Devon Delaney

Sherry Oliveri works part-time at her father's artisan store, The Ruggery; writes a column for the local newspaper; volunteers at the local garden, and most of all, spends her time entering cooking contests -- of which she's won quite a few. The one she's entering today is local; it's featuring heirloom potatoes grown by a local farm, the only one in the area.

Her brother and sister-in-law Charlotte live in a cottage on the farm along with their young daughter. Sherry is giving Charlotte a show more cooking lesson when she notices the people outside, whom Charlotte waves to. Charlotte tells her that they are the farm owner Perry and his two sons, Wellington and Jarrod.

Sherry's friend Patti has asked Sherry to come with her to visit the farm, and she personally meets the family, along with Jarrod's wife Liz. She gives no more thought about it until Perry's younger son is found dead on the farm, and it's discovered that he was murdered.

There are suspects, of course, but Sherry not only has her cooking contest to worry about, Patti has told her about an opportunity to join a cooking show that airs on television -- which might mean that she'll need to give up all her extra activities. With this on her mind, she's still accidentally thrown into the investigation, and what she discovers she doesn't like. It could change the lives of several people, including her own family...

This is the tenth in the series and I have read (and loved) them all. I love to cook and bake myself (so much so that I own over 500 cookbooks) so this series is right up my alley. I tend to think about recipes and cooking much the same way as out protagonist does -- all the time. But Sherry has a lot more energy than I do, with everything else that occupies her.

Still, she manages to find time to solve a murder or two somewhere...and that's part of what makes this series so delightful. She's close with her family, her fiancé Don, and her little dog, Chutney, as well. She's loyal, friendly, and intelligent. The local police detective values her input; and he's no bumbler, either. He has his finger on the pulse, but listens to her, which I find endearing of him. I like that he doesn't brush off her ideas, and they work together well. There's a little surprise coming from him in this book as well, and I am happy to see that.

When Sherry finally puts it all together, it's interesting to watch how she does it, and. of course, the killer manages to incriminate themself as they always do. I will not say much more except to say that this is indeed a wonderful entry to the series, giving us a taste of what is to come. There are also some great recipes included, for those who want to try them. Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. show less

Sherry Oliveri works in The Ruggery, her family store, and spends her off time with her hobby of entering cook-offs, which she invariably wins quite often. But the store has been highly damaged in an unexpected nor'easter, and the repairs might be more than her father Erno is willing to spend.

She also thought it was a good idea to set her neighbors' young Irish nanny up with her brother's sous chef, since she hopes they might have a lot in common. That idea, however, gives her second thought show more when her neighbor Joy Wanner tells her that Cara won't stop spouting Irish folklore, which is beginning to give her children nightmares. Now Sherry wonders if she did the right thing. Especially when Cara turns up dead the day after the date...

This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all. I loved this one as much as the others. Sherry is an interesting character who loves to cook, and is adept at making up recipes that turn out to be winners. In this book, she's paired with one of the Wanner twins, in her first ever two-generational cook-off.

But she's also worried about her brother Pep's sous chef, who is on Detective Ray Bease's radar for the murder of the young girl. Sherry is adamant that he couldn't be a killer, but more and more evidence points to the young man, who's at times lying about his whereabouts and others holding things back. Sherry begins to wonder if her faith is misplaced.

It also doesn't sit well with her when her new neighbor Max decides he wants the Ruggery and is willing to do whatever to achieve it. She can't imagine not coming to this building every day; it's been in her family for nearly forty years. She also knows it would break her father's heart to lose it.

So what will Sherry do? With so much on her plate, will she be able to save the business and find out who killed Cara? With all her suspects, which one had the most motive to kill the young woman, and why?...

I would rather not say any more about this book so as not to ruin it for those who are looking forward to reading it. So no real spoilers here. What I will say is that I found the book delightful, and the Irish folklore interesting. I love the main characters, as none are whiny and all add to the book, which is how it should be. The mystery is done well, the clues aren't plentiful, but you can draw your own conclusions and hope to come to the same as Sherry. Not an easy task in this book, and the murderer is surprising, the reason for the murder even more so. This is a book that is definitely worth reading, with the journey to the end highly worth it. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. show less

Sherry Oliveri works for her father at his shop, The Ruggery. But she'd rather be doing what she does best: entering another cook-off contest, and this one is being held in her hometown of Augustin. However, while perfecting her latest recipe she accidentally cut her hand and since she's in stitches, she has to sit this one out. But at least she can help her friend Amber, who's fairly new to cook-offs, as she works on her own entry.

She's also been invited aboard her boyfriend Don's new boat, show more in which he ferries passengers from one place to another. On this voyage, the passengers are other cook-off contestants, and the new sponsors, Washington Appliances, who have suddenly replaced the other one due to a problem. While Sherry watches the people on board, she notices that all is not well, and there are tensions. Still, she thinks since she's not entering, it's nothing to worry about.

But then Sherry is asked to help out at the cook-off, and help contestants the day of the event. Happy to do so, she's given a tour by Rickie O'Dell, the organizer, and during one of these trips Rickie spots the body of one of the sponsors, and when he is examined, it's determined he was murdered. Now, with a couple of knives missing, her friend Amber is on top of the suspect list. Determining to prove Amber innocent isn't easy with Amber fighting her at every turn, and the other suspects seemingly disinterested as to the goings-on. Will Sherry be able to prove Amber innocent, or will her goose be cooked?

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read them all. I do love this series, as Sherry is not only a great cook, she's a good friend and an intelligent woman who's not in-your-face when she asks questions. I don't really care for protagonists who go around accusing everyone of being the killer. She also has a good relationship with homicide detective Ray Bease, who once again is on this case.

There is plenty going on, with Sherry's brother Pep trying to start a food truck business as well as write about it -- and I do love Pep, although I don't know why -- Amber's reunion with an ex-co-worker and keeping him away from Sherry; and Sherry's boyfriend Don's new business, which isn't giving them a lot of time together, although there is a word here and there about what their future holds.

The action is non-stop, and with the infighting between sponsors and Sherry and Amber, there's plenty going on. I did know the murderer the minute this person stepped onto the page, but I attribute that to the fact that I read a lot of mysteries, and know what I'm looking for (following my own clues, as it were!). Still, it never spoils my enjoyment of the books, and it certainly didn't mar my enjoyment of this one at all.

You have to watch for the clues, but they are there, and all the talk of food was making me hungry, so I made sure to have healthy snacks nearby! When the climax comes the murderer is revealed, the reasons exposed, and it was worth the wait. I did like the ending quite a bit, and can't wait for the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. show less

Sherri Oliveri loves entering cooking contests. But this time out she's been asked to judge a cookie contest -- one with the backstory of how the baker created the cookie. Before the contest, a man comes into her store and she finds out that he was once her home ec teacher, the person who gave her inspiration to do what she loves. On a whim, she invites him to dinner at her home along with her sister, father, father's girlfriend Ruth, and her boyfriend Don. She also learns his life is much show more different now, as he's changed his last name and is also entering the contest.

The next day, everything seems to be going swimmingly; the contest winner is named along with the runner up, but when it comes time to disperse the prizes, they are nowhere to be found. Later, her old teacher's body is found at the marina, and it raises all sorts of questions as to who hated the man enough to kill him. When Sherry is asked by his ex-wife Rachel to find the killer, she decides to do it only because of what he taught her. Now, there's a killer on the loose, and Sherry wonders if someone is using her to play a deadly game...

This is the fifth book in the series and I have read every one of them. I have watched Sherry and her family as they go through changes in their lives, and it's nice to see the characters grow. Sherry's life is full, and I'm surprised she has the energy she does. It would wear most people out.

This time, she's trying to solve the murder of an old high school teacher, but things are more complicated than she expected. The past intertwines with the present, and not everyone is happy to see what she's discovered and wants it left alone. But Sherry, once she starts digging, doesn't stop until she's uncovered everything she needs to solve the crime. Unfortunately, people might not like it, but truth is truth. And finding that truth opens a lot of wounds, which nobody -- including Sherry -- ever expected.

When the killer is discovered and everything comes together, the motive for the murder is rather sad; even if there's no excuse for killing another human being, I found myself torn by the story. I really enjoyed the climax -- it was set in an interesting location -- and the tale was indeed intriguing; I love stories where the past meets the present, so this was a bonus for me. I think the author did well by this entry in the series and I eagerly await the next. Highly recommended. show less