Mystery on the Menu
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
After a steady diet of big city trouble Chef Drew Allison has relocated to the tiny island town of Orca's Slough to get a taste of the laid-back artisanal lifestyle. But when he discovers his bartender dead in his basement, he faces a far greater challenge than whipping up a spectacular lunch special. He's the local law enforcement officer's Grade-A suspect. And while Deputy "Big Mac" Mackenzie is fine eye candy as well as a regular customer, Drew isn't convinced he's got the brains to match his brawn--or stand up to a sheriff, who's out to cook Drew's goose. Is Drew's only choice to put mystery on his menu and serve himself as an add-on to Big Mac's investigations? Mystery on the Menu serves up three courses of cozy mystery in one delectable collection. Includes: Entrée to Murder Recipe for Trouble Homicide and Hospitality
Reviews with the most likes.
Entrée to Murder
We're introduced to the characters in this story and I knew whom I would like and wouldn't like. Drew was good from the start – I liked his easy narration and his character grew on me quickly – which I'm happy about as it's hard to read and finish a book where you don't like the main character/their narration.
I sort of liked Mac – Drew's love interest. He's unfortunately a cop – plus there's a thing of his family being in law enforcement. That coupled with it being a small town – there's a big possibility of there being... bias for the cop family. This showed itself in the third story. It did make me dislike Mac and it seemed to me like he just fell into being a cop because there was basically a job waiting for him. Did he not want to become something else? Or did he have to go into law enforcement because “that's what the family wanted/needed”.
I did like Mac's stoic personality – especially when met with Drew's almost chaotic personality. I liked seeing the two mix and that they (their personalities as well as the characters) and I thought they would probably continue to be a good couple. A feature/? of cozy mysteries is that the solver (who's usually in a profession not known for solving crimes) often buts heads with the law enforcement, often creating banter. This did well here as the banter flowed easily into a relationship.
I didn't care for Sam – Drew's business partner. She flits in and out of the stories and I felt I could never get her personality? Either she wasn't fleshed out properly or just not written well in the first place. So every time she was on the page (screen for me) I sort of skimmed over until she left again.
Recipe for Trouble
Michael is terrible (he's Drew's ex that pops up) – is it bad to say I was sort of... rooting for him to end up on the other side of the living experience?
