Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #63) (A Cozy Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Virginia Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2007

Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn't win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms... and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own murder investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victims in mind....

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Steeple Hill (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037344253X
• ISBN-13: 978-0373442539
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,069,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, and an avid scuba diver. She launched her career as a novelist with the release Just As I Am in 2006, and has been cranking out God-honoring fiction ever since. She and her husband, Ted, divide their time between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean. www.VirginiaSmith.org

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gossip Can Be A Killer!, September 30, 2007

By 

Janna R. Ryan (Nebraska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #63) (A Cozy Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Murder By Mushroom" by Virginia Smith, published by Love Inspired Suspense was an incredibly fun read. Here's the blip -

A Killer Casserole

Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn't win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms...and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victim's in mind...

This is what I considered a fluff book (a quick, fun, light book with not a lot of depth but still satisfying somehow), until I read it. It turned out to not only be very fun and highly enjoyable book that kept me guessing til close to the end (although I did figure it out before it was revealed :-) but it also had a lot of meat to it and really hit home in some areas too. It dealt bluntly with the issue of church gossip and how it can really hurt when people assume and rush to judgement, but without being preachy. The heroine is NOT perfect, but is willing to ask forgiveness when she messes up. I finished the book with a smile and a resolve to think a little more before I judge and to be a little quicker to ask for forgiveness when I mess up. What more can you ask from a quick read - enjoyment, suspense, romance, comedy and some real meat in the middle. Pick it up and give it a read!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder by Mushroom, September 13, 2007

By 

Jeff And Teena Stewart (Benicia, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #63) (A Cozy Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Jackie Hoffner loves the homey feel and fellowship of Heritage Community Church a small Kentucky church she's become a part of. One of the church's mainstays is its monthly potlucks following Sunday service. Jackie can't wait to show off the Italian casserole she's cooked, her right of passage for becoming fully accepted by the women of the church.

The casserole is a hit. But when Alice Farmer, a crotchety parishioner, brings home some of Jackie's leftovers and winds up dead because the dish was laced with poisoned mushrooms, matters look bad for Jackie. She vows to clear herself, launching her own private investigation, bull dozing through and plying church members and associates with questions that offend many. What she learns is that just about everybody had a reason for hating Alice Farmer.

If you have ever been a part of a small church you will surely identify with and enjoy Murder by Mushroom which successfully nails both the characters and the character of small churches and small towns. Add in a dash of romance with a handsome cop assigned to accompany the detective Jackie's involvement in the murder, and you've got a winning recipe for fun, romance, and suspense.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Winter Read, October 27, 2007

By 

J. Trotter (Brandenburg, Ky USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #63) (A Cozy Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book. It had just enough mystery and just enough romance. I look forward to reading another cozy mystery by this author.