Why am I passionate about this?

Nancy Drew was the gateway drug for my mystery reading and writing addiction. I love unusual sleuths, and sleuths with secrets such as Mrs. Pollifax, Miss Marple, and Stephanie Plum. Dubbed the “takeout queen” by my kids, I love cooking shows and had the good sense to marry a man who enjoys making ice cream.


I wrote

Book cover of The Rocky Road to Ruin

What is my book about?

Riley Rhodes is the new manager of Udderly Delicious, a specialty ice cream shop in Connecticut’s bucolic Quiet Corner. A…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Death by Bubble Tea

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

In Death By Bubble Tea, Jennifer Chow introduces us to the fascinating world of Los Angeles’ night markets where her sleuth, Yale Yee (named for the aspirations of her education-minded parents) runs a bubble tea stand with the help of her cousin, Celine. Bookish, quiet Yale couldn’t be more different than her brash, social media influencer cousin, but together they make a culinary splash and solve a murder that mars the opening night of the market. Intriguing cutthroat foodie culture, millennial energy, and warm family relationships distinguish this debut cozy.

By Jennifer J. Chow,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Death by Bubble Tea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, bestselling author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue.

When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years,…


Book cover of Honey Roasted

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

Crime is always brewing near amateur sleuth Clare Cosi’s NYC Village Blend Coffeeshop. Though set in the city, the village surrounding the coffee shop is a close-knit community that comes together for gossip over a good cup of joe. The latest in Cleo Coyle’s series, Honey Roasted not only shows us how to brew a perfect cup of cappuccino, but also takes us into the world of urban beekeeping. The death of a friend mars Clare’s wedding plans, but she’s not going down the aisle until she unmasks the killer.

By Cleo Coyle,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Honey Roasted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Coyle's latest Coffeehouse mystery is a honey of a tale....A primer on bees, coffee, and some of New York's most unusual and exciting areas make for a fascinating and mysterious read."—Kirkus Reviews

Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend in this all-new mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle.

While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new…


Book cover of The Diva Says Cheesecake

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

Krista Davis’ long-running Domestic Diva series is always a treat. Sophie Winston, a creative caterer in charming Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, has been sleuthing for fourteen books, and the latest, The Diva Says Cheesecake is just as fresh and fun as the first. Davis’ witty and warm-hearted sleuth is surrounded by a cast of fun characters that bring the social setting to life. The Diva has done it all from high tea and Thanksgiving dinners, weddings, and celebrity cooking shows, and all of Davis’ recipes are to die for.

By Krista Davis,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Diva Says Cheesecake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a delicious new Domestic Diva Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis, entertaining guru Sophie Winston is faced with a midsummer nightmare when a celebration in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is the appetizer for murder . . .

Old Town's midsummer festivities are getting a tasty addition this year. To coincide with a public performance of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Bobbie Sue Bodoin, the Queen of Cheesecake, has hired Sophie to organize a dinner with a dessert buffet on the waterfront. Bobbie Sue's homegrown company is thriving, and since her baking dish overfloweth, she wants to…


Book cover of Cheddar Off Dead

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

This book should come with a warning: Moss’ delicious descriptions of her fictional shop’s offerings will send you running to the nearest cheese shop. Warm-hearted Willa Bauer has opened her French-inspired cheese shop, Curds and Whey, in Yarrow Glen, a small town in the beautiful Sonoma Valley. When she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a vicious food critic, she must fight to clear her name.

By Korina Moss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cheddar Off Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Korina Moss's cozy series debut, Cheddar Off Dead, cheesemonger Willa Bauer discovers that her new home in a small Sonoma Valley town is ripe for murder... something here stinks to high heaven, and Willa knows it's not the cheese.

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is proving that sweet dreams are made of cheese. She’s opened her very own French-inspired cheese shop, Curds & Whey, in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. The small town of Yarrow Glen is Willa's fresh start, and she's determined to make it a success – starting with a visit from the local food critic. What Willa…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of The Rocky Road to Ruin

What is my book about?

Riley Rhodes is the new manager of Udderly Delicious, a specialty ice cream shop in Connecticut’s bucolic Quiet Corner. A professional disaster on a mission in Rome forces her to leave behind her career as a librarian for the CIA, but not her talent for digging out secrets. While whipping up batches of to-die-for flavors like cherry amaretto and pumpkin caramel spice, she stumbles into the murder of a family friend, and uses her sleuthing skills to unmask a killer. 

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What You Made Me Do

By Barbara Gayle Austin,

Book cover of What You Made Me Do

Barbara Gayle Austin Author Of What You Made Me Do

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Barbara's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Willem and Jurriaan have a miserable childhood thanks to their cruel, controlling mother—Louisa Veldkamp, a world-renowned pianist. Dad turns a blind eye. One day, Louisa vanishes without a trace during a family vacation.

Adoptee Anneliese Bakker survives a toxic childhood and leaves home, vowing never to return. While searching for her biological mother, she meets the adult Willem, and they fall in love. Pregnant and engaged, she moves into the family mansion, wanting nothing more than to create a loving family for her child. But the Veldkamps are cold and distant. And why is Louisa a taboo subject?

As Anneliese…

What You Made Me Do

By Barbara Gayle Austin,

What is this book about?

An expectant mother gets more than she bargained for when she marries into a seemingly perfect family in this gripping debut novel–a must read for fans of A. J. Finn and B. A. Paris.

After surviving a nightmarish childhood, Anneliese Bakker is on the mend and searching for her birth mother. But when she meets Willem, she falls madly in love and finally finds a safe place to land. Engaged and expecting her first child, she moves into the Veldkamp mansion on a stately, tree-lined avenue in Amsterdam. And yet, nothing about Willem’s family is as it seems. Instead of…


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