A Five-Ingredient Mystery ~ By Cook or by Crook ~ Cozy Review & Giveaway

Posted: November 4, 2014 in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, giveaways, reviews
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BY COOK OR BY CROOK  large banner640

I’ve found a new cozy mystery series!

Usually I come into a series after the beginning and have to go back to catch earlier books. This time I have the first book in the Five Ingredient Mysteries, By Cook or by Crook, by Maya Corrigan.

Check it out.

Enjoy my review.

And enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed print copy of your very own!

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20702316By Cook or by Crook
(A Five-Ingredient Mystery)

New Cozy Series
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (November 4, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1617731389
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Synopsis:

Take one burned-out city girl. Add a crusty codger, a pinch of gossip, and a dash of romance. Stir in a generous helping of murder and you’ve got the ingredients for one truly delicious mystery…

Haunted by the car accident that ended her career as a cookbook publicist, Val Deniston has traded in the chaos of New York City for a quieter life near the Chesapeake Bay. Living with her curmudgeonly grandfather in the tourist town of Bayport is hardly glamorous, but she enjoys working at the Cool Down Café at the local fitness club, and she finally has time to work on her long-planned cookbook. But when one of the club’s patrons is found dead, she’ll have to cook up a scheme to find the killer. 

Includes 8 five-ingredient recipes!

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My Review

With tennis, vying for manager of the Cool Down Cafe, and trying to sell real estate, there are some pretty serious competitions going on in this book.

That’s what makes this such a fun mystery.

When one of the woman from the local tennis club is found murdered, there’s also an unsolved hit-and -run, and some arson going on and it may all tie together, or not.

I bet Val didn’t expect to be helping the police with a murder when she left New York City behind to move in with her grumpy grandfather in the small town of Bayport in Chesapeake Bay.

Managing the cafe and playing on the local tennis team, Val quickly gets to know a lot of the people in this small town. And like most small towns, it’s hard to keep a secret and the gossip is rampant.

Val is drawn into the murder investigation when she discovers the body of a fellow tennis player. And the number one suspect is her cousin. Not wanting to believe her capable of murder, Val starts her own investigation, but being a stickler, she doesn’t scratch her cousin off the list of suspects. And that list is long.

As Val’s suspect list shrinks, the danger escalates. She’s being stalked and someone ran her off the road. She’s getting close, but to which case. The hit-and-run, the arson, the murder, or all three?

The author had me going in circles trying to figure out who the killer was. It wasn’t obvious. There were lots of false trails. And I didn’t have a clue until about two thirds of the way through the book. There was still a ways to go so I knew things could change and have me suspecting someone else, so I paid close attention, sniffing for clues.

This cozy mystery had a lot to offer.  Several mysteries, lots of colorful characters, danger, and romance.

Val and Gunnar are flirting with a burgeoning romance. This wasn’t the main focus in the mystery, just a dollop of whipped cream to add zest, and it’s early in the romance stage.

Val has her own personal mystery to solve too. Her memory of the car crash that ended her budding career in New York is still not clear. Did she cause the crash or was it an accident?

Lots of questions and the author gave me the answers bit by bit. There was no rush to wrap this up, and the ending left me happy and eager for more.

4 Stars

Thanks so much to the publisher and author for this ARC for my honest review.

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maya corrigan

About This Author

Maya Corrigan lives near Washington, D.C., within easy driving distance of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the setting for this series. She has taught courses in writing, detective fiction, and American literature at Georgetown University and NOVA community college. A winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, she has published essays on drama and short stories under her full name of Mary Ann Corrigan. Visit her at mayacorrigan.com.

 

 

 

Author Links

WebPage: mayacorrigan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maya-CorriganBooks/305167769636032

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N

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I have one signed print copy to give away.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“What’s your favorite food?”

Giveaway ends November 10th.

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Tour Participants

November 4 – fuonlyknew – Review, Giveaway

November 5 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

November 6 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Giveaway

November 7 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

November 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review

November 9 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview

November 10 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Giveaway

 

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Comments
  1. Mai Tran says:

    My favorite food is sushi. Raw fish, rice, sauce, and seaweed is the best combination in the world!
    koukkunokka@anvianet.fi

  2. anne3230 says:

    Happy release day! It’s awfully hard to pick one, maybe ice cream, Edy’s/Dreyer’s chocolate or Breyer’s chocolate chip mint.

    acm05atjuno.com

  3. Wow! What a book! I am going to read that one! My favorite food is sad to say, a big old Porterhouse Steak! However, I can’t eat one now that I had my surgery. So, I just order a petite fillet and dream of the good old days. Why do I love steak? Don’t know, maybe my vampire is coming out in me! I like it medium with just the right amount of cook but a lot of pink. I know it’s gross, but it’s my one love… a good old bloody steak! YUMMY! Don’t judge…. Lots of love, Emiy

  4. noraadrienne says:

    My favorite food is anything from the Chinese Restaurant. I could eat it all day. I’ve also been know to prepare 5 course Asian dinners for company.

    NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com

  5. Anita Yancey says:

    My favorite food is spaghetti and meat balls. I put a lot of onions and green peppers in mine. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

  6. Libby Dodd says:

    Chocolate, dark that is the best!

  7. emaginette says:

    You always bring me the best book titles. I must get my hands on this one. 🙂

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

  8. Rebecca Prazak says:

    Prime rib with baked potato and sour cream with chives.

  9. Carol Summers Kolber says:

    I have not come across any of your books before, but this title and synopsis sounds like a must read for me. I will definitely be buying it and enjoying it with a cup of hot tea and a cranberry & orange scone.

  10. suekey12 says:

    Favorite food? It’s hard to pick just one—but I’ll go with lasagna.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

  11. mommamiaof3 says:

    My favorite food.. In general Chinese food. I love sweet n sour chicken, general tsao chicken, rice.. Yummy. Now I’m hungry! jandeplus3 (at) live.com

  12. bookwoman says:

    Chocolate.

  13. Patricia says:

    Soup is a favorite food, this time of year.

  14. Mary DeBorde says:

    <3 Thank you for such a sweet giveaway – this would be a cozy read to stash away for our upcoming long, cold, dreary, (did I mention *cold*? lol) winter days!

    One of my FAVORITE foods this time of year (or any) is fresh, chilled, topped with mounds of whipped cream, Pumpkin Pie w/crunchy pecan & brown sugar crust 😀 yummmmmy

    zenrei57 at hotmail dot com

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