Samantha Warren left her job as a journalist to start a career as a mixologist. While that may seem like a downward step, as it turns out she's excellent at the job. Sam and her business partner/friend, Beth, who does most of the cooking, leaving the unique drink concoctions to Sam, are building an impressive client catering and customer list. Romance is even in the air. I know which guy I'm rooting for but, dang it, liked them both. Anyway, in other words, Sam's busy and has definitely gained self-confidence and direction since I first met her in book one.

So, how is it Sam keeps getting caught up in murder investigations? In this case, the question is, "Who killed Angela Clawson?" She was a society mover-and-shaker and involved in a community project that had both strong support and detractors. Although the police immediately zero in on a suspect, one who turns out to be her visiting mother's long-time friend Patty, it turns out the suspect list is lengthy. Patty wasn't the only one who had a heated argument with Angela. Could it be a family member? Did fancy money handling have anything to do with the murder? Who was that snickering at the funeral? Oh, so many possibilities.

Sam is reluctant to become involved. She recalls her brush with death last time she encountered a killer. It's only when she realizes she can't turn her back on her mother, Lillian, and her concern for Patty that Sam reluctantly begins to research and ask questions. Will that lead her into danger? Oh, come on. This is a cozy mystery. Of course it will.

In the process, there's lots and lots of food talk and, hmm, I think I even learned a thing or two about mixing drinks. There are even some delicious, intriguing recipes at the end, including one for Samantha's Sparkling Cocktail, so not just food recipes! Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for letting me drop in on Sam and friends again. Can't wait to come back!

I have been looking forward to reading the second installment ever since I read A Dash of Death. Murder Served Neat is a fantabulous addition to the series. Completely engrossing and entertaining.

The story begins with Samantha serving cocktails at the Fourth of July events hosted by German Texan Lodge. Many witness a fight between Patty and Angela - two Lodge members who are on the opposite side of a decision concerning the Lodge. A couple of hours later, Angela is found dead. Patty is the main suspect. The police do not find concrete evidence against Patty, so they let her go. But Samantha's mum is sure this is just a temporary arrangement, and they will be back with more evidence against Patty.

As Samantha starts to dig deeper in Angela's life, she learns about the fight she had with her son hours before her death. She also learns about the goings-on at the Lodge - there's a lot of trouble brewing here. Could Angela's daughter-in-law or son be the perp? Or is it someone from the Lodge?

This is a Michelle Hillen Klump novel, so it goes without saying that the storytelling is simple mind-blowing and exceptionally brilliant. We also have side stories of recurring characters to keep us entertained - a romance angle to be exact.

The mystery behind the murder kept me guessing till the end. Samantha might be an amateur sleuth but she's a trained reporter, so sleuthing is in her blood. How far does this help her in solving the case - well, once again she comes face-to-face with the killer. Do I need to say more?

If you are looking for an engrossing and entertaining cozy mystery with a dash of bitters, you might want to give Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump a try. This book comes highly recommended from me so go on, chop chop, grab your copy today!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Murder Served Neat is a great follow-up to the first book in the series, A Dash of Death. Once again, Samantha finds herself investigating a murder. This time, it is her mother's friend, Patty, who finds herself the main suspect in a murder investigation. The victim, Angela, is not the most pleasant person around and there are more than a few other suspects. Murder served neat is a nice cozy mystery for readers who enjoy the genre and the storyline is never boring. It is best enjoyed if you have read the first book in the series.

Murder Served Neat is book #2 in the Cocktails and Catering Mystery series by Michelle Hillen Klump.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author and I’m a fan! The descriptions in the book made me feel like I was there. I understand Samantha’s reluctance to get involved in another investigation. I like that she has investigator skills from her time as a reporter. Great characters, interesting mystery, and good food - what more can you ask for? There are several recipes at the end. I want to try the Blackberry-Glazed Salmon. I look forward to the next book.

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

This is a quick, easy read. As with many cozies, there’s a big focus on food, a murder and sleuthing. What makes this more unique is that Samantha is a mixologist who creates custom cocktails as part of her catering business. The mystery presents plenty of suspects who could have had a motive for committing murder. There were parts that were a bit slow and repetitive, which detracted from the flow of the story. The dreaded love triangle also reared its ugly head, which I find to be an overused tool that adds nothing but an unnecessary distraction from the mystery. Ultimately I’d have to say that this book was an ok read for me - good, but not quite meeting its potential.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and although the heroine's love triangle gets quite wearing, the mystery portion is for the most part good. It could have used a little more wrapping up at the end - in terms of the other suspects and the reasons they were suspected (without giving too much away!) but it managed to tread the line between the heroine being too stupid to live and walking into danger quite well.

Title: Murder Served Neat
Author: Michelle Hillen Klump
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Release Date: February 21, 2023


Interesting and well-written cozy mystery with likeable characters, red herrings to keep the reader guessing whodunit, and delicious-sounding cocktails. Looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

The mixologist career is interesting because I haven’t seen that as a profession prior to this series. The mystery was creative and I would read more of this series.

Teaser review at https://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2023/02/murder-served-neat-tuesday.html
********************************************************************
One of my first reads of the year was Michelle Hillen Klump's A Dash of Death. I wasn't overly impressed by it, but I stuck with it because this was already on my NetGalley shelf. I almost didn't and just hit the "will not be leaving feedback" button since I have had very bad luck with the "second book curse" lately.

Murder Served Neat has broken the curse!

I cared more about the characters -- possibly because we had already "met" before. Even the victim was a "what the heck! who? how?" right off the bat. I still don't care who killed the guy in the first one 😆 As a whole, the story just flowed much more smoothly. Sure, it was a little bit all over the place at times, but here it made sense and even added to the story rather than distracting from. Now, we just need to address the not-so-little matter of a certain little triangle that hopefully won't drag on and on for books to come.

And, yes, I'll definitely be reading the books to come.

Murder Served Neat is a fun Fourth of July themed follow up to the first book in the series! I love this Houston set murder mystery that’s heavy on the food and drinks!

Book two in this series opens with the main character, Samantha, serving up celebratory cocktails at the Highlands Lodge Independence Day Festival. Things seem to be going well until one of the organisers is found murdered, and Samantha's mother's friend Patty is the chief suspect. Of course Samantha has to try and find the real culprit before Patty finds herself under arrest.

This is definitely a book for readers who also enjoy cocktails. Some of the recipes sound amazing and there is a lot of information about the how to assemble them. The characters are fun and Samantha finds herself with two men who are interested in her although I am pretty sure which one she is going to go with.

An entertaining read and I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book.

Samantha is busy making her unique cocktails at the German Texan Lodge’s Fourth of July festival when Angela Clawson is found dead at the construction site of the new tennis courts. Lodge employee Patty Davis had a heated argument with Angela & may be the prime suspect.

Patty is the best friend of Samantha's mother Lillian who is visiting for the week. Lillian begs Samantha for help to clear her name. A Cocktails and Catering Mystery series sounds like an interesting cozy mystery concept but this second book did not work for me for several reasons. Samantha & Lillian's sleuthing to eliminate other possible suspects was unlikely amidst her other catering jobs and the pacing in the story was uneven. The police were no where in sight until close to the end of the story when Samantha makes the TSTL (too stupid to live) act of meeting alone with the suspected killer.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.

Murder Served Neat: A Cocktails and Catering Mystery
By Michelle Hillen Klump
Crooked Lane Books
February 21, 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

After breaking an engagement and losing her job as a Houston reporter, Samantha Warren is now fully embracing her new careers as a caterer and mixologist. For the Corpus Crispi town’s first Highlands’ Independence Day festival, Sam is serving up her specialty red, white, and blue Sparkler drinks to many of the German Lodge’s high society members. The social club dedicated to celebrating and preserving the Texans German heritage is in the midst of a battle to build a tennis club that might save the Lodge, but also encroaches on their grounds. The loudest proponent for the Tennis Club Committee is their head Angela Clawson, who gets into a very public confrontation with Patty Davis, Sam’s mother’s best friend. When Angela’s body is found at the bottom of the tennis stadium construction site it doesn’t take much of a leap for police to identify Patty as the main suspect, especially when incriminating evidence is found pointing towards her as the killer.

Although she has already solved one murder since her return home, it’s not Sam but her mother who encourages a non-official investigation into the case. It turns out that Angela was estranged from her sister, while her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law are battling over money and their inheritance. Sam’s mother being a librarian gives them the skills to research the history of the German Club and the surprisingly strong presence of Germans in Texas from before World War II. On the personal side, Sam is feeling conflicted over the arrival of Patty’s son Martin, who through miscommunication and heartbreak have had them at odds since college. While it seems obvious to everyone but Sam that Martin has very strong feelings about her, she is much more interested in a certain law enforcement officer. When not navigating social club politics or awkwardly catering Angela’s funeral, Sam and her mother are able to taste and explore Texas’s unique fusion cuisines.

This second in the series excels highlighting their Texas town’s diverse cultures, from Asian-Mexican tacos to American-German treats. Sam and her mother have a refreshingly close and supportive relationship, and even with the few bumps along the way their admiration for one another is obvious and so inspiring. Sam’s romantic life plays out in the background of the story, and fortunately Sam’s long-held resentment towards Martin is not drawn out and instead is resolved quickly through actual mature conversations. Cozy mystery fans will revel in the mouth-watering descriptions of Sam’s cooking and restaurant experiences, which break apart stereotypes of what might be considered to be “real” Texas food. Sam and her friends are relatable and very easy to like, especially when they display human flaws and emotions. This is an enjoyable follow-up to the debut of the series, and readers will look forward to reuniting with Sam and her tasty creations.

Samantha has started a new chapter in her life after being jilted just three weeks before her wedding and losing her job. She and her friend, Beth, are working hard to start a catering business and Samantha's well received mixed drinks are part of it. When her mother talks her into the German Texan Lodge Fourth of July festivities she agrees. It could be very good for business....or just the opposite. When two women have a very loud contretemps in public over the Lodge building a tennis facility on their property, one of them is found dead and the other happens to be a best friend - now prime suspect - of Samantha's mother. The dead woman was all for the tennis facility. Was that enough motive for her murder? Samantha has no desire to become involved in another murder but it's her mother doing the asking so what's a daughter to do? Investigate.
This mystery is full of good food, interesting mixed drinks and a well plotted puzzle to unravel. The characters have depth and there are strong relationships with friends and family. I'm holding a spot for future books in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I gave Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump 5 stars

Samantha is mixing up traditional cocktails at the German Texan Lodge’s Fourth of July festival—a gig she was roped into by her mother. But amidst the bratwurst and brass bands, trouble is brewing. Lodge loyalties are divided over a proposal to build a private, country-club-style tennis center on the lodge grounds. Her mom’s best friend Patty Davis is vehemently opposed to the plan. Society matron Angela Clawson is all for it. At the festival, they’re seen in a heated argument—and hours later, Angela is found dead, killed by one of the ceremonial shovels intended for the groundbreaking.

Samantha’s mother begs her to help clear her best friend’s name, but can she handle another murder case or will the whole investigation go bottoms up?

-------- REVIEW --------

This is the second book in A Cocktails and Catering Mystery series and I enjoyed both books a lot, but this one got one more star. In the first book Samantha started her new catering company and in this book the business is finally taking off. Reading about the workplace is one of my favorite things about cozy mysteries.

I also really liked reading about Samantha's mom and seeing her help out sleuthing. The mystery was intriguing and I had no clue of whodunit.

This is a series I highly recommend and I am very much looking forward to the next book.

This book comes out 21 Feb.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoZJ7VdrqOt/

Former reporter Samantha Warren has changed her career to mixologist when her job was downsized. She and her good friend are trying to build new careers as caterers. One of their first jobs has them working at the German Texan Lodge's Fourth of July festival.

Samantha is selling lots of her Sparkler cocktails when she witnesses an argument between her mother's best friend Patty who is one of the organizers and a woman who is spearheading the plan to add a tennis club to the facility.

When Angela Clawson is found dead, hit with one of the ceremonial shovels from the groundbreaking for the tennis club, Samantha has to investigate again because Patty is the prime suspect. She's a reluctant investigator since her previous investigation almost cost her life. But she does find a number of suspects including the victim's family who seem better candidates for murderer than her mother's friend.

This was an engaging cozy mystery with tempting recipes at the end.

Sam finds herself roped into yet another murder investigation when her mother Lillian convinces her to help prove that her BFF Patty did not kill Angela, who has enraged more than one person involved with the German Texas Lodge. Classic cozy in many ways- real estate, a victim who has made several enemies, and a protagonist with a unique career. That said, Sam's fun- she was forced out of both her journalism career and her marriage and now she's rebuilding her life back home and her craft cocktail and catering business with her friend Beth. The dialogue is good as are the atmospherics (the heat, the members of the club). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read with....recipes!

Murder Served Neat is an easyread cozy mystery. It stands out because of its rather unusual setting (fourth of july celebrations) and the lead character's job (mixologist). A refreshing change of scenery in the genre. But I still missed a Wow factor to make the plot more riveting.

The second cocktails and catering mystery has Sam investigating after a woman is found murdered at a lodge
Festival. The problem is that the suspect is her mom’s best friend, Patty. Complicating matters is her arch nemesis, Patty’s son Martin, is back in town to comfort his mom.

Parts of this were fast and parts were slow. I think the actual clue finding part can be a little slow, but still a solid cozy mystery.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Served Neat is the 2nd book in the Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. It is an enjoyable book about Samantha Warren who is starting a Catering business. Sam also makes unique cocktails. She and her partner Beth are working at the Lodge's Independence Day festivities making cocktails. Sam witnesses her mom's friend Patty argue with Angela Clawson about the proposed tennis courts. Angela ends up dead and Patty is the prime suspect. Sam, her mom, Lillian, and their friends try to clear Patty and find the real culprit. Patty's son Martin is in town. Sam is dating David. It makes the story a little mire interesting. The characters are likable and the mystery kept me guessing. An enjoyable cozy mystery. #MurderServedNeat #NetGalley