Fillet of Murder (A Deep Fried Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9780425274132
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $2.99 Amazon
May 5, 2015

⭐⭐

Sometimes in life, you have to fish or cut bait.  After walking away from a miserable job and an even worse boyfriend, Talia Marby has no regrets.  She's returned to her hometown and is happy to help her dear friend Bea Lambert by working at Lambert's Fish & Chips, a cornerstone of a charming shopping plaza designed to resemble an old English Village.

But not all the shop owners are charming.  Phil Turnbull has been pestering Bea to sign a petition against a new store opening up, and his constant badgering is enough to make her want to boil him in oil.  When Talia and Bea stumble upon Turnbull murdered in his shop, the police suspect Bea.  Now it's up to Talia to fish around for clues and hook the real killer before her friend has to trade serving food for serving time...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Talia Marby left her job and lost her boyfriend when he fell in love with someone else.  Now she's moved back home and has a new job and is among friends.  But Phil Turnbull is badgering everyone to sign a petition against a shop he doesn't want, and Bea Lambert doesn't want anything to do with it.  In fact, they have words about it, and when Phil is found dead, Bea is the main suspect.  But Talia knows she couldn't hurt anyone, and is determined to find a killer before her best friend winds up behind bars....

While I love Ms. Reilly's other series, I just couldn't get through this book.  Almost every woman was drop-dead gorgeous and almost every man was drop-dead handsome.  Really?  A lot of this was over the top.  Below there are spoilers, so if you haven't read the book and plan to, please don't finish the rest of this review:

Just when you think a cop is going to be the love interest (as we all know there will be one) then lo and behold, someone else pops up later when almost two-thirds of the book is read!  It's as if the author thought she might want the cop to be the love interest, but then changed her mind and decided to create another man - and we didn't even really get to know this person enough to see if we liked him or not.  Then we find out her best friend is dating the cop and doesn't tell her -- which is why I came to the conclusion I did.  If the author had decided that Rachel was dating the cop all along, it should have been mentioned when they were discussing boyfriends - but it wasn't - and Rachel was even telling Talia about a recent bad date she had.  Therefore, it was an afterthought.

Also, the fact that her ex-boyfriend Chet fell in love with horse riding of all things, and it's the reason they broke up seemed patently ridiculous.  I mean, horse riding is perfectly fine, but I can't see an investment broker just heading out to ride horses all day and thinking it's the best thing since sliced bread.  Especially since it can eventually cause damage to your back.  Fun?  Yes, occasionally - but not every single minute of every single weekend.  This was just weird.  Talia should have realized something was up with that, but she appeared rather dense throughout the book anyway.

At any rate, it just couldn't keep my interest and I think I'll be sticking with Ms. Reilly's other series.  Two stars for the writing, none for the plot.

https://www.amazon.com/Fillet-Murder-Deep-Fried-Mystery/dp/0425274136/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2926798016

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo (A Cat Lady Mystery #5)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516109883
Lyrical Underground Publishing
232 Pages
$15.95; $7.19 Amazon
May 25, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wedding bells will soon be ringing in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire.  But instead of church bells, they may be tinkling above the door of Bowker's Coffee Shop.  Lara Caphart's best friend Sherry and her fiancé David want to tie the knot where they met -- in her family's coffee shop.  Lara is overjoyed for her friend, but as she feeds and grooms the kitties at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats in her aunt Fran's Folk Victorian, she can't help but wonder when her own beau, lawyer Gideon Halley, will stop hinting and make their union legal.

It doesn't help that Gideon's old flame, Megan Haskell, just showed up with a tearful yarn about being fired that smells fishier than a can of tuna.  But Blue, the Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, appears to be on Megan's side.  Should she ignore her green-eyed monster of jealousy in favor of her blue-eyed spirit cat?  When Megan's ex-boss is found dead, Lara has to retract her claws long enough to follow Blue's uncanny clues and clear her rival of a murder charge...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart owns and runs the High Cliff Shelter for Cats along with her aunt, Fran Clarkson, in Fran's Victorian home.  It's unusual in that the cats are not kept in cages, but are allowed the run of the home, therefore they'll adjust to their forever homes easier. 

As Maid of Honor, she's been busy helping her best friend Sherry plan her wedding, right down to party favors.  If the cats weren't keeping her busy enough, the wedding is.  But one night while she's at the coffee shop that Sherry's mom owns, a beautiful young woman knocks on the door and asks if anyone knows where Lara's boyfriend Gideon, an attorney, lives.  Stunned, Lara directs her but then wonders who this woman is.

It doesn't take long before Gideon tells her it's his old girlfriend, whom he dated shortly before he met Lara.  Without warning, jealousy rears its ugly head and while Lara wants to tamp it down, she also wants to know more about Megan Haskell.  She's about to get her wish: Megan arrives on Lara's doorstep and wants her help since her boss, Wayne Chancer, has been murdered and she's a suspect.  She tells Lara that she knows she finds murderers and wants her to help prove her innocence.  Megan is so distraught and helpless-looking that Lara tells her she'll do what she can.

But when Gideon finds out, it causes problems between them, and even when Lara is determined to let it go and let the police handle it, things keep occurring that pull her back into the case, and her determination doesn't amount to much if a killer can also find out who she is...

In this latest installment in the series, Lara is feeling torn between her love for Gideon and her intentions to do the right thing, no matter what the cost.  She's caught up in not so much the murder of Wayne, but something else, something she can't name, and it draws her to a nearby town named Bakewell that might hold the key.  But in trying to figure out what is going on, she just might have sabotaged her relationship with Gideon, who wants her to stop doing it.

Knowing that she can't, she unwillingly gets involved with the murdered man's widow, a young woman who holds several jobs and has a secret that she shares only with Lara, and Megan won't stop arriving at her doorstep unannounced, complicating her life even more.  It's almost more than Lara can handle, and she can't share what's going on with anyone. 

What results is an interesting mystery that has many layers, and while each one seems separate, it takes time to figure out who the murderer might be.  The clues aren't overt, and when we discover the reason for the murder, it's well thought out although a bit sad at the same time.  I liked the way everything was played out, and of course, the book ended just as we expected it to do, with the killer apprehended and Lara back safe in her home (as we knew she would be); it's an enjoyable book that leaves us with anticipation for the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Kitten-Tattoo-Lady-Mystery/dp/1516109880/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3300970184

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Claws of Action (A Cat Lady Mystery #4)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516109876
Lyrical Underground Publishing
212 Pages
$11.39; $5.99 Amazon
August 13, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book.  But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook's official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a "cat café," thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors -- and that it must be shut down.

When Evonda's body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran.  But there's a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda's buildings who'd been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more.  Now Lara -- with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue -- has to pin the tail on the right suspect.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart and her Aunt Fran own and run the High Cliff Shelter for Cats; not your usual shelter.  The shelter is their Victoria Home, the cats are allowed the run of the house, and on 'adoption days' they are taken to the room that serves as a meet-and-greet, where Fran and Lara offer the guests snacks and something to drink.  But, according to the new health inspector, Evonda Fray, who showed up unannounced, it qualifies as a cat café, and says she's coming back the next morning to shut them down. 

Then a man, Brian Dowling, shows up at their home unannounced and begs Lara to care for his elderly cat, Smuggles, while he finds another place to live.  It seems Evonda is his new landlord and hates cats, and told him he'd have to get rid of the feline immediately.  Softhearted Lara agrees to the situation, even though she struggles with the fact that she doesn't want their facility to become a boarding place for cats.

However, the health inspector never gets a chance to follow through on her threat.  When the chief of police arrives at their doorstep that morning, it's to tell them that Evonda's dead, and had a cease-and-desist letter in her hand.  After learning this, neither women want to host the new reading nook's opening, and put it off for another time.

When the chief warns Lara to stay out of the investigation, she vows to do so, since it has nothing to do with her.  At least until she's hauled in for extensive questioning -- questioning that seems to put Brian Dowling in the limelight as Evonda's killer.  While she doesn't want to believe it, she doesn't know where else to turn.  Only a matter of sheer coincidences puts her in the sights of a killer -- who may or may not be the person she expects...

This is the fourth book in the series, and I enjoyed reading it.  Lara and her aunt are beginning to grow on me; I already liked the cats in the book.  I do like the fact that the cats eventually get adopted, but I miss certain ones every now and then.  I especially have a soft spot for Brian's elderly cat Smuggles, since I lost my own 17-year-old cat just before Christmas, and it still tugs at my heart.

The mystery is quite interesting - when Evonda is murdered Lara wants to know more about the woman but can't find much about her online.  It takes a chance meeting before she discovers the truth, and by then the woman is dead.  It's rather sad what made her the way she was, and I can't even imagine something like that happening to another person.

The reason for the murder was as simplistic and as old as murders have been committed; still, it never should have happened, and we know that all decisions have consequences, some that will never leave us, no matter what we do.  It was done well enough that it was believable, and the reactions of those left behind carry it through.  When the ending comes and everything is getting back to normal (or as normal as it can be when you have a spirit cat), it gives us a bit of a teaser of things to come in the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Action-Cat-Lady-Mystery/dp/1516109872/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3299330941

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Claws for Celebration (A Cat Lady Mystery Book 3)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516104215
Lyrical Underground Publishing
222 Pages
$14.16; $7.19 Amazon
December 4, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Feline deadly this Christmas...Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, celebrates all things Christmas, and few things are more beloved than the town's annual holiday cookie competition.  Lara Caphart, who runs the High Cliff Shelter for Cats with her Aunt Fran, is waiting for the green light for a brand-new category:  pet-friendly cookies.  But when the woman filling in as a last-minute judge dies after sampling someone's Santa-themed treat, Lara's recipe for healthy cat snacks will have to be put on the back burner.  The victim, Gladys Plouffe, was the town's roundly despised former home economics teacher.  The chief suspect is the mother of Lara's best friend, who was hellbent on walking away with the bake-off's cash prize.  Cryptic clues from beyond the grave only deepen the mystery, pointing to a cat with striking blue eyes -- a cat who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara's mysterious Ragdoll.  As Lara begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse, not even her significant other may be able to stop a perfectly clawful killer from getting away with the purr-fect crime...                   

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart, along with her aunt Fran, own and run the High Cliff Shelter for Cats.  There is a Christmas cookie contest coming up, and Lara wrote to the company asking if they'd consider a category for pet-friendly cookies.  Although it's a no, she still wants to bake some, so she heads to the library to find a book with recipes that she can tweak and make her own.  But she finds more than she wants:  a thirty-year-old letter that proclaims the writer witnessed the murder of an elderly woman, and she swears she saw the woman's cat's soul leaving its body.

Even though Lara wants to investigate the murder, she also wants to attend the contest and support her friend Sherry's mother, who entered the competition, and also sell her own cat-friendly cookies.  Unfortunately, one of the judges, Gladys Plouffe is a retired home-ec teacher who despised Sherry, so she's glad that the woman doesn't know about her mom's entry.

Lara's also surprised that the owner of the company who's sponsoring the competition - Todd Thryce - stops by her table and praises her for her efforts, then asks if he can come by the shelter before he leaves town.  Lara is pleased with this, although his companion, Alice Gentry, doesn't look so thrilled to be there or that he wants to do so.

Then, when everyone is squeezed out of the auditorium so the judging can begin, Lara hears a scream  and enters again, finding Gladys on the ground, and it appears she's dead.  She's also holding one of Sherry's mom's, Daisy's, cookies.  With the police thinking she was poisoned, Daisy is a wreck, unable to run her restaurant or even cook.  So now Lara has two mysteries to solve: helping Daisy and finding out more about the letter.  But even trying to stay away from a murderer isn't always easy...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it more than the first two.  As a lifelong lover of cats (all animals, but cats especially), and proud owner of several myself, I really enjoyed reading about the cats' individual personalities and their antics.  That being said, I also liked the way it didn't take away from the mystery portion of the story.

I loved the 'mystery within a mystery' as I always relish these types of books, since they give me two mysteries to solve, along with the protagonist.  Little did we know that the letter would mean more than it did, and the writer would have given Lara a bigger clue to someone close to her heart.  It was a sad story that brought tears to my eyes; but then again, I've stated how much I love cats, and if anyone loses a precious animal, it will do the same for you.

The present-day mystery was just as much involved as the past, and the clues leading to the murder were subtle, yet they were there.  I had read very closely, and was glad to see that one of my own suspects was correct, although that also was a very sad situation.  In the past murder, the suspect was much more difficult to discern, and I will say that it came as a complete surprise, and the reasons behind it were rather distasteful, yet believable all the same.

When the ending comes and everything is put back to rights (as we know it would eventually be so), Lara has made a decision that affects her future, and I will say that I agree with that.  It also gives her and her aunt something to look forward to in the future.  I will definitely be continuing with this series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Celebration-Linda-Reilly/dp/1516104218/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3298984946

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Claws of Death (A Cat Lady Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516104208
Lyrical Underground
214 Pages
$15.00; $0.99 Amazon
June 26, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, is a long way from Hollywood, but it's the place legendary actress Deanna Daltry wants to call home.  Taking up residence in a stone mansion off Cemetery Hill, the retired, yet still glamorous, septuagenarian has adopted two kittens from Lara Caphart's High Cliff Shelter for Cats.  With help from her Aunt Fran, Lara makes sure the kitties settle in safely with their new celebrity mom.

But not everyone in town is a fan of the fading star.  Deanna was in Whisker Jog when she was younger, earning a reputation for pussyfooting around, and someone is using that knowledge against her.  After being frightened by some nasty pranks, Deanna finds herself the prime murder suspect when the body of a local teacher is found on her property.  Now, it's up to Lara, Aunt Fran, and the blue-eyed Ragdoll mystery cat Lara recently encountered to collar a killer before another victim is pounced upon...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I want to say that I need to correct something in the blurb - the Ragdoll isn't a cat that Lara recently encountered; it's the ghost of her own Ragdoll, Blue, who died several years ago.  This is important to the story, so thought I should set that straight.

Lara and her Aunt Fran are excited when a Hollywood actress decides to move back to Whisker Jog and adopt one of their rescue cats.  When Deanna Daltry arrives, she's more down-to-earth than they expected, and tell her that she grew up there.  Deanna decides on a pair of kittens who are brother and sister, and as soon as her application goes through she'll be able to take the furbabies home.

Deanna also tells them that they're invited to a tea given by a local women's club even though they're not members.  When they arrive they're just happy to be there.  But there's an occurrence when an elderly man enters the premises and seems to have words with Deanna, and he's soon asked to leave.  Then Deanna asks Lara to take her handbag out to her car but before she can do so, there's a slight incident regarding the bag but it soon passes and Lara does as asked.  However, once outside she sees another elderly man looking into her own car and they have a short conversation and he leaves.  When Lara finds Deanna's car, there's a threatening message on the window written in lipstick.

Needless to say, the party ends quickly, the police are informed, and Deanna is shaken up.  Later, when Lara and Fran take the kittens to Deanna's mansion, Lara sees the ghost of Blue sitting near a window.  Lara looks out and sees a body in the cemetery, and once again, the police are called.  It turns out to be the man Deanna was arguing with, and now Deanna is the main suspect.

Lara has misgivings about the kittens but Deanna begs to keep them, so Lara decides to keep an eye on the situation.  But then things start to spiral out of control when Lara - even though the police have asked her to stay out of the investigation - allows her curiosity to get the better of her.  She starts looking into Deanna's past and the dead man's past, and a series of seemingly random encounters sends her running in different directions to find the truth.  But will it be enough?  And more importantly, could someone's life depend on what she discovers?...

This is the second book in the series, and I really enjoyed it; more than the first one, I think.  I'm beginning to like the characters of Lara and Aunt Fran, but I do think Fran acts a lot older than someone in her fifties.  When I first met her I thought she was in her seventies, and she really doesn't act much younger here.  Lara seems surprised that Fran is wearing makeup, doing her hair, and dressing nice - like she's never seen her do it before.  It seemed odd to me (since almost every woman I know wears makeup).

Other than that, I felt the story was well-written, and I did like the mystery and felt it was genuinely strong; having to go into the past to solve something that happened in the present.  I always like tales that merge past and present anyway, so I wasn't disappointed in this.

We also see that Lara is still having some insecurity in her new relationship with attorney Gideon, but they're learning to find their way and even Fran is in the beginning of a relationship herself.  There were a couple of tear-jerking moments, which wasn't a bad thing, (bringing up memories of my own parents) so that only added to the story.

I loved the interactions with the cats, and was surprised that someone would balk at having to fill out an application to adopt a cat.  You always have to fill out an application when you adopt a pet at any shelter.  Although I have never heard of supplying references and found it odd.  For myself, I adore cats and have several (including a couple well into their teens - and yes, all indoor.)

In the end though, I felt it came together smoothly.  The reason for the murder seemed twisted, yet I do understand the reasons why.  One's past always has a bearing on one's future, whether we wish it or not, and it colors our life. A fact that isn't always pleasant, but is always true.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Death-Linda-Reilly/dp/151610420X/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2920818686

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Escape Claws (A Cat Lady Mystery #1)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:  Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516104192
Lyrical Underground Publishing
202 Pages
$15.00; $3.99 Amazon
December 26, 2017

✮✮✮✮

For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire.  She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who's having some difficulty looking after herself - and her eleven cats.  Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard.  The wealthy builder has set his sights on Fran's property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Then Lara spots a blue-eyed Ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet.  Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran's yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play.  To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat's clues in search of a killer.  Is Blue's ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽       

Lara Caphart is a struggling artist who lives in Boston.  When she receives a telephone call from her friend Sherry telling her how her Aunt Fran is in trouble and needs help, she takes time off from her part-time job to return to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire and see if she can help her.

When she arrives, she finds that her aunt has knee problems and has trouble getting around, and that she's turned her home into a mini-cat sanctuary, with eleven of the furballs.  Lara immediately begins cleaning up while reconnecting, and tries to decide how to get Fran part-time help when she returns to Boston.

She coaxes Fran into having lunch with her at Sherry and her mother's cafe, and while there they witness an encounter with blowhard Theo Barnes and townspeople.  She also discovers that Theo is intent on buying a parcel of land Fran owns, and since he's also Sherry's landlord, has given them notice to vacate by the end of the year.  It seems he has grand plans which includes condos nearby.

Lara also discovers that Fran is caring for two children - Brooke and Darryl while their mother is working.  It seems Darryl has trouble reading, but when she looks in on him, she sees that he is reading perfectly...with her childhood pet Blue by his side.  But Lara wonders how that could be, knowing Blue, a Ragdoll, couldn't still be around.  When she tells Fran, Fran insists it must have been one of the other cats she saw.

Then Lara is awakened in the middle of the night by voices outside, she looks but only sees her aunt.  Not wanting to disturb her, she goes back to bed.  The next morning while doing chores, she sees Blue again and follows her, but before she can get close she sees something that startles her - the body of Theo Barnes.

When the police arrive, they determine he's been murdered and Lara thinks they're trying to pin the murder on her aunt.  Knowing it's not possible, she's determined to find out who killed him.  But after speaking with Sherry, she discovers that Theo wasn't liked by anyone except his niece Mary, which isn't going to make her task an easy one.  Yet she discovers that she has help in an unlikely form - that of Blue, who seems to be an expert at finding clues for Lara to follow...

First off, let me say that I love books with cats, and so was intrigued by this book.  I was pleased that Blue played quite a large role in the book also.  I liked the fact that Lara was pretty much a normal person.  She didn't go around poking her nose into everyone's business, most of her questions were 'in her head', so to speak.  Which is why it puzzled me when Josette called her nosy and said she was trying to pin the murder on her.  All Lara said to her was "Josette you must have  been so horrified when you got back that morning and heard about Theo."  How can you interpret that as saying she killed her husband?  It's an innocuous question you might ask anyone if you didn't know them well enough to realize they disliked their ex-spouse. 

I also would have liked to have known what happened to the letters Lara wrote.  We understand that Fran had hers, but she never said how they were returned - in which case if Lara's mom returned them, then why would Fran be upset with Lara?  Wouldn't she be able to decipher the fact that if her letters were returned, then Lara's were probably not sent?  Clarification would have been nice.  We also gather that Lara's mom wasn't a nice person, but is she still alive?  Nothing is ever said; only that her father passed away; and we're not told what her upbringing was like in Boston with a mother like that.  I would like to see this expanded on.

The last thing that irked me is that 56 is not old; while it is middle-aged, I know people in their fifties who have fulfilled lives and are as active as younger people.  (I live in Las Vegas and see it quite a bit).  From the way Fran was described earlier in the book, I pictured her closer to eighty.  Yes, I understand the knee problem, but she's withdrawn from life, so I thought she was a lot older.  Even with bad knees, she must be taking some sort of medication to help that will at least allow her some ease of pain.  It's like her entire zest for life (if she had any) was taken away.

Aside from this, I liked most of the characters and also liked the fact that she's opening the cat sanctuary.  It will be interesting to read about the stories of the different cats that pass through along with the people who adopt them (with Blue's approval, of course). 

When the mystery was solved and we find out the identity of the murderer, I can say that it came as a surprise, which is rare.  The plot was very well done and the ending was thoroughly satisfactory.  It is a great start to a new series, and I look forward to the next and where it will take us.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Claws-Linda-Reilly/dp/1516104196?

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2255166752

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/           

Out of the Dying Pan (A Deep Fried Mystery #2)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:  Mystery

Paperback; Ebook
ISBN #:  9780425274149
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $7.99 Amazon
March 1, 2016

Five Stars

For Talia Marby, the sweet smell of success is a lot like the pungent aroma of fried fish and vinegar.  Her new business, Fry Me a Sliver, is rapidly expanding beyond fish and chips to become one of the best eateries in the Berkshires.  But the nasty owner of a neighboring boutique is making a stink, baiting Talia in a very public fight at a community center fundraiser and nursing an inexplicable grudge.

When the boutique owner is found strangled with Talia's scarf knotted around her neck, our favorite fish fryer finds herself in hot oil.  Needing to clear her name, and fast, Talia's investigation soon yields some shocking surprises as well as a sizzling suspicion: someone had good reason to want the victim dead - and it's frying Talia's nerves...

********

Talia Marby has a new business in the Berkshires, Fry Me a Sliver.   She's finally getting a new sign - even if it is on back order - and trying out new deep-fried recipes.  One day she notices a new vintage clothing store has opened, and on the spur of the moment she decides to stop in and welcome them.  She introduces herself to the clerk Kelsey, who seems pleasant enough.  But a few seconds later a striking redhead emerges from the back room who ignores her and snaps at Kelsey.  Talia leaves in a hurry, stunned by the rebuff from a woman she'd never met.

Only later does Talia realize she knew Ria - known then as Orianna Butterworth - as a child, for it seems Ria stole a rabbit from Talia's best friend's younger brother, and Talia discovered it.  It seems Ria has held this grudge for thirty years (!).  So when Ria is found dead later that week - with Talia's Nana's scarf tied around her neck, Talia appears to be the main suspect in the murder.

Even though neither of Talia's employees believe she's guilty - there's Lucas Bartolini, who rides a skateboard to work, is clumsy but nevertheless respectful and loyal; and Martha Hoelscher, who's older, grumpy, and won't talk about her past - it doesn't help her that the police keep interviewing her, hoping she'll trip up and incriminate herself.

Yet Talia knows she didn't commit the murder, but who did?  There is no shortage of suspects, and although there are many people with grudges against Ria, it doesn't seem as if there are any clear winners in who wanted her dead, and that in itself is different.  It was for this fact that I especially liked the book - plenty in the running, with no one in the lead.

Ms. Reilly weaves a wonderful story, with the words flowing off the page as easily as water running down a stream.  The characters are interesting and well-rounded, and even Talia, who appears as capable as they come, has her own insecurities to deal with, which she does so admirably.

The story moved along at a lively pace, and there were enough twists and turns to the story to keep me reading it in one sitting.  With the wonderful characters, Talia's cat Bojangles (I'm a sucker for cats), and the colorful setting in the Berkshires, how can one not like this book?  

Although I had a few reservations about reading this book - I'm not enthusiastic about fried food - I was nevertheless surprised at how much I relished it.  It was quite a fun read, and I liked the fact that the killer wasn't apparent within the first pages, as can happen with mysteries (and I read them a lot).  When we finally do find out the killer, it comes as a complete surprise, and quite unexpected.

This is the second book in the series, the first being Fillet of Murder.  However, this can be read as a stand alone, so no worries there.  For myself, I'm greatly anticipating the next book.  Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Dying-Pan-Fried-Mystery/dp/0425274144/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1588794804

More on Linda Reilly's books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/