I have read the other books in this series and was glad to be accepted for the next instalment. Really fun reads

Haley and her mother are catering a Cuban/Us conference that is being held in the Harry Truman Little White House. Boyfriend, detective Nathan has intel that there will be trouble and wants them to turn down the job. As the meetings progress, a prized Nobel Gold medal is stolen and a man is murdered. This is book 8 in the key West Food Critic Mystery series and this is the first I've read. I'm sure there was a lot of back story that would have filled in some of the questions I had. I really liked the houseboat setting and the fact that Nathan was willing to change his mind about where they could live. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the 3rd book in the series but I have only read this one. It didn't matter though and I really enjoyed the book and will look out for further books in the series.

Thank you for the arc.

Death on the Menu by Emma Davies is the third book in the brilliant Adam and Eve Mystery Series and I have really enjoyed these books especially as I love cosy mysteries and they're an easy quick read which is great for holidays etc. They have all been a well written, I love loved them.

Cyphers and cryptic puzzles are the backdrop in this third book in the Adam and Eve Mystery series. Francesca Eve and Adam find themselves scratching their heads more than once as they feverishly work to solve clues while once again solving a murder. The man who has died had three adult children. Could one of them be the murderer who betrayed and killed their father?

Despite a generational gap of two decades between Fran and Adam. the pair make a perfect crime-fighting duo. Although amateur sleuths, they are more than adept at finding and solving clues, no matter the danger. Since the man that has died has three adult children, that is the beginning of Fran and Adam's inquiries.

As Fran was fulfilling another of her jobs as a traveling caterer, she has a bit of freedom roaming about the house, asking questions at every turn. What is more is that Fran and Adam get a bit caught up in the game of winning the inheritance left by the victim. In short, the victim laid out a bunch of mysterious clues, and whoever solved this intriguing puzzle would net the inheritence.

Quite naturally, Fran is certain the inheritance is the objective of the murder, but is loath to believe that one of the man's own children could have wanted their father dead, never mind be the actual killer. Along with Adam and her old friend Olivia, they are in a race against time to find all the answers needed to bring the killer to justice.

I really loved Adam's role in this third book in this enjoyable series. Adam is a computer whiz and an experienced gamer, thus making this cat and mouse game of solving clues something that he excelled at. The clues themselves were as entertaining as the story in Death on the Menu, making this book a true delight from beginning to end.

I had fun with this book, despite having not read the previous books.

Francesca Eve is a caterer, and when an old school friend asks her to cater a meal after the funeral for her diseased employer Clarence Lightman, Francesca agrees. There are all sorts of mysterious stipulations – exactly who should attend, where they should sit – that Mr. Lightman specified in his will, but as he was an eccentric game designer, everyone agrees. The will reveals whoever can solve one last puzzle gets the bulk of his estate. When the old school friend realizes she could play the game and potentially inherit, she asks Francesca for help. Francesca natural turns to her partner in crime for help, Adam.

This book was different than a typical cozy in a good way. I liked the fact that Adam is firmly a friend – Francesca is happy married, not to mention old enough to be Adam’s mum. And I like that they are occasional friends in that they don’t see each other constantly or work together all the time. There’s a nice moment in the beginning when Adam texts Francesca that he’s at Mr. Lightman’s funeral, not knowing that she’s catering the meal afterwards. I also liked the fact that it started off as a treasure hunt, and the murder was almost secondary. There was a neat twist at the end as well that I think I would have appreciated more if I had read previous books.

Altogether, an enjoyable read – recommended!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

Francesca (Fran) Eve’s old school chum, Olivia, has hired her to cater the funeral dinner for Clarence Lightman. Mr. Lightman, an author who created games based on his books, died a wealthy man. His will makes one last effort to reconcile his fractured family by sending his “nearest and dearest” on a treasure hunt. His children do not take this news well, and they’re really unhappy when they learn that Olivia – the “hired help” – has the right to try to unravel the clues and claim an inheritance for herself.

This book is nearly impossible to put down! The treasure hunt premise is unique and a lot of fun. The characters end up in some pretty outlandish situations trying to chase down the clues that lead to the fortune. And in addition to trying to sort out the clues, Fran and Adam are trying to track down a murderer.

There’s some stiff competition among the teams (Marcus and Cate, two of Lightman’s children; Saul, the third of Lightman’s children; and Fran, Olivia, and Adam). At least one of the teams is playing dirty, and we know it isn’t our fearless protagonists. The fact that someone is willing to stoop to murder really ramps up the tension in the story.

And the characters! Fran is a delight. She’s close to my age, which makes me appreciate her that much more. She and Adam seem like they’d be as different as chalk and cheese, but their personalities actually work well together. I like that Fran isn’t someone who has to be in charge all the time. She realizes that Adam has the skill set they need to work out the clues here, and she doesn’t hesitate to let him take the lead on that. She knows her strengths and is fine with letting others shine when it’s what works best. And even the minor characters, like Margaret, the family solicitor, are fleshed out nicely.

There were plenty of twists and turns in the story, and Davies kept me guessing until the end. I love a book where I can’t solve the mystery until the reveal smacks me in the head!

If you like a modern story with a unique premise and a cozy mystery that will have you second-guessing what you think at every turn, I highly recommend Death on the Menu!

Another good book in this cozy mystery series which has a more modern setting than most in this genre. I very much like the combination of the characters and the quirky elements of their personalities and how they work together.

Well writ and an easy read. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Fran Eve is hired to cater a funeral meal and is surprised to find that a childhood friend, Olivia, is in charge of the arrangements. Clarence Lightman, a writer and puzzle designer, has died and his estranged family has gathered for the funeral and the reading of his will. The will sets in motion a treasure hunt, the winner of which will inherit the estate. Olivia, Clarence’s companion and friend as well as employee, is also eligible to participate in the treasure hunt. With Adam joining in to help with the clues the three race to find the final clue before Clarence’s estranged children do. But as the hunt gets more intense there is murder and the very real possibility that Clarence’s death was also murder.
This is really fast-paced for an Adam and Eve mystery with the majority of the action taking place over the course of 24 hours. Once again Adam and Eve’s differing talents complement each other and facilitate the solution to the clues bringing them closer to the solution. These are really enjoyable mysteries that is getting better with each entry in the series. I look forward to the next entry. Recommended

Enjoyed the characters, the plotting, the pacing, the atmosphere, and the inability to set the book aside. The writing is fluid and descriptive, the narration is descriptive, and characters are believable.

Francesca is happy to take on any catering job, but catering for a formal dinner after a funeral is a new one for her. However when she discovers the deceased is the employer of an old friend she is delighted to see her again. Olivia had been the housekeeper of the author who became very wealthy from writing mystery books & games. Clarence was estranged from his family but they are all there for the reading of the will. After a few bequests the bulk of his fortune will go to the person who solves his final treasure hunt. This does not go down well! The solicitor reading the will is not enamoured of the family & tells Olivia there is nothing to stop her solving the mystery. This is the sort of thing Fran's nerdy friend Adam excels at! But it's not going to be plain sailing!

I missed the second in this series but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, possibly even more than the first. Full of interesting characters & riddles it was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Book three in the Adam & Eve mystery series and another cracking instalment in this cosy mystery series that I have followed since book one and just as the other two this was another entertaining read.

Adam & Eve finding themselves in the thick of things again join forces to do some ammeter sleuthing this time in the form of a treasure hunt but this is not any ordinary hunt there's a lot at stake!

I love the partnership between Adam & Eve despite the decade of age between them their respect that they have for one another shines through, they complement each other in all the best ways.

Though part of a series, does well as a stand alone too.

Francesca has been asked to cater for a funeral supper for an eccentric rich businessman who has died.
He was an elderly man and the death was not considered suspicious until everyone who benefited from the
will gathered around. Clarence was not going to make it easy for the beneficiaries and he came up with
a treasure hunt with cryptic clues.

Francesca's friend Olivia had been Clarence's secretary and right hand man and all of them are appalled
at the greed displayed by the three children to fight and grasp their inheritance. Finding the dead body
of the eldest son whilst in pursuit of clues was unexpected but quite probable as the story winds on,
because it is becoming a no holds barred quest for the money.

A good story, Francesca and Adam her help mate in all things detective do a good job in this cosy.

I love myself a treasure hunt and this book delivered in a clever cozy with plenty of twists and turns. There were things I definitely did not see coming. I had not read any books previously in this series (you do not have to read any before to understand what is going on) and I very much enjoyed the characters.

The two main characters who do the investigating were an unusual duos. Francesca (Eve) was a married woman with a teenage son (both who are not really around in this book, but don't worry she was a happily married woman) who ran a catering business. When she catered a dinner where a will was read she soon found herself pulled in by her friend--a possible recipient of the will--to figure out the clues in a treasure hunt that would lead to the treasure. Of course, she asked her friend and fellow amateur detective, Adam, in his late twenties/early thirties, who designed video games for a living, to help. Then the accidents began happening, followed by murder...

This duo were not a couple and there will not be a romance here. It was just friendship. You don't find friendships between a woman and man with maybe a 15 or 20 year age difference (a guess) as the lead characters in a cozy very often but it worked here.

I enjoyed the book very much. Not only did I like the treasure hunt there were twists and turns and some action to keep me riveted to the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Francesca Eve is catering a sombre funeral supper, but the last thing she expects is another murder on the menu…. When elderly millionaire and eccentric entrepreneur Clarence Lightman dies, his nearest and dearest gather one final time at Justice House, Clarence’s beautiful country estate in rural Shropshire, for the reading of his will. But the day ends in uproar when Clarence’s will reveals that whoever solves a series of complex clues will inherit everything, whether that’s one of Clarence’s disagreeable children, his devoted housekeeper, or Francesca herself…

Francesca knows she should stick to the kitchen and stay out of this macabre game, but she is unwillingly drawn into the mystery when she finds Clarence’s son, blood pooling from a deadly thwack to the head, shoved into the larder. Somebody is clearly not playing fair, and Francesca feels sure that they won’t stop until all of the competition has been eliminated.

Francesca must find the murderer, and protect herself and her fellow innocent guests. But trapped in the game until the riddles are solved, she can’t trust anyone. If she can solve the clues, could they lead her to this ruthless killer? And can she find them before they strike again? Fran must use all her wits, not only to hunt down the truth, but just to stay alive…

I love these whodunit little mysteries and the ability of the reader to go through the mystery with Francesca and Adam. With this particular mystery, I loved the clue aspect and trying to figure them out for myself.

Francesca Eve was hired to plan a dinner for the funeral of Clarence Lightman, a well known millionaire and entrepreneur. When Clarence’s family and closest friends gather at his estate, for the reading of his will, things don’t necessarily go as planned. The attendees are instructed that they must solve a series of clues in order to inherit everything Clarence owned. Francesca is in the kitchen tending to her cooking duties until she is pulled into the game by a friend. The clues are stacking up but unfortunately so are the victims. Francesca must find the killer and solve the clues before the killer gets away with the money and murder.

This cozy mystery was the perfect whodunnit. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. I found this story to be completely unpredictable and addictive. I couldn’t put it down. It was a fun read and also left me flying through the pages. I loved the plot twists and turns throughout the incredible story. The scavenger hunt was absolutely perfect, and such a joy to read. I couldn’t wait to find out the next clue. This fun and cryptic read is a must read for any cozy mystery fan. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Emma Davies for such an amazing addition to the wonderful Adam and Eve Mystery Series. I really enjoyed this installment and I can’t wait until the next book in this series. Loved it!.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Death On The Menu' by Emma Davies.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 22nd September 2022.

This is the fifth book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in her 'Adam And Eve Mystery Series' but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'A Year At Appleyard Farm', 'The Little Island Secret', 'My Husband's Lie', 'After The Crash' and 'Death On Disguise' (First book in the 'Adam And Eve Mystery Series' and would recommend them all!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I am a huge fan of Emma and if this book is half as good as 'A Year At Appleyard Farm', 'The Little Island Secret', 'My Husband's Lie', After The Crash' and 'Death On Disguise' it is bound to be an epic read!! The synopsis stated that 'If you love Clare Chase, M.C. Beaton and The Thursday Murder Club you’ll adore this thrilling mystery.' I am a huge fan of Clare Chase so am interested to see if it will live up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 22 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Shropshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and stayed in Shropshire so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any places mentioned in the book.

This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Francesca Eve and Adam Smith. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

WOW!!! JUST WOW!!! YET ANOTHER ADDICTIVE ADDITION TO THE FANTASTIC 'ADAM AND EVE' SERIES!! I LOVE HOW YOU CAN JUMP FROM GENRE TO GENRE ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY AND WHETHER IT IS A ROMANCE, WOMEN'S FICTION OR MURDER MYSTERY YOU SLAM DUNK IT EVERY TIME AND THIS BOOK IS NO EXCEPTION!!!

Another huge success by Emma Davies!!! This book is beautifully written and filled with vivid descriptions to the point where I can hear the trees rustling in the wind and taste Frank's divine dishes while curled up on the sofa reading. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!!! AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING COSY MYSTERY!!!!

I must admit that I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this fantastic series when I read 'Death In Disguise' but I will start by repeating that you Emma are a lady of many talent! The first book of yours that I fell in love with was 'My Husband's Lie' which was a psychological fiction filled with mystery and suspense, I then read 'A year at Applewood farm' which was filled with romance, I moved onto 'The Little Island Secret ' which was a gorgeous romantic holiday fiction and the last book I read by you was 'After The Crash' which was a romantic mystery. I then moved onto the first in this series 'Death In Disguise, somehow I think I may have missed' Death On The Dinner Plate' and now I have just finished this absolutely addictive page turner and yet again you have outshone yourself!! Does your talent have no boundaries? Not many people can jump from one genre to another and even less do it well but you have done an absolutely fantastic job Emma!!!! Congratulations and I am looking forward to your next successful surprise!!

The storyline is absolutely addictive starting off with the perfect atmosphere for a cosy mystery being a treasure hunt after the death of an author!! A unique and perfectly fitting start for an murder mystery!! This is most definitely one the best cosy murder mysteries I have ever read!!! It was filled with murder, suspense, mystery, humour and rammed full of red herrings!! What more could you ever ask for in a cosy mystery? This book is perfect to read curled up by a fire or relaxing on a beach. There were so many different red herrings and different leads that Emma took me down and I enjoyed solving the puzzles and clues along with Fran and Adam. I would never have worked out who the killer was so a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to Emma for managing to surprise me. I have read several books by authors who have only ever written mysteries and yet have worked out the whodunit by 50% in some which is a pet hate for me. However, you normally write romance novels and amazing ones at that, and yet managed to completely shock me!!! I also loved how everything was explained and tied up as another pet hate of mine is when a piece of the puzzle is mentioned then seemingly forgotten and never spoken of again. Emma, I absolutely LOVED this book which is an absolutely, perfectly explosive addition to what has promised to be an absolutely epic new series!!! I would LOVE to see this book, well this whole series turned into a movie which is sure to be a huge hit. Keep up the amazing work and I cannot wait for your next success whether it's another romance or the fourth part in this fantastic series!!

Although this is the third book in the series I had would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I absolutely love Fran and was over the moon to meet her again!!! When I started this series and I realised that she was a 50 year old caterer I did not know what to expect but straight away her personality lit up like a lighthouse. She made me laugh until I had tears streaming down my face. I can't remember the last time a character made me laugh so much! She is such a realistic character that jumps out of the pages and who is smart, caring and intriguing. The fact that this was a cosy murder mystery was even better as she definitely made it lighter than most I have read. She is such a larger than life and bubbly character who says it as it is, doesn't take any crud and has the most gorgeous personality. She is friendly, knows what to says who to trust and the fact that she swears now and again makes her my perfect cup of tea!! Fran is definitely the type of woman I would want by my side whether I wanted to laugh, cry or have a 5 course meal. I immediately clicked with her after the first few pages of 'Death In Disguise' and she hasn't left my mind since. The second I started reading this book it felt like I had only just finished saying Goodbye to her as qshe materialised in front of me again. I am happy to say that the same went with Adam who was nervous, funny and minced his words. They are complete opposites who made the perfect team. Again, neither knew each other previously when they first met yet they hit it off straight away and they work just as well together in this book as they did the first. They make one of the best teams I have ever met!! They make a perfect pairing and I cannot wait to meet them both again. They are most certainly the type of characters whose personalities stay with you for a long time and I've already started missing them... Hint hint Emma 😉

DO NOT PICK THIS BOOK UP INTOL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⚠!!

Yet one more HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Emma on the best cosy mystery series I have ever read and I am impatiently waiting for the next success in this series!!

Overall an absolutely addictive, hilarious, fun, light hearted cosy mystery which will keep you up until 2am turning the pages

Genres covered in this novel include Murder Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Cozy Animal Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as FANS of Agatha Christie, Clare Chase, Helena Dixon, Martin, M.C. Beaton, 'The Thursday Murder Club' and anyone who loves an amazing cosy mystery and especially you reading this!! .

287 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) and £7.99 in paperback which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This was a great third entry in the Adam and Eve series, and provides readers with not only a murder mystery, but a treasure hunt, the winner of which will inherit the estate of Clarence, an author and game developer. Fran and Adam are called in to help decipher the clues, but find themselves not at all sure who among those on the treasure hunt is being truthful, and who is out to win at any cost.

The third book in the Adam and Eve series has a twisty plot and a small cast of suspects, many of whom are unlikeable. Francesa meets a childhood friend when she gets a job catering for the funeral of an author and game designer. The man died unexpectedly but had left a detailed will and a wish that his estranged children, several people he knew, his solicitor and companion attend a meal after his funeral.

The story features a treasure hunt, which the participants must solve to gain their inheritance. Deceit, lies, secrets and an underlying sense of danger define this cosy mystery. Adam, a fan of the dead author, is drawn into the treasure hunt as he and Francesa Eve help her friend solve the clues.

The reader gets to solve the clues with Adam and Francesca making this an immersive read. The dynamic between the two amateur sleuths works well, and the plot has plenty of false leads. I love the main characters, the suspense build-up and the plot twists. It's my favourite book in the series so far.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

When elderly millionaire and eccentric entrepreneur Clarence Lightman dies, his nearest and dearest gather one final time at Justice House, Clarence’s beautiful country estate, for the reading of his will. . Francesca Eve has been hired to cater for a meal prior to the reading of the will, she's surprised to find her best friend from Primary School Olivia was the companion of Clarence. But the day ends in uproar when it is revealed that whoever solves a series of complex clues will inherit everything . Fran agrees to help Olivia in the hunt for clues & of course calls Adam to help.
The third outing for Adam & Eve & it was another engrossing read, there are lots of twists & turns especially as to who is telling the truth & who can be trusted. Clarence’s three children were estranged but they all tell different sides to the story. There's also the underlying thread as to whether Clarence died of natural causes. I was as confused as Fran but loved being on the journey to find the villain
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read