Angie is working on a cookbook of her Nona’s recipes, but only in her spare time. Mostly, she is busy running her new restaurant. She gets hooked up with a new supplier, her sous chef’s cousin. Unfortunately, the cousin gets suspected of murder when his former girlfriend is found dead. Angie is compelled to prove his innocence, if only to get her sous chef away from his extended family and back in her kitchen full time. The characters are great, but the mystery, at least for the motive, seemed weak to me. Still, I was entertained and enjoyed the interaction of the characters. ( )

Angie Turner finally finds a local supplier for fresh grown tomatoes. She's ecstatic because local produce is vital to her Farm-To-Fork restaurant, County Seat. Her happiness is a bit short-lived however, when Javier is arrested for murder. His girlfriend has been murdered and local law enforcement think he did it. Not only is Javier her new produce supplier, but also the cousin of Estebe, one of her kitchen staff. Angie loves her staff like family, so she agrees to help clear Javier's name.

Killer Green Tomatoes is the second book in the Farm-To-Fork cozy mystery series. I love the concept of a restaurant that serves only locally sourced produce and meats, so this is an enjoyable new cozy series for me. I like Angie as a main character. She is intelligent and a bit feisty, but a kind boss. The side characters all blend well to make the background theme of small-town Idaho and a farm-to-plate restaurant work well. The background theme doesn't over power the mystery, but helps build the plot. I like Lynn Cahoon's other cozies -- The Tourist Trap and Cat Latimer series -- and this newest series does not disappoint.

The mystery is nicely paced and interesting, with plenty of sleuthing required and a few twists. I'm definitely going to read more of this series. It provided me with a nice, relaxing evening of reading.
Plus the recipe for Fried Zucchini at the end of the book sounds amazing! There is no recipe for fried green tomatoes, but the traditional southern dish is mentioned several times during the story. I'm now motivated to try my hand at cooking some up before the end of the summer season. I've lived in the south for 15 years and have never tried the dish before. It will be an adventure!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**





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4.5 Stars. In this second book in the Farm-To-Fork Mysteries, Angie Turner is diligently trying to add more dishes and get more suppliers for her restaurant. When her sous chef, Estebe tells her about his cousin Javier and the family farm, they head off to see what produce he had available. Javier is quite the womanizer and tries to make time with Angie. When Javier’s girlfriend, Heather, turns up dead, he is the prime suspect as they had just had a major, public argument in the local bar. Estebe asks Angie for help and she can’t turn him down.

This is a fun series with great characters. Angie is a smart, loyal, friendly chef and friend. She has a small farm with a goat, chicken and her dog. They are a hoot with actual personalities that add fun to the story. Angie’s neighbours across the street add a much of the humor to the book. Mrs. Potter plays a much bigger role in the story this time as she actually moves in with Angie for a week. The plot moves quickly and the mystery is solved in a very believable way. I love the small town vibe, the rumor mill that has Angie stepping out on her beau Ian, and the colourful characters. Another wonderful addition to this series that cozy mystery lovers are sure to enjoy. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
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Angie's new restaurant project is going well. With her friend Felicia, they have staffed it with people who work well together. Estebe is the chef and part of the local Basque community. I thought that brought an interesting side to the story. When his womanizing cousin is accused of murder, Angie steps up when information becomes available to her. I also liked her continued efforts to use nearby ingredients for her restaurant and her blossoming relationship with her grandmother (Nona's) old neighbor, Mrs. Potter. Hope I get to spend more time with them, and that little goat Precious in the next book. ( )

In Lynn Cahoon’s second book of the Farm-to-Fork series, titled Killer Green Tomatoes, Angie and Felicia are beginning to hit their groove with the rest of the restaurant staff. The County Seat is a popular place to eat, with reservations needing to be secured well in advance.

Angie soon finds she has more than she can chew, though, when she has her elderly neighbor for a house guest and Estebe, her sous chef, has family involved in a murder and disappearance.

I really enjoyed the difficulties between Angie and Mrs. Potter. (Sorry, Angie!) They made for very realistic, yet hilarious times.

The portrayal of the Basque people was very tasteful and sensitive to a group very proud of their heritage.

In this book, we start to see the inner connectivity of people in the town. Several attitudes and actions are based upon someone’s protectiveness or love for another. This is actually true for multiple characters. Small town living, as Angie rediscovers, has both its joys and its jinxes.

Things one may not like: some may figure out the murderer, but there were enough twists that I was ultimately surprised. Sex was mentioned quite a bit. However, true to cozy form, there were no bedroom scenes.

Bottom line, I enjoyed this book, as Angie and Felicia and their crew really start to become their own “work family.”

I gratefully received a copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions, for which I am responsible. I was not required to leave a positive review. ( )