Murder from Scratch
My first book by Leslie Karst ,also fourth in this series.
Not having read the three books before this one ,I wasn’t familiar with Sally and the gang .i will look out for the the earlier books.
I enjoyed this book getting to know Sally but not sure why she gave up Law and started cooking. I am sure when I read the earlier book I will get my answer.
A lot of twists and mystery to keep you hooked .
I can recommend this book .
Many thanks to Crooked Lane books and Nettgalley for advance copy for a honest review.

Murder From Scratch by Leslie Karst is the 4th in the series. It could be read as a stand alone but you should really read them all.
Sally is a former attorney but recently became a restaurant owner. Now instead of dealing with clients and judges, she is dealing with employees and taking on a partner.
When a distant relative is found dead of a possible suicide, Sally moves the blind daughter, Evelyn, in with her since her home is a possible crime scene. Evelyn swears her mother would never have taken her life and enlists Sally to help find the killer.
This has a great and informative storyline. Karst takes you on a journey that has you guessing until the end. You have great characters not only the main ones but, also the supporting one. Karst takes you to California with the setting. Warning though, you will get hungry, as the meals all sound wonderful.
This is an easy read with a strong protagonist,
I was given an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.

This is my first Leslie Karst mystery, but that won't be true for much longer. I want to read the other three immediately or sooner. I loved Sally Solari and her restaurant and her friends and her dog. 

Even though this is the fourth in a series, it still works incredibly well as a standalone. There are references to the other books, but no spoilers. 

The only problem is that this book is almost guaranteed to make you hungry. (There are recipes at the end, so there's that. But you'll still be hungry while reading. The food descriptions are perfection.)

Highly recommended.

Such a great series. I enjoyed this book very much. It was a light quick and fun read. I would buy it.

4 Stars

This is the fourth book in a series and my first foray into this world of cooking and mystery. The character of Evelyn was great. It was refreshing to see how a blind person navigates the world. I, myself, would have been so scared to tackle the world without sight. She was a light that burned brightly during the darkness of the mystery. I liked how they used the clues Evie came up with to push the mystery forward. I am not sure a sighted person would have figured this one out on their own.

Just one great book. Good flow, memorable characters and a fun and interesting atmosphere. All the restaurants and cooking aspects were captivating to watch. Great backdrop for a mystery.

Cozy mystery fans, check this one out! It’s a keeper.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Sally Solari is no longer practicing law and now owns Gaugin, a restaurant in Santa Cruz after inheriting it from her aunt. Her father also runs a restaurant, Solari and Sally spends her time between the two. It's a lot to juggle and now her father has a favor to ask of her that will make her life even more complicated. Sally's cousin has died and. according to the police, it was a suicide. She lived with her 20 year old blind daughter, Evelyn and Sally's father has taken her in but finds out he is allergic to her service dog. Will Sally please take over and help her adjust to her new circumstances? It's family after all and, even though the two had never met, it turns out they get along very well. Cooking skills run in the family and Evelyn fits in well, teaching Sally a lot about how the blind adapt to their world.
When Sally and Evelyn return to get some things from the house, Evelyn knows that things are not in their proper places - she and her mother kept everything just so which allowed Evelyn to navigate the house. Things have been moved and she convinces Sally that her mother was murdered. Despite the police asking her to keep her nose out of things, Sally and Evelyn do their own investigation. It leads them into the cut throat world of restaurants and the pool of suspects. Who wanted Jackie Oliveri dead? Former boss? ex husband? Rival in the restaurant business? As Sally and Evelyn get closer to the killer, the focus turns to Sally and almost kills her.
This may be the fourth book in the series but it stands alone very well. The mystery has everything required in a good cozy - twists, turns and red herrings.
My cooking skills are average at best but that doesn't stop me from drooling over culinary mysteries and the yummy recipes at the end of the book. If Gaugin was a real restaurant and I lived near by, I would be in there every single week if not more often. Besides the great food, the company would be great.

An engaging and interesting cozy mystery. I especially enjoyed the details regarding the blind cousin and her need for being organized, etc. Having a blind friend helped me to relate. The food details were abundant and for me not so interesting, but certainly didn't detract from the story and maybe I learned something. I look forward to reading the next Sally Solari mystery.

This is the fourth book in the series.

Sally Solari has her cousin, Evelyn, move in with her for a while after her mother’s death. This is the first the have meet. Evelyn is blind but believes her mother’s death was not a suicide. Everything in Evelyn’s old home had everything in an assigned place so she could find it. Things are out of place.

Sally investigates. There are plenty of twists and turns and intrigue. We learn more about Sally’s friends, what it’s like to be blind in today’s society and how the blind might adjust to our world.

I was not disappointed. I look forward to trying a recipe or two from the book.

Great cozy mystery, with a great plot, a great story, great characters and with a great pace. Great!

It’s been eight months since Sally Solari inherited Gauguin, the upscale restaurant founded by her Aunt Letta. Business is brisk! Better still, she’s about to finalize her partnership agreement with Javier, her head chief, making him co-owner. Things are still a little weird with her ex-boyfriend turned best friend, Eric, especially since it looks like he’s starting to date again. Sally reminds herself that it’s her own fault: she was the one who rebuffed him when he wanted to rekindle their romance, after all. That aside, she has a great life with work, family, friends and her dog, Buster.

But then her dad has a favor to ask. Turns out, his cousin Jackie has just passed away, leaving behind her blind twenty year-old daughter, Evelyn. Evelyn has been staying with Sally’s dad since then but her dog is exacerbating his allergies, so he asks Sally if she wouldn’t mind taking her on as a roommate till she can sort out what to do next. Sally is somewhat hesitant at the prospect of living with someone half her age, but her fears are quickly quelled by Evelyn herself, who proves to be a delightful young woman with a pretty good head on her shoulders.

Thus, when Evelyn confesses that she doesn’t think Jackie committed suicide but was instead murdered, Sally is perhaps less hesitant about investigating than she might be. It helps that she’s successfully assisted the police in several prior investigations. But her inquiries now will catch the attention of a killer, and put both herself and Evelyn in harm’s way.

I really enjoyed the way Leslie Karst incorporated the daily life of a blind person into the narrative, making Evelyn an equal partner in the investigation. I do hope Evelyn returns in future novels, though I imagine college life will keep her too occupied for further detecting with Sally. I also enjoyed the mouth-watering food descriptions, especially since there was a lot of Southeast Asian cuisine -- my favorite -- involved. The recipe for one of those Southeast Asian dishes is included in the five printed in the back of the book, but I felt like trying out this Italian dish instead, in honor of spring finally arriving in Maryland:

QUOTE
Nonna Sophia's Pasta With Peas, Onion, Porcini, and Garlic
(serves 4-6)

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (or ½ pound fresh)
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about ¾ pound)
¾ pound peas (fresh or frozen, thawed)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
¼ pound Parmesan or pecorino cheese, finely grated (about 1 ½ cups)
1 pound dried egg fettuccine or pappardelle
1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)

Pour enough boiling water over the dried porcini to cover them and let soak for an hour. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips, reserving the liquid in a separate bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over moderate heat till shimmering, then add the onions. Sauté till they soften, then add the peas and continue to cook until the onions start to brown and the peas are cooked through. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a separate pan, heat 2 more tablespoons of oil till shimmering, then add the mushrooms (squeeze out most of the liquid first so they don't spatter). Sauté till they cook through, then add the garlic. Continue to cook till the mushrooms start to brown. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley and ½ cup of the mushroom liquid, stir to incorporate, and set aside.

Bring a large (at least 4-quart) pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, reheat the peas/onions and porcini/garlic over medium heat.

Add the salt and pasta to the water and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until al dente (still slightly firm in the center), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If using homemade pasta, it will cook very fast--in about 3 minutes. If using dried pasta, it will take about 10-12 minutes to cook.

Reserving ½ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and dump it back into the cooking pot (without rinsing). Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pasta and toss to coat all the noodles. Pour in the ½ cup of cooking water, then add the reheated vegetables and toss. Finally, add 1 cup of the cheese and toss again.

Serve garnished with the rest of the cheese.
END QUOTE

While Ms Karst does thoughtfully provide a recipe for homemade pasta, I opted for store-bought egg fettuccine (and she does warn against using “fresh” grocery pasta in favor of dried.) I thought it was a very nice primavera dish, though I honestly couldn’t tell that there was much of a taste difference in preparing the vegetables separately rather than all together. I did think that the dish would have benefited from perhaps twice as many mushrooms. Also, don’t throw out any leftover mushroom broth! When reheating the pasta leftovers, I’d pour in a little of the saved mushroom broth to impart even more flavor to this tasty vegetarian dish.

Next week, we keep with the Italian theme as we cross the country to join another crime-solving duo. Do join me!

Sally Solari gets the news from her father that her distant cousin Jackie has died of a drug overdose. While Sally is sad, she and Jackie weren’t close – in fact, they hadn’t spoken in years and she hadn’t met Evelyn, Jackie’s twenty-year-old daughter, who happens to be blind. Evelyn was still living with her mom, and she can’t face trying to live in the house alone right away, so she winds up moving into Sally’s spare room for a little while. The two women hit it off, and are soon plotting home cooked meals and plans for Evelyn’s twenty-first birthday.

A stop by Evelyn’s house to pick up a few things she needs bring some surprises to light. Things are out of place. Since Evelyn is blind, she and her mother kept everything in the same spot so that Evelyn could always find what she is looking for without needing help. Evelyn suspects this means someone else was in the house when her mom died. The police have ruled it a suicide by drug overdose, but is Evelyn right? If so, can Sally see the clues to find the killer?

There is a solid mystery here with several viable suspects. I did feel the pacing was a bit off, but I loved how Sally pieced things together and how the climax played out. Sally’s group of family and friends is wonderful, and a couple of sub plots allow us to see more of them. The book is set in the beginning of December; while it doesn’t have a lot of Christmas spirit, there is some, and it adds a fun touch to the book. The standout character here is Evelyn. Through her, we get a look at modern life for a person who is blind, and I found that fascinating. We get five recipes at the end, and they sound delicious if a bit ambitious for this lazy bachelor to attempt to make. (Not that I ever make any of the recipes in the culinary cozies I read.)

A good cozy mystery, enjoyable and entertaining.
I liked the plot, the likable and well written cast of characters, and the mystery.
The plot was engaging and never bores you, the cast of characters is likable and fleshed out.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it makes you guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Cozy Mystery with Recipes
This is a cozy mystery that should appeal to foodies who like Italian, SE Asian, and Indian cuisine. There are some good looking recipes included for several dishes and homemade egg noodles with your pasta machine. There is also quite a bit about jazz music from the 1940s to today. The story is very good. There are several viable suspects and the victim's daughter is wonderful. There is a lot of layers to the story all going on at once. I really enjoyed the author treating the readers like we have brains and not spoon feeding each crumb of information. While this is not the first in the series, it stands alone very well. I received this ARC for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Sally agrees with her cousin Evelyn that Evelyn's mom Jackie did not OD on purpose or by accident. Evelyn, a 20 year old blind woman, is a terrific character and a wonderful addition to Sally's family AND her kitchen. Sally and Evelyn of course investigate what happened and along the way learn a lot about other restaurants. Jackie had her detractors, to be sure, and Detective Martin Vargas wants the pair to stay out of it. A non-practicing attorney, Sally applies her logic skills to the problem. THere's fun descriptions of food, a good little mystery, and best of all, nice characters you'll root for. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Hope Evelyn appears again!

Murder From Scratch
By: Leslie Karst
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery/Thriller
320 Pages
Pub Date 9 April 2019
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I enjoyed this book. I love me a good cozy mystery story. This book also has the recipes in the back of the book. This is a mystery so I will not go into too much detail.
The story is a about a woman who is found dead by her blind daughter. Evelyn is her name. She insists that her mom wouldn't take her life and there are clues to support her. Her cousin, Sally owns a restaurant that left to her by her deceased Aunt but before that she was an attorney. She helps her cousin but researching the clues and doing a little bit of investigating on her own. She actually helped the police with her Aunts murder in a previous book. This is the same aunt whom left her the restaurant. There is some interesting turns in this story and like I said I enjoyed myself. I was able to figure out who did it but it wasn't until 2/3's into the story. I would recommend this book for you to read if you like cozy mysteries.

Sally Solari is finally feeling as if she has the situation in the Gauguin kitchen under control. She and her chef Javier have come to a partial ownership agreement and that is a relief. But before long Sally's father saddles her with a niece whose mother has recently died. Evelyn is nearly 21 years old, but as she is blind, and Sally needs to help make her comfortable without having to go back to the house where her mother was found dead. When they do return to the house Evelyn discovers many items out of place and knows her mother would not have done that. As Sally and Evelyn dig deeper, they realize that her mother might have been murdered.

Another delicious mystery by Leslie Karst.

Review will be posted on MapYourMystery.com on April 2.

In this installment of the Sally Solari series, Sally learns she has a cousin that is in need after she finds her mother murdered. The cousin is blind, but with her keen senses and organization skills she is able to help Sally and the police figure out that her mother's suicide may have been more sinister. The characters have really blossomed in this series and I am glad that I have kept up with it. I am thrilled that Sally is really being fleshed out with more complex emotions and personality which really enhances the plot line. This one was especially intriguing and entertaining as it was wrapped up with multiple potential villains to be the potential culprit. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series so lets hope the author doesn't keep us in suspense too long!

Murder from Scratch by Leslie Karst is the 4th book in the Sally Solari Mystery series, and another fine addition. Sally, a former attorney, who returns to her home town, Santa Cruz, CA to run her inherited restaurant Solari, and also helping her father with the family restaurant, Gauguin. When her father cousin is found dead by her cousin Evelyn, who is blind, Sally takes her in. Evelyn is positive that someone killed her mother, so they work together to find the truth. I really enjoy this book, it kept me guessing until the end. I recommend this book/series for all people who enjoy a good cozy mystery.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.

Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari is busy dealing with her restaurant Gaugain when her dad asks her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose chef mother Jackie Olivieri has just died of a drug overdose. Evelyn is convinced that Jackie's death is suspicious when she finds items out of place at their home. The police are skeptical as is Sally until someone breaks into Sally's convertible to take Jackie's laptop. Sally knows all about the world of macho commercial kitchens and the cutthroat competitiveness in the restaurant industry and agrees to do some snooping. Jackie's new pop-up restaurant had been a hit. Did her former boss feel aggrieved about Jackie's success?

This was another fun read in the Sally Solari mystery series. The portrayal of the feisty, independent Evelyn was well done.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

MURDER FROM SCRATCH is the fourth book in the Sally Solari Mystery series by Leslie Karst. I’ve read the previous three books and have greatly enjoyed the way she’s focused on one of the five senses in each book. However, this book is my favorite so far and I feel that the author has found her stride. Restauranteur Sally Solari may be the protagonist, but the author manages to integrate Sally’s blind cousin, Evelyn, effectively into the story. I was fascinated by the details brought into play, showing the reader how a blind person lives and accomplishes day-to-day things that the rest of us take for granted. I was pleased that Evelyn is not a figure to pity, but instead is a fully developed character who is inspirational. Well, I did pity Evelyn because her mother was murdered, but the young woman manages to move forward and try to do everything she can to find the truth. I admire the way Ms. Karst focuses on the strength of family, especially when Sally takes in her orphaned cousin, despite not knowing her, because “nothing trumped famiglia.” She provides heartwarming scenes that tug at the heart and pulls the reader into the story.

Sally is becoming quite skilled at juggling her restaurant, Gauguin, along with employees, friends, and family, while hunting down suspects who may have wanted her aunt dead. Her hunt gives the reader a peek at the cutthroat practices of the restaurant business… and it’s brutal. Even though the police rule the death as a suicide, Sally perseveres and starts asking questions based on her cousin’s observations using senses that have been greatly developed due to her lack of sight. There were plenty of people who might have had issues with Sally’s aunt and I had a difficult time guessing the correct suspect as the story unfolded. With the reveal, Ms. Karst wrapped the story up in an exciting manner that had me turning pages until I read the very last word.

As a restauranteur, Sally cooks some amazing dishes and the reader will be drooling throughout the entire book. I love that the author provides several savory recipes at the back of the book and they all sound company-worthy.