fuonlyknew

I’ve enjoyed other books in Daryl’s Cookbook Nook Mystery series and am happy to be visiting her characters and Crystal Cove again. I’ve also read a book from her Cheese Shop Mystery series written as Avery Ames. Another fun series.

Check out my review.

Enjoy the short guest post and delicious recipe Daryl is sharing with us.

And don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaways!

Grilling the Subject (A Cookbook Nook Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Berkley (August 2, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425279410
E-Book ASIN: B017SCQLSW

My Review

I’ve read one other book in the Cookbook Nook series, Fudging The Books, and really enjoyed it. Good to be back with these characters again along with meeting some new ones.

One of those characters is Sylvia Gump, local business owner and town bully. You know the type, puts on airs, looks down her nose at you, her needs come first. Well, it should come as no surprise that, when fireman report to a brush fire, the dead body they discover is Sylvia’s. And, since Jenna’s father has been in several very public arguments with her, he’s in line as suspect #1.

So many suspects. It seems like when Jenna clears someone from her list, something else pops up and they’re back on it. Not an easy one to solve, which keeps Jenna hopping and those pages turning.

And there’s a humdinger of a surprise too. I kind of suspected it a time or two, but then I got caught up in the mystery again, and forgot about it, so I was eventually caught unaware.

Last time I visited Crystal Cove it was Pirate Week. This time it’s the Wild West Extravaganza. Living on the Gulf Coast, we have lots of fairs and summer events and it always feels like my home town when somethings cooking at Crystal Cove.

Lots to entertain in this next book in the series. I’ll be following to see what happens next in this delightful community.

And there’s some yummy recipes to try too. I always enjoy checking them out.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Things heat up for bookstore owner Jenna Hart in the latest Cookbook Nook mystery from the Agatha Award-winning author of Fudging the Books.

As the Wild West Extravaganza rides into Crystal Cove, California, Cookbook Nook store owner Jenna Hart is ready to indulge her appetite for grilled and barbecued treats and maybe even try the Texas skip. But when the body of one of her father’s neighbors is found the next morning smoldering in a bonfire, the rodeo revelry is extinguished.

Sylvia Gump had acquired plenty of enemies with her practice of illegally encroaching on her neighbors’ properties—including Jenna’s dad, who was off fishing by himself and has no alibi for the murder. Now it’s up to Cary Hart’s dutiful daughter to clear his name before the real killer turns up the heat and rakes someone else over the coals…

INCLUDES RECIPES

And here’s one of those yummy recipes!

Okay, here’s a little health lesson for today. Don’t moan! This will be quick and painless. Promise. LOL

There are good foods and super foods; good fats and bad fats. I’ve been reading up on this. Why? It turns out my body is producing cholesterol. I’m eating right and I’m fairly thin. I exercise, and I don’t smoke. But darn it, I have to take medicine to keep my cholesterol low.

Do you know your HDL and LDL and triglycerides numbers? You should. Ask your doctor.

Anyway, let’s get to some technical stuff:

To lower cholesterol eat:

Oats, red wine, salmon, nuts, green tea, beans (or legumes, especially kidney beans and black beans), dark chocolate, garlic, olive oil.  (Yes, you read that right. Red wine and dark chocolate!) Blueberries are good for you, too!

What are some good fats?

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) help reduce visceral fat, the type of fat that promotes cardiovascular health.  An avocado fits into this category. Yay for me! I love avocados.

And now that the lecture is done, fix this yummy recipe, grab some low-salt tortilla chips, pick up a good book, and dive in!

PS You all know I love cookbooks. I write about them in the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. I found this recipe in Food & Wine Best of the Best 2012: the Best Recipes from the 25 Best Cookbooks of the Year–inspired by a version from Truly Mexican by Santibañez, Goode & Wiseman. I tweaked it and tell you how I did so at the end.

AVOCADO AND BLUE CHEESE GUACAMOLE

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1 avocado, large

2 tablespoons chopped white onion

2 jalapeño chiles, diced fine

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

3 ounces Point Reyes Blue cheese, crumbled

Mash avocado.  Chop the onion and mince the chiles. Add to the avocado. Add the salt, the lemon juice, and half of the crumbled blue cheese.  [This is one of the richest blue cheeses I’ve ever tasted. Yum!] Whip together.

Set in a serving bowl. Top with more blue cheese.

*The recipe from Truly Mexican included ¼ cup chopped smoked almonds. They used lime juice instead of Meyer lemon juice. And they added cilantro. They used a total of 3 tablespoons of the cheese. I doubled that.

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About This Author

DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California.  As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more. In addition, she has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and hitchhiked around Ireland by herself. She absolutely adores Lake Tahoe, where GIRL ON THE RUN is set, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky.

Author Links

Daryl’s Blog / Avery’s Blog

Mystery Lover’s Kitchen / Killer Characters

Facebook: Daryl / Avery

Twitter: Avery / Daryl

Goodreads:  Daryl Wood Gerber / Avery Ames

Purchase Links

Amazon –  B &N 

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There are two giveaways today!

Today Daryl is giving away one copy of your choice of a print copy 0f any of her books. Leave a comment and tell her what your favorite snack food is.

Then enter the rafflecopter below for more prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour for more fun posts and reviews and delicious recipes!

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July 27 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review, Interview, Recipe

July 28 – fuonlyknew – Review, Recipe

July 29 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Recipe

July 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Recipe

July 30 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Review, Recipe

August 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review, Recipe

August 2 – A Holland Reads – Review, Recipe

August 3 – Back Porchervations – Review, Recipe

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