Welcome
back to Pine Haven, home to Lilah Drake, secret chef to many
of the town's residents. In this book we are treated to a
new cast of highly-entertaining characters surrounding Ellie's
next door neighbor, Marcus Cantwell, an odd cranky millionaire
holding a party to celebrate his 65th birthday. When Ellie
asks Lilah to create a sweet rice casserole dish for her and
to join her at the party with special invitation for Mick
to join them, she didn't expect to find Marcus facedown in
said rice casserole, dead. Now it is up to Lilah to figure
out who wanted Marcus dead, before she finds herself in her
own sticky situation.
Let
me start off by stating that I love the titles in this series;
The Big Chili, Cheddar Off Dead, and now, Pudding
up with Murder, they are all clever with their play on
food and words. Next, the cover. Isn't it artistically beautiful
and vibrant? Of course, any book that has Mick on the cover
in a birthday hat is an instant hit with me.
I
love Julia Buckley's books; her writing style brings not only
the characters to life but the town of Pine Haven as well.
Lilah, Jay, Ellie and the entire cast of the Undercover Dish
series are so well written and realistic. As the series continues,
we see each character go through their own personal growth
that ends up endearing you to each of them for different reasons,
but none-the-less, rooting for each of them. I was happy to
see the romance between Lilah and Jay evolve and deepen in
this book. The mystery in the book was well-plotted, full
of intrigue and suspense and left me guessing right up until
the end. This was a quick read, that can be read as a standalone
book, however you really will want to start at the beginning
and read them in order.
My
favorite part of Pudding up with Murder is the scrumptious
dishes that Lilah creates throughout. And of course, the assortment
of recipes listed in the back, inviting you to whip up a delicious
treat in your own kitchen.
Reviews
of other title in this series
Cheddar
Off Dead #2
Reviewer
Notes: Also writes the Writer's Apprentice mystery series.
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