Amy Pershing

Ever since she can remember, Samantha Barne’s dream was to leave Cape Cod and move to New York to pursue a career as a chef. For a while she is living her dream but when a fight with her soon to be ex goes viral, she finds herself back on Cape Cod living in a house she inherited from her aunt. She is just rebuilding her life and writing restaurant reviews for the local paper when she stumbles across a body. The police think the victim drowned by accident but Sam isn’t convinced and show more begins to investigate the case herself. Unfortunately, her investigations put her in the path of harbormaster Jason Captiva, whom she shares a past with.

“A Side of Murder” is the very nicely done first book in Amy Pershing’s Cape Cod Foodie cozy mystery series. Sometimes when I read a first book in a series it takes several chapters for me to get into the characters and setting but I was hooked on this book from the very first page. I loved everything about this book starting with the Cape Cod setting and the characters – Sam and her friends Jenny, Krista, Miles, Helene, her relationship with Jason, and of course her dog Dioge. None of the characters are perfect but they are all very believable. Parts of the story are in flashback – this could have been off-putting but Pershing does an excellent job with it and it helps the development of Sam as a character. The mystery itself is well done with plenty of suspects and twists and turns – at one point I thought I had figured out who the killer was but I was totally wrong. Well done by Pershing! show less

Samantha (Sam) Barnes, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, was working in New York when a video of her went viral, and it wasn't as a restaurant's head chef. Thankfully, Sam had the perfect reason to return to her hometown of Sea Isle, Massachusetts. Sam anticipated that in the time it took to sell her inheritance of Aunt Ida's home, she could return to New York, with other viral videos taking the lead, leaving her out of the limelight at a different restaurant than her ex-husband. show more What Sam didn't anticipate was that dinner with friends for her interim job as a restaurant reviewer would create an additional new role that had nothing to do with cooking or her inheritance.

I loved this cozy mystery! Taking the coming home due to inheritance with perfect timing trope and turning it end-over-end with creativity, humor, and wonderful characters, including the dog’s name, personality, and adorable behavior. Another pleasure in reading this cozy was all that I learned about the different types of waterborne vessels as integral parts of the story. I thought I had the investigation figured out, but changed my mind when I was expertly led to believe the case was going in a different direction, and so I loved the reveal even more since I had bought into the red herrings hook, line, and sinker off the coast of Sea Isle.

Culinary fans are in for a delectable treat as before viewing the recipes at the end of the book, sprinkled throughout the chapters are culinary tips on a variety of foods to enhance preparation for flavorful food. A serving suggestion for a "Casual Dinner with Friends" precedes recipes of Beach Shack Onion Rings, Aunt Ida's Cape Cod Clam Chowder, Arugula, Mango, and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dressing, and Sam's Think and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I also award a separate 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the author's creation of Helene, Fair Harbor's new librarian. I was enthralled by the portrayal of a librarian outside of work with an intriguing background, a welcoming, caring neighbor, and an extraordinary friend. Thank you, Amy Pershing! What a gem you created. A total delight! A rare find! As a librarian (retired), I'm over the moon with joy!

I can't wait to read more of this series! show less

4.25 Stars — AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR is a smart and funny cozy mystery set in the small town of Fair Harbor on Cape Cod. Food writer Samantha Barnes finds the body of the man playing Santa for the town’s Christmas celebration while scoping out a new trendy local restaurant. But who would murder Saint Nick? Turns out the guy in the red suit may have been on the naughty list. With the help of her Harbormaster boyfriend Jason, Sam is determined to catch a killer.

Sam is a delightful character, show more clever in her investigations and so funny with her snarky comments. The mystery was puzzling with plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. Each time I decided on a culprit, something changed my mind, and in the end I was completely wrong!

I loved meeting Sam’s parents (the ‘rents) and hearing about the family Christmas traditions. I’m not a big seafood fan, but Sam’s Feast of the Five Fishes sounded delicious!

This is the second book in the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery series, but it can easily be read standalone. show less

A Side of Murder by Amy Pershing is the debut of A Cape Code Foodie Mystery series. Samantha “Sam” Barnes is a chef who is returning home to Fair Harbor, Massachusetts. Sam’s professional and personal life in New York City derailed after a passerby posted a video on You-tube of an argument between Sam and her fiery tempered husband. When she learns she has inherited her Great-Aunt Ida’s home, Sam decides to head back to Cape Code temporarily. She gets a job at the Cape Cod Clarion show more writing restaurant reviews and food features. Her first assignment takes Sam and her friends to the Bayview Grille. After dinner, Sam takes a walk outside where she finds Estelle Kobolt dead in the water. The death is ruled accidental, but Sam’s instinct tells her it is murder. Sam decides to do a little digging on her own to see who wished Estelle dead. A Side of Murder is easy to read with mixed pacing. The author took the time to establish the setting of Fair Harbor in Cape Code. There are beautiful descriptions of the beach plus detailed word images of the food, Great-Aunt Ida’s house, and Diogi. We get to meet Sam’s childhood friends, Miles and Jenny along with the editor-in-chief of the Cape Cod Clarion, Krista Baker and Sam’s neighbor, Helene Greenberg. The mystery was straightforward with a couple of suspects, misdirection, and subtle clues. I would have liked more time devoted to the mystery and for it to be more complex. The whodunit is focused on more in the latter half of the book. My favorite phrase from A Side of Murder is, “Danger Will Robinson” when Krista charms Sam into taking the job at the paper. There is romance for Sam in the form of an old crush. They are attracted to each other and there is chemistry between them. A Side of Murder is a breezy cozy mystery with fine food, a cute canine, an insistent editor-in-chief, fun friends, a gone guzzler, a hunky harbormaster, and a beautiful beach. show less