Pineapple Upside Down Murder (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
MYS ED llc (November 23, 2018)
Print Length: 130 pages

Synopsis

Introducing Jolie Tucker, an introverted yet passionate restaurant co-owner of Cast Iron Creations, who, at her best friend Ava’s request, steps out of her comfort zone which leads her into the shade of a killer in the small, cozy village of Leavensport, Ohio. The victim is the villages beloved Ellie Siler who runs the village sweet spot, Chocolate Capers. Jolie finds her grandma Opal is a prime suspect and goes on a search for answers only to find out that her families secret recipes may not belong to the Tucker family at all. Jolie’s job, family, and livelihood are all on the line. The answers are assuredly lethal.

Review

If you need a shorter cozy mystery to read on the go (in between appointments, etc) then this is one you might want to check out.  It has everything a full length cozy has but in 130 pages.

I always love a cozy that involves food and this is the first time I’ve seen one that centers around recipes that are cooked in a cast iron skillet.  (The recipes at the end look divine!)  Jolie is sort of a mess, I think she is an introvert so has problems talking to people or fitting in unless it is her family or best friend, Ava. Plus we get a peek into her past when it comes to her biological father and the emotional abuse he inflicted on Joie which has a lot to do with how she acts and reacts to people and situations.

Jolie and Ava have planned this restaurant since they were young children and are the best of friends and even live next door to each other.  They have a great relationship which hasn’t wavered even though Ava is in a relationship with Delilah – sometimes love interests get in the way of friendship.  Despite their friendship, there are some tense moments in several spots in the book but I’m not going to reveal why you’ll have to read the book and find out.

There is quite a cast of characters but even with the varied characters, I was able to deduce who is the killer.  I couldn’t tell you why, but something about this character’s actions and words clued me into their guilt.  Now that isn’t to say that a few other characters didn’t seem a bit suspicious.  There is also an attractive police detective that seems to have a thing for Jolie once they get past his initial brusqueness.

Overall a great start to a new series and we give this 4 paws up.

About the Author

Moving into her second decade of working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven cats.

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Check out the other blogs on this tour, some have #Giveaways!

December 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 6 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

December 7 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 7 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

December 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

December 9 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, RECIPE

December 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 11 –Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST

December 12 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

December 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

December 14 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

December 14 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

December 15 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

December 16 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 16 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 17 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 18 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

December 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW