Cook-Off Mysteries Book 10
Author: Devon Delaney
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781966322337
Beyond The Page Publishing
213 Pages
$14.99; $5.99 Amazon
October 8, 2025
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When a festival honoring local farmers is marred by murder, cook-off contestant Sherry Oliveri will have to harvest the clues to catch a killer...
The tight-knit community of Augustin has always valued its local farmers, and this year's fair to honr them feathers a cook-off with Sherry Oliveri in the running. The sponsor of the event is an heirloom potato farm run by a man and his two sons, but tensions rise when one of the sons begins pulling away from the family business. With the young man's father dead-set on preserving his traditional way of life, the festive celebration takes a dark turn when the rebellious son is found murdered.
Unwilling to believe that the man could have killed his own son, Sherry turns a suspicious eye on a local real estate developer, who might literally have killed to get his hands on the property. But Sherry knows the most likely suspect isn't always the culprit, and soon she turns to others in the community to unearth any evidence they can find. Because Sherry will need all the help she can get to catch the killer and save the farm -- and her own life...
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Sherry Oliveri works part-time at her father's artisan store, The Ruggery; writes a column for the local newspaper; volunteers at the local garden, and most of all, spends her time entering cooking contests -- of which she's won quite a few. The one she's entering today is local; it's featuring heirloom potatoes grown by a local farm, the only one in the area.
Her brother and sister-in-law Charlotte live in a cottage on the farm along with their young daughter. Sherry is giving Charlotte a cooking lesson when she notices the people outside, whom Charlotte waves to. Charlotte tells her that they are the farm owner Perry and his two sons, Wellington and Jarrod.
Sherry's friend Patti has asked Sherry to come with her to visit the farm, and she personally meets the family, along with Jarrod's wife Liz. She gives no more thought about it until Perry's younger son is found dead on the farm, and it's discovered that he was murdered.
There are suspects, of course, but Sherry not only has her cooking contest to worry about, Patti has told her about an opportunity to join a cooking show that airs on television -- which might mean that she'll need to give up all her extra activities. With this on her mind, she's still accidentally thrown into the investigation, and what she discovers she doesn't like. It could change the lives of several people, including her own family...
This is the tenth in the series and I have read (and loved) them all. I love to cook and bake myself (so much so that I own over 500 cookbooks) so this series is right up my alley. I tend to think about recipes and cooking much the same way as out protagonist does -- all the time. But Sherry has a lot more energy than I do, with everything else that occupies her time.
Still, she manages to find time to solve a murder or two somewhere...and that's part of what makes this series so delightful. She's close with her family, her fiancé Don, and her little dog, Chutney, as well. She's loyal, friendly, and intelligent. The local police detective values her input; and he's no bumbler, either. He has his finger on the pulse, but listens to her, which I find endearing of him. I like that he doesn't brush off her ideas, and they work together well. There's a little surprise coming from him in this book as well, and I am happy to see that.
When Sherry finally puts it all together, it's interesting to watch how she does it, and. of course, the killer manages to incriminate themself as they always do. I will not say much more except to say that this is indeed a wonderful entry to the series, giving us a taste of what is to come. There are also some great recipes included, for those who want to try them. Highly recommended.
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Devon Delaney's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/devon-delaney/
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