A good cozy mystery. The who dun it is surprisingly good and well done. A fairly quick and enjoyable read.

I absolutely adore Denise's Scumble River series so I was very eager to try the first in this new series. So it was with great pleasure that I realised that this book has a few ties to Scumble River. It was nice to see the author doing a little crossover and bringing some well loved characters from one series into the other.

The premise of the story wasn't too bad even though I was a little discouraged by the inheritance storyline. I thought this was all a little too easy and cliche but the author managed to keep me reading with the nice characters and the mystery. Things were a little bumpy now and again but I was hooked in and enjoyed the development in the case and all the little twists.

Now this was only the first in the series and for a first book it was great. It doesn't have the Scumble River aweseomeness yet but I think it has a lot of potential. I'm eager to find out more about the characters and look forward to seeing how they develop. I'm not sure if the change of perspective is needed for the story to work. I would prefer to keep things narrated by Dani.

There is a lot packed into this book...The Renting out the rooms, being a big sister, catering, mystery, ex-boyfriend, father issues, and much more. While it seems like too much it wasn't too overwhelming but I hope that the series won't add more to the mix. I don't feel like we delved into all these issues enough this time around and one of the reasons I will snatch up the next installment is to find out more about some of these unanswered questions.

Denise Swanson is the reason I started reading cozy mysteries. I have loved her other series and this is another hit for me. She's such a talented author and its a great read.

Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson is the first book in Chef-To-Go mystery series and it is off the good start.
Dani has left her HR job and is looking for a new job. All of the sudden she inherits a B&B manor which she rents to three collage friends, Ivy, Tippi and Star.
She decides to start catering business and one of the first jobs is to cater a party for a spoiled rich girl . Even though the food is fabulous an accident happens and they part on bad terms.
Next day the girl is found dead. To make matters worse an abominable detective clearly intent on accusing Ivy and Dani of being the murderers.
Together with the help from Ivy's uncle Spence, a former policeman, the girls try to figure out what happened before they end up in jail.
Great set of characters with an interesting plot. Lively dialogue, fast paced with a dash of romance, this is a great book for all whodunnit aficionados.

This was a great debut of a new series for Swanson. She's a legend in the cozy world and this book really shows why. This book was a very fast paced adventure with a memorable cast of characters and some fun atmospheric details. The murder mystery itself was nice, but honestly the characters are what made this one memorable to me. I would definitely recommend this one to cozy lovers.

After her life takes a wild turn Dani sees light at the end of the tunnel after inheriting a house and getting a few borders and starting her own chef business but things go a little crazy at her first big job. With some new friends help hopefully she can work things out.

Really great start to the new series. I really enjoy Denise Swanson's other books and this one doesn't disappoint. Really like the fact they take place around where we live.

This was a really fun read for me. I also enjoy cozy mysteries, especially those with yummy food and this was no exception! I found the story line with Dani and the college girls to be a unique one that helped keep things interesting and left room for a lot more storylines in future books. The author did a great job introducing the characters and setting up the story without overloading the reader with too much information. I also appreciated that the story seemed believable to me. The only thing that bugged me, and brought my rating down, where the weird chapters from Spencer’s, one of the boarder’s uncle and a potential love interest for the main character, point of view. They felt disjointed and did not mix in well with the rest of the book. I skimmed those chapters and would have given the book a full 4 stars if not for those. I hope in future books those are left out or done differently.

Tart of Darkness is a new series in which Dani Sloan has just left her job as a HR specialist after she is involved handling a situation at her job that although not illegal she feels was morally questionable. She has made friends with several college students in her building when she learns she has inherited a Victorian Mansion. Fast forward 6 months and she has moved in to her new house and started a new Chef to Go business where she does catering, bag lunches on the go and personal chef services. After Ivy and her friends are kicked out of their apartment Dani reluctantly agrees to let them live with her for room and board and provided they work some in her business. Ivy’s Uncle Spence the head of campus security is supposed to watch out for them weekly. Ivy convinces Dani to do a catering job for Regina Bourne (reigning Queen on campus). There is an issue at the party and Dani leaves after Regina indicates she is going to ruin her business. The next day when a detective bent on revenge for Dani arrives to accuse her of murdering Regina. Ivy calls Uncle Spence and he arrives to help. Dani and Spence fight their attraction for her each other (they both have previous relationship issues) and work together to find the real killer to protect Dani and Ivy. This is a great new series and alludes to another series in Scrumble River. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next installment in this series.

The characters and romances are better than the mystery in Tart of Darkness.

Dani Sloan inherits a Victorian half-finished bed and breakfast. A former Human Resources executive, Dani really wants to be a chef. She decides to share her house with three college students: Ivy, Tippi and Starr. In return for reduced rent, all three promise to help Dani launch her new business, Chef-to-go. The business offers catering, personal chef and lunch drive-thru service from her kitchen window.

When Dani is asked to cater queen bee Regina’s luau, she thinks it may be her ticket to more business from the area’s wealthy customer base. Instead both Dani and Ivy are suspected of murder. Ivy’s uncle Spencer is head of campus security. He and Dani decide to solve the case by looking into who had motive and opportunity. Bliss, Regina’s best friend, Laz, Regina’s boyfriend, and Vance, Regina’s ex and Bliss’ current boyfriend are all suspects.

I liked the interaction of Dani and Spencer better than the mystery. The mystery threw a lot of information in the last few pages that was needed to solve the crime making it difficult for armchair detectives to solve. All of Dani’s meals sound delicious but where are the recipes? I will read the next in the series to see where Dani’s romance leads rather than expect a captivating mystery. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I really liked this first in a series, Chef-to-Go. Ms Swanson writes a well crafted mystery. I liked the premise, the plot, and the characters. The author has a way of writing characters that you love to hate and ones you want to route to come out on top.

I thought the job reinvention had an interesting twist, the main characters are strong and well written. The stereotyping of the rich was a wonderful setup for this story. It also addresses sleazy boyfriends, a bad cop, and student life near campus.

I was disappointed that we didn’t have a resolution for Detective Mikeloff by the end of the story but I can see this as an ongoing thread for a while. Also, we don’t find out who actually broke into the house or why (unless I missed it – and I did read the end of the book twice just to be sure.)

I can’t wait for the next installment. Like I mentioned, I’m looking forward to finding out about Detective Mikeloff, the break in, and will there be a relationship other than friendship between Dani and Spencer.

Glad to see this is the first of a series, as this book was so enjoyable. The mystery was solved, but there is so much potential for romance and further adventures with the protagonist, uncle, trio of college girls and more issues. I look forward to reading about it all.

TART OF DARKNESS, the first book in the brand new Chef-To-Go Mystery series by Denise Swanson is an entertaining read! The protagonist, Dani Sloan, is out of a job but luck is on her side and she inherits a Victorian mansion and starts her own catering and private chef business. She also takes in three college girls as boarders and is more of a big sister figure than landlady. I admired their close friendship even though there is more than a decade separating their ages. When wealthy college girl, Regina, is murdered right after Dani caters her party, Dani and the girls become suspects. The investigating detective is off-the-charts nasty and has it in for Dani. She’s not sure why but suspects it could have something to do with her previous job as the head of Human Resources for an insurance company. While I enjoyed the characters of Dani and her young friends, finding them well-developed, both the murdered “mean girl” and the detective’s characters were a bit overboard. However, the well-structured plot and pacing made up for it. There were many suspects since just about everyone who had met Regina had reason to kill her… or at least hate her. I found the reveal to be an interesting and unique reason for the murder which added to the satisfaction of the story.

The author has included the potential for a hot romance between Dani and sexy ex-cop, Spencer, who happens to be the uncle of one of her boarders. While the book is labeled a cozy, I have to say it’s not a traditional cozy but maybe an edgy cozy verging on the cusp of a romantic mystery. There is some language and the shift in point of view from Dani to Spencer in some of the chapters added to the edginess. This aspect didn’t bother me but I know that some cozy readers like their books squeaky clean, especially for those who share their books with young teens. All in all I thought this was a good start to the series.

Wonderful start to a new series by one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery authors. Scumble River series is how I was introduced to cozies. I enjoyed everything in this new series. The characters are interesting, the setting sets for a charming story along with culinary delight. I look forward to reading more in this series. I also recommend Ms Swanson’s Dime store mystery series.

This is a great start to a brand new series. I loved the setting being in a college town, something new and added great collage characters to a great story. The mystery was great and the tasty description of food made me hungry. I would recommend this book to all mystery lovers

A fun start to a new series. The setting is really interesting. I would love to see the house that Dani inherited. It sounds beautiful. The language is a little strong at times for a cozy, but not overly obscene or graphic. I really enjoyed the mystery, but I felt it fizzled at the end rather than going out with a bang.

Overall, a fun mystery involving food, friendship, blackmail, betrayal and a dash of romance.
What I didn't like: Occassionally on the narrative, there would be a bit too much about food-preparation, shopping for it, etc. to me it didn't seem like it was necessary. I also thought there were some times that not much was happening, and it did drag a bit.

What I liked: Pretty much everything else. A side story involving the main charachter, Dani's ex Kipp, was both amusing, and made me want to know more in a future book in this series. The setting of a college town with many rich people can proved a very interesting landscape for mysteries, murder and intrigue. The mystery had many possible suspects, with very different motives. Dani herself has many issues involving her ex, father, former employer that all play into the story, and also I wanted to know more.

TART OF DARKNESS by Denise Swanson is another light, fluffy mystery. And it started out well – main character Dani Sloan luckily inherits a huge house with a wonderful kitchen so that she can follow her dream of a catering business. Happy thoughts of Diane Mott Davidson's Goldie Schulz and Katherine Hall Page's Faith Fairchild were readily in my head. There's even the potential for romance with an ex-cop, but sadly, Swanson's characters became so stereotypical and the plot increasingly contrived. Who lets a strange man into the house without checking ID? And why would a cop act like a psycho, appearing without a partner? I honestly quit reading part way through. If you want a cozy mystery, I recommend starting with other series before turning to this one.

This is a good cozy mystery, Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson. It is the first in a new series for Denise. This book has a few twist and turns to keep you guessing, she ties it all together at the end of the book. I did not figure the killer out until towards the end of the book. This book has more romance then most cozy mysteries. This was a very enjoyable book and I can’t wait until the second one comes out to read.
I want to thank the publisher and Net Galley for making a copy of this book available for me to read and give my honest review.

Tart of Darkness is a terrific start to a new cozy mystery series. Dani’s life has turned upside down. Betrayed by a boyfriend and disappointed and miserable in her career, she is ready to start the next chapter of her life with a clean slate, so when she has inherits a large home in a hip college town, she jumps at the chance to try out her dream of making a living off her culinary skills and delectable recipes while renting out rooms to college students to help make ends meet. Soon, she and one of her borders becomes a suspect in a sorority homicide. There are cozy elements, mystery, romance and a more youthful vibe than most cozies. It is well written with interesting characters. I look forward to the next book in the Chef-to-Go Mystery series.

In this new series by Swanson we meet Dani a young woman whose life has recently taken some eye-opening turns. Her job has turned into a nightmare and don't get her started on her cheating ex-boyfriend. She lives in a building where her neighbors are young college girls, who she enjoys cooking for and trying out new recipes on. When an unexpected inheritance comes her way Dani starts to reevaluate her life and decides to follow her true passion of cooking and Chef-to-Go is born. When her ex-neighbors land in some hot water and are kicked out of her old building Dani takes them in, not only could she use some help with her new business but she misses having them around all the time. College student Ivy is always talking about her Uncle Spencer, who is a retired police officer, who agreed to help keep an eye on the girls after they were evicted from their apartment. Things are really looking good for Dani until a girl is found dead the morning after a party that she hosted, one that Dani catered for. You see Dani had an argument with the young woman and although she doesn't feel it was anything the detective on the case sees things differently. Not only is he looking at Dani as a suspect but also Ivy and it doesn't seem like he will be marking them off as suspects anytime soon. When Ivy's uncle steps in to help, Dani is surprised to find out that not only is Spencer not old, he's quite good looking. You see they each thought the other was old. Follow along as Dani and Spencer investigate to figure out who the killer is before Dani or Ivy lands in jail. In the midst of all of this Dani's ex-boyfriend keeps popping up. I loved the story line and felt an instant connection with the main character Dani and was invested in what happened throughout the read. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one sitting. I can't wait to see what comes next for these well written characters and the picturesque college town they live in.