Cooking the Books: A Sloane Templeton Mystery [Paperback]

Bonnie S. Calhoun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2012 | Series: Sloane Templeton Mystery

After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?”  

A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?


"Bonnie Calhoun's first Sloane Templeton mystery, Cooking the Books, is one of the most delightful new fiction voices I've read in years. My only complaint--waiting for the sequel. If this book doesn't have you ROFLOL, you'd better check your pulse!"--Jeanette Windle

"Bonnie Calhoun's debut novel, Cooking the Books, is as fun and quirky as the author herself. The cast of characters brims with unexpected humor and heart, and Sloane's take on the world around her keeps the reader eagerly turning pages to see what she'll say or do next. I look forward to more Sloane Templeton adventures."   Sandra D. Bricker, award-winning author of the Emma Rae Creation series that began with Always the Baker, Never the Bride

"What do a gangsta ex-boyfriend, gunslinging grannies, computer hacking, two very unusual books, and the world’s worst chef all have in common? You’ll find them in Bonnie Calhoun’s debut novel, Cooking the Books. It’s a one-of-a-kind a potboiler filled to the brim with plot twists, romance, and humor. A tasty treat for romantic suspense fans."

--Rick Acker, author of When the Devil Whistles and Dead Man's Rule

"Bonnie S. Calhoun is a master weaver of snarky humor and suspense. Cooking the Books is fast paced, laugh out loud funny with enough suspense to make you shiver. Sloane is an oxymoron: tough as nails on crime and injustice, yet her Aunt Verline and Fifi, her nutty store manager, manipulate her. Novel Rocket and I give it a high recommendation. It's a must read." -  Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor Novel Rocket

"Bonnie S. Calhoun pens a heroine with snap and pizzazz. Sloane Templeton wonders why an old book is cause for bullets, and whether her refusal to sell her business justifies harrassment. A fast-paced mystery full of colorful characters and a last minute twist--what's not to love?" ~ S. Dionne Moore, Author of Promise Brides, 2010 and 2011 Carol Award Finalist

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance helping to promote Christian fiction with blog tours. She is owner/publishes of Christian Fiction Online Magazine devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. As Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she was named ‘2011 Mentor of the Year.” She is President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network, and also Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, blogging and HTML. Bonnie and her husband live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff. Her website is bonniescalhoun.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press; First Edition edition (April 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426733887
• ISBN-13: 978-1426733888
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wear seven hats, juggle a dozen balls, and think sleep is sorely over-rated. What else is there to life? And a note to men who think a woman's place is in the kitchen...Need I remind you, that's where the knives are kept bucko!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read! June 12, 2012

By Peggy Blann Phifer

Format:Paperback

As cozy mysteries go, this one was not disappointing. Author Bonnie Clahoun writes with wit and charm, and a touch of snark. I loved it. The characters presented in Cooking the Books are quirky and a little bit crazy, yet somehow completely believable. The clues and hints are scattered in between some laugh-out-loud scenes that kept me turning the pages.

Kudos to Ms. Calhoun. I am looking forward to the next Sloan Templeton Mystery.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Promising series but needs some focus April 15, 2012

By CJ-MO VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Sloane Templeton wants to be a computer forensics specialist, but instead she finds herself in the role of bookseller when she inherits her mother's bookstore, "Beckham's Books and Brew." Although Sloane doesn't love books the way her mom did, she doesn't want to sell the building, even though she's getting more and more pressure to do just that from Coltraine Realty. In addition to Sloane coping with her mother's death and learning to run the bookstore, there are at least two buyers haggling over a rare book purchased by Sloane's mother before she passed away. Sloane must also deal with her friend and store manager Fifi, who would have loved to have inherited the store, along with more man trouble than anyone should have to deal with.

"Cooking the Books" is an amusing, fast-paced read. It is categorized as Christian fiction and while Sloane does pray and talks about God and her faith, her beliefs are woven into the story naturally, and the author doesn't preach to the reader.

Sloane is unique character and the series has a lot of promise. Where the book is lacking is its focus. There are so many characters introduced in this book (almost 15 in just the first six chapters) and many transitions between several different characters' point of view that I was often confused. There were too many people introduced at once, especially since it's a new series, and you can't tell who is going to play an important role in the book. On top of that, there are so many different things going on, it took me a while to zero in on the main plot and the major characters. All of the various sub-plots didn't seem to converge into one coherent primary storyline, so it became frustrating to keep everything straight.

The book does have many funny lines which helps make up for some of the flaws. While the humor is light-hearted, the book does deal very realistically with a serious subject. The author shows, somewhat graphically, the ugliness of domestic violence, and that part of the book is very well-done. I like that the book ends on a promising note, with Sloane coming to terms with her mother's death, and showing a new confidence and satisfaction with her life. With some paring down of characters and focus on fewer sub-plots, this could be an even more enjoyable series.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Abingdon Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun, and an excellent debut novel March 27, 2012

By Iola

Format:Paperback

Sloane Templeton has it all - a successful business, a handsome Greek boyfriend and a solid relationship with God. Well, she owns a bookshop but really wants to work in computer forensics. No one except her likes her Greek boyfriend (significant other?), and God seems to be out to lunch some days. Not only has she inherited Beckhams Books & Brews and its offbeat manager from her mother, but she has also acquired a rare book that could be worth a lot of money - if she lives to see it. She is receiving cyber-threats but initially dismisses them as pranks, until the FedEx pack with the dead rat arrives. Then it becomes apparent that someone means to harm her if she doesn't obey - but obey what?

So begins a merry chase featuring two mysterious and valuable books, two violent exes, a bookclub called the Granny Oakleys who don't seem to read any books, and a real estate agent who may or may not be working on the right side of the law. While most of the story is told by Sloane, there are scenes in the third person providing some background information and suspense. Sloane has a distinctive and engaging voice Sloane has a wicked sense of humour, which was one of the best aspects of Cooking the Books. She comments that her ex-husband tried to divorce her by way of the cemetery, her aunt is from the shallow end of the gene pool (love that phrase!) and when her uncle died of food poisoning, the coroner was careful to point out that the food poisoning was not the result of her aunt's cooking (which is apparently legendary, and not in a good way).

While Sloane is spunky, funny and generally likeable, she has poor taste in men and a tendency to try and do things herself rather than asking for help. This is not always wise and is occasionally annoying - independence is not a positive trait when being stalked by a violent ex. Call 911, for goodness sake!

As with many current books there are a series of discussion questions at the end. The fact that Sloane is a flawed character who has made a lot of mistakes means that these are more thought provoking than most. If you are looking for a light-hearted mystery with a cast of slightly suspicious characters (and a handful who are more for comic relief), then you will enjoy Cooking the Books.

Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.