Rating: Liked It
Source: Publisher
Description: 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.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I love a foodie cozy and I never turn down a chance to pick up the first book in a series.
My Impression: It's no secret that I'm a big cozy mystery fan and it's also no secret that sometimes series can be intimidating. So when I come across the first book in a cozy mystery I can never resist. Especially when it's a foodie cozy set in Alaska! This was a lot of fun and had a lot of potential. The setting was really a focus both in terms of the challenges and beauties of living in Alaska and with just a diner setting in general. Charlie is an interesting main character. She really doesn't have much interest in mysteries in general and she is affected by Oliver's death. Sure, she's unnerved by even the possibility that she could be a suspect but this was also someone she's known for a very long time and he was a prickly complicated man who could be infuriating but also incredibly kind. I thought it was nice that she took the time to recognize this and didn't immediately brush it off and get to solving the crime.
The mystery is a good one. Just who killed Oliver and what secrets was he hiding in his past? I loved that this was a team investigation and especially enjoyed the dynamic between Charlie and Chris the journalist. I did feel like there were some pacing issues. The catalyst to everything happened before the book started and there's a lot going on as the reader is introduced to Charlie, Benny, the town itself, the diner, Annie, and other regulars and townspeople. The mystery doesn't get forgotten but it does have a few slower spots. I kind of expect this for first books in a series and I enjoyed the other aspects of this mystery enough that I don't feel like this really detracted from my enjoyment. That small issue aside, this is a fun new entry into the cozy mystery world with an interesting lead character and a fantastic setting. I'm really looking forward to picking up the next book in the series.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! This was a fun series.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies I think you'll enjoy this one and it's the first book in a series which is always fun.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I enjoy foodie books too and the mystery sounds really good:)
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one and am glad you liked it, Katherine. It's the Alaskan setting that does it for me, I think. :-) And the fact that it's a cozy mystery. I can't resist those first in a series books either.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover and it sounds like a good one! :)
ReplyDeleteI would have a hard time passing up a foodie cozy set in Alaska too! This sounds like a good start to a new series.
ReplyDeleteA first book sets the scene really and then the books warm up. Love the title and the cover, so good.
ReplyDeleteI've been eying this book and it sounds good. I do expect pacing issues in first books so that shouldn't bother me too much.
ReplyDeleteI recently read this one, too. I enjoyed it and I especially loved the Alaska setting.
ReplyDeleteBear Claw Diner-with a name like that I'd want to eat there too!
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