MURDER MOST FINICKY is Book 4 in Liz Mugavero's
Pawsitively Organic cozy mystery series. I love this
series, but MURDER MOST FINICKY might be my favorite book
yet. In this installment, organic pet treat chef Stan is
on the train to culinary crazy town. Unlike previous
books in the Pawsitively Organic series the setting
is
not in the small town of Frog Ledge, complete with town
regulars, but in Newport, RI. Although I love Frog Ledge
and the favorite familiar characters, this change of
scene provides a diverting dose of both hilarity and
homicide.
The celebrity chefs that foodie guru Sheldon Allyn has
rounded up for a retreat, with Stan as a newcomer, are an
odd assortment of strong egos and eccentrics. This
setting is delicious and makes an intriguing backdrop for
murder. As a reader, I was able to put myself in Stan's
place and be alternately amazed by the characters and
quick to suspect them of all manner of fishy things that
go on in MURDER MOST FINICKY. As chefs either kick the
bucket or disappear under strange circumstances, Stan is
a very reluctant sleuth. Liz Mugavero does a fantastic
job of providing numerous plausible suspects and equally
strong motives. With so many over-the-top personalities
it is difficult figuring out who to believe and what is
real versus what might be a red herring.
There are a few things, in addition to the murder and
mayhem that make MURDER MOST FINICKY so enjoyable. Even
though Jake is a presence mainly through encouraging phone
calls, I enjoyed the snippets between Stan and her
boyfriend. Through all the craziness, Stan manages
to advance the relationship with her man, and the
tentative friendship she has with his state trooper
sister. Jake and his sister Jessie offer Stan a lot of
support as she faces danger and hunts down clues. The
subplot involving Stan's sister is interesting without
being distracting or making things too convoluted.
MURDER MOST FINICKY is a superlative cozy mystery that
makes it fun trying to puzzle out whodunit. There is
enough humor and truly laugh-out-loud moments to balance
the suspense and danger. Each book in this Pawsitively
Organic series just gets better. I can't wait to read
the next installment by Liz Mugavero.
The dog days of summer have arrived in the small town of
Frog Ledge, Connecticut, and business is booming for
Kristan "Stan" Connor. Her Pawsitively Organic pet food
has even caught the attention of celebrity pastry chef
Sheldon Allyn, who helps Stan open a fancy pet pastry
shop in Frog Ledge. A partnership is born, and Sheldon
invites Stan to Newport, Rhode Island, for an
appreciation weekend he's hosting for all his independent
chefs. But the gourmet getaway turns sour when one of the
chefs turns up dead, and a second one goes missing. . .
As Stan tries to figure out who had a recipe for murder,
the pool of suspects expands. And if she can't sniff out
the culprit soon, this killer may just serve up a second
helping of murder. . .
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