by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of the post on how to enter to win a copy of Murder at the Taffy Shop and a link to order it from Barnes and Noble as this is a Barnes and Noble exclusive.

Anyone who hates a puppy is just setting herself up for murder. Not that Beverly Ruchart deserves to die for accusing the adorable rescue dog Tucker for digging up her garden, but MacKenzie “Mac” Almeida has proof that her niece’s puppy is innocent. Using her minister father and astrologist mother as role models, Mac attempts to be amenable, but Mrs. Ruchart is just as rude and demanding as a customer at Mac’s Bikes rental and repair shop in their town of Westham, Cape Cod. So when Mac’s friend Gin Malloy finds Mrs. Ruchart dead at Gin’s Salty Taffy shop, Mac knows that there will be a bounty of suspects to investigate in order to help prove her friend’s innocence.

Fortunately, Mac has plenty of support when sticking her nose into police business. Her Cozy Capers book group of neighboring business owners and mystery readers are more than willing to do a little on-the-side inquiries when not serving up dishes prepared from recipes in their weekly cozy book club selection. It turns out that as a genealogist Beverly may have uncovered one too many family secrets, while her own contesting heirs may have intervened to speed up their own considerable inheritance. Distracting her and causing her no end of confusion and guilt is Mac’s boyfriend’s insistence on starting a family, something she is not ready to face. Mac fears that she lacks the maternal skills and isn’t sure she wants the upheaval in her life, concerns that are valid considering how she adores her comfortable, tidy life. She doesn’t need her mother’s warning that Virgos can’t change to know that there will be some difficult decisions to make, so solving a murder and dodging irritable detectives is a welcome distraction.

Mystery readers will appreciate the Cozy Capers book group’s choice of the pet-friendly Icing on the Corpse, especially when it has them preparing and sharing dog and human treats. Their expertise in amateur detecting is even more beneficial for Mac, who will need their help when researching the numerous poisons and ways that Beverly Ruchart could have been murdered. Mac’s struggle with her relationship and its future is handled empathetically, and equally intriguing is how Beverly Ruchart is made to be a far more sympathetic and generous character than initially thought. Fun and a Chekov’s-Alexa moment comes with Mac’s parrot Belle, who hilariously manages to repeat Mac’s words at just the wrong moment while also learning how to make Alexa bend to her will. This is a delightful second of the series by the prolific author who also writes under the name Edith Maxwell. Recipes, romance, and well-crafted characters all ensure for a satisfying cozy mystery that makes the most of its enviable Cape Cod setting.

To enter to win a copy of Murder at the Taffy Shop, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “taffy,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 23, 2020. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. One of Larissa’s books is featured in a past episode. A new episode went up this week.

This book can be purchased here.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.