Amy Pershing

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

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

Murder is No Picnic by Amy Pershing is the third book in the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries, and a cozy mystery series that I highly recommend.

Pershing writes wonderfully descriptive passages about Cape Cod, the town, and the food. So much so, that I always feel like I’m actually there. While many fans come back to a cozy series because the characters have come to feel like friends (and those in this series do too), I keep coming back because I am blown away by the details Pershing includes in show more every book. Even with things that I would not normally find too interesting (like how to sail a boat), Pershing is able to make it enjoyable.

And Pershing’s characters are another layer that adds to the stories. They are so well written and developed, even from book one, A Side of Murder. There are so many fantastic characters but I think Sam's next door neighbor, Helene, who is a librarian with a rich past, might be my favorite. And Diogi, Sam’s loyal and sassy canine friend, of course.

Another thing that I really enjoy about Pershing’s series is that while the main character and friends do go over the suspect list a time or three, it’s not too overdone like in other cozies I have read. I have stopped reading series because there was just so much fluff aka going over the murder board, that I got bored and decided not to go back.

So if you are looking for a near perfect cozy mystery series, you need to check out the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries! show less