Sunday, July 17, 2016

REVIEW: Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber

Final Sentence
Author: Daryl Wood Gerber

I collect cookbooks. I have two large bookshelves filled with them....nearly every sort....desserts, main courses, foreign cuisines, and even fondue. When I found out there was a cozy mystery series about a cookbook shop, The Cookbook Nook, I knew it was a series I would love.

Final Sentence is the first book in the Cookbook Nook series, and also the first book by Gerber that I have read. She writes another cozy series, The Cheese Shop Mysteries, under the pen-name Avery Aames. There are 4 books in the Cookbook Nook series so far, with the 5th coming out in August 2016. Gerber has also written a suspense novel, Girl on the Run.

Just a quick synopsis: Jenna Hart leaves her job as an advertising executive following the death of her husband. She needs a change of pace so she returns to her hometown, Crystal Cove, CA,  to run a bookstore and cafe with her Aunt Vera. To make the opening event something special, Jenna invites an old college friend, celebrity chef Desiree Divine, to attend the grand-opening.

When Desiree arrives in town with two huge Winnebagos and an entourage, her outlandish behavior causes chaos from the start. But, matters get more dire when Jenna finds the husband-stealing, high maintenance diva murdered on the beach. The local police chief seems to suspect that Jenna killed her friend.  Jenna knows she must prove her innocence and discover the killer's identity before anyone else dies.

I enjoyed the cookbook/restaurant theme.  I kept thinking how much I would enjoy a shop like the one in the book! :) The characters are likeable and the mystery plot was interesting, believable and engaging. The book kept my attention clear to the end.

There are recipes included at the end of the book.They are all cookie recipes. As a person whose sugar intake is very limited due to medical reasons, I was a bit disappointed that there were no main course recipes, or at least something other than desserts. But, that didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book at all. :)

I will definitely be reading more of Gerber's books!


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