This is a good whodunit. It kept me guessing through the whole story. I thought I knew, but didn't know for sure until the end. Jenna is setting up for book clubs and her book club is having a progressive dinner. When they get to the last house, there is a dead body. Jenna's friend Pepper is the prime suspect, but there are plenty of other suspects. Cinnamon isn't crazy about Jenna's help even if she does have lots of theories and some good gossip to pass along. Love the characters in this series and can't wait for more.

This is my first book I have read of this series however there was enough background on the characters that this didn't cause any issues. I enjoyed this cosy mystery and thought it was well written.

It was a fast paced, easy read but the mystery was still there.

I really liked the recipes at the end and also the character details at the beginning.

I will be searching out the previous books to read more.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc.

Sifting Through Clues is a cozy mystery featuring Jenna Hart. Jenna owns the Cookbook Nook, a bookstore in Crystal Cove, California. As she is busy planning her wedding, she also is working at the Book Club Bonanza Week in her town. When one of the other shop owners is murdered at a book club event, Jenna works to solve the mystery.

This is my first read in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. I was interested in the book because I collect and sell vintage cookbooks online, and owning a cozy brick and mortar cookbook bookstore is one of my dream jobs! I absolutely loved the cookbook mentions and food talk in this book. It is a foodie's delight, and anyone who loves cookbooks will particularly enjoy this series.

Jumping in at the 8th book of the series, I did go back and forth to the (very helpful!) cast of characters page many times as I tried to learn everyone's identity and relationships. I definitely would recommend reading this series in order, as it has a very large cast of characters and I think it would be helpful to know their back stories from the beginning of the series.

I really liked Jenna. She was a smart amateur detective and a likeable character. I enjoyed getting to know her fiance Rhett, her friends, and the other shop owners too. She even has a lovable cat named Tigger.

I especially loved the setting of Crystal Cove. The author does a wonderful job with descriptions and establishing a strong sense of place. I found myself Googling to see if Crystal Cove is a real place, because it seemed like somewhere I would enjoy visiting. I found it is a fictional town, although there is a real Crystal Cove State Park in California.

The mystery was well done and kept me guessing! The book moves quickly and would make a great weekend or vacation read.

I recommend Sifting Through Clues for fans of cozy mysteries and especially for anyone who loves cookbooks or foodie books.

Three courses should end with dessert, not a corpse. Jenna Hart is looking forward to the moveable feast put together by her book club. This is the start of the local library hoisting a Book Club Bonanza Week and her book club, the Mystery Mavens are gathering to enjoy a dinner course at a home of a member. When the group arrives at the fourth home, the home of Ivy Beale, the festivities are over - Ivy has been murdered. As she was a big gossip and not very well liked, the suspect list is long. Long until it looks like just about everyone involved has an alibi. One person stays at the top of the prime suspect list and that adds a tough situation for Jenna. The suspect is her friend, Pepper and Pepper is the mother of another of Jenna's friends, the chief of Police, Cinnamon. Would Cinnamon really think her own mother capable of murder? and then arrest her? Jenna is not about to let that happen. There is a killer on the prowl and, if Jenna isn't very careful, her upcoming wedding will never happen.
I have enjoyed every one of the eight books in this series. Each one can be read as a stand alone but I'm the kind of reader who is happiest reading any series in order. Spending time in the town of Crystal Cove and all of the characters who populate it is never a waste of my reading hours. Each entry gives me a well crafted mystery with just the right amount of twists, turns and red herrings - very satisfying.

Since the very first book in this series, I have become a huge fan.
When I read any book in this series, they always bring a smile to my face.

Yet another brilliant visit with the characters in Crystal Cove, I really wish this was a real place so I could eat at the Cookbook Nook Cafe whilst reading the latest culinary cozy mystery! 8 out of 5 stars for this one!

We open with another busy week in Crystal Cove, the theme this week is Book Club Bonanza and the book club Jenna and Bailey belong to are planning on a feast in four places, each member is providing some food and 4 members are also providing the setting. It is going really well (although Bailey is a little miffed that she can't drink as she is pregnant) until they reach the final house, Ivy the house owner isn't greeting them but pretty much everything is set up apart from a last couple of platters needed for the desserts brought by the members. Assuming Ivy is just running late getting ready Jenna goes to get the platters, only to discover Ivy dead! The problem is that Pepper Prittchett seems to be the one most to gain from Ivy's death, which means her daughter (Cinnamon) the Chief of Police is torn between believing in her mother's innocence and following procedures.

Add in some rather creepy computer stuff and lots of suspects (other than Pepper!) and Jenna has her plate full trying to sort things out so she can help Pepper and not upset Cinnamon (too much!)

SIFTING THROUGH CLUES by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Eighth Cookbook Nook Mystery

Jenna Hart is preparing the Cookbook Nook for yet another festival, this time a celebration of book clubs. The key event for Jenna's club is a progressive dinner where members move from house to house eating and discussing their book of choice. Their final stop brings the fun to a dead end...literally. Ivy, the woman who seemed to know everyone's secrets, is lying dead on her kitchen floor, stabbed with a piece of rose quartz. Now Jenna's looking for a killer while watching over her very pregnant best friend and planning her own upcoming nuptials.

How things have changed! When we first met Pepper seven books ago she was an angry, nasty woman who despised Jenna. Now, not only are they friends, but Jenna knows she's incapable of murder. No matter how guilty she appears, Jenna will hunt for the truth in order to protect her. It's this evolution of character that keeps me coming back to Crystal Cove, that and the food, as well as the mystery.

It may not be Father's Day, but this eighth Cookbook Nook Mystery brings a lot of dads to the scene, including Pepper's ex-husband. Are fathers stepping up to the plate, or are their motives more unsavory? I enjoyed the metaphysical aspects found here, from Aunt Vera's tarot readings to the offerings of Ivy's store, Dreamcatcher. I especially loved the significance of the crystals and their part in the story.

SIFTING THROUGH CLUES is a character driven mystery that highlights books and food with a dash of murder in a cozy Californian community.

This was a great little cozy read. Jenna and her friends run a cook book store and cafe. One of the ladies in their book club is found murdered -- by Jenna and the book club! I enjoyed the characters. There were a variety of personalities, some and bit cranky, others fun and perky. There were lots of clues, but I wasn't completely sure who the murderer was until the big reveal. This is not the first book in the series, but I think there is enough information given that it is easy to get the characters straight. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good cozy.

Northern California Coastal Town Based Cozy Mystery
This cozy mystery takes place in a northern California coastal town. The story has a lot of romance, new age mysticism, fortune telling, food, wine, and books. The plot is good and builds on books earlier in the series, it can stand alone. The author goes into significant detail about clothing, the pairing of wine and food, plating of food, crafts, book clubs, etc. There is certainly enough here to interest any reader. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Daryl Wood Gerber is back with the 8th in the Cook Book Nook Mystery Series.

Crystal Cove is celebrating Book Club Bonanza Week and book clubs from all over are meeting up in town. Jenna is ready at the Cookbook Nook with not only cookbooks but some juicy works as well.

The most exciting group, the Mystery Mavens, are having a moveable feast going from house to house sampling the hosts goodies and talking books. Everyone is enjoying themselves until Jenna and Pepper arrive at the last location only to find a dead host!

And adding insult to injury Pepper is the main suspect. Will her daughter have to arrest her since she is the chief of police? Or will Jenna have to put her Sherlock hat on and uncover the real killer first?

The victim it seems was not so nice of a person. Which makes for a lot of suspects!

With recipes included and a great cast of characters, once again the author has given us a great cozy!

NetGalley/ Beyond the Page Publishing April 23, 2019

This is a well written mystery and I was captivated from the start. I love it when I get drawn into a story and can picture everything in my mind. I loved the characters and that they listed them in the front which helped as I had not read any previous installments in the series. There were lots of clues, twists and turns with a bunch of suspects to choose from.

I found it was filled with quirky characters, picturesque settings, references to other books and yummy food. I always enjoy a story with these ingredients!

There are lots of great recipes at the end that would be fun to try.

My Rating 5*

I received a complimentary ARC from Beyond the Page Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

The tourist town of Crystal Cove always has something fun going on from a Renaissance Fair to Pirate Week and now it is a Book Club Bonanza Week. Unfortunately it kicks off with the murder of a local gossip whose body was staged in a ritualistic manner involving quartz, stones and even a bonsai tree. When culinary bookshop owner Jenna Hart becomes involved she finds that is not the only disturbing thing happening in Crystal Cove.

I love the setting of this series. Each time I read a new one I wish the town was real so I could go visit. The town is constantly celebrating different themes to excite and entertain tourists. Also, we get to know a lot of interesting characters in this series that continue to develop from book to book. If you want to know what happened at the Renaissance Fair or during Pirate Week check out some of the earlier stories in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. You will enjoy learning more about the Crystal Cove residents.

This is book #8 (a sub theme today!) in this series, and I have to admit, one of my fav ones in it! I would LOVE to live in a town as fabulous as Crystal Cove! It's spunky, charming, never boring, and has the beach! What more could you ask for? Once again Jenna finds herself in the middle of a homicide case, quite literally by coming upon the corpse. And no matter how hard she tries, she can't stay OUT of the investigation, as all the involved parties keep coming to her. There's plenty of assumptions and guesses, and you might be a bit sorry to see the mystery solved, as that means you time in Crystal Cove is over until the next book comes out! Don;t miss the amazing recipes either= they'll get you into the kitchen cooking! Let's hope there is is a wedding in book #9, but I have a feeling it will be in Book #10!

Book club members from all over the country are flocking to Crystal Cove and that makes Jenna's heart sing. At the Cookbook Nook, she has stocked the store with beautiful cookbooks just in time for the book club members to descend. She, however, is looking forward to the Mystery Mavens' movable feast. One course is served at each members house, the members discuss the mystery they are reading, then move to the next house. It's at Ivy Beale's house where the trouble is discovered. Ivy is dead with a shard of rose quartz in her neck and gold quartz stones on her eyes. When the police chief's mother is the prime suspect, Jenna knows she has to help clear Pepper Pritchett. Delicious recipes at the end of the book. Another tasty morsel from Daryl Wood Gerber.

I have read almost all of the books in this series, so when I was able to get an ARC from NetGalley for the newest installment, I jumped at the chance to catch up with Jenna and her friends. It is the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about the Mystery Mavens and their progressive dinner, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.
Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Along with her attempts to exonerate Pepper, Jenna is planning her wedding to Rhett, who has a surprise for her, and anticipating the birth of the child of her friend/employee, Bailey. Anyone who likes culinary mysteries will love this series.

This was my first book by this author but I really enjoyed it. I loved all the characters and the interactions between them all. The mystery mixed with the book clubs, food, and small town charm were well developed.

Well worth it.

Crystal Cove is really making the most of theme weeks to draw in tourists. This time the theme is Book Club Bonanza and all over town readers have gathered to discuss and critique novels and enjoy the food mentioned in those books. Mysteries are huge but there is always room for romance.

Bailey's due date is getting near as her baby bump continues to grow. Her employer, Jenna Hart, co-owner of the Cookbook Nook, finds herself caught in the midst of another murder investigation, this time with Police Chief Cinnamon having to suspect her own mother of being a killer. The plot thickens when her never known father arrives in town just in time to also be a potential person-of-interest.
Love gone bad is an under current throughout the book.

Full of delicious clues as well as multiple red herrings, this book can be enjoyed as a stand alone but I love the population of this series and the well developed relationships between them all. I look forward to each visit.
Besides the foodie and book aspects, this is a readers' dream series with references to other wonderful books and topics to explore. I always enjoy Aunt Vera and her predictions.

In Sifting Through Clues, it is Book Club Week in Crystal Cove, California, sponsored by the local library. Jenna Hart and her crew at the Cookbook Nook and Cafe are gearing up with lots of events going. The highlight of the week includes a progressive dinner for the Mystery Mavens book club. Unfortunately, things turned deadly at the last house on the stop when Ivy Beale, owner of a crystal healing shop, is found dead in her kitchen, killed with a piece of pink quartz in her chest. When Pepper, mother of police chief Cinnamon, is accused of the crime, everyone wants Jenna to find the real killer. They think that Chief Cinnamon is too close to the crime since her mom is the suspect. Jenna has her work cut out for her because Ivy didn't get along with lots of people. This series is fun with a huge cast of characters that I have trouble keeping straight at times. There is some jealously among the women friends that adds tension within the group of friends. Maybe one of the friends could have killed Ivy. Or a guy that was turned down by Ivy. Cinnamon's dad, whom she has never met, shows up unexpectedly. Could he be the killer? Jenna has a lot to ponder and is prompted on by her dad and Aunt Vera. The problem is that everyone seems to have an alibi. Jenna's friend and co-worker, Bailey, is about to have a baby and there is a lot of shopping and preparation to do. Jenna and her fiance Rhett have to plan a wedding but it is moving slowly.
This is a well written mystery with lots of clues to sift through and a big group of suspects. Ms. Gerber has done a great job with this story. It kept my interest and me guessing to the end. There are lots of great recipes at the end that would be fun to try.
I received a complimentary ARC from Beyond the Page Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I loved it. Jenna and Bailey well what can I say. They are truly strong characters and the mysteries are interesting. I didn't figure out who done it until the end. Great read.

3.5 stars

Cozy mysteries are just a little bit unrealistic to me, but they are still enjoyable and fun to read. This is only the second book in this series that I've read and I didn't feel too lost on who the main characters are, but there are a lot of different people and a lot going on in this small town that I did struggle to keep up at times with the who's who, even with the included glossary of characters at the front of the book, and the red herrings about their alibis (and the reality of some of those). The main characters surrounding Jenna (her store employees and family members) I was able to follow, probably from my memory of the previous book in the series, but I do feel like you could read this out of order and not be lost or confused (although there is some background mentioned that might be helpful to know a little bit more about, but not completely necessary as it's included briefly when it's mentioned in this book).

The town seems to constantly have events that Jenna and her cookbook store/cafe and the other town businesses are a part of, with two such events taking places during this book -- the book club event for all book clubs and the Spring Fling. Jenna's store tailors some cookbooks and other cooking items to those events; and after reading names of so many specifically mentioned cookbooks, I decided to look up a couple of them that the author continually mentions throughout the book that Jenna sells in her store, and it appears that they are actually real cookbooks, so that's a fun tie-in!

The recipes at the end of the book seem to mainly focus on the ones mentioned at the book club progressive dinner that occurs at the beginning of the book and the tea sandwich demonstration that Jenna hosts in her store, but there are tons of other dishes mentioned throughout the entirety of the book that I would've enjoyed seeing included so that I could try them out! (I remember this being the case from the previous book in this series that I read as well.) I look forward to trying out the savory cheese scone recipe, along with a few other ones mentioned. Also, there were several of the sweet/cookie recipes that also included gluten-free versions, so I'm sure there will be readers that appreciate that.

Overall, a fun and clean (no language, sex, graphic descriptions of the murder or violence) cozy culinary mystery!