Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

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Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

Murder on the Page (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (October 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

Book Excerpt

Chapter 1

“I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.”

—Elizabeth Bennet, in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Clippety-clop-splat. My shoes struck the rain-soaked sidewalk at a brisk pace. Clippety-clop-splat.

“Careful, Allie,” I muttered to myself. The rain had stopped, but the pavement was still slick. “Slow down.”

But I couldn’t. Why was I rushing on foot to Dream Cuisine, the pristine ghost kitchen that I rented on a month-to-month basis? Because Marigold Markel, one of my favorite people in the whole world, the woman who owned Feast for the Eyes, a darling bookshop, had hired me to make and serve a midmorning tea tomorrow for the Bramblewood Community Theater Foundation, and she’d put in an additional request. Driving to purchase the few extra items from the store down the street seemed senseless. But now I was late getting started. I hated being late for anything.

Clippety-clop-splat. Skid!

“Honestly, Allie, get a grip,” I said as I veered right onto Main Street. “You’ll get it all done.”

Would I? Making six dozen mini mince pies, five dozen tea sandwiches, four dozen icebox sugar cookies, and a pound of chocolate caramel fudge would not be a snap.

“Breathe,” I said.

Dutifully, I inhaled and exhaled, adjusted the two reusable bags filled with groceries that I was carrying, and refocused on the sound of the narrator reading my latest foray into Sherlock Holmes stories, The Sign of the Four, via my earbuds.

Reading—even audible reading—calmed me. At one time in my life, I was destined to become an English teacher. And why not? I’d spent most of my childhood days reading books while dreaming about any host of heroes and heroines. In high school, my passion for fiction swelled. At Davidson College, it became an obsession. I graduated eager to alter young minds. I also graduated, foolishly thinking that getting engaged to a handsome, intriguing banker was a good idea.

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber

BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber

GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber

TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@daryl_wood_gerber

AMAZON: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page

NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/

Purchase Links

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