[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke has been managing the family diner – The Bear Claw – in Elkview, Alaska, for about a year. Her main cook, Oliver, is a chef who trained in Paris. She has a circle of staff and friends who pitch in any time a tour bus threatens to overwhelm the smallish diner. And locals and tourists alike love the food, from the mooseloaf to the “grilled cheese extravaganza” to the cherry cheesecake mousse.
Charlie and Oliver were having something of a verbal tug-of-war over the diner menu. He wanted to remove the mousse from their offerings. She wanted to add chocolate to their signature bear claws. Sure, they had argued, and he had stormed off. But that was just what it was like sometimes when working with Oliver. When Oliver doesn’t return, Charlie calls in other staff to cover, figuring Oliver’s pout will be over soon. But no one at the diner is prepared for the news that Oliver was murdered.
Charlie’s shouting match with Oliver makes her a suspect, although not a serious one. But knowing how overloaded Alaskan law enforcement tends to be, Charlie and her friends decide to help track down a killer.
Review
This was fun! I loved the Alaskan setting as well as the diner. Both gave an opening for interesting characters and events in the story. I enjoyed Charlie and her sleuthing partner, Chris. The relationship with law enforcement in this book is fun. Trooper is willing to let Charlie and friends help as long as they are smart and careful. The deputizing routine is a hoot, especially in the end.
The cast of characters working in the diner were fun. Their camaraderie reminds me a little of the Bakeshop series crew in the early part of the series when we were getting to know everyone. I’m eager to see how this crew develops over time. There’s lots of potential for future stories and character development in this group. And Charlie’s relationship with her cat, Benny, was sweet, with some clever and unique twists that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The mystery was good. I had a suspect in mind super early on, but it was the wrong one. But I latched onto the right one about 2/3 of the way through the book. It was satisfying to watch the reveal come together in the end and find out I was right.
This was a great series kick off. Cozy mystery fans should not miss this one. Fans of culinary mysteries should add this to their TBR piles. There are two recipes included at the end of the book. Book 2, Fishing for Trouble, will be releasing later in 2020.