Member Reviews
Marcia S, Reviewer
An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review. |
It’s Food Bowl Week in Crystal Cove and the resident food critic is killed at the local gym. When her best friends husband is the suspect, Jenna puts on her detective cap and sets out to figure out who the real culprit is. With a host of people who hated the food critic, the list of suspects is long. Everyone from the owner of the gym, to the owner of the newspaper, Jenna has her work cut out. All the while, she needs to run the Cookbook Nook and get her new house in order. This is the 9th story in the series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first 8. I did however have issues with some of the descriptions, and at times felt that the author was just adding information to fill out the story. There were many times I got bored with the story and felt that certain parts were unnecessarily long. It took me far longer than a story of this size usually does. *I received an ARC of this story from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review. |
I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Apr 21, 2020 Shredding the Evidence is the ninth book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series, I believe this is the first book in the series I have read. The town is getting ready to have a Food Bowl Week, so of course something must happen to spice up things. Seems like many different people may have a reason to wish Kylie to be dead, what follows is a who done it as Jenna attempts to solve the mystery. Overall this was a well written and enjoyable read, I would recommend it to others. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book from NetGalley and the Publisher, and this is my fair and honest review. |
Marissa Y, Reviewer
Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing. I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review. It Food Bowl Week and Jenna looks forward to sample the various goodies. But once again the mood will take a turn as a dead body is found and the main suspect is her best friend’s husband. Who would want the local food reporter dead? It seems like the list is endless especially among the food world. Another enjoyable read with yummy recipes included. |
carol b, Reviewer
There's something comforting in reading a well written cozy mystery and you certainly get that with this book. Once again the author pens a good mystery filled with believable characters. I was really excited to get to read a new book in this series. |
Food Bowl Week comes to Crystal Cove and along with it the demise of an unpopular food critic. But was she killed for a bad review or because she was unpopular? Jenna Hart has been sampling as many food specialties as she can stab with a fork but she loses her appetite when she discovers the food reporter dead surrounded by her reviews shredded to pieces. If her best friend's husband was the prime suspect Jenna would have just let it go, but feeling she needs to help her friend, she bites into the investigation to find the real killer. The mystery was absorbing and the characters very engaging. Love the series! Keep them coming! |
When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed and you are in #COVID19 #socialisolation, superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. (I have played a zillion games of scrabble, done a zillion crosswords and I AM BORED!!!) I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸. The Agatha Award-winning author of Sifting Through Clues returns to the Cookbook Nook, where a combative food reporter gets her just deserts . . . The denizens of Crystal Cove are salivating over the upcoming Food Bowl Week when local chefs offer some of their best and most imaginative creations in bite-size portions all over town. Bookstore proprietor Jenna Hart is hungry to sample as many of the delicacies as she can, but when she stumbles onto the dead body of a local food reporter and learns that her best friend’s husband is the primary suspect, she’ll have to summon the appetite for a side dish of sleuthing to prove his innocence. Jenna knows the ambitious and aggressive reporter, who was strangled at a fitness centre with her shredded restaurant reviews scattered around her, left behind a long list of potential suspects. As she begins piecing together the scant clues, she uncovers illicit ties between the victim and a local newspaper owner, a spurned would-be lover, and a host of disgruntled restaurant owners, not a bit torn up by the critical reporter’s demise. And with a solution so close she can almost taste it, Jenna turns up the heat on the culprit, realizing too late that she’s the next course on the murderer’s menu . . . Includes tasty recipes! Reading any book by Darl Wood Gerber is a delight - This is a cute little cosy read/mystery with no 50 shades of any colour. The characters are interesting and well written and the mystery was well crafted to not let you guess who was the killer right off the bat. (There was a certain very highly paid mystery Irish-American writer who I generally guessed who the killer was the moment that they are introduced! However, as she recently passed perhaps I can pass on this advice: it is the same with your daughter's books. ... lol) The cover is a delight as well - love the cat!!! I love the idea of a "Food Bowl" - frankly, I love any festival that has to do with food as I would kill to go outside right now. Loved the plotline, the well fleshed-out characters and the recipes are yummy as well. And, frankly, that food writer deserved what she got - carpe diem!!! The ninth in the "Cookbook Nook" series, it can be read-alone but if like me, you admired it as much as I did, you will go back and buy and read the previous books in the series. As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🧁🧁🧁🧁 |
The irritating Kylie O. is killed in the gym Your Wellness. Tito, Bailey’s husband, is a prime suspect at least at first. Jenna and Bailey investigate while food week goes on in Crystal Cove. There are good suspects and many have secrets - Susannah, Midge, Eugene, Audrey and Alexa. Shredding the Evidence is the ninth book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. There is lots of shredding of vegetables and of paper. It plays a role in the mystery. I enjoy how the author tells the story. This could be read as a stand-alone, but the relationships I’m the book have developed over the course of the series so a fuller understanding of all the issues happens if you’ve read all the books. |
I love this series and I think this was an excellent addition. It was great to meet again the likeable cast of characters, they are well written and interesting. The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing. I can't wait for the next instalment. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine. |
Jenna Hart and the gang from Crystal Cove are back for another adventure in Shredding the Evidence. Food Bowl Week sounds like so much fun, until a dead body interrupts the festivities. When a feisty reporter falls victim to murder, Jenna has to get involved, much to the chagrin of her beau and the police chief. When one of the suspects is her friend's husband, Jenna sets out to find the answers, and Jenna find things are not as they seem to be. Fans of this series will be excited to read this new installment. #ShreddingTheEvidence #NetGalley |
Sara G, Reviewer
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip back to Crystal Cove. Jenna is always a fun heroine for me, and this was no exception. I end up keeping track of cookbooks mentioned so I can look them up later and maybe check them out from the library. This time around, murder again hits close to home when her BFF's husband is a suspect in a rival's death. Since she is convinced of his innocence, Jenna sets out to find out who the killer really is.
This is book nine in the series, and I love how the characters keep growing and evolving together. We have seen couples, marriages, babies, and it just makes everyone more likable for me. It was fast moving, and I had a hard time putting it down. There were twists, turns, and it kept me guessing. I love how all of the businesses in the town show up and continue with minor characters in each book, even if they aren't essential for the story. Every time I pickup a Cookbook Nook mystery, it feels like going to visit family. I can't wait to see what happens in book ten. I did receive a copy in the hopes I would read and review, but all opinions are mine and mine alone.
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Sheila P, Reviewer
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Jenna the bookstore owner who is the amateur sleuth is not afraid to ask anyone anything. She so seems to enjoy what she is doing. Bailey is involved in this murder. This is one of those mysteries that keeps you guessing until almost the very end. It is a GOOD READ. |
This series gives me so much joy to read, and this latest installment was the perfect compliment to it! Just when you think everything is going to calm down for all the characters, a murder happens to throw a wrench into what is a supposed to be a fun time filled with friends and food. What was most enjoyable about this book was not being able to guess who the murderer was out of all the suspects. The clues unfolding kept me guessing until the very end. |
Carol D, Reviewer
Jenna Hart owns a cookbook book store and a cafe in Crystal Cove, and has a reputation of being somewhat of a sleuth. After the local newspaper food reviewer is killed, Jenna works to find evidence her friend’s husband is not the murderer, and to find out who is. She soon learns there were many people who are not sorry the reporter is dead. This is a fun cozy mystery series, and the main characters are delightful. I would suggest start reading the books from the beginning of the series, but the author provides enough background in this book that you would have no trouble following the storyline. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own. |
Mary M, Reviewer
This is the 9th in the cookbook series. This is such a good series. In Crystal Cove everyone is looking forward to Food Bowl Week. Local chefs put together their favorite and creative dishes in bite size portions. Jenna Hart runs a bookstore/café and is as excited as everyone to sample as much as she can. Unfortunately, she finds a local food reporter dead and there is a number of suspects including her best friends’ husband. Jenna once again goes into sleuth mode and although the local police is not thrilled, they are not as hard on her as other times. The secondary characters are what make the family of this story, grandmothers and aunts. Just love it. This mystery is fast paced and kept me engaged. Looking forward to the next installment. |
4.5 Stars This is the ninth book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber. Basic premise: During Food Bowl Week in Crystal Cove, Jenna Hart, owner of a local cookbook store, finds the body of a dead food reporter and her best friend’s husband is the main suspect. I was surprised how open police chief Cinnamon was in this book. She was pretty hard-nosed in the last book. I think that now she is pregnant, she is finding more common ground with the citizens of Crystal Cove. This series is really growing on me and I look forward to starting from the beginning and getting to know all the characters better. Even with a plethora of cast members, this book is easy to follow. The whodunit aspect was fun to follow. Every clue led to a revelation and I really liked how it all wrapped up. This felt like a transition book to me. I think the author is looking for new things to season the storyline and is cutting some characters and adding new flavor to the overall mix. Definitely liking this new direction. This is only the second book I have read in the series and it will not be my last. I think a marathon is in order. This series is one to watch! If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out . You won’t be disappointed. 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. |
Pam W, Librarian
Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for the ARC of this book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series. The citizens of Crystal Cove are anticipating the upcoming Food Bowl Week, when local chefs offer some of their best and most imaginative creations in bite-size portions all over town. Bookstore proprietor Jenna Hart can't wait to sample as many as she can, but when she stumbles onto the dead body of a local food reporter and learns that her best friend’s husband is the primary suspect, she’ll have to prove his innocence. Jenna knows the reporter, who was strangled at a fitness center with her shredded restaurant reviews scattered around her, left behind a long list of potential suspects. As she begins piecing together the clues, she uncovers illicit ties between the victim and a local newspaper owner, a spurned would-be lover, and a host of disgruntled restaurant owners not a bit torn up by the critical reporter’s demise. |
Pamela D, Reviewer
Jenna Hart owns a bookstore/café in Crystal Cove and solves mysteries – an interesting combination. Just as the town is getting ready to celebrate Food Bowl Week, the local newspaper’s food reviewer is found dead surrounded by shredded newspaper articles and other documents. There are a lot of people in town that had a grudge against the reviewer, including Jenna’s best friend’s husband. But he is not alone and the list of suspects keeps growing. This is a book for and about foodies, as well as mystery lovers. If you weren’t hungry when you started it, you will be when you finish. The author kindly includes eight recipes for some of the wonderful foods mentioned in the book, more than most books with recipes. The secondary characters are delightful – I particularly appreciated her Aunt Vera and Gran, both senior citizens with flair and personality and a bit of eccentricity. Not all seniors wear sensible shoes, pastel house dresses or elastic-waist polyester slacks and matching flowered blouses. These two are age appropriate fashion plates. Loved them. This is the ninth book in A Cookbook Nook Mystery but it can be read a standalone, although the author’s references to previous mysteries that Jenna was involved with made me want to add them to my TBR list since I hadn’t read any of the previous books. I received a copy of the book from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. The opinion is my own. |
Amary C, Reviewer
Jenna Hart the owner of the Cookbook Nook and the Nook Cafe has a gift for adding seemingly unconnected information up to point to the correct conclusion.
When Kiley Obendorfer is murdered, Jenna has a hard time coming up with a suspect at first, she knows her friend didn't do it. Then through her snooping she has plenty of people to investigate.
Ms.Gerber, her through eclectic characters, writes an engrossing tale. We are entertained by Jenna and her family and friends. Lead through Jenna's eyes we find and eliminate suspects, one after another.
The police are working hard, but are not privy to the gossip lines that eventually lead Jenna and her friend Brianna to the right conclusion, putting them both in a dangerous position.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and was delighted. I was so drawn in I finished in hours. My opinion is given gratis.
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I love visiting Jenna and the Cookbook Nook. That being said, When there's a list of characters at the beginning of the book I get scared. Scared that I will lose track of the characters and not remember who is who. But I was pleasantly surprised. I kept everyone straight in my head. The "food bowl" theme was fun and the mystery kept me reading. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I received this book from Netgalley for a honest review. |








