It's

Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from from

DRAPE EXPECTATIONS

by 

Karen Rose Smith

Book 4 in her Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery series.

Caprice De Luca's former client and now friend Ace Richland--an 80's rock star--asks her for a favor.  Can she quickly stage his girlfriend's house to sell?  Widow Alanna Goodwin, a transplanted Southern beauty, will be moving in with him!  Immediately Caprice realizes Alanna's southern charm can be turned on and off at will.  Caprice agrees to stage Alanna's Kismet antebellum-styled mansion for Ace's sake.  But she soon learns Alanna doesn't have a genuine love for her cat Mirabelle and also uncovers a plot her new client is hatching to sabotage Ace's comeback.  However, before she can tell Ace, Alanna is murdered and Ace is the prime suspect.  

 

As Caprice investigates, she learns Alanna had more secrets than pie safes.  With her Cocker Spaniel Lady by her side, she tracks down clues and adopts Alanna's cat.  In the midst of some of her own family upheaval--her uncle has moved in with her parents--she finds herself with a dilemma.  Grant Weatherford, her brother's law partner, advises Ace and reveals more of his past to her.  Seth Randolph, the doctor she dates, wants her to meet his family.  She must choose between them.

 

Danger stalks Caprice.  Will her refresher self-defense course save her life?  Only if she keeps her wits about her and Lady by her side.

MY REVIEW

Fans of the Caprice De Luca series will be thrilled with DRAPE EXPECTATIONS.

I’ve had the pleasure of following this series since book one, STAGED TO DEATH first came out. It’s been such a pleasure watching this series take off and grow. I eagerly look forward to more installments.

Author Karen Rose Smith has created wonderful characters for this series. They’re lead by protagonist Caprice De Luca who is such an original character in her career and her fashion and decorating choices. She may favor the retro look, but Caprice is a twenty-first century woman for sure. And, her love for animals certainly won me over.

In DRAPE EXPECTATIONS, Caprice finds herself in the position of trying to prove her friend Ace innocent of murder. This story was excellent from beginning to end. The victim certainly had the personality to make plenty of enemies, so suspects were not in short supply. Every question that arose seemed to only raise more. Lots of twists and plenty of intrigue kept this book moving at a quick pace straight through to the exciting conclusion.

Make sure to check out the back of the book for great recipes and a sneak peek of book five, SILENCE OF THE LAMPS.

TODAY'S RECIPE

CAPRICE'S CHOCOLATE-COFFEE LOAF

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredents

2½ cups flour

1½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

½ cup cocoa 

¾ teaspoon salt 

½ oil 

2 eggs 

½ cup strong coffee (cold)

½ cup sour milk (To make sour milk, add ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar to whole milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup chocolate chips 

Directions

Grease and flour two 8¼-inch x 4½-inch pans.

Mix together all ingredients in mixer. 

Pour into greased pans and bake for 40 to 42 minutes until tester comes out clean. 

After 10 minutes, slip knife along sides to make sure bread isn't sticking.

Remove from pans and cool.

Top with powdered sugar or whipped cream for serving.

     

Please note that all food photos are from Google Images. Your version may vary in appearance.

Doesn't this sound wonderful? 

I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly hungry for chocolate cake. 

Please keep reading and check out my 

installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56

 for this week are also from 

are also from 

DRAPE EXPECTTIONS

by Karen Rose Smith

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

My Book Beginnings

Caprice De Luca's cocker spaniel bounded up the wide staircase, keeping close behind her. 

"Why do you think Ace wants to see us?" she asked Lady, her golden-colored, seven month old pup.   

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice

Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56

Looking out the window toward Alana's house, he was silent for a while, and she thought he was going to ignore her question.  

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

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