Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Sophia Rose Reviews: Smashed Potatoes and Gravy by Ginny Gold

Well it's only one day until Thanksgiving here in the US so it's the perfect day for Sophia Rose to review a cozy called Smashed Potatoes and Gravy.
Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving !



Smashed Potatoes and Gravy by Ginny Gold
#5 The Early Bird Café’ Mysteries
Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  Self
Published:  9.4.14
ASIN: B00NG8YLRG
Pages:  188
Format: ebook
Source:  Purchased
Sellers: - Amazon -  Barnes & Noble:
ADD TO: GOODREADS




GoodReads Blurb:

Kori Cooke is excited for Thanksgiving. Not only is she hosting Thanksgiving at The Early Bird Café, but she’s also throwing a baby shower that same week for her good friend Jenna Rhodes. But when Jenna is late to her own shower, Kori knows something is wrong.

A dead body is found on Jenna’s property and she suddenly finds herself in jail, and nearly ready to pop she’s so pregnant. Kori knows Jenna can’t be guilty, but then who is?

Kori gets dragged into the investigation and is hot on the trail to the real killer, only to find out it’s a dead end. As she looks for more and more clues, she starts questioning if she might know the murderer, and even be their friend. Kori isn’t sure who could be guilty, but she knows for sure she has to find out before the killer notices her tracks.

Will one of Kori’s friends go to jail for a crime they didn’t commit? Or could she be blind to the truth because she doesn’t want to see who the real killer is?

INCLUDED: In The Kitchen with Ginny Gold—Thanksgiving Day Menu! 

Sophia Rose's Review:

Review:
Coming across Thanksgiving holiday themed books is something of a rarity for me, but I was happy to try this new to me author and cozy mystery series set in a small town and a cafe owner amateur detective.

Smashed Potatoes and Gravy is book five in The Early Bird Cafe' series.  These all work fine standalone though there is the ongoing story of regular characters from what I could tell.

Kori owns and operates a cafe in her small, but well-loved familiar New England home town.  Her Thanksgiving week is shaping up to be a doozy with a friend Jenna's baby shower, her business, Thanksgiving, and her mom's wedding.  But, that's nothing when a murder mystery involving her friend gets added to the to-do list.

This one read fast and fun.  It was a light weight spending as much time in Kori's kitchen and on her walks with her dog as much as the mystery.  She shrugs off her mom's sudden remarriage while taking a keen interest in her boyfriend, Zach's case since it involves Jenna.  I was relieved to see that while she nosed in on the case that the police weren't painted as incompetent.  Kori helps, but she wasn't the only brains which is how I prefer mysteries that mingle amateur and professionals detecting on a case.

Kori is a likable lead character and I enjoyed spending time with her though, good night, I was seriously hungry reading this.  The Thanksgiving element was part of it all and I liked how the theme was blended into the story as Kori mingled with her family and neighbors and helped out where she could.

The mystery was only one of the elements and was interesting, but there wasn't enough to go on clue-wise for the reader until late in the story so it's not one that can be solved early.  Though, that said, it was a relatively uncomplicated one.

I found this book a light and easy read with easygoing characters and a cute feel to it all.  I'd definitely read more from the series.

Author Bio:
Ginny Gold lives in the high Rockies and wouldn't trade it for the world. She loves anything outdoors--especially skiing, cycling, and gardening, though living at over 9,000 feet does make for a short growing season. You can also find her volunteering with local nonprofits and schools when she's not cooking up her next cozy mystery for her loyal readers.

Sophia’s Bio:
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
Sophia’s Social Media Links:

12 comments:

  1. You don't see a lot of Thanksgiving stories. This one sounds really cute. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart

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    1. That's what I thought, too. Definitely a light and cute one.

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  2. Thanksgiving themed cozy what a hoot and great idea, this may have to be what I have for dessert tomorrow Sophia Rose. Thank you!

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    1. It was definitely a cute one and leaned hard on the food aspect. I was constantly craving food while reading it. LOL

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  3. I kind of thought this would be a kid's book when I just saw the cover on bloglovin ;) Now I am all sad cos I did not get a picture book, lol, just kiddin

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    1. LOL! Sorry to disappoint you. Haha, the cover is a bit of this and bit of that, for sure.

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  4. I'm surprised there aren't lots of Thanksgiving novels around. It's such a huge holiday in America at least that publishers must surely want to cash in?

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    1. You can find some. Most are sneakily listed as Christmas with the story starting around Thanksgiving. Some cozy mystery authors who do holiday-themed settings for each of their books do a Thanksgiving one like this one. I have come across two different romance series that did holiday themed books for the series and had Thanksgiving ones.
      However, they are few. It is weird. :)

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  5. This looks fun, especially this weekend. No many Thanksgiving themed mysteries or books out there.

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  6. Oh that sounds fun! And Thanksgiving. I love that. It is a rare one for sure.

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    1. I know but strange now that you think about it right?

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