Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines a “whodunit” as “a detective story or mystery story”; the term has come to represent a plot-driven mystery. Usually starring an amateur detective, the main character (and the reader) is presented with suspects and clues throughout the story’s development and the criminal is revealed at the end of the book.
The developing “cozy” genre is a variation on this type of story. Cozy stories are light whodunits that don’t really focus on the violence, but instead offer humorous and likeable characters, a mystery to solve, and a happy ending. A Catered Murder, the first novel by Isis Crawford, is this type of novel with a fast-moving plot, several characters that serve as potential suspects, and unlikely detectives searching for the truth.
Review
Libby Simmons is the sensible and responsible owner of A Taste of Heaven, a bakery and catering business, in a New York suburb. She is joined by her more outrageous and adventurous sister, Bernie, when she escapes a bad relationship in Los Angeles and returns home. Their father, a retired police chief, attempts to keep control of his daughters from his wheelchair as they run their business, deal with men, and seemingly attract trouble wherever they go.
In this, the first of the Mystery with Recipes series, a high school classmate dies immediately after drinking a bottle of water served by the caterers at a reunion event. The search begins as the sisters attempt to save their business (and their suspected friend) by finding the real murderer among a collection of suspects ranging from the overbearing publicist to the suspected mistress.
The novel is light, easy-to-read, and an enjoyable mystery to solve. Some grammatical and typing errors in the text, however, can be distracting and the dialogue can sometimes be difficult to follow. With the addition of recipes at the end of the book, Crawford’s previous experience as a food writer, and two main characters that work as caterers, A Catered Murder also adds delectable descriptions of food to the search for the killer. While some readers may find the characters too extreme and the plot too predictable, those that enjoy whodunits, culinary mysteries, and the cozy genre, will enjoy this novel.
Book Information
Title: A Catered Murder
Author: Isis Crawford
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Copyright: 2003
ISBN: 978-1575667102
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print
The Series
The series also includes A Catered Wedding , A Catered Christmas , A Catered Valentine's Day, and the newly released A Catered Halloween.
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