This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Rating: 4.40

My first 5 star read of August!

I was a little bit wary going into this one as the plot didn't seem like there would be all that much to it but I still wanted to give it a go and I am so glad I did.

From the get go we meet Lurleen (Amelia - don't ask) and her boss Larry. Larry's the one sitting at his desk with his penis out and some lotion on the desk - oh and he's dead.

Unfortunately, all fingers point to Lurleen. Now, life in her small town becomes difficult for her and her son, Gene Four (a fourth generation Gene) - and now she can't even get her lemon blueberry scones because everyone thinks she's a murderer.

This book was incredibly addicting once I got started and it wasn't even because I wanted to see where the plot went. The relationship between Amelia and Gene Four is genuine and laugh out loud and I could read a 30 part series of them just doing day-to-day things. The writing helped massively with this as their relationship and dialogue doesn't come across as wooden or awkwardly written.

The plot twist is relatively easy to see coming but I noticed that as it came around, I hadn't even tried to guess ahead, I was in this moment for moment, something I very rarely get from books anymore.

I'm struggling to review this properly as I feel like words aren't enough for how much I loved this book and these characters. I already want to re-read it because I feel I would enjoy just as much a second time around!

I absolutely adored this book. There is great character development and a fast paced plot that will leave you unable to put the book down. The main character, Amelia, is funny and witty despite everything that happens to her life throughout this book. The book ending beautifully buttons up the story and the characters you grow to love!

How does a murder mystery turn into a delightful book?!? I have no clue, but that’s exactly what this was! A small town is losing citizens quickly and Amelia is in the center of it all. When she comes under attack from the locals, she fights back! This was just such a fun read, complete with recipes.

I came across A Serial Killer’s Cookbook, and honestly? It’s as wild and intriguing as the title suggests.

It’s part culinary, part chilling thriller—a mashup you didn’t know you needed. On the surface, you’re flipping through recipes, but buried within are clues, hidden messages, and a deeper mystery that totally caught me off guard. The macabre meets the mundane, and the contrast is both unsettling and fascinating.

What really worked for me? The way the book sneaks under your skin. One minute you’re thinking about flavor profiles, the next you’re trying to figure out who wrote those footnotes—and whether they’re a friend, foe, or just plain dangerous. It toys with your expectations in a smart, sly way.

If you love oddball thrillers, grim humor, or just books that refuse to be categorized, this one’s for you. It’s quirky, creepy, and memorable—like nothing else on your shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sons of Joy, LLC for providing me with the ARC.

Amelia, worshiper of meatloaf and single mother of a history nerd young boy, is designated as the prime suspect in murder cases. She can only count on herself, her son and a few people to prove her innocence.

The title hooked me, promising to have a good time with this reading. I loved the original way the author wrote the book : it's part culinary with recipes, part thriller. The book has perfect pacing, well written and full of decadent humor. I devoured this story, once I started to read I wasn't able to stop until the end.

I loved the whole character of Amelia, especially her sarcasm - she's a total queen of punchline. Her twelve-year-old son is also a fun and colorful character, I enjoyed a character in love with the Roman Emperors' history, the way he wanted to protect his mother from murders charges. The author did a very good job in the other characters' development, each character had their place in the story.

I can tell I enjoy reading this story as well as reading the Miss Marple story. This story is going to be one of my Top 5 stories of this Autumn.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Son's of Joy LLC for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Funny, twisty, and full of heart—I loved every page. Amelia Stark is the perfect mix of messy and resilient, juggling small-town gossip, a nosy detective, and way too many dead bodies with sharp humor and grit. Darkly comedic, fast-paced, and impossible to put down.

First, let me say, I really enjoyed this book. It’s clever. It’s entertaining. It has some mouth-watering recipes. It has some great characters. and a great plot.

Amelia is a single mom with the requisite ex-husband that has the ability to cause her grief and frustration. If this was all she had to put up with, life might not be too bad. But, the addition of a sleazy boss makes it more complicated. Especially when the aforementioned boss is found dead shortly after Amelia has given him a black eye for being a bit too “friendly”. Now it seems like most of the town thinks she’s guilty of murder.

While this plot may seem similar to dozens of other mystery books, Stacey Roberts offers a new spin, with fresh characters and recipes to introduce some of the chapters. And don’t overlook the wit and sarcasm. It’s all done so well. For me, the star of the story is Gene Four (as in fourth generation), Amelia’s precocious 12-year-old son. Wise beyond his years, his conversations are heartwarming, insightful, informative, and sometimes just downright funny. I love that kid.

Meanwhile, I’m adopting Amelia and Gene Four’s mantra – “let’s just keep control of ourselves”. It’s so perfect. I’m bumping this book up to five stars. Mr Roberts is definitely on my radar and he can’t write his next book fast enough for me! NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Don’t judge a book by its cover on this one! It wasn’t what I expected at all but I was pleasantly surprised! This was such a good story with a character that steals the show which is of course Gene four! I really thought this was going to be a book about serial killers cooking whatever because I went into this book blind but oh my god it was so good!
Also the most fun of it all was each chapter name and recipe!

I was surprised as how much i liked this book- a real delight! It has small town charm, its got humour and a murder mystery! It’s charming and i didn't want it to end.