A competition gone crazy and the winners become the losers. A fair should be fun with rides, wonderfully unhealthy foods, and an opportunity to win a prize either from the midway or from the competitions. The gang from County Seat have entered the Idaho State Fair's Boise's Best Restaurant Contest. The competition is fierce, if you come in last in a challenge you are eliminated and it seems that if you come in first you are also eliminated. Angie and her crew are working hard to win, while Angie is also working hard to figure out who did the deed. No need to have read a prior installment to figure out that Angie has an awesome dog named Dom, a chicken, and a goat or rather she has a menagerie at home and an awesome bloke who helps take care of the animals and of Angie. You also don't need to already know that the County Seat team is more than a group of coworkers, they are family and when they claim you, you're well taken care of. Much like the young runaway named Bleak, our new character learns as she becomes Ian's new project, his Aunt and Uncle's new ward, and the County Seat's new employee. Two different story lines keep this story going round and round like a carnival ride, but it is well worth it. Especially when you get to the end, and not just because of the big reveal but rather because of the mouth watering Shepherd's Pie recipe at the back of the book.

It's time for Chef Wars at the county fair, only someone is taking the war part a bit to literally and is attempting to kill off the competition! The County Seat crew is on the hunt for the killer and they need to find them quickly or one of them may be the next chef offed! The author does an excellent job of weaving multiple storylines throughout each book and writes strong characters that keep you invested and entertained! If you are looking for an excellent culinary cozy mystery, then this series is definitely one that needs to be added to your must read list!

I love this series so much! It has interesting and intriguing storylines/mysteries, and likeable and engaging characters. I can't wait for the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

This a series that feels comfortable. Likable characters, lots of food and a great mystery make this a series that I enjoy.

The characters' relationships are growing and I like it that the County Seat 'family' is growing. It's well-written and an easy read.

The setting of a cooking competition at a fair was interesting to me. However, all the descriptions of fair food had me snacking a bit while reading this one.

I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series..

Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon is the fourth full length novel in the cozy Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book of the Farm-to-Fork Mystery series can be read as a standalone if choosing to do so as each contains it’s own mystery solved by the end of the book. However, there is always a bit of character building within each read so those that read from the beginning will know the characters stories a bit better.

In this series Angie Turner has moved back to her hometown in rural Idaho after her grandmother’s passing and opened up a new restaurant, the County Seat. Angie’s restaurant has really taken off in the small town offering fresh ingredients straight from the surrounding farms. Angie has also gotten pretty good at solving the murders that keep turning up in the area although she keeps hoping to be done with her crime solving.

I’ve followed this series from the beginning and really enjoy the characters and the mysteries they get involved in solving. There are plenty of funny moments, a lot of cute critters and plenty of suspects to keep one guessing. Deep Fried Revenge was another great installment to keep me engaged in the series and always looking forward to the next book to come.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Even though I came in late to this particular series with the recent holiday novella, I’m absolutely loving the Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. The characters are realistic, the mysteries well, they certainly “could” happen, and the supporting cast is already a favorite of mine. Deep Fried Revenge simply cemented my continuing this series with a well planned out, believable Cozy Mystery that kept my attention glued to my Kindle.

At the Idaho State Fair, Angie and crew are set to enter into the Boise’s Best Restaurant contest which plays out like a TV reality cooking show with deep-seated rivalries in a contest that everyone is desperate to win. So much so that one top contender ends up dead by poison and not only is Angie right in the investigation’s crosshairs but she’s determined to discover exactly who committed this crime because she’s not leaving her freedom up to anyone else but herself and her crew. What follows is a fast-paced search for a killer, an interesting secondary plotline, and so much carnival food that it brought back memories of my own childhood when my parents and I followed our state’s carnival circuit every summer. I was easily swept up in this Cozy Mystery and didn’t even try to solve it along the way – I was having too much fun for that detail.

If you love a really good Cozy Mystery of the foodie style, then you’ll want to pick up Deep Fried Revenge right now and dive into the craziness of the state fair meets a murderer. I had a blast and would definitely recommend.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I’m not usually quick to dive into a series without catching up on it first. However, I’d read good things about the Farm to Fork mysteries, and some good reviews for the latest book. So I just jumped into the latest instalment. And yes, it was a good choice!

In terms of starting mid-series, I didn’t feel lost at all. It was pretty easy to fall into the story and figure who was who and what their relationships were. That said, perhaps reading from the start would have helped me connect with the players a little easier from earlier in the story.

The mystery to solve is who murdered Chef Nubbins during the cooking competition. Nothing says delicious mystery like a shady victim with a trail of potential killers… and well, yummy meal descriptions too. Nubbins seemed likeable enough, maybe too much so as there are stories of marital infidelity to provide suspects and motives. Then there are the competitive chefs. Is it one of them who wants to win the contest so badly they’d murder for it? While we’re working on those issues, we also come across a shady character who seems to know more about Angie than he should. Is he involved in the murder or is he part of a whole other matter? Oh, and we also meet a homeless girl who finds refuge and maybe a solution to her problems in the midst of all these goings on. Lots of fun elements to keep the pages turning.

Although a main component of the story is the cooking contest, I was glad there are several days between events. This allowed the scene to shift out of the fair and competition so we could see the characters interacting in different environments; and prevents the story from being totally fixated on just that one area.

Our main character, Angie, is a fairly complex one. She’s sweet yet no pushover. She brave but cautious and very clever. She’s shy and protective of her alone time to the point that sometimes I wonder why she’s in a relationship at all. However, her boyfriend, Ian, reads her very well and knows when to push and when to leave her be. The dynamic works well.

The other secondary characters like best friend Felicia, employees at the County Seat, sweet neighbours and the no nonsense sheriff all combine to create an awesome group of characters who carry the story and help readers become invested in the action.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and think I’d like to continue the series.

This is the 4th in the "Farm To Fork" series by popular cozy author Lynn Cahoon . I have read the previous in series and enjoy returning to the charcters and the setting. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

Angie has entered her restaurant " The County Seat" into a heated state fair competition by the Idaho State Fair. Angie's restaurant is the fan favorite among the locals but she has a lot of competition. The premise is each restaurant competes and is eliminated daily leaving the winner at the end of the event. When a murder occurs after round one by poisoning Angie cannot help but to be involved to save her friends and find the murderer.

The descriptions of the food here are so wonderful. The author will have us all running to our local county fairs this year. I enjoy the charcters, the setting and the sleuth was pleasing to conclusion. Another successful mystery in the Farm To Fork series. Review cross posted.

I love Lynn Cahoon's Tourist Trap and Cat Latimer series of books, so thought I'd try one of the newer Farm-to-Fork series set in Idaho. Angie Turner enters a restaurant contest at the county fair. But, murder happens on the first day of the contest and Angie gets involved in trying to solve it. I didn't find this book as fulfilling as the other series--the characters seem sort of flat and less quirky than the other series' characters. The plot seemed a bit sluggish. And, of all the recipes mentioned in the book itself, the one that was shared at the end was somewhat disappointing. I was hoping for one of the ones from the contest itself. The descriptions of the county fair, however, were vivid and brought back fond memories of my own similar experiences with a county fair.

Deep Fried Revenge is a really nice addition to this series. I loved the setting and the characters are charming. The plot and the mystery was satisfying. I look forward to more books in this series, and I recommend it to cozy fans.

Delicious food, fun characters, a really cute dog and an interesting plot, what more can one ask for? Not much really. I also really liked Bleak and I hope I'll see more of her in the future books in this series.

This wasn’t a bad book. It was just pretty boring. None of the characters were interesting and the mystery was blah. The best part was all the talk of food.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon has Angie Turner, a co-owner in the County Seat, participating in the Idaho State Fair’s Restaurant Wars. At the end of the first day of competition, the winner fails to appear and is found dead in his competition trailer. Soon a second man falls ill after eating tainted tacos. Is someone trying to eliminate the competition? Angie intends to find out without finding herself the killers next target. Deep Fried Revenge is the fourth A Farm-to-Fork Mystery. It can be read alone for those new to the series. Angie Turner is a friendly chef with a big heart. She is dating Ian McNeal who suits Angie. Angie’s lovable St. Bernard, Dom is just as busy and friendly as ever. Angie is busy with the restaurant as well as the farm plus she is now competing in the Boise State Fair’s version of Restaurant Wars. The competition is stiff with the front runner ending up dead after the first round of competition (which Angie’s team should have won). Angie cannot help but ask questions and dig for clues (she is naturally curious). I liked the carnival atmosphere with the rides, exhibits and the food that will clog your arteries (but is too good to resist). The mystery had a handful of suspects. I wish there had been more action and sleuthing. One detail pointed me in the direction of the killer. The mystery did not become a priority until late in the story. The gang was more concerned with a new arrival, Bleak. She is a teenage runaway in need of assistance. She provides few details about herself, but she does make it clear that she will not go back home. Bleak gets a job at the County Seat and goes to live with the sheriff and his wife. Bleak finds herself in a sticky situation that will need Angie and the gang to come to her rescue. Lynn Cahoon has an engaging writing style. It is friendly and casual which makes Deep Fried Revenge easy to read. The story had a good flow and moved along at a steady pace. I enjoyed joining Angie, Ian, Felicia and the group at the fair. There is also romance in the air between Felicia and a certain sous chef. Deep Fried Revenge is an upbeat cozy mystery with fun fair food, the darling Dom, a killer cooking competition, a worrying runaway and a crafty killer.

Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon was the much needed respite I required. I had to cancel my vacation to Idaho due to the quarantine and was worried about how much I’d be missing it. I needn’t have worried. Ms. Cahoon once again was able to bring me back to one of my favorite places on earth, Idaho, with just her words. This cozy murder mystery is set against the state fair and a food competition. Our heroine Angie and the rest of The County Seat gang have to solve the murder of a fellow chef and competitor before the murderer takes out one of their own. In the mean time Angie’s wonderful boyfriend, Ian, has taken in a run-away and her best friend Felicia is dating her sous-chef Estebe. I enjoyed learning more about each of the characters and seeing Angie’s relationships with them develop. There’s murder and mayhem but also humor and romance. The descriptions of the settings from the fairgrounds to Angie’s home to the restaurant left this reader daydreaming about her next visit to Boise. To top it all off Ms. Cahoon’s description of the fair food will leave your mouth watering for cotton candy and corn dogs. If you’re looking for a good story to read while sheltering in place look no further.

This was my first adventure with Angie Turner and the delightful characters from her restaurant, The County Seat. I enjoyed this book so much that I am going back and reading the first three books in the series and will look forward to future books.

This is a wonderful cozy mystery with interesting characters, fun dialogue, intrigue and mystery, friendship, family, as well as delicious food. I was craving a trip to the food court at a county fair! So much so, that I could actually smell the enticing aromas!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lyrical Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm ready to visit with this fun group of characters!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I love a state fair, don’t you? At the Idaho State Fair, they are holding a culinary competition and Angie Turner has entered her team from The County Seat to participate. The Boise’s Best Restaurant contest has several rounds with restaurants being eliminated after each round. One contestant, a top contender, is eliminated permanently shortly after the first round. Another is rushed to the hospital after the next round. Winning now has become a matter of life or death and Angie and Felicia rally their troops while Angie, Ian, and others get deep into the case to catch a killer. Ian also brings a new person in to join The County Seat crew and she has an interesting story.

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Again Lynn Cahoon gives readers a great mystery to sink our teeth into. I really enjoyed this one because of the way the plot and subplots blended together so seamlessly. Thankfully while the revenge may be deep friend, none of the victims are, poison is the method of death and it is tough to ascertain where it actually came from. It was also hard to pare down the suspects. I found myself circling back around a couple of times.

The characters are this series have become some of my faves, both the humans and the animals. I absolutely love Angie’s, Saint Bernard Dom. I was also happy to have Mrs. Potter return in this book but she may be leaving the canvas again and that is okay knowing what she may be facing. The addition of a homeless teenager was a pleasant surprise. I loved the way everyone rallied around to protect her and take her under their wings. These characters truly have a family feel as close friends and co-workers tend to evolve into giving the story a very realistic feel.

At just 184 pages, Miss Cahoon packs in a lot of details and wonderfully descriptive writing. For me, the pace was measured to start with but picked up nicely about halfway through the story. The carnival food had my mouth watering and making me think that with the tragic virus in the world today most of our summer fun and yummy treats will be missed this year.

Deep Fried Revenge is a nice treat as this fun series continues. I recommend this whole series for foodie cozy mystery lovers.

This has been a fun series for me - after a rocky start with the books, each book has gone up in stars and has stayed at 4 stars since book 2. And this one was right up there as well - there are some negative points, but not too many. I will list them here -

1. It was about 50 - 75 pages too long. There was just too much middle stuff and not enough mystery. Angie was way less nosy than normal [because she was in a competition] and while that is usually good thing, this time it just detracted from the story. And there just wasn't enough about the food - they talked about it, but considering it was about a food competition, there should have been more about the food. It wasn't a huge detraction, but it was noticeable.

2. Even though I really like the addition of Bleak [WHO names their kid that?? I mean really?], it made some of the story murky to have the dual story of her being a run away and the competition going on together. It would have been great to have one or the other. TWO books ultimately, would have been better than one.

BUT!!!!
The mystery was REALLY good and I didn't know who the killer was until close to the end [the red herrings were good in this one] and because of that, it stayed at 4 stars. The base mystery WAS good, even with the negative points, and so overall, I am a happy camper. I like how the interpersonal relationships are working out and I really DO like the addition of Bleak. She is a great character and I can see her being a great addition to these stories. She works well with Hope and its nice to see Hope have a friend and someone to bond with.

I am looking forward to the next one in the series. :-)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Fried Revenge by Lynn Cahoon is a Farm-to-Fork mystery, the fifth in the series (plus a novella). We open the book with heroine Angie Turner and he boyfriend, Ian McNeal at the fair, Idaho's largest. They have been eating and riding rides. Ian has been trying to win at the games, and there will be a cooking contest in a couple of days, until David Nubbins, another chef in the competition, winds of dead. They next day, the husband of another (very pregnant) chef ends up in the hospital poisoned. Can Angie win the contest for her restaurant? Can she help the sheriff (Ian's uncle) solve the crimes?

This is just a fun book. I get it: someone dies. Other than that, Angie is a character. She's not young. She's not old. She and her partner came from the big city and are not sure they will be successful with their new restaurant here in the country. As are all cozies, this is a character driven book and Cahoon has given us plenty of characters, some permanent, some more transient, pretty much all, likable. Some of her characters are quirky, but who isn't? It is a good story, decent mystery, lovely setting, and plenty of yummy food! I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of Deep Fried Revenge from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #deepfriedrevenge

Angie and her crew from The County Seat are excited about being a part of the House's Best Restaurant contest being held at the Idaho State Fair. Each day a new task will be set and if your on the bottom then your out. Someone will be knocked out each day until the final one where a winner will be chosen from the remaining contestants. When one of the contestants is found dead after the first competition Angie worries that someone might be taking things a bit to seriously. After a second contestant becomes ill it truly looks like someone will stop at nothing to win, worrying Angie especially when it comes to keeping her employees safe. Angie realizes that she must dive into this mystery and figure out just who has it in for the contestants before she herself ends up like the others. Will she be able to figure out who the perpetrator is or will they get away with murder? Follow along and enjoy the read to find.out!

Deadly food challenge. Winners are losers. A delightful addition to a pleasant and charming series. Some heartwarming and some tense moments add to the entertainment.