Murder by the Millions (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Synopsis

In a beautiful mountain community near Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients’ favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success—if a murderer isn’t a killjoy . . .

If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie’s business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await . . .

Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie’s best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan’s prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie’s tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it’s the cat’s meow.

Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she’s summoned to his estate for a meeting—and finds him dead.

Once again Allie’s landed in the middle of a crime scene. Worse, one of her earrings is later discovered near the body. And when police learn she was upset about the mall, she’s suspect #1. Allie’s blossoming sleuthing skills once cleared Tegan’s name, but can she save herself—before a killer writes her a not-so-great Gatsbyesque ending . . .

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Review

The second in the series does not disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Murder on the Page, and was glad to head back to North Carolina and this happy little bookstore run by Tegan, and Allie’s catering business.

Allie seems to find herself in the thick of things when she discovers Jason Gardner dead in his home. To top it off, the murder weapon might have come from her home. Is someone setting her up to take the fall? There was an incident at her home involving the cat that set off my spidey senses, telling me something was amiss. But the truth is slowly revealed, leaving me guessing at every turn.

I thought the idea of a Great Gatsby party was fun. They went all out in the planning, giving me ideas should I want to replicate something similar. I appreciate the author’s attention to detail, including the foods served in that era.

There is still tension between Allie and Vanna, but it is a more amicable relationship compared to the first book. That doesn’t mean there aren’t potential issues. Allie’s friendship with Zach is put to the test in this book, only because everything points to her as the killer…and we know that can’t be true!

This book left me guessing as I tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I nearly had it!

Check out this series, but start with the first book so you know all of the players.

We give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense, including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently, Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays.  Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

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