This is a great debut book from author Sandra Jackson-Opoku. This book has a great mystery and I “devoured” it in one day. I enjoyed spunky, sassy characters, this book has that in force. Of course, Savvy was my favorite, followed closely by Penny. Their back and forth way of talking and their relationship was enjoyable and real.

Savvy is no nonsense and tells it like it is. Savvy takes it upon herself to find out why her sweet potato pie is the alleged culprit in the local player’s death, Grandy Jaspers. The author does a fabulous job of laying down the law with hints and red-herrings. Jackson-Opoku also does a great job with the backstory of Savvy and the other characters, while keeping the reader engaged with the present.

I loved most Great Aunt Essie’s sayings that Savvy quoted throughout the book and I really liked how blunt and spot-on they were to Savvy’s character and the situations. I appreciated the author bringing them all together at the end.

The audio narrator, Karen Chilton, was excellent. She brought the author’s words to life with her excellent tone and expression that were perfect these characters. I also enjoy the culinary mystery parts of the book as well. I think I want to make myself some of the hot chocolate.

Thank you to the publisher for the NetGalley widget, and the approval for the audio ALC. All views are my own. Mentions of body parts and viagra and some strong language.

SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES
By Sandra Jackson-Opoku
The First Savvy Summers Mystery

In Chicago's South Side Savvy Summers is known for her soul food cooking and reasonable prices. Hired as the caterer for Mattie and Granderson's fiftieth wedding anniversary Savvy is witness to the bad behaviors of many a relative and the surprise when Mattie calls her husband out for all of his affairs. The party abruptly ends with Savvy wondering if she'll ever see the rest of the money she's owed. When Grandy comes to her cafe the next day claiming he's not feeling well she supplies him with his usual coffee and a sample of her new "veganish" sweet potato pie-after which he drops dead. They say trouble comes in threes and an older man keeling over dead in your cafe is definitely #1, unfortunately followed by the health department closing her down, and the widow suing her. When Grandy's death is ruled a heart attack Savvy is back in business, but a business the weaselly Noble McPherson is trying to buy out. Could he somehow be behind all her troubles?

I like Savvy. She's a smart no-nonsense woman with a big heart and generous spirit. I appreciate the soul food cooking that honors her Great-Aunt Essie, but also has a modern flair to it; collard green quiches, salmon croquettes, or veganish sweet potato pie anyone? I also really like her ex-husband, Fanon. Noble is a nasty piece of work and a good villain to hate. The mystery was fun with suspects whose lifestyles are quite colorful. While Savvy may get her South Side up, Shysteen is straight up ghetto.

There is no doubt that SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES is a cozy mystery. It does, however, push the boundaries as the author herself admits in her acknowledgments. Savvy is definitely cozy, but the language and scenarios can be a bit more coarse that what some cozy readers may be used to. I had no problem with it because everything felt true to the environment.

With lots of soul SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES is an intriguing start to a new series.

As of right now, this book is a DNF for me. The opening was a bit discombobulated. It was like walking into the middle of a movie and being expected to know what was going on. The author kept throwing character after character into the story with little introduction, and it was quite difficult to keep up with who was who.

On top of that, the book was extremely slow with very little happening with the exception of one character dying. And, I felt like the author was telling the story without really describing it. It just made me not really care about any of the characters or what was going on. I put the book down a couple of weeks ago and forgot about it, and at this time, I don't really care to find out what happened.

Maybe one day I will decide to go back and finish the story, but it's just not for me. Based on what I read, I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars

What a fun debut by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. The story was well written, easy to follow, and had enjoyable characters. I didn't really care for the plot, but everything else about this book kept me engaged and wanting to know if Savvy and Penny would solve the mystery. As a Southern girl, Aunt Essie's saying were a wonderful addition. I would recommend this is you're looking for a fun and quick read (filler) and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the free copy.

Cozy Mystery
Chicago
Infidelity
Family Secrets
Divorceé FMC
I don’t know how to out this in words but this was beyond a mystery. It took sometime to get into the mystery aspect but as a first in the series, it’s a good setup. I’d say it’s also realistic with the timeline and how the police would react to a civilian trying to solve a case themselves. Even the characters are extremely realistic to your everyday person! Two womanizers die the same way so they have to be related right? The complex relationships, heck the complexities of everyday life, captured wonderfully here! If you’re into cozy mysteries, I def recommend you give this one a try!

DNF @ 35%

I don’t like the writing style, I cringe when she says another alliterated name (like… Shyesteen Shackleford & Red Rover 😩🥲) & it’s way too many characters. The plot seems to be all over the place and it feels like the story is bouncing around with no real connecting thread.

Ugh I’m so sad I didn’t like this bc I was very much looking forward to reading it based on the description.

Soul Food, Sweet Secrets, and Deadly Desserts: A Mystery You'll Devour! 🥧

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars

What an absolutely captivating mystery!
Sandra Jackson-Opoku has created something truly special with this delightful book that had me completely hooked from the very first page. 😍

When 75-year-old neighborhood womanizer Grandy Jaspers drops dead at table two after enjoying Savvy's famous sweet potato pie, what starts as a regular day at Essie's soul food café quickly transforms into a murder investigation that threatens everything Savvy has worked so hard to build. The premise alone grabbed my attention, but what kept me reading was the masterful way Jackson-Opoku develops both her protagonist and the intricate mystery surrounding Grandy's death.

Savvy Summers is an absolutely fantastic protagonist! She's smart, determined, and fiercely protective of her café and community. When the police dismiss Grandy's death as an accident but the bad press threatens to destroy her business, Savvy doesn't just sit back and hope things work out. She takes action, and I loved watching her navigate this crisis with intelligence and grit. Her partnership with assistant manager Penny López creates some genuinely entertaining moments, and their friendship feels authentic and heartwarming. 💕

The Chicago South Side setting comes alive in these pages in the most wonderful way. Jackson-Opoku clearly knows and loves this community, and her authentic portrayal creates an atmosphere that's both warm and vibrant. You can practically smell the soul food cooking and feel the warmth of Southern hospitality that permeates every page. The café itself becomes almost like another character in the story, making you want to visit this special place where food is prepared with love and care.

The mystery itself is cleverly constructed with plenty of suspects and red herrings that kept me guessing until the very end. Jackson-Opoku does an excellent job of planting clues without making the solution too obvious, and when the truth finally comes out, it feels both surprising and completely logical. The pacing is absolutely perfect, never dragging but never feeling rushed either.

What really sets this book apart is how Jackson-Opoku weaves together multiple compelling storylines. You have the murder investigation, pressure from a slimy investor who won't take no for an answer, customers avoiding the sweet potato pie like it's poison, and Savvy's complicated relationship with her police sergeant ex-husband. Nothing feels forced or unnecessary; every element serves the larger story beautifully.

The food descriptions throughout had my mouth watering constantly! 🤤 Jackson-Opoku has this amazing ability to make cuisine central to both the plot and the atmosphere without it ever feeling gimmicky. The sweet potato pie isn't just a prop but becomes symbolic of tradition, community, and the love that goes into home cooking.

This is clearly the beginning of what promises to be an outstanding series, and I'm already eagerly anticipating Savvy's next adventure. The writing is engaging and accessible without being simplistic, and Jackson-Opoku has created a world I want to keep visiting. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with heart, humor, and characters that feel like real people you'd want to be friends with, this book absolutely needs to be at the top of your reading list!

The resolution is satisfying and ties up all the loose ends while setting up potential future mysteries. I found myself genuinely caring about what happens to Savvy and her café, which is the mark of excellent character development.

"Perfect for:" Cozy mystery lovers, foodie fiction fans, anyone who enjoys strong community-based stories, and readers looking for diverse voices in mystery fiction

*Thank you to NetGalley, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, and St. Martin's Press for this gifted copy of this book and I was more than happy to leave my honest opinion.*

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a new cozy mystery set in a soul food café. The main character, Savvy Summers, is the owner of Essie's soul food café. Unfortunately, an elderly man dies while eating her sweet potato pie. Savvy investigates in order to find out who really killed the man, and to clear her restaurant's reputation.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a little gem. I found the book to be quite funny at times, with colorful and larger than life characters. I also like the fact that it takes place in the city instead of the more commonly seen small towns in cozy mysteries. It's always pleasant to read a book that strays from the common path in a genre. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I hope that there will be other books featuring Savvy Summers.

I liked Savvy and enjoyed reading as she tried to clear her name and keep her business open. This story has a good diverse cast of characters, and all of them are interesting to say the least. The murder doesn't have a whole heap of twists and turns, but reading as Savvy and her assistant Penny attempt to figure out who got Grandy was entertaining.

All and all, I high key had fun with this book. A madcap murder mystery set in Chicago mixed with delicious soul food and amateur sleuths was just the kind of read I didn't think I needed, but glad I got. I'm looking forward to where Sandra Jackson-Opoku takes us next with Savvy.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries with some truly humorous moments throughout the read, then definitely add this one to your TBR.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a very cozy mystery.
This was a slower paced read but still kept me engaged. I loved how southern coded it was.
From the names to the sayings between characters.

The writing style was interesting and took some getting used to. But, for a debut novel it’s a writing style that I would read in future novels.
This is perfect for readers who don’t like mysteries that are too complicated and mixxy. I would suggest reading this as a palette cleanser for something lighter to read between genres or heavier books.

This is a book that I would reread & recommend.

I loved this book! It was high drama and delicious and a lot of fun. It was a mystery with a cozier side, but I would not describe it as the genre "cozy mystery". There is an amateur sleuth, but other than that it was definitely only the edgier side which I loved. It was on the slower side, but there was also a lot going to parse through. The descriptions of the soul food made me hungry and I loved Savvy's passion for her cafe and her desire to keep innovating. There are a bunch of different threads here and I am so impressed Savvy was able to muddle through, because there were so many secrets and people with sketchy intent, that I kept changing my mind about my suspicions. I love how she had no problem looking into things and how everything came together in the end was so well done (loved the tai chi). Mostly I loved getting to know Savvy and her cafe and hope we get to see more of her!

This is the first book from Sandra Jackson-Opoku that I have read.

I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. Savvy keeps investigating even though she doesn’t seem to uncover any evidence until the end.

I received an advanced readers copy from Netgalley and these are my own opinions.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes was such a fun read! Cozy and fast-paced, it pulled me in with its snarky humor and emotional depth.

Savvy Summer, the owner of the beloved family-run Essie’s Soul Food Café, is known for her award-winning sweet potato pie. While attending a community wedding anniversary celebration, a shocking revelation stuns the guests. The next day, the husband visits Essie's, eats a slice of Savvy's famous pie… and dies. Suddenly, Savvy is accused of poisoning him, putting both her livelihood and her freedom in jeopardy.

From there, we’re taken on a whirlwind journey to uncover the real culprit and their motives. I loved how realistic the world felt—this could have been any small town, even though it's set in Chicago. I was especially impressed by how Sandra Jackson-Opoku captured a cozy, small-town vibe in the middle of a big city. That’s not easy to pull off, and she did it with charm.

Savvy and her assistant manager, Penny Lopes, made a great duo. Savvy is the calm, collected one; Penny is the wild card. Their friendship was warm, funny, and relatable—like sitting in the café eavesdropping on two aunties. The supporting characters were just as thoughtfully written, each one serving a clear purpose in the story while also feeling like real people you could care about.

I can’t wait to see what mystery Savvy gets pulled into next!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books, and Sandra Jackson-Opoku for the ARC of this entertaining book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this delightful debut in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an absolute treat! With a vibrant South Side Chicago setting, mouthwatering soul food descriptions, and a fierce, funny heroine at the center, this cozy mystery had me hooked from page one.

Savvy Summers is a force—smart, stubborn, and full of heart. I loved her voice and the way she balanced running a beloved café with amateur sleuthing after a customer dies suspiciously mid-meal. The mystery itself was fun and well-paced, with plenty of red herrings and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Bonus points for the strong sense of community, a colorful supporting cast (Penny is a riot), and just the right sprinkle of second-chance romance. My only wish? A little more depth in the final reveal—it wrapped a tad too neatly for my taste. But overall, this was a fantastic start to what I hope is a long-running series.

Fans of cozy mysteries, foodie fiction, or strong female leads—this one's for you. And yes, I’m still craving that sweet potato pie.

Savvy is a funny, observant, cool customer who inhabits a richly interconnected world. It means a lot of what makes a cozy mystery work...the cast of characters, the sleuth's motivations, and the tone of the storytelling...are all present and accounted for from the get-go.

Just in case you're wondering, the sweet potato pie of the title (which, I'll note approvingly, is both vegan and murder weapon after a certain...addition's made) is very much part of the story line. You will not do well with your diet during this read. Calorie restriction and food-item substitution regimes are not supported by this author's descriptions of food. I would marry Savvy's macaroni and cheese and/or collards as described.

No quotes...I'm not that cruel.

Part of the charm of a series mystery is the scoobygroup of side characters, and the sidekick or assistant sleuth. Penny seems likely to do the latter sparkly and sneaky (a little too sneaky) role, and Savvy's grumblybear ex-husband Fanon does a lot of the fun sparking with her. He totally gets that Savvy's innocent and does things he might maybe shouldn't've because he knows Savvy so well.

So where's the fifth star, fussbudget? I can hear one partic'lar friend say. It got stuck in the run-around-accomplish-nothing middle third. The scumbag who wants to make profits *ptooptoo* without ethics takes up a lot of space. It's not quite there but it's close, like the sweet potato pie out of the oven just before it sets. I found the vernacular easy on my readerly ear; others will not feel it adds anything and might take away from their positive experience. My Rob was in the latter camp.

I'm also required to mention that Savvy is not an eager, nosy sleuth; she's compelled to act because she's got skin in this game as her pie's being blamed for a death that, frankly, ought to upset no one. Oh yeah...that's another piece of a star gone, it seems to me a lot of amateur-sleuth mysteries now are leaning hard on the crutch of making the victim a rotten-souled bastard. The use of that trope here makes a touch more sense, because it's Savvy's pie thus her reputation, but honestly? Just chalk this one up to cleanin' the gene pool, officer, and move on with your day.

So no...not a perfect read. A perfectly fun one, yes, and one I think will give a lot of summertime smiles to most all y'all.

TL/DR: A different take on a cozy murder mystery set in South Side Chicago with some of the best soul food around. The world is rich, the characters richer and the food makes me want to crawl through the page. Thankfully, the author was kind enough to include recipes. This is a great book that I recommend wholeheartedly, not only is it a great murder mystery, Miss Savvy drops some knowledge from her Great-Aunt Essie that I might just start incorporating into my own life. Need more? See below.

Although the author has published other books, mostly literary and historical fiction, she has always loved reading mysteries and wanted to start writing in that genre. Enter Miss Savvy Summers, a sassy, strong, curious and funny Chicago soul food chef. Although the beginning can feel a little chaotic, there are a lot of characters introduced, please try and stick with it. This is a rich world that I hope you don’t miss out on.

The setting is rich and authentic, Miss Savvy is a strong, no nonsense woman who has worked hard and lifts those around her up. Her employee Penny is one heck of a character herself. Unfortunately, someone dies in her diner and she starts to lose business even though she had nothing to do with it. Then there may have been another murder and she and Penny are somehow connected to and now they determined to solve both of them and get the diner back on track.

If that isn’t enough to intrigue you, maybe Great-Aunt Essie’s sayings will. “You do your best listening at mealtimes ‘cause that’s when people do their best talking”. Then there are recipes at the end. I loved it!

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given. As always, I wish you happy reading!

I really enjoyed the plot of this debut! The first few chapters were hard to get into with how many characters were introduced. It felt like speed dating, but once past that initial onslaught it was quite an entertaining read.

The main character Savvy was sassy, knowledgeable and determined. To keep her business afloat and prove that she wasn’t the one taking out shady individuals, she went through a series of plots and plans to find out who the actual culprit was.

I loved how intricate the plot was, and every time I thought I had it figured out I was shocked!

I usually read romances so this novel was a nice departure from my routine. I was here for the hijinks and colorful characters. Savvy Summers channeled her inner Sherlock Holmes with her partner-in-crime, Penny Lopes, doing her part as the femme Watson. I did not see some of the twists and turns coming, which is what you want in any good mystery. The author definitely kept me guessing until the very end. If you enjoy shows like Only Murders in The Building and/or Murder, She Wrote, you will like this book. Thanks NetGalley and Minotaur for this ARC..

3.75/5

In many ways this one reminded me of Vera Wong, but with soul food. Savvy Summers is a grandmother who’s on her third career running a soul food cafe on the southside of Chicago. When one of her regular customers dies in cafe people blame her sweet potato pie. But his death is ruled an accidental overdose. Savvy, however, suspects foul play. When a second customer dies of the same overdose and the police still refuse to investigate, she and her sous chef with the help of her cop ex-husband decide to solve the mystery themselves. Which of their friends and family is guilty?

First, I cannot talk about this book without talking about the food! Savvy’s cooking made me hungry. So many elevated southern dishes and amazing desserts. I wanted to pull up a chair and order one of everything on the menu. I loved that the book included recipes!

Also I loved the characters in this book. A main character in her 60s? Yes please! And the supporting cast was excellent. All unique and memorable. Their relationships drove the book.

The mystery definitely kept me guessing till the end. And that ending was intense!

If you love good food, cosy mysteries, and older main characters, you need to read this book.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @readforeverpub for the chance to review this ARC and to @hachetteaudio for the ALC.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes introduces Savvy Summers, a vibrant retired teacher turned café owner on Chicago’s South Side, whose signature sweet potato pie becomes central in a murder investigation. When a longtime customer drops dead after tasting her vegan pie, Savvy—alongside her assistant Penny and ex-husband, Officer Fanon—takes detective matters into her own hands to clear her name and save her café. Jackson‑Opoku blends cozy mystery with soul food culture, delivering witty dialogue, rich community detail, and authentic Black vernacular that brings the setting vividly to life. While some readers find the heavy use of regional slang a bit challenging, Savvy’s charm and the story’s twisty suspect pool keep the pages turning. This flavorful debut charms with cozy intrigue, memorable characters, and a touch of culinary magic—perfect for fans of food‑centric mysteries.