This third Pancake House Mystery starts as autumn
brings
mists and mellow fruitfulness to Wildwood Cove, a town on
the Olympic Peninsula enlivened by the prospect of filming
down at the beach. This should bring added custom to the
Flip Side pancake café. Marley McKinney the
thirtysomething
owner, hasn't seen the cult horror film The Perishing, but
the remake is scheduled so she's interested.
OF SPICE AND MEN takes us into a type of café I haven't
tried, so the mocha mascarpone crepes caught my attention.
Next it was mushroom asparagus. Waffles are also served
with sweet or savoury fillings; meanwhile the owner's cat
is called Flapjack. The food seems very popular. Of
course,
it's a draw for actors and production team; the characters
are well drawn and we quickly see some of the tensions
inevitable on location. But Marley overhears tensions
turning to threats. Soon after, she sees smoke billowing
from the door of a caravan with movie makeup artist
Christine asleep inside, and bravely rushes to assist.
Christine had been screamed at by the jealous actress
Alyssa Jade. Actor Chase Lowman had also behaved
aggressively. Could one of them have wanted her dead, or
was it a mere accident? The police start looking for a
criminal when Christine can't be revived. Marley -- along
with reassuring her nervous boyfriend Brett -- tries to
examine what she knows and see if there is a clue to the
killer. Then she learns that Brett used to date Alyssa
Jade
a few years ago, before Marley moved to the district. Talk
about awkward.
I enjoyed all the interpersonal details in the tale, which
expose more and more that poor Marley hadn't known, as
well
as demystifying Hollywood. The location is a big factor in
the proceedings, with gales, beach runs and arrogant
references to 'out in the sticks'. There's even a haunted
house. The end feels a bit formulaic but is very well
described and wrapped up -- in more than one way.
Sarah Fox lives in British Columbia. She includes a couple
of spicy recipes at the back of her book. I am sure OF
SPICE AND MEN will prove very popular and I am looking
forward to reading more of Marley's exploits.
Lights. Camera. Murder? Wildwood Cove’s star turn is soured by a sneaky killer in this delicious cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of The Crêpes of Wrath.Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu! With a Hollywood film crew in town to shoot a remake of the horror classic The Perishing, the residents of Wildwood Cove are all abuzz. Even Marley McKinney, owner of The Flip Side Pancake House, can overlook the fact that the lead actress, Alyssa Jayde, happens to be an old flame of her boyfriend. After all, the crew loves Marley’s crêpes—so much so that Christine, the head makeup artist, invites her onset for a behind-the-scenes tour. But when Marley arrives, the special-effects trailer is on fire . . . with Christine inside. The cops quickly rule Christine’s death a murder, and Alyssa a suspect. Marley’s boyfriend insists that the actress is innocent, but when Marley sticks her nose into the complicated lives of The Perishing’s cast and crew, she discovers more questions than answers. It seems that everyone has a hidden agenda—and a plausible motive. And as the horror spills over from the silver screen, Marley gets a funny feeling that she may be the killer’s next victim.
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