a big hit with readers just from Dru Ann’s great review!
Wishing the author the best of everything .
Cynthia