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 the cozy mystery 

BITTERSWEET

Book 23 in the China Bayles Mystery series

by

Susan Wittig Albert

New from the author of Death Come Quickly and Widow's Tears
This Thanksgiving, be grateful for China Bayles—who teams up with an old friend to solve a complex case of theft and murder in a South Texas ranching community…

It’s Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, and China is planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother’s husband, Sam, who are enthusiastically embarking on a new enterprise—turning their former game ranch into a vacation retreat for birders. She’s also looking forward to catching up with her friend, game warden Mackenzie “Mack” Chambers, who was recently transferred to the area. But Leatha calls with bad news: Sam has had a heart attack.

How will Leatha manage if Sam can’t carry his share? She does have a helper, Sue Ellen Krause. But China discovers that Sue Ellen, who is in the process of leaving her marriage to the assistant foreman at a large trophy game ranch, is in some serious trouble. Before Sue Ellen can tell China the full story, her car veers off a deserted road and she is killed.

Meanwhile, when a local veterinarian is shot in what appears to be a burglary at his clinic, Mack Chambers believes his murder could be related to fawns stolen from a nearby ranch. As Mack follows the trail, China begins to wonder if Sue Ellen’s death may not have been an accident, and if there’s a connection to the stolen animals. But their search for the truth may put their own lives in danger…

MY REVIEW

Having just read and reviewed DEATH COME QUICKLY, book 22 in this series, I was eager to read BITTERSWEET. But when I read what the subject of BITTERSWEET was, trophy game ranches, places where animals are kept and raised for the purpose of hunting them for thrills and trophies, I almost choose not to read the book. I personally find such places appalling and feel they should be outlawed.  But I was sent this book by the publisher to review, so I read it.

This is only the second book I have read in this series, but as with DEATH COMES QUICKLY, I found BITTERSWEET to be very well written. There is no doubt author Susan Wittig Albert knows how to draw readers into a story.

Written partly in first person with China narrating, and partly in third person with the story of China’s friend Mackenzie “Mack” Chambers being told, I wasn’t sure I was going to care for it at first, but I found myself looking forward to the spots where the POV changed (Normally at the start of a new chapter). It kept the story fresh, and I think it was a creative choice.

And even though the subject was not a favorite of mine, without giving anything away, I had reason to smile near the end when the universe had a unique revenge planned for the villain. I cheered!

Rounding out the book is very interesting information on different types of plants, and some tasty sounding recipes.

After reading books 22 & 23 in this series, I’m going to get book 1 and start this great series from the beginning. 

On to the recipe!

HERB QUICHE

Ingredients

3 eggs, slightly beaten 

2 cups warm milk 

salt and pepper to taste 

3/4 cup grates Swiss cheese 

9-inch unbaked pie shell 

1/2 cup cooked, drained, chopped spinach 

1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms 

3 tablespoons fresh snipped chives 

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced 

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced 

1 tablespoon butter or margarine 

leaves of fresh greens (Kale, arugula, lettuce) and fresh chive blossoms for garnish

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. 

Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. 

Spread the grated cheese evenly in the bottom of the pie shell. 

Mix the spinach, mushrooms, and herbs and spoon over the cheese. 

Pour the milk-and-egg mixture over that. 

Dot the top with butter or margarine.

Place pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake until set, about 30-35 minutes. 

Remove when the outside is set and the middle still jiggles when shaken. 

Let stand 10-15 minutes before slicing. 

Serve slices on beds of fresh greens, garnished with chive blossoms. 

chive blossoms

NOTE: All images are from Google Images and/or Pinterest. 

Your dish may vary in appearance.

Keep reading to check out my installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

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

This week, my Book Beginnings 

and Friday 56 are from

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAPE

Book 1 in the Cypress Cover Mystery series 

by Carlene O'Neal

In California wine country, the town of Cypress Cove may seem peaceful. But someone’s about to pop their cork…

After losing her job as a photojournalist, Penny Lively is trying to get her life back in focus. Inheriting the family winery from her late aunt may be the fresh start she needs. Thankfully she’s got her niece Hayley and her handsome winery manager Connor to help. But the person in need of more urgent assistance is Antonia Martinelli, the owner of the neighboring winery, who has her own barrel full of problems. Someone’s spoiling her wine, and with the upcoming Autumn Festival, she needs Penny’s nose for clues to sniff out the culprit.

But Penny’s search for answers sours after the body of a staff member is found in a grape crusher. Since Hayley was the last to see him alive, she’s the prime suspect in the case. Now Penny must hurry to find the real killer before Hayley withers on the vine…

Pre-order now for it's 

Tuesday, May 5 release date!

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

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

Book Beginnings this week

A simple house rule, ignored once, and I end up with a dead body on my hands. Actually more than one, but I'm getting ahead of myself. 

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

It struck me once again how different he was from his mother. None of the vibrancy was passed along. 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Also, become a Follower of my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

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MURDER IN MERINO

and

A FINELY KNIT MURDER

by

Sally Goldenbaum

MURDER IN MERINO

Book 8 in the Seaside Knitters Mystery series 

by Sally Goldenbaum

Prepare for more knitting, murder, and mayhem with the next in the national bestselling Seaside Knitters mystery series. Autumn brings a mysterious new guest to Sea Harbor, and when she’s implicated in a crime, it’s up to the Seaside Knitters to search out a motif for murder.

It’s a busy fall for Izzy Chambers Perry. Not only is she helping the Knitters make a throw to celebrate her aunt and uncle’s fortieth wedding anniversary, she’s finally selling the cottage she lived in before she got married. Luckily, newcomer Julia Ainsley wants to buy the home—although, strangely, she’s never been inside.

Then on the day of the open house, a body is uncovered in the cottage’s backyard. Julia’s name and phone number, found in the victim’s pocket, instantly make her a person of interest. Soon, though, the spotlight of suspicion widens to include old friends and town leaders, as a tragic happening, long buried, slowly surfaces.

Now, before the anniversary celebration can occur, the Seaside Knitters must unravel the real reason Julia has come to town—and untangle the troubled ties from the past that bind friends and townsfolk together.

KNITTING PATTERN INCLUDED

MY REVIEW

I’ve had this series in my TBR (to be read stack) for ages, but it took the publisher sending a copy of MURDER IN MERINO to review for me to finally read one. I’m very happy this happened. Ideally I would start at the beginning of a series, however I started here with book 8. Author Sally Goldenbaum helped a lot with me learning the characters quickly by putting a Cast of Characters list in the front of the book. Such an awesome idea!

In MURDER IN MERNO, author Goldenbaum doesn’t have the “finding of the body” scene until well into the book. I liked this. I enjoy getting to know about the characters and surroundings before getting into the investigation. Also, with this book, there is no mention on the cover blurb as to who the victim is. It was fun getting to be surprised.

Ms. Goldenbaum knitted a wonderful mystery filled with surprises. From page to page I never knew for certain what would happen next. When the pieces fell into place, I was pleasingly shocked with the outcome.

After the story, check out the back of the book for a great knitting pattern and a delectable sounding recipe for Seafood Salad!

It may have taken a while for me to start into this series, but I’ll for sure have it on my required reading list for now on. 

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

A FINELY KNIT MURDER

Book 9 in the Seaside Knitters Mystery series 

by Sally Goldenbaum

In the newest mystery from the national bestselling author of Murder in Merino, the sleuthing skills of Izzy Chambers Perry and the Seaside Knitters are tested as death mars the beginning of the school year… 

Seaside Knitter Birdie Favazza is thrilled that her granddaughter Gabby will be visiting for the fall and attending the Sea Harbor Community Day School. Gabby loves the school, with its newly-adopted progressive curriculum, and she loves that the Seaside Knitters are teaching knitting as part of the enrichment program. It’s a huge success, and on crisp autumn days, girls camp out on the terraces, knitting up hats for charity.

But not everyone is happy with the direction the school is taking. Outspoken board member Blythe Westerland has sparked tempers with her determination to unravel the current administration. Then, on the evening of an elegant school event, Blythe’s body is found near the school boathouse.

With a killer on the loose, Birdie is determined to keep Gabby safe. Working together, the Seaside Knitters carefully unravel the layers of Blythe’s complicated life, bringing faculty members and town residents under scrutiny. Before the cast-off rows are made on the students’ projects, the knitters will need to stitch together the evidence to see if a murderer has been walking beside them all along.

MY REVIEW

I just finished book 8 in this wonderful series and was thrilled to be able to move right into this one. After reading MURDER IN MERINO (book 8), the member of the Seaside Knitters are now one of my favorite groups of characters to read. I have no idea how to knit, but I would enjoy just sitting with them and talking. Author Sally Goldenbaum has done a magnificent job in the creation of the diverse group.

The descriptions in the story (I dare to guess, the entire series) are so fantastic, I could feel the sea breeze and smell the aromas from the restaurants and cafes.

Ms Goldenbaum also continues to pen a story with remarkable mystery and intrigue. This is only my second book by this author, but comparing this book and to the one before, her writing just continues to evolve.

I really enjoyed the fact that the murder in A FINELY KNIT MURDER came later in the story, as it did in book 8. I like the buildup and getting to know the person, good or bad, that gets killed. Spending time with them makes the death more real for me. I look forward to reading books 1 - 7 to see if this is how the author always writes it.

As always, check out the end of the book for a knitting pattern and a mouthwatering recipe! 

If you haven’t read this series, I would encourage you to give it a try. And don’t worry, you don’t have to know how to knit to enjoy. 

Both of these great titles are 

available for pre-order for their 

Tuesday, May 5 release date! 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.

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Whodunit Wednesday Solution

The Week of the Queen Anne Festival

   All three are lying, and Thursday alone is a festival day.

   If Chiswick's statement is true, then they are all liars, including Chiswick. He would thus be a liar telling the truth, which is impossible. Chiswick's statement is therefore false, and Chiswick is a lair. At least one clause of his compound statement is therefore false. 

   Since Chiswick's statement is false, Green's claim that it is true is also false, and Green is also a liar. Thus his other statement that Tuesday is the festival day is false. Hunter's first statement is false, since Chiswick and Green are both lying. Hunter is therefore also a liar, and Wednesday is not a festival day.

   Thus, all three are liars. This means the first clause of Chiswick's statement is true. For the statement as a whole to be false, which it is, the remaining clause must be false, so Friday is not a festival day either. 

   Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are the only possible festival days. Since at least one must be a festival day, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday are not festival days, then Thursday must be the only festival day. 

Oh my goodness! Now my head hurts! 

How did you do? Did you guess it?

It's

Whodunit Wednesday 

Do you like to solve mysteries?

Do you love to win prizes?

If you said yes to both questions,

you're in the right place! 

It's easy.

Read the story below and if you think you know

Whodunit, enter your answer(s) into 

the Rafflecopter form.

Giveaway is open to USA only.

This week's Whodunit is being hosted by author

Laura Bradford!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of 

SUSPENDERED SENTENCE

Book 4  in the Amish Mystery series!

The national bestselling author of Shunned and Dangerous returns to the Amish community of Heavenly, Pennsylvania, where shop owner Claire Weatherly has come to appreciate a simpler, more peaceful way of life. But dark secrets are about to complicate things—and lead to murder…

After the Stoltzfus barn catches fire, Claire is awed by the response of the community. Hundreds of Amish men gather together to raise a new barn for the family in a matter of days. But in the midst of the work, a human skeleton is unearthed. Found with the remains is half of a friendship bracelet last seen on Sadie Lehman, an Amish teen long believed to have left her strict upbringing for the allure of English ways.

Now Detective Jakob Fisher—once a member of the Amish community himself—is determined to solve the young woman’s murder. With Claire’s help, he must dig into the past and bring to light long-buried secrets—secrets that someone is willing to kill to protect…

MY REVIEW

Ms. Bradford has an amazing talent, and is a most gifted storyteller. Her words never fail to draw me in and capture me.

With each book I read in the Amish Mystery series, I think there is no way the next one will be as good. I’m very happy to be wrong. Laura Bradford continues to improve upon an already fantastic series. SUSPENDERED SENTENCE was in a word…Wonderful!

I always feel like I have come home when reading this series. The characters are like family and friends. To say I am emotionally attached to them and what happens to them, well, that would be very true.

The murder in SUSPENDERED SENTENCE was a shocking one to say the least. But when there is another mystery attached to the first, things really became intense and more of a guessing game for me. Once the truth came out about everything, it blew me away just how intricate a story Ms. Bradford had penned.

If you like the first books in this series, you are in for a major treat with this SUSPENDERED SENTENCE. If you haven’t read this series, I really encourage you to do so.

You really want to win a copy, 

don't you?

Well then, read the Whodunit and get your entries in!

THE WEEK OF THE QUEEN ANNE FESTIVAL

   Ah, to be in England, now that summer's here, thought Thomas P. Stanwick as he descended to the pub for breakfast. He was beginning a two-month vacation in England with a week's stay at the Grey Boar Inn, a few miles outside Knordwyn. 

   The amateur logician had first visited Knordwyn, a tiny village in Northumbria, a year earlier, and had become very fond of it and greatly intrigued by its peculiarities. Chief among theses was that about half the villagers always told the truth, and the rest always lied. Stanwick thus found his conversations there wonderful challenges for his powers of deduction. 

   It was a beautiful Monday morning, and Stanwick gathered his thoughts over a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and tea. He knew that this was the week of the Queen Anne Festival, held annually in Knordwyn since Queen Anne stoped overnight in the village on her way to visit Scotland in 1702. People gathered on festival days from many surrounding towns to enjoy dancing, balladeering, cooking, racing, and other activities. 

   The trouble was that the festival date and the number of festival days varied from year to year, and Stanwick wasn't sure which days this year were the festival days. He knew that today was not a festival day, and that the festival would be over before Saturday. At least one, and possibly more, of the intervening days would be festival days, and he wanted to now precisely which. 

   Finishing his breakfast, Stanwick lit his pipe, leaned back in his chair, and idly fingered the tip of his brown mustache as he looked slowly around the room. The other tables were empty except for one by a large window. Around that table were gathered three grizzled villagers, all cronies of the innkeeper, nursing early mugs of ale. Stanwick had seen them before and knew that their names were Chiswick, Green, and Hunter, but he didn't know which were liars and which were truth tellers. Well, he thought, perhaps today he would find out. 

   Stanwick arose and strolled over to their table. 

   "Good morning, gentlemen," he said cheerfully. "I beg your pardon, but could you please tell me which days this week are festival days? Also, if you'll excuse my asking, which of you are liars?" 

   The three villagers glanced at each other silently for a moment. Chiswick was the first to speak.

   "We are all liars," said he, "and Friday is a festival day." 

   "He speaks the truth," Green said. "Also, Tuesday is a festival day." 

   Hunter took a gulp from his mug. 

   "If Chiswick is lying," he said as he set it down, "then Green is telling the truth. Also, Wednesday is a festival day."

   "Thank you, gentlemen," said Stanwick, who turned and walked off with a delighted smile. He now knew which of the three were liars and which days that week were festival days.

Who is lying?

Which days are the festival days?

This one has my head spinning! 

Do you know the answers?

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page. 

GOOD LUCK!

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