Published 2015
Summary
It is almost Valentine’s Day in Jewel Bay, Montana, and the town is preparing for a Food Lovers’ Film Festival. Christine, a local artist, is in charge, and Erin is lending a hand. This isn’t a festival meant to bring in tourists, but a festival meant to bring together locals during the bitter days of winter. The high school film club is helping out and local restaurants are providing snacks. Everyone is working together. Then Christine is found murdered in her art gallery. When Erin’s brother, Nick, becomes a suspect, Erin is determined to find the real killer.
My Thoughts
This was an interesting mystery with a good number of potential motives. I love a mystery where it’s hard to guess the motive because that really opens up the pool of suspects and leaves space for red herrings. There were adequate clues to allow the reader to figure out who the killer was, but not so easy that it was obvious from the start.
Beyond the mystery, the story has interesting characters and storylines. I enjoy watching Erin build her business and relationships and seeing the town come to life. The author paints vivid pictures of Montana and I’m really growing to love Jewel Bay.
What Else I Liked
- Erin is a fabulous character. She is a talented entrepreneur who goes out of her way to help other women grow their businesses.
- An explanation to what happened between Erin and her former best friend, Kim, in high school was provided. (It had bugged me in the last book, so I was relieved.)
- Cats! I love cats, and these cats provide the perfect amount of levity.
- Some of the characters in the story are collectors and it leads to some interesting conversations and musings about collections. Why do people collect what they collect? What motivates them?
- The recipes! There are always great recipes at the ends of the books in this series, but this time they look extra yummy. Chocolate cabernet sauce, cocoa nib hot chocolate, huckleberry martinis and more!
- Erin doesn’t swear and the words she uses instead of profanity are often really cute.
- The dedication at the start of the book was lovely. It deserves a mention!
What I Didn’t Like
- The characters I like keep getting killed off in this town. That’s not a complaint; it just makes me sad.
Potential Triggers or Upsetting Events
- One character explains to another some of the brutal tactics of wolf hunters.
Rating 4/5
About the Author
Photo Credit: Brenda Ahearn
Leslie Budewitz blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in two cozy mystery series, the Spice Shop mysteries set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody suspense, beginning with BITTERROOT LAKE and continuing with BLIND FAITH. A three-time Agatha-Award winner (for Best Nonfiction, Best First Novel, and Best Short Story), she is a past president of Sisters in Crime and board member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives in NW Montana.
(From Leslie’s website https://www.lesliebudewitz.com/media)
You can learn more about Leslie on her website lesliebudewitz.com. She maintains a really entertaining blog there and you can sign up for her newsletter.
Leslie also writes on the Mystery Lovers Kitchen blog, where you can find some pretty amazing recipes!
Cover art from Bookshop.org.
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