This was not my favorite read. I found Sherry annoying and I never really got into the story. I don't think I'll read this series again.

contest, cozy-mystery, cooking, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, recipes, friendship, friction, rivalry, Connecticut, pet, dog****

I went into this read knowing absolutely nothing about cook-offs, bakeoffs, or any other food related contests. But I sure learned a lot while trying to solve the murder in this one. The publisher's blurb covers the major basics, but the characters are much more interesting, and the plot has just enough surprises to keep my attention to the end.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A Half-Baked Alibi was my introduction to the Cook-Off Mystery series. The main character, Sherry, is interesting, and the mystery was well built. I enjoyed the fact that the author really sets everything into place and that there are hints as to why certain things are happening, without giving away too much. The prize change and everything surrounding it keeps the reader interested, as well as the murder to be solved. This book has sparked my interest to read the previous books in the series. Bonus, the recipes at the end seem delicious!

I think I might need to stop reading this series; Sherry continually chooses to make ridiculous choices that not only endanger herself, but others as well. However, the mystery was fun with plenty of red herrings thrown in and I did like the little side stories happening.

A Half-Baked Alibi is book #6 in the Cook-Off Mystery series by Devon Delaney.

Sherry Oliveri is a veteran amateur cook-off contestant who is unable to participate in a local competition due to a hand injury. She’s sharing her experience to help her best friend, Amber, compete. Things take a bad turn when a body is found. Sherry gets involved when Amber is one of the suspects.

As a fan of cooking competitions, I was excited to read this. It is the first book I’ve read in the series and it was easy to read as a standalone book. Sherry and her family are great characters along with Sherry’s boyfriend, Don. The one thing that was odd to me was that Amber is Sherry’s best friend and part of the Oliveri family, but you couldn’t tell it by the way she acted in response to Sherry trying to clear her name.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to catching up on the rest of the series.

Thank you to the author, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is the sixth book in the Cook Off Mystery Series. I love them all!

Sherry Oliveri was planning on being a contestant in the Kitchen Royalty Cook-Off until she cut her hand and had to pull out. The coordinator of the event asked Sherry to lend her expertise to help the event go smoothly. Sherry thinks it'll be interesting to see it cook-off from a different point of view and so agrees to help. She's also helping a dear friend and contestant with her submission.

What Sherry didn't expect was to help with the investigation into the murder of one of the sponsors.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A HALF-BAKED ALIBI (Book 6 of the Cook Off Mysteries), by Devon Delaney, in exchange for an honest review. Sherry Oliveri can’t enter the Kitchen Royalty Cook Off due to an injury. However, her presence to support one of her friends finds Sherry becoming more and more involved in the competition. When someone dies and her friend in the contest becomes the suspect, Sherry also finds herself embroiled, once again, in a homicide investigation.

I enjoyed this book and like the series. I recommend both the book and the series to fans of food-themed cozy mysteries.

#AHalfBakedAlibi #NetGalley

This is my third in the series although it is the sixth instalment, and it's the Kitchen Royalty Cook-Off. Sherry Oliveri's hand is injured after an accident involving a raw sweet potato so she is helping her friend Amber offering her advice, guidance and the benefit of expertise; their immediate concern is improving Amber's Spring Thyme Asparagus Lasagna Blooms in time for the competition and together they are team Am-Sher. Sheri's brother, Pep is covering her shifts at The Ruggery, her dad's shop that sells speciality crafted hand-loomed rugs. Sheri is also spending her time getting her boyfriend Don Johnstone's new business venture involving commuter boat transport moving, picking up passengers at Long Island on his boat, the Current-Sea. Protagonist Sherry is a terrific amateur sleuth and gets stuck in when an event sponsor is found dead.

Set in Augustin, A Half-Baked Alibi was a compelling, fun, cosy read. I was sold from the very beginning, with its solid characters, great writing and a marvellous mystery that provided a good sprinkling of clues to satisfy even the most diligent armchair detective. Busy Sherry's passion is entering culinary competitions and I found her to be spirited, peppy, curious and amusing.

Although the book is part of a series, it would work as a standalone novel. With an entertaining plot, the mystery itself was well done and there were diversions and twists to keep me guessing the culprit's identity. Overall, a marvellous cosy and a very worthwhile read. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for Sherry and her dog Chutney, a Jack Russell terrier in book #7 and like me, you might want to start the series from the beginning. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

This is the 6th in series and a fun read centering a mystery around a prestigious cooking competition . I have enjoyed this series with the wonderful receipes included, the fun charcters and a cooking theme. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.

Sherry has a injury and cannot compete in the Royalty Cooking competition. She attends with her friend Amber for moral support and to watch the competition. When she finds a body in the kitchen area she is shocked that Amber is prime suspect number one. Now Sherry and Amber must work together to free Amber from suspicion and solve the mystery of the death.

This was a enjoyable read and a fun way to learn what goes on behind the scenes at cooking competitions. A fun addition to the series.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Beyond the Page Publishing and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The sixth nook in an established series, A Half-Baked Alibi is hot out of the oven!

The Cook- Off Mystery series is a winner, don’t deny yourself a taste.

: This is the sixth book in the series with Sherry Oliveri. Though I haven’t read the other ones, I had no trouble figuring out the characters and their relationships to each other. The story centers around a cooking competition. I never realized there was so much involved in one. Which was a bit of the problem for me. There was such a buildup about the competition, but when it actually arrived, it was over in less than a page. I was actually kind of disappointed about that. I’d have loved to have more on the actual competition. Yeah, it didn’t have anything to do with the murder other than who the victim was, but…I just wish there had been a little more.

Sherry and her boyfriend Don don’t have a whole lot to do with each other beyond the two trips across the sound. There’s not a lot of interaction between them. There is a lot between Sherry and her supposed best friend Amber have a lot more interaction—none of it good. For best friends, they sure aren’t very friendly. It almost became too much. Yes, Amber is a prime suspect and Sherry’s trying to get her free, but wow. The nastiness between those two comes across as a bit much for me.

There were plenty of suspects (though to be honest, I knew pretty much from the start who it was) and lots of possibilities. So that was good. And the ending was satisfying.

What I liked: the characters - they were realistic and well-done. And the recipes are yummy!

What I didn’t like: see above. The animosity between Sherry and Amber just didn’t sit well with me. Acquaintances, maybe. BFFs? No. It also needed another pass by an eagle-eyed editor.

Recommendation: If you’ve read the other ones in the series, definitely pick this one up. It was actually a decent story with an ending that satisfied. Just caveat emptor the notes above.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first one of this particular series that I have read so, obviously, I was a little bit confused at first. However, that being said, I caught up in no time and was truly able to sit back and enjoy the read. I really enjoy reading about cooking competitions. I like watching them on television as well, but I feel like in a book you get more a 'behind the scenes' look. You can do things in books that a lot of times you cannot do in tv or movies.

Sherry is a very likeable character. She's happy and bubbly and loves to cook. I appreciated the fact that the author gave her very human traits to. If I had cut myself up in a knife accident right before a cooking competition that I was supposed to be in, well, I would have probably been a lot more than jealous or frustrated. I love the fact that because she was not able to participate herself that she volunteered her services to help out not only her friend but also the cooking competition. That takes some real moxie in and of itself.

I was confused by her relationship though. I was never completely sure if she and her 'boyfriend' were actually friends who kiss or were actually just casually dating. That part really threw me off. I am hoping that the next book has more clarification in it on this situation.

The taxi boat angle was a great one. I really loved this idea. If they had something like that where I live now, then I would use it. Sounds like a great way to reduce stress in an already stressful day.

The mystery was great, and I really enjoyed the ending. The only negative thing I have to say is that in the pages up to the ending there seemed to be a lot of going back and forth. Almost to the point of whiplash. However, that being said, I am glad that I stuck with it because the ending was truly worth it. I absolutely recommend this book. And I look forward to reading the next one and the ones previous.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and the author of this book for the opportunity to read it. All opinions stated are honest and are my own.

Sherri Oliveri loves to cook and enters cook-off competitions. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to compete in her local competition as she’s cut her hand. She volunteers to help and becomes involved in a murder case. This is the first book that I’ve read in this series. The characters are engaging and the mystery is perplexing. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.

Sherry Oliveri is sidelined with an injury and can't enter a cooking contest. She decides to coach her friend instead. But when a sponsor is found dead her friend becomes the prime suspect Sherry is determined to prove her innocence. Good read.

This is a fun series full of cooking, friends and sleuthing. Based on an amateur cook off competitor, her friends, her dog and her sleuthing. Just as with cooking, something always pops up unexpectedly and Sherry Oliveri had to figure it out along the way. With a sweet pup and a family business keeping her busy as well, Sherry manages to multi task and gets herself into the heat more often than not.

If you’re looking for a clean and fabulous cozy series, this is it! While this is the sixth book in the series, it reads fine as a stand alone and means you have another five books to binge on afterwards!

A Half-Baked Alibi is the 6th book in A Cook-Off Mystery series but Devon Delaney. This series has progressed nicely and this was an enjoyable cozy mystery. Sherry Oliveri works part-time in her family's business and enters cooking competitions for money and prizes. Sherry injured her hand so she is helping a friend with a cook-off competition. Sherry discovers the event sponsor's body and then the book picks up. The main characters are likable but there were a lot of people who came to town for the cook-off to keep track of, Sherry's boyfriend Don and her brother Pep added to the story. The cozy mystery was good and it kept me guessing. Overall, an enjoyable cozy mystery. #NetGalley #BeyondThePage #AHalfBakedAlibi

I loved reading A Half-Baked Alibi by Devon Delaney. This is the sixth book in the series, and I've read them all.
Sherri Oliveri loves to cook and she loves to participate in cooking competitions. Unfortunately. Sherri had an accident with a knife and isn't able to take part in the current cooking competition.
Her best friend Amber is participating, and Sherri is excited to cheer her on and be a volunteer for the other participating cooks.
It seems that there is a problem with the big prize in this competition, and before long we get swept up in lies, deceit and betrayal, causing big issues between Sherri and Amber.
I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down until I got to the end.
The recipes that are included sound delicious, and even though I'm not a great cook, I really enjoy reading this series.
There is a lot of family love and friendships in this story, and it all came together at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#AHalfBakedAlibi #NetGalley

The latest in Devon Delaney's A Cook-Off Mystery series was a little convoluted for me. The emotions and interactions the main characters exhibited didn't ring true to me, and in some cases were just plain annoying. I felt led along in the story rather than having it organically unfold. I look forward to more, but I hope there is an improvement.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great Cozy Mystery!
Sherry is a cooking contest guru, but since slicing her hand on a sweet potato she cannot enter the contest this year. She is disappointed, but glad to still be involved with the contest. That is, until a body is discovered. Sherry is back to her sleuthing, especially since it appears that Amber, her best friend, is at the top of the suspect list.
Love the characters, the interaction between them, and the insight into the world of cooking competitions.
Truly enjoyed the book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for your honest review.

Since I like watching cooking competitions I enjoyed the look behind the scenes at a one. And there were enough suspects that I kept guessing who the murderer was and I never guessed correctly. The story flowed well but unfortunately I never really felt any connection to the characters so the book just wasn’t a standout for me.