Title: An Eggnog to Die For
Author: Amy Pershing
Series: A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Paperback, 320 pages, $8.99
Published on: Nov. 9, 2021
Set In: Cape Cod
Christmas is right around the corner and Samantha’s plans for the holiday don’t go exactly as she planned. Sam is a former chef whose reputation was ruined after a video of her and her ex-husband went viral. She’s now a Cape Cod Foodie and a restaurant reviewer for the Clarion.
Her hope for a quiet Christmas goes sideways when her video-taped interview with the owners of the Ginger Jar lead to the discovery of a body in the restaurant. The restaurant Sam, and her friend and boss, Krista Baker, publisher of the Clarion newspaper, are trying to promote.
If that wasn’t enough to shake her up, there’s the upcoming visit of Sam’s parents who were the heart and soul of the Clarion before they retired and turned it over to Krista. They moved out of state, but her mother still wants to write about the recent death of the local Santa found dead in the Ginger Jar. Sam’s mother slips back into reporter mode and immediately contacts some dangerous sources. One just happens to be a retired drug dealer, as there’s always a chance the murder could be linked to organized crime. They learn that Santa, aka Caleb Mayo, received an offer from a Rhode Island construction company for his business. So that’s one possible motive. Knowing this also puts Sam’s mother in danger, so Sam navigates her away from her sources to protect her. If that’s even possible, as her mother seems to do what she wants. Sam convinces her parents to go to the Windward. She hopes to find Tom Wylie there. Like Caleb, he was on the select board and he could have information about him. Off the record, she learns: he had very high standards, he was completely straight with his customers and employees at Cape Concrete, public service was important to him, he was on the school board for years, ran for town selectman, and because his father was an alcoholic, he would look for any way to shut down a bar.
Another potential suspect is Martin Bruni who in the past might have been dealing a specific drug at clubs in Boston. It was in his business, The Ginger Jar, where Caleb was found dead.
Then there’s Wally Lipman, who along with his mother, own the local bowling alley. It might have been in violation of a liquor license because of its barely legal food service.
And a young library assistant who works with Sam’s neighbor, Helene, who assisted Caleb on how to do Internet research.
I’m really enjoying this series. Book 1 introduced us to Sam Barnes, her parents and friends, and I’m loving their personalities. This second book was even better. More was going on. More interesting characters and possibilities for murder. Sam is funny and her parents crack me up. I thought I knew who murdered Caleb, but I was wrong. The author weaves a clever web. This is a fast, enjoyable read that will have you eagerly awaiting the next book which is “Murder is No Picnic,” slated to be published on June 7.
four out of five Santas
Denise Fleischer
gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com
April 30, 2022