A televised cooking competition puts Sherry, a successful cooking competitor, in the spotlight,
especially when the final challenge calls
for catching a killer.
A Holiday
For
Homicide
A Cook-Off Mystery #9
by Devon Delaney
Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery
A televised cooking competition puts Sherry in the spotlight,
especially when the final challenge calls for catching a killer . . .
Despite being a seasoned competitor, nothing could have prepared Sherry Oliveri
for the thrill of being chosen for a three-day cooking challenge on national
television. She’s dying to tell her friends, but she and everyone else involved
in the contest has been sworn to secrecy until it airs. Still, that’s not
stopping someone from penning cryptic notes about the show for the whole town
to read, which has the production crew on edge—right up until one of them is
found dead.
Determined to root out the killer, Sherry suspects the truth lies with
whoever’s behind the mysterious notes—which have now turned dark with menacing
comments on the murder and suggestions of buried secrets. Trying to unravel it
all while focusing on her recipes, Sherry’s stopped dead in her tracks when the
cook-off host drops a bombshell. With no time to spare, she’ll have to unearth
the one missing ingredient that will ensure the killer’s cooked . . .
Includes recipes from Sherry’s kitchen!
Praise for the Cook-Off Mysteries:
“The Cook-Off Mystery series by Devon Delaney is a very tasty treat!” —Cozy
Mystery Book Reviews
“This is a very fun and rollicking mystery that stays light-hearted even as the
case gets more complicated . . . Cooking, holiday celebrations, and moving
family drama all make for the perfect escape.” —Kings River Life
"This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't
feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really
enjoyed this book!" – Netgalley Reviewer
Amazon * B&N
* Bookbub
* Goodreads
**Don’t miss the
rest of the Cook-Off Mysteries! **
Find them on Amazon!
Devon Delaney is life-long
resident of the Northeast and
currently resides in coastal Connecticut. She is a wife, mother of three,
grandmother of two and accomplished cooking contester. She taught computer
education and Lego Robotics for over ten years prior to pursuing writing. Along
the way Devon has been handsomely rewarded for her recipe innovation over the
last twenty-plus years. Combining Devon’s beloved hobby of cooking contesting
with her enthusiasm for writing was inevitable.
When Devon is not preparing for her next cook-off, she may
be found pursuing her other hobbies, including playing competitive USTA league
tennis, gardening, needlepointing, painting, jarring her produce, and hooking
rugs. Her standard poodle, Rocket, is her pride and joy and keeps her on the
path of sanity.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads
GUEST POST
What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired to write A Holiday For Homicide, the latest addition to my cooking competition cozy murder mystery series, by my experience on television’s Live With Kelly and Ryan Show. I won their backyard grill recipe contest and was invited to cook my winning recipe on the show live. I have always used my cook-off experiences as fodder for my books and cooking on television added another dimension. All I needed was a murder, many suspects and enough intrigue to engage my readers from page one through a thrilling conclusion and my book was done.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Holiday For Homicide?
Kat is a new character in my series. She is a young friend of the main character Sherry, and is a ripe source of information as she works in the mayor’s office. Pep is Sherry’s brother and runs a food truck. He is privy to all sorts of characters ordering his famous toasts at his truck’s window. Basil, one of Pep’s clientele, is the director and producer of the televised cook-off being held in Sherry’s hometown of Augustin, CT. He has a few secrets he shares only with his associates. One secret may hold the reason for a murder that occurs. Garret is a freelance journalist who uncovers more questions than answers as he covers the cook-off event. Hazel is a quirky older woman who has a nose for news and a desire to be involved.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
I have always maintained, competition breeds bad behavior. I have never witnessed a murder in my twenty plus years of participating in cook-offs, but I can see how one might occur, given the right circumstances. The televised cook-offs I have been a part of are another level of stress and tension. My characters are an outflow of - who knows the victim, who has reason to want him dead and who would benefit most from his demise. I also create red herring characters based on the likelihood they draw attention away from the guilty party. The natural progression of the plot dictates the importance of my characters. I’m as surprised as anyone when the red herrings begin to fade away and the truth reveals itself.
Follow the tour HERE for special content
and a $10 giveaway!
No comments:
Post a Comment