Customer Reviews

Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

WELCOME to AUNT PAT'S BARBECUE RESTAURANT--family owned and operated in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. Named in honor of Lulu Taylor's great aunt and is the place to be for the best pulled pork, ribs and spicy corn bread anywhere.

Rebecca Adrian has heard about it all the way up in New York and has come to Memphis to check it out for a prominent Cooking Channel show. She barely arrives in Memphis and has racked up a slew of enemies. Sadly, before she can report back to the Cooking Channel, she is found dead in her hotel room. She was poisoned and most of the suspects happen to Lulu's dear friends and family. Lulu starts investigating on her own and with the help of a half-pint detective, her granddaughter, Ella Beth, she starts to get a clearer picture of what exactly happened.

I LOVED IT!!!!!

A fun, little, off beat debut novel in what I know will become an extremely successful series. The humor and mystery are perfectly fired with some truly capricious characters that make this story an excellent entree with sides of red beans and rice, slaw, and corn muffins. Recipes included.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Lip Smacking New Mystery Series - Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams

Aunt Pat's is a family run BBQ restaurant in the heart of Memphis. The restaurant, known for its ribs and spicy cornbread catches the eye of The Cooking Channel Network, which sends Rebecca Adrian to scout it out for a possible segment on the show. Lulu, the family matriarch is all set to show the network that Aunt Pat's has the best BBQ around. However, things take the wrong turn when Rebecca manages to insult nearly everyone she comes in contact with. It's no surprise when Rebecca is found dead in her hotel room, a victim of poisoning, just after eating a big meal at Aunt Pat's. Suspects abound. Lulu must solve the mystery to save not only her friends and family, but Aunt Pat's reputation.

At first, I found this story to hard to get into. There was just so much going on in the beginning (perhaps I was distracted by my crazy life), but it wasn't long before Adams has reached out grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into the story. I was hooked. Lulu is a wonderful amateur sleuth. She's not overbearing, as can sometimes be the case in cozy mysteries. She's a kind-hearted woman who cares about her friends and family and tries very hard to do the right thing. She draws information from suspects without them realizing they are being grilled.

Aunt Pat's regulars add season to the story making the restaurant feel like a true down home place. I'm looking forward to learning more about The Graces (docents at Graceland), the Jazz Trio (three gentlemen somewhat past their prime, but still in the swing of things), and Lulu's daughter in law, Sarah who happens to be an artist. After finishing this book, I have a craving for some good southern BBQ. This is not a book to read on an empty stomach. Be sure to check out the recipes included at the end.

I just finished reading the new mystery Delicious and Suspicious and highly recommend it to cozy mystery fans. The characters are a quirky, entertaining and fun group that you'd like to have for your friends. Aunt Pat's sounds like a fabulous restaurant where friends gather for food and fun. I look forward to many more stories as LuLu returns in future editions.

If you enjoy fun Southern cozies this book is for you.

Delicious & Suspicious is filled with quirky characters, wonderful Southern food, and a sticky whodunit murder plot. The Memphis setting is fabulous with the 3 things that make Memphis unique, BBQ, Graceland and the blues. D&S is a solid first book in a new series. I look forward to reading what will happen next to Lulu, The Graces, Derick, the old blues buddies etc. This is a fun summer read.

Riley Adams' first book, Delicious and Suspicious, is one of those rare books you can read again and again. The characters are like people who live on your block, people you've known all of your life. The plot is as thick as pea soup and spicy as Aunt Pat's cornbread. I'm looking forward to the next book - and a visit to Memphis!

Riley Adams (aka: Elizabeth Spann Craig) is the QUEEN of little old lady cozies. This one is filled with zany characters, fabulous setting, and mouth-watering temptation. If you are a cozy reader, you don't want to miss it.

Interesting first book in a new series: Memphis BBQ Mystery. Light cozy mystery. The owner of Aunt Pat's BBQ is Lulu. The restaurant is staffed by family members. We also learn alot about the regulars at the restaurant, too - The Graces, for instance. A TV scout has come to Memphis to do a show for the Cooking Channel and she ends up poisoned. It seems that everyone except Lulu is a suspect. Fun read.

This first in a new series set in Memphis has the recipe for a successful series. The very richly-drawn characters and setting really make you feel like you're in the South at Aunt Pat's barbeque restaurant. And the food talk made me drool.

There's some humor and some heartbreak and a mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I'm waiting, impatiently, for the next book in the series.

I do like cozy mysteries, especially those centered around food...but I had a difficult time getting into this book. There are alot of characters but I just didn't really feel for any of the main characters. The "villian" and reasoning behind the incident was rather weak. The "villian" didn't even appear in the story very much. The book focused mainly on Lulu and her family run restaurant then back to the Graces(tour guides at Graceland). It was also very slow in the beginning. In fact, nothing much happens until the end of the book. And the events that took place at the end were completely unbelievable....I know it is a work of fiction and for enjoyment purposes but still...it is just a bit too much for me.

I only ordered the read free 1st chapter thank goodness. Was overwhelmed in the first 10 pages by the number of character intros and small talk without anything important being introduced. Could not even finish the free read for this book.