An Eggnog to Die For

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, 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 show more 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

An Eggnog to Die for by Amy Pershing is the 2nd A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. The author provides all the information that a new reader needs to know. An Eggnog to Die For has Samantha Barnes getting ready for the holidays. Sam is working on fixing up the home she inherited from her aunt and working as a food critic for the local newspaper, Cape Cod Clarion. She also tapes short food segments for the online paper. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and their upcoming holiday celebrations. This is a quintessential small town that is celebrating Christmas New England style. There are several quirky characters in the story that keep things lively. Sam is filming a holiday drink show more segment at the local hot restaurant, Ginger Jar. She takes a break to use the ladies’ room and ends up finding the town’s Santa dead in the owner’s office. Sam dons her sleuthing cap once again and sets out to locate the killer. She has a long list of suspects since the victim was not well liked. There is misdirection to throw readers off the track of the guilty party. There are clues to help armchair sleuths solve the crime. I enjoyed the reveal of the killer and I appreciated that the whodunit was completely wrapped up. The food and drink descriptions will have your mouth watering. There is humor in the story to provide giggles. Sam’s snarky comments are amusing. The story is told from Sam’s point-of-view, so we get to know what she is thinking and feeling especially with regard to her harbor master boyfriend. An Eggnog to Die For is a cute cozy mystery with a delightful dog, appetizing appetizers, a sanctimonious Santa, costume crisis, parents paying a visit, and a snooping Sam. show less

The Holiday season is here and you need to add An Eggnog to Die For by Amy Pershing to your TBR pile, as well as get gift copies for any cozy mystery lovers that you know!

In book two of the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries we are able to reconnect with all the great characters from book one, A Side of Murder, and are introduced to some new characters including Samantha’s parents and the brother-sister duo who are running the chic, new restaurant in town.

While Pershing excels with character development, what really delights me with this series is all the cooking scenes and recipes, and the reno/interior design Sam is doing to the house that she inherited from her aunt. Sam’s mom finds some treasures in the house that will make any Antiques show more Roadshow fan swoon, and it’s a wonderful find since Sam is a bit low on funds.

As with most cozies there is a romantic aspect, and in this series it’s Jason, the Harbormaster. Their relationship is progressing, and Jason’s gift to Sam towards the end of the book is the sweetest ever… but, for the love of whatever you believe in, they need to communicate more. I’m not saying they need to finish each other’s sentences, but….

Finally there’s the mystery, and this one was very well written with some red herrings. And while the suspects were few and far between at first, the more Sam talked with people around town the more she found out that Santa had been a very, very naughty boy.

I’m looking forward to seeing what wonderful recipes and interior design Pershing comes up with for book three in the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries, as well as reconnecting with all of her fantastic characters! show less