Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery) by Lena Gregory. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
by Lena Gregory
Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Beyond the Page (March 19, 2024)
Paperback : 188 pages
The best-laid plans may go awry, but the best-laid clues could frame a man for murder . . .
Never one to let a day off work go to waste, café owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s, and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence.
As even more incriminating evidence surfaces—including when the murder weapon itself is found hidden at the café—Gia knows she’s up against someone brutal enough to kill and devious enough to frame Cole for the deed. With the police ready to make an official arrest and wrap up what they consider an open-and-shut case, Gia turns for help to an old friend who’s not above breaking the law himself. Because if she can’t find the killer, Cole may go from serving up hot dishes to serving a life sentence . . .
Guest Post: How I Started Reading Cozies
Like everyone else here, I LOVE to read. I’ve often wondered what makes people enjoy the genres they do. I love fantasy, yet I have a friend who absolutely can’t read anything in the fantasy genre even though we enjoy a lot of the same books in other genres. I also used to be a huge horror fan. Stephen King and Dean Koontz were two of my all-time favorite authors, and I read everything they ever wrote.
Then my husband got a new job, working overnights two hours away from home. I would lay awake at night reading, because I’m an incurable insomniac, and inevitably the noises would start. A creak, a howling, a bang, something scratching… You know how it is at three am when the house is dead silent and every sound is exaggerated (and you’re current read is The Shining).
So, of course, I’d call my husband and say, “Hon? I heard a noise.”
I will admit, he was patient for quite a while. He worked two hours away and had to wait for a train to get home. It wasn’t like he could just jump in the car and run home for a minute. After a few weeks of frantic, whispered phone calls, he finally suggested I start reading romance.
And I tried. I really did, but I need some suspense or mystery in my books. Straight romance just doesn’t cut it for me. So, I started reading Kay Hooper, Allison Brennan, JD Robb. You know…serial killers and stuff. Talk about hearing noises in the night.
Anyway, then I found cozies! The perfect solution, though I still do love my suspense novels, and I’m still a huge fantasy fan. At least I know I don’t have to worry about dragons sneaking in during the night.
What about you? How did you start reading cozies? What other genres do you enjoy?
My review of Battered and Buried
Battered and Buried is the seventh book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe mystery series by Lena Gregory. I started this series with book four, and you can easily read Battered and Buried as a standalone! I’ve loved every book I’ve read in this series, and Battered and Buried didn’t disappoint me.
I’m always happy to visit (and solve crimes) with Gia, Savannah, their significant others and the All-Day Breakfast Cafe crew and friends. The characters are well-written, and I’ve come to see them as friends! Their interactions are genuine as are their actions. Sure, not all cafe owners solve crimes, but this is a cozy mystery! One of my favorite characters is Alfie who is a computer genius. He knows how to get information legally…only just. And there are the adorable pets of course!
Battered and Buried has a well-plotted mystery with enough red herrings to make finding the murderer quite tricky! Since one of their own is a suspect, Gia and Savannah are extra motivated to find the killer. The suspects are all really plausible, and I couldn’t figure out whodunit until the end!
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with yummy breakfast food, great characters,and a puzzling mystery, you’ll love Battered and Buried! I give it five big stars!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About Lena Gregory
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
Author Links
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Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org
Enter the Giveaways!
Battered and Buried TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 19 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 21 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
March 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 23 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 25 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 26 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW
March 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 27 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
March 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 29 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
March 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 30 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
March 31 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 31 – Teatime and Books – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
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Been to several of them in Northern Arizona. Some were not listed yet as a national park so was nice to see places before alot of people did. Jerome, Flagstaff were 2 of then were in and another outside of jerome.
No, but I would love to! Yosemite is at the top of my list.
I’m looking forward to reading the book.
I would love to visit Yosemite National Park.
I have been to the Great Smoky Mountains. I would like to visit some National Parks out west.
I been to Jasper National park in Canada
I grew up playing in the national forests and parks in and near WV, so I’ve been to many. Most recently I’ve visited the Grand Canyon.
OMG — Yes We have been to many national parks. My favorite Glacier Bay. Each one is unique and beautiful. Great day each time with my kids and grandkids!
I have been to Carlsbad, Gateway Arch, the Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smokey Mountains, and Zion National Parks.
I have been to Joshua Tree National Park.
I would like to visit a park that has redwoods in California.
Yes, I’ve been to Acadia National park
I haven’t been to any. I’d love to go to Glacier Bay.
I went to Yosemite
I’ve been to several. My favorite is Yosemite and Grand Canyon is on my bucket list.
No I haven’t ever been to one.
I’ve been to the Smokey Mountain National Park. I climbed Clingmans Dome and when I got to the top I couldn’t see a thing. Fog or clouds?
looks like a fun one
I was born on the road & traveled to most attractions but I remember Yellowstone most.
I have been to zion and to yosemite and want to next go to yellowstone
I love the book title. Very clever
I enjoyed the book excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway!
I have been to Mount Rushmore.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review! I am so happy you are enjoying the All-Day Breakfast Cafe series! And thank you for sharing the release of Battered and Buried!
You’re welcome! Thank you for the guest post!
I have never visited Yosemite National Park but would love to!
Yes. Burney Falls.
No I haven’t ever been to a national park.
I would like to see Yellow Stone.
I have only been to a couple of national parks, but so far, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio has been my favorite!
I’ve never been to a national park. I would love to go to one.
Mount Rushmore national park.
The cover is really cool looking.
yes great esker park
I have never been to any, but would love to visit Yellowstone.
The most recent national park I went to was Joshua tree
I’ve been to Yosemite and Grand Canyon.
I have been to Great Smoky Mountains. I would love Yellowstone!
I have visited Cabwaylingo State Forest near me in West Virginia
We have hiked & camped in Tonto, Prescott, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, all in Arizona. Would like to visit Olympic National Forest in Washington !
My children and I spent 2 weeks in Yosemite and didn’t want to leave. We hiked, climbed to the top of multiple waterfalls and still didn’t do everything we wanted to do. By the way the 5 children were between the ages of 6 and 12 so I had my hands full.
That sounds wonderful and I’m sure you were definitely busy with all of those little ones!
Yes! The Grand Canyon remains my favorite.
I love reading cozies for so many reasons. They don’t give me nightmares, the characters are the ones you might see every day and there is still enough mystery to keep me guessing who the bad guy is.
I have been to many national parks, Grand Canyon, Zion, Acadia just to name a few.