We return to Angie Turner's farm-to-table restaurant where she is preparing for the summer season. For Angie, nothing says summer like her grandmother's fried green tomato recipe. Thank goodness her sous chef has a cousin who has an organic farm. Too bad the man's a Lothario. One who's latest girlfriend has turned up dead. The night after she and Javier had an argument. Now Estebe, Angie's employee, has asked her for help.

In the rule of most mystery novels, Javier had a lot of people who might have wanted to see him arrested for murder. Angie is reluctantly drawn into the murder. Adding that on to her regularly busy life as well as the fact that she's caring for her elderly neighbor while the neighbor's granddaughter is away.

The subplot wasn't really well developed and I thought it didn't needed to really be there but overall a nice addition to the series.



Three stars

This book comes out July 3

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

I've read several of the books in Lynn Cahoon's 'Tourist Trap' series and thoroughly enjoyed them, so when I had the opportunity to read one in a new series, I jumped at it.

Angie Turner and her best friend, Felicia Williams, own and run the County Seat restaurant in Angie's hometown of River Vista, Idaho. Angie is the head chef so runs the kitchen and kitchen staff whilst Felicia manages and runs the front of house. Angie lives in the old Victorian house she inherited from her grandmother and has a small number of animals to care for: a little goat called Precious, an old black and white hen called Mabel, and her St Bernard puppy, Dom.

Angie is drawn into a murder investigation when a young woman is found murdered outside the bar opposite, and her sous chef's cousin, Javier, is the prime suspect as he and the young woman, Heather, were dating. The sous chef, Estebe, asks Angie to clear Javier because although he doesn't particularly like Javier, he knows that he isn't a killer. Along the way, Javier disappears, confounding the police investigation and making it difficult to move towards finding the killer.

Overall, I enjoyed this although I'm not wholly sold on Ian as the boyfriend, perhaps because I don't know much about him and he seems a bit 'flat'. I don't think he's American but can't figure out where he's supposed to be from. I imagine that's all covered in the first book, however. There's apparently a romantic triangle involving Ian, Estebe and Angie, but I didn't get that impression at all, mostly because Angie kept saying there wasn't one.

Angie can be a bit prickly but is driven by her passion for cooking and making the County Seat a success, which makes her a strong main character.

Killer Green Tomatoes: A Farm-to-Fork Mystery
By Lynn Cahoon
Lyrical
July 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

As the summer heats up in River Vista, Idaho, Chef Angie Turner is focused on perfecting the recipe for her beloved Nona’s Fried Green Tomatoes. Not only would it help to complete the collection she’s gathering for a possible cookbook, it could also be featured as one of the rotating dishes in her Farm-to-Fork restaurant. Angie’s sous chef Estebe Blackstone is taking time off to prepare for July’s Basque Cultural Center’s festival of San Ignazio, but not before introducing Angie to his cousin Javier Easterly as a possible new source for fresh produce. She finds his fresh vegetables more appealing than the excessive amount of charm he exudes, which is fortunate as it seems that Javier already has his share of trouble with the ladies. When his latest girlfriend is found dead in an alley outside of the Red Eye Saloon, the police and gossip place him at the top of the suspect list.

Angie already has her plate full, what with running County Seat’s back of the house, raising a St. Bernard puppy, chicken, and goat, and inadvertently volunteering to care for her elderly neighbor. Angie can’t resist Estebe’s plea to help investigate though, especially since she already successfully solved one murder. The pressure to prove Javier’s dubious innocence pales in comparison to that from the local busybodies who have made it their mission to marry her off to dairy farmer Ian McNeal, not to mention becoming all-to-familiar with First Responders due to her well-intended houseguest.

This is a mystery sure to have readers’ mouths watering through the tantalizing descriptions of both Basque delicacies and comfort cuisine. Details of restaurant operations are as fascinating as the mystery itself, which becomes far more intricate and deceptive than one would expect. Angie is someone more than capable of conducting an investigation, yet her involvement is never too intrusive or gets in the way of official police work. Angie still struggles with the very insular, small-town atmosphere that has everyone in everyone else’s business, which is why she left town and rarely returned. It is also why she has the guilt of leaving to pursue her own dreams, especially since it is back home that she finally achieves them. Many will relate to this conflict of leaving home in search of independence, but all will enjoy this clever, fun, and delicious novel featuring a such a strong, likable woman.

Killer Green Tomatoes is the second book in Lynn Cahoon’s Farm-to-Fork Mystery Series. The well-developed characters are fun and likeable and the story flows smoothly at a steady pace. The mystery is well plotted and interesting. The story has a nice mix of investigating, friendship, and a little romance. This entertaining book kept me guessing right to the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Angie Turner and her best friend, Felicia Williams, recently opened a farm-to-table restaurant, The County Seat, in Angie’s hometown, River Vista, Idaho. Angie is the head chef and in charge of the kitchen staff and Felicia, who lives in the apartment above The County Seat, is in charge of the front of the restaurant, the servers, and bar. They have a great staff and the restaurant has been well received. Angie wants to add an appetizer of fried green tomatoes to The County Seat’s menu and searches for the perfect recipe. Angie lives in the farmhouse she inherited from her grandmother, , and has three animals that she cares for: Dom, a St. Bernard puppy, Mable, Nona’s lone surviving black-and-white chicken, and Precious, a newly born goat she met at Gerald Moss’s farm before he was murdered. Angie has been seeing Ian McNeal, the owner/manager of the River Vista Farmers’ Market and an organizer and activist for the community. Erica, Mrs. Potter’s granddaughter, asks Angie if she’d watch her grandmother while she goes to Cabo for a week with her study group. The grumps, but wise Mrs. Potter moves into Angie’s house and Angie hopes she hasn’t bitten off more than she can chew.

Estebe Blackstone, the sous chef, suggests his cousin’s farm as a possible produce supplier and takes Angie to Pamplona Farms to meet Javier Easterly and she’s impressed with his produce. When Javier’s current girlfriend, Heather, is murdered behind the Red Eye Saloon, he becomes the prime suspect. Estebe asks Angie to talk to Javier and help clear his name. Sheriff Allen Brown isn’t happy when Angie starts asking questions in her attempt to identify the murderer and locate Javier, who suddenly disappeared.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is easily becoming one of my favorite cozy series. In fact, I went out and bought another ENTIRE series of the authors books because I love this one so much! I can't wait for more. :D

River Vista's The County Seat Restaurant family return in their 2nd cozy mystery.

Angie's creating menu dishes based on her Nona's recipes that bring memories alive for many people. Angie's BFF Felicia and boyfriend Ian do their best to help Angie cope with situations she finds herself in when she tries to help a neighbor, help employees, and their families. Angie is instrumental in solving a missing person's case and a murder but not without putting herself in harm's way.

A steady plot cozy with twists and surprises that include a recipe at the end. Character growth continues making this an enjoyable read with characters you want to follow.

You’ll want to book your reservations to the County Seat well in advance for a nice table with a great view while you enjoy a batch of Chef Angie Turner’s fried green tomatoes! Angie and her friend/co-partner, Felicia, have their new restaurant running smoothly when head sous chef, Estebe takes a leave of absence after a family member, Javier, is accused of murder and jailed. Author Lynn Cahoon scatters seeds of doubt among the cast of characters who come and go through the doors of the County Seat. As one family wars for control of a legacy, the guilty wilt and show their hand under the pressure the sheriff and Angie put them under.

Fresh as rain in the springtime, this fast moving plot grows on you, and there are bushels of clues to sift through. I adore Angie’s St. Bernard puppy, Dominic, who is one of her protectors, along with her boyfriend, Ian. Neighbor, Mrs. Potter, provides lots of chuckles as she moves over and spends a week with Angie and they comically ‘speak a different language’! 😊 Farm living is one of the ‘in’ themes for cozy mystery’s, and I’m sure enjoying this tasty series!

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.

This is a fun, engaging mystery set in a lovely, small Idaho town. Angie, who co-owns a new restaurant in town, gets a house guest in this story. This adds to Angie's stress of investigating-yet-not-investigating a murder and a disappearance in town. Although Angie can be a bit short and snippy with people sometimes, I find her to be pretty down-to-earth and realistic. I was also happy to read more about some of the other characters: fun-loving restaurant co-owner Felicia; sweet, hardworking Ian; grumpy, but wise Mrs. Potter; and restaurant sous-chef Estebe. With two mysteries to solve and several suspects and motives, this book entertained me and kept me guessing right to the end. I love this new series by Lynn Cahoon and look forward to more Farm-to-Fork mysteries!

I received an advance copy of this book. The honest thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

With many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
"To Angie, nothing tastes more like summer than her Nona's fried green tomatoes. Eager to add the recipe to the menu at the County Seat, she's found the perfect produce supplier—her sous chef Estebe’s cousin, Javier. Just one problem: ladies’ man Javier’s current hot tomato Heather has turned up dead, and he’s the prime suspect".
I have to confess that the is is not my first book from Lynn Cahoon, I have previously read several of The Tourist Trap Series and I love a good 'Cosy mystery. This one was no exception, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Idaho and meeting Angie's restaurant team and all of her friends and animals. A traditional, easy to read who-done-It and I did not correctly guess the guilty party until Cahoon revealed all. I look forward to future instalments.

As much as I liked the first book in this great series, I was looking forward to the next one, and it didn't disappoint.Great character development with a bit of everything thrown in the mix to bring it all together. Enjoyed this one.

Angie, owner of The County Seat in rural Idaho, is looking for a new produce supplier. She wants to add a recipe for fried green tomatoes to her menu. Her sous chef introduces her to his brother, Javier, who runs a produce farm. When Javier becomes a suspect in his girlfriend’s murder, and then disappears, Angie starts to investigate. She finds that Javier is a ladies man who is going to be the head of his family’s company. He was also going to break up with his now deceased girlfriend. Could someone in his own family be involved? If Angie is not careful, things may turn deadly.
This was a great mystery with a character that I “befriended” and liked automatically. It seemed like she would not want to investigate, but then she just found herself in situations where she would find some clue that would bring her right back into it. The other characters were written in a way that you would never get them mixed up. I adored her love interest, Ian. He gave the story a shot of romance. The rumor mill that is a part of small town life was authentically represented. Busy bodies and gossip are annoying parts of everyday life. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I must be in the minority, but struggled a bit getting into this one. Angie's discussion and dialogue within the kitchens was skimmable for me. Glad I stuck with it though, as once the murder mystery started it picked up my interest. Would recommend for a nice summer read.

Another good read by Lynn Cahoon. One of Angie's suppliers is accused of murder but she knows that he's not guilty. The story is a nice mix of investigating and getting to know the people in her life. I hope to see more of Mrs. Potter. #KillerGreenTomatoes #NetGalley

I sat down with this book today and read it in one sitting.. I thoroughly enjoy this series. The cast of characters and the storyline are totally engaging. Lynn Cahoon writes a very good mystery. Everything about this series appeals to me.

Lynn Cahoon's latest offering 'Killer Green Tomatoes' takes us back to Idaho and Angie Turner's life as a restaurant owner. I appreciate the growth of the characters, especially Angie who is way more likeable as she deals with establishing her life back in Idaho. The surrounding cast of characters are engaging and realistic, the exposure to Basque culture educational, the mystery sharp and suspenseful and the romance portrayed with the perfect touch. I'm looking forward to more.

This was a fun and interesting read. I love the setting of Idaho, I personally have never been there before. The description of the Basque culture and their food was great. Again, another subject with which I had previously been unaware. The characters and location are well written and developed. The main character is wonderful - I love that she's a chef and that her and her best friend are intent on creating a great work environment for the employees. I can't wait to read the next one in the sis!

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review"

This second book in Lyn Cahoon's Farm to Fork series had me turning the pages till the end! The storyline never slowed and the suspense built up to the surprising conclusion.
I love the characters and their growth was clearly evident in this installment.
Can't wait for the next in the series!

More of my patrons are asking for cleaner not so gory mysteries and this one definitely fills that option!. I can safely hand the title to any of the patrons and not worry about content. Definitely a series I will look at purchasing!

This charming mystery shows us that the family we make is as important as the family we are born into. Angie is a chef who has opened her own restaurant, County Seat, in River Vista, Idaho along with her friend Felicia. From the beginning of the story it is evident that the people who work in the kitchen with her have become like family to Angie, so when the Javier, cousin of her sous chef Estebe, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend Heather, Angie, who has a reputation as an investigator for having solved a prior murder case, becomes involved to help her friend and, as part of this story we learn about the Basque culture along the way.. The story is filled with a puzzling crime, good food, friendship and a strong sense of community. I thoroughly enjoyed it.