Sherry Oliveri is excited to return home after her latest cook-off victory in Florida. Unfortunately, her appearance on a local radio show to discuss her victory is overshadowed by the death of a local woman, Poppy Robinson. Poppy and Sherry had a common interest- the town’s community garden-, and now Sherry finds herself unwillingly drawn into the murder investigation when several people plead with her to assist. Meanwhile, Sherry also is volunteered to assist with planning a cook-off in her own town. Can Sherry uncover the murderer, plan a cook-off, and stay safe?
GUILTY AS CHARRED is the third book in the Cook-Off Mysteryseries. There are a plethora of characters, and I’m unsure how many are repeating characters versus new ones since this is my first foray into the series. A list of characters would have been beneficial as I had a hard time initially keeping all of the characters straight.
Sherry is an intriguing heroine. She’s involved in so many different activities that I’m still not sure how she juggles everything so well. I particularly like her commitment to feeding others, something that led to her involvement in the community garden.
Culinary mysteries are always a tasty treat, and I enjoy the insight we get into the planning of a cook-off with GUILTY AS CHARRED. I’ve never really thought about the differences between a tv reality show versus a live competition either, and Devon Delany makes the reader appreciate the talent and skill it takes to participate in a live cook-off. And let’s not forget the tasty recipes! Devon Delaney’s GUILTY AS CHARRED has plenty to offer for fans of culinary cozy mysteries!
Sherry Oliveri has attained celebrity status after winning the America’s Good Taste Recipe Contest with her delectable New England Crab Cake Sliders. But now that she’s back home in Connecticut, she’s got to deal with something else fishy . . .
Sherry’s making a guest appearance on a local radio show when the news comes in: Poppy Robinson has been found dead in the town’s community garden. Sherry was supposed to be taking questions about her win in the national cooking competition, but instead the callers start dishing dirt.
Poppy and Sherry were both involved in the vegetable garden, and while Poppy may have been a bit priggish, it wasn’t anything that called for a shovel to the back of the head. There was already trouble brewing, with the owner of the land threatening to renege on their agreement, and this murder has taken tensions to a new level. Now while Sherry’s organizing a Fourth of July cook-off event, she’s also got a murder investigation on her plate . . .