A California Online Magazine with Local Focus and Global Appeal
This week we have another fun group of food mysteries for your summer reading fun-For Batter or Worse: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery by Jenn McKinlay, Death Gone A-Rye: A Bread Shop Mystery by Winnie Archer, Southern Sass and a Battered Bride: A Marygene Brown Mystery by Kate Young, and Peaches and Schemes: A Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Gerard.
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Fresh Brewed Murder is the first in a brand new series by Emmeline Duncan. When I saw that the main character owned a coffee cart in Portland, Oregon I knew this book was for me. I love coffee, and Oregon is one of my favorite places!
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You know how it is. You find a place to eat that you like, and a dish that you enjoy, so every time you go there, that’s what you order.
Where’s the adventure? Where’s the excitement? Where’s the danger?
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What a way for Abby and Mike to enjoy their wedding anniversary than to celebrate at the place they had their first kiss sixteen years ago! Ralph’s tavern hadn’t changed much, and seemed to be the perfect local place for milestone celebrations. Felicia Sherman is getting married and enjoying her “hen party” festivities. She’d put a bit of the “bridezilla” into a last minute fortune cookie order, but, of course, Josie negotiated a premium price for her efforts.
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The pets in Deborah’s Sarah Blair series share their thoughts on the books.
RahRah: Cats rule the world of cozy mysteries – especially if they are Siamese cats like me.
Fluffy: You know I don’t usually disagree with you, but dogs have a place in cozy mysteries, too.
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Famous for their book-themed rooms and specializing as a resort for bibliophiles, Virginia’s Storyton Hall is about to be the site of a televised cooking competition show, A Bookish Cookoff. Six renowned American chefs will be competing against one another in book-themed challenges for bragging rights and a prize of $100,000, all hosted by young billionaire entrepreneur Mia Mallett. Before they even begin filming, there’s a fire on the archery field grounds and resort manager Jane Storyton fears that the sabotage has already begun.
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Pasteleria Plaza in Reedley was opened in December of 2007 by cake decorator Martha Plaza. With the help of her son Luis, who translated for us, we chatted with Martha recently.
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Live theatre—there’s nothing like it, right?
Sitting in a theatre with other audience members around you, watching onstage performers making you laugh, cry, gasp.And for a whole year, there’s been nothing. Like it? NO!
Now, baby steps are being made at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater, with the help of Dan Pessano and the Good Company Players.
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This week we have another group of food mysteries for your mystery dining pleasure-Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle: A Death by Chocolate Mystery by Sarah Graves, Haunted Hibiscus: A Teashop Mystery by Laura Childs, Into the Sweet Hereafter: A Vintage Sweets Mystery by Kaye George, Long Island Iced Tina: A Catering Hall Mystery by Maria DiRico (aka Ellen Byron), and Murder at the Taffy Shop: A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery by Maddie Day.
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Back in February, struggling with the pandemic closures, I tried a bunch of restaurants, planning to review them…until we went to Cattlemen’s in Selma, and that one place became the whole article for the month. However, I promised to write up the others, so this month’s Great Food Search will try to keep most of those promises.
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The owner of Shell Island’s Holloway Catering, River Holloway Merrick is thrilled to have been hired to cater the Nature Coalition’s special event dinner. She’s especially honored to be serving veterinarian Jasmine Garr as they name her their Volunteer of the Year, which makes hearing the news of her death two days later all the more shocking. Found shot in the back in her yard, Jasmine’s quirky Chicken Lady neighbor becomes one of the first suspects for the shooting.
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People in the Central Valley are odd when it comes to their perceptions about the Valley. This is an area where the youth beg to leave to experience life whether it be going to college, traveling, finding a career, and the list goes on. They have good reasons to depart, and no one really enjoys the heat much. But yet, at the same time, no matter how long people are a way from the area, people always find a way to come back. Whether to visit or move back. The famous line is true, “There’s no place like home.” And for Demetrius Porter, he would agree.
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Mayor Bascomb likes being a big shot in Lake Eden, ‘pulling strings’ to get friends out of a bind. When that doesn’t work out like he planned, he loses his temper and it’s a fierce one. This time he’s unleashed it on Andrea. She’s Hannah Swenson’s sister, Hannah being the cookie baker in town. Andrea can hold her temper for quite a while, but when Bascomb tells her she’s stupid, that’s the final straw. Hannah and Bascomb’s secretary are waiting in the outer office, and even they can hear the sound of Andrea slapping Bascomb so hard, his office chair overturns.
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This week we have another fun group of mysteries-A Wicked Yarn: A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery by Emmie Caldwell, Egg Shooters: A Cackleberry Club Mystery by Laura Childs, Shucked Apart: A Maine Clambake Mystery by Barbara Ross, and A Deadly Chapter: A Castle Bookshop Mystery by Essie Lang. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 4 books and links to purchase them at the end of each review–you may not be able to see the Amazon links if you have ad blocker on.
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Meet Pete, who, according to his foster mom “is a huge sweetheart”! Not only is he a fuzzy wuzzy sweetheart, but he also has a big, happy, motorboat purr that he generously shares to announce his sweetness! He loves to play and enjoys every single toy he meets! This irresistible boy is a big boy and a hugely loving addition in a wonderful forever home of his own. Could sweet purrasaurus Pete be the great new addition in your loving family? Peter was adopted and returned by his original family at no fault of his own, there was a illness in the family, he might need some time to adjust to his new family. Pete is available from the Cat House on the Kings.