This is a good mystery with nice detective work. It was funny and it had great banter. It's worth a read if you love food and mysteries.
​Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy mystery featuring a could-be retired teacher who runs a soul food restaurant on the Southside of Chicago? Sign me up! Sapphire Summers(Savvy to her friends & family) is happy dishing up her “old school meets new school” cuisine . Heavy on the soul & taste, light on the bacon grease & artery clogging parts.She’s working on becoming the “go to” spot her regulars know & love, as well as serving her award-winning sweet potato pie that’s “to die for”. When one of her regulars meets his end in booth number 2, she wants to make sure everyone knows that it wasn’t her pie,, but the little blue pills he was taking that did him in.. When another regular dies in a similar fashion, Savvy, her nosy, bestie Penny , and her cop ex-husband Fanon must find out what’s really going on in her up and coming neighborhood before she goes to jail , her restaurant closes, or someone else falls to the same fate. There’s a long list of suspects, but will they figure out who’s behind these deaths before it’s too late?As an expatriate of Chicago, I did enjoy reading about the city I love, although, I will NOT be calling Lake Shore Drive “DuSable LSD, and the Cubs colors are orange, blue & white. (Sox fans wear black, silver & white-IYKYK). If this is the first in a series, I’ll definitely be back to see what Savvy & her crew get into next

This was a sweet, cozy mystery with some laughs. Savvy's saying made me smile like "Bless their naked souls." The characters are well written, with a plot that is engaging. The author did a good job in expressing the culture of Chicago and the people within it. The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that this book seemed to me a little long, and the talk of food and other background stories seemed to be considered filler. Savvy has a habit of calling people that she is very familiar with by their first and last names, which I don't know if that's something Southern or something else. If you aren't familiar with black English, you might have a hard time with this book. Overall, I liked this book. I enjoyed the mystery and the way Savvy gets to her sleuthing and finds the answers she is looking for.

Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this advanced reader copy. My opinion is my own. The expected release date is July 29, 2025.

This is totally a new author for me. It's definitely a cozy mystery. I'm not sure if it is going to be a series or not. It definitely could be, but there were some major changes in store for the MC at the end of this book, so I am not sure. This mystery was all about immersing yourself in a place and time. This book takes place at Essies, a soul food restaurant in Chicago, and the atmosphere, characters, and setting take you to that place and keep you there. Savvy Summers is an interesting character, an educated woman who opens her restaurant after she retires from teaching and administration after the death of her second husband. Starting over in her late 50s, she finds cooking to be relaxing. Unfortunately, after catering a fiftieth wedding anniversary that blows up, the groom shows up the next morning at the restaurant only to keel over after stuffing his face with sweet potato pie and dying. What continues is Savvy's attempt to save her restaurant's reputation and to actually find out what killed the man. What follows is a good, but maybe a bit too long, mystery that gives you plenty of suspects and motives. It was an interesting mystery, and I definitely got caught up with the characters and setting. Thank you to #Netgally, #Minatour, and the author for the introduction. #SavvySummersandtheSweetPotatoCrimes, #SandraJackson-Opoky #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

I'm sorry, I just did not enjoy this. I was overwhelmed by the number of characters introduced right off the bat with seemingly no purpose. The dialogue made no sense to me, and there was way too much telling instead of showing. Beautiful cover and I love a small town mystery but this was really quite difficult to read.

Savvy Summers has a lot going on. There are so many characters and the food talk is fun to flow through. This is my first book of this type and I enjoyed it! I won't spoil anything but I was a little sad at how the mystery ended. Other than that, this was a fun read!

It was okay. It wasn’t my favorite but don’t mean other people won’t enjoy it. I hope all the success of this author. And best wishes

Sassy Savvy is taking crime-solving into her own hands when a customer dies in her cafe. She knows her sweet potato pie didn’t kill him but how can Savvy prove it? Guided by phrases from her deceased Aunt Essie, Savvy leans on her community to help find the truth. I know Savvy and her crew are older but between the slang and some of the characters’ beliefs, the story feels dated. A diverse cast of characters. Savvy is self-motivated, independent, and ready for any challenge that comes her way. Perfect traits for the newest amateur sleuth on the block.

I’d give this book 3.5 stars. It was well written and entertaining, and I liked the main character, her staff, and her ex husband. The pacing was a little slow, but I’m wondering if that was intentional given that this is the debut novel in a new series. I was about 30% in and we hadn’t really made any progress on the mystery. But it was an enjoyable read.

I read Sandra Jackson-Opoku's "Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him" about 20 years ago (sheesh!) and was surprised to see she penned a mystery. As 2025 seems to be my cozy mystery era, I dived right on into it. It had all the hallmarks of a good cozy - an unwitting, mildly unwilling sleuth, a mysterious death no one else seems to be taking seriously and a cast of shady-ish characters that had a grudge against the deceased. In the backdrop we get a glimpse of Illinois, soul food faves and a host of adages and aphorisms that felt like home (although some were new to me and others will be added to the lexicon IMMEDIATELY). While the book did get off to a slower start, some exposition was needed to set us up for what I hope will be a lengthy series. I had my suspicions about whodunnit and was partially right! I can't wait to see what Savvy Summers gets up to next!

I'm sorry, but I DNF this book. The description was promising, but it was not for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the gifted copy.
Savy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes serves up a flavorful mix of mystery, culture, and culinary charm. Sandra Jackson-Opoku brings readers into Savy’s vibrant world, where sweet potatoes aren’t just food—they’re part of the mystery.

With rich cultural detail and a warm, relatable protagonist, the story offers a fun and fresh twist on the cozy mystery genre. Savy’s voice is strong, and the Southern flair adds a delicious layer to the storytelling.

A delightful blend of suspense and soul, this book delivers something truly unique.

Rating: 3/5 stars

I enjoyed the plot but the pacing felt very slow to me. The middle was a bit of a slog. It didn’t feel like a true mystery to me. Savvy doesn't doesn’t do much detective work IMO. Her dinner party hosting and poking about kept the plot a bit slow. And then things got randomly violent at the end! But if you like slow burn mysteries, this is a unique take on one.

This was a cute story but it just had too many characters and many of them were just unlikeable. It was a slow start. The highlights were all the soul good and inclusions of Black culture. Overall, decent and at least the main character was a good one.

I love cozy mysteries so I was super excited to read this one, but I was just left very confused. I had a hard time following the dialogue and knowing who was who. I think this book could have used another round of editing.

Absolutely hilarious. Great mystery with solid detective work and good pacing. Savvy is a great sleuth and Penny as her sidekick was pure gold.

For the cozy whodunit fans, this is a great first story in what I'm sure will be a highly entertaining series following Savvy Summers, a cafe owner with a penchant for sleuthing when a customer drops dead at her shop.

Packed with a cast of characters from Savvy's neighborhood in Chicago, this was a fun read as I tagged along with Savvy and her sous chef, Penny, as they worked to solve the murder.

Savvy and Penny have great dialogue and banter, with Savvy's internal monologue being the real star of the show. Full of black cultural references and vernacular, this was a very insightful story that helped me navigate the cultural difference that I don't always hear or see in most books. So for readers looking for those inclusions or to amplify BIPOC voices, this is also a great choice.

WHAT’S A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WITHOUT A MURDER?

The 50th wedding anniversary of Matilda and Granderson Jasper is underway … or is it underfoot? For Savvy Summers, owner of Essie’s, a soul food café, it’s debatable. For while she reluctantly agreed to cater the celebration, she has other things on her mind … like being paid for services rendered. She’s learned from past experience that the not-so-happy, perpetually bickering couple is noted for skipping out on bills. It’s why she’s made a mental note to count the silverware and leave with a check for the total amount clutched in her skilled-in-food-preparation hands. A ruckus gains her attention. A reckless accident sends the wedding cake to dessert heaven—and Savvy back to the kitchen to perform damage control. A glance at her watch tells her she doesn’t have enough time to replicate the demolished tiered cake. So instead of trying to do the impossible, she settles on an old family recipe and prays it’ll be enough. A taste test finds the sweet potato pie sensational and more than adequate to satiate that section of the stomach left empty for treats. She and her assistants take care of the plating and serving, while the Jaspers and honored guests take a dive headfirst into deliciousness. As they sink into bliss, none are aware that one of them will be dead by morning—and that Savvy will be blamed.

Thus begins author Sandra Jackson-Opoku’s slick and sensational new mystery SAVVY SUMMERS AND THE SWEET POTATO CRIMES. Remarkably entertaining, this baby has all the makings of a winner! The surprises plentiful and the suspense taut enough to cause a high C if twanged, the author has made the plot sizzling hot by frying it—southern style. It means using down-home charm to blanket clever conversation that is resplendent with clues. The writing smooth like melting butter, crowning the confection is a stellar storyline that is to this novel what flour is to cake.


Like pots on a stove, there are multiple plotlines going on. But it’s easy-peasy keeping up with them because the focus is kept on the main one which is: who poisoned the victim, and why. It also helps that in terms of tone and pacing, it’s Savvy who leads the charge. She starts slow, but the tentative snooping doesn’t get her too far. It’s not until she enlists the aid of her ex-husband that things get percolating. After all, cops can go places she can’t. But she soon finds out that he can’t prevent everything. Like her becoming ensnared in a web of secrets that take us all over the south side of Chicago to catch the killer who may not be done.

It’s a lot of fun, a lot of thrills, and a lot of clever dialogue that is thoroughly believable. All the characters fully-fleshed, I especially love the nostalgic touch added by the appearance of Essie, Savvy’s grandmother. Essie runs throughout the story like a scented breeze, dispensing wisdom that is passed along to help her granddaughter solve the case, Love the way the advice weaves its way into the story ever so seamlessly. As for solving the puzzle? Trade your chef’s hat in for your thinking cap for this one! So many suspects … so little time. And kudos to Ms. Jackson-Opoku. She does an expert job in keeping us guessing—and you will love her for it! It’s why I’m giving SAVVY SUMMERS four stars and a toast of champagne to the author talented enough to write it!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for supplying me with a copy.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the #advancReviewCopy

Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I had a hard time getting into the story right from the start. I didn’t finish this one and abandoned it at approximately 20%

"Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crime (Savvy Summers #1)" by Sandra Jackson-Opoku is the first book of a new series based in the south side of Chicago, mostly at Savvy's cafe. She has a soul food cafe and catering business. There's a real estate agent that is hounding her to sell, her business isn't doing great and it's mostly because two guys have died in close proximity of her sweet potato pie. Her ex-husband is a police officer and is sort of trying to help but he's not a detective. The detective on the case is icy towards her. So of course that means she has to do some digging.

This book has a more realistic time span for a homicide investigation. It seems to span late summer/early fall through Christmas and into a little later in the winter.