When the grits hit the fan is book three in the Country store mystery and I have to say it's my favorite of the series. Robbie's established herself in South Lick and the characters are developed and it focuses more on the mystery. And the fact that the southern Indiana is familiar to me as a reader because it's literally across the river from me.

I got this book from Netgalley and it was great read. Maddie Day delivers another delicious mystery with When The Grits Hit The Fan. Robbie Jordan is back, and she finds herself thrust into another murder mystery. With the help of her friends she will have to figure out all the twists and turns to discover the culprit.

Great first installment! Character development was very good and the architecture of both the story and the store made the story even more interesting. I cannot wait to see how this series developed over time as well as the blossoming romance as Robbie and Abe work on the house/store and their relationship while Robbie solves the crime of who offed the professor.

When the Grits Hit the Fan is the third book in the Country Store Mystery series and is the best so far. Robbie Jordan is renovating the upstairs of Pan N' Pancakes in South Lick Indiana. She talks to the old owner and her daughter about finding artifacts in the walls that she is tearing out to add some rooms as a Bed and Breakfast. They would love to see what she has found. Meanwhile business has slowed down a bit so she has closed for a couple of days a week to do the work. Her friend Lou, has set up a dinner for the Sociology department from the University every other Friday. It is at one of these dinners that a couple of arguments break out. The next day, Lou and Robbie are out snowshoeing. Taking a shortcut across the lake, they find the dead body of the professor that was involved in the arguments the previous evening. He is frozen under a light crust of ice in a large fishing hole. Because Lou was on of the people he argued with the night before, and she was one of the people to find the body, she is the number one suspect. Of course, Robbie wants to prove her innocence and begins to investigate on her own. The side story going on is that Robbie finds a hidden ladder and secret tunnels under her property and thinks someone has been using them. Things heat up with accusations, threats, questions and an eventual showdown. This was a great mystery.

Robbie Jordan is a great protagonist. She is smart, capable, loyal and knows her way around tools. She sure knows how to manage time as she cooks and serves at her restaurant, investigates the murder and the tunnels as well as wielding a pry bar to tear out plaster. With all this going on, she still has time to go snow showing, out for dinner and extracurricular activities with her boyfriend, Abe O'Neill. The murder mystery was pretty easy for me to solve, but there were still a lot of suspects, red herrings and some surprises in store. The mystery of the tunnels and secret passage was a different thing altogether, I had no idea who had been in the store and why. I read this book in one day as I wanted to see if I was right about the killer. I enjoyed this book and will definitely keep reading Country Store Mysteries.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

When the Grits Hit the Fan is the third installment in the bestselling Country Store Mystery Series by Maddie Day. Robbie Jordan, who owns a popular restaurant and cooking store, Pans ‘N Pancakes, is getting some exercise with her friend, Lou, when she sees a hole in the ice and discovers the body of a very unpopular professor. The police have a long list of possible suspects, and some of them are Robbie’s friends. Robbie has a reputation in the town for “assisting” in murder investigations in this small town of Salt Lick, Indiana, to the annoyance of law enforcement, but her meddling proves helpful in vindicating her friends.

Salt Lick, Indiana is a small town, and even though she is a newcomer, Robbie knows almost everyone. Her busy restaurant makes her privy to gossip from dozens of residents, and since Robbie likes solving puzzles, links her clues in crosswords. Since purchasing the building for her restaurant from a local, she has been renovating the upper floor to make a bed and breakfast; while knocking out walls, she finds some interesting things that have been hidden inside, including a diary that almost gets Robbie killed.

Those who have read the previous novels in this series already know that the novels are well-written, fast-moving, and have no graphic language, sex, or violence. The characters are well-developed and are believable. That is not to say that the stories aren’t exciting. In fact, the suspense seems to build throughout, and the dénouement will keep readers on the edges of their seats.

Sometimes it’s fun to take a break from a heavy thriller and read something light. When the Grits Hit the Fan is just that, and the bonus is that it contains several mouthwatering recipes; that’s the best part of culinary mysteries, and what makes them fun.

For those who like cozies, this is an excellent series, and When the Grits Hit the Fanis a fun-read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Review: While I mostly read romance novels, every once in a while I have to read something different. And my go-to is generally a cozy mystery. Most cozies are pretty light on the violence (nothing graphic) and then tend to have some romantic elements, which make me happy.

So on to When the Gits Hit the Fan. This is the third book in the series. It completely stands alone. While there are carry over characters, since the book is set in a small town, Ms Day does a good job of reintroducing people without that overwhelming recap feeling you get with some series books. This series revolves around Robbie, a native Californian, who has moved to small town Indiana to be close to her great aunt. She’s opened a country store that’s half cafe and half a store that sells kitchen items. Oh, and she lives in the building that houses her store.

As this is the third book in the series and Robbie is our heroine, we know that she has two mysteries under her belt. And while on a snowshoeing expedition with one of her friends, she stumbles upon a body and starts sticking her nose into this new mystery. She fumbles around, ticks off a lot of people, frustrates the police, and kinda falls into solving the murder. And therein lies my biggest problem with this installment of the series. Robbie really doesn’t solve the mystery from any sort of deduction, but rather finds the answer while working on a remodeling project.

On the plus side, I liked the characters and the setting. I’ll probably come back to this series when the next installment releases with the hopes that Robbie will do more sleuthing and deduction rather than just having the answer fall into her lap.

Fans of cozy mysteries may want to check out this series. And as a bonus, a couple recipes are included at the end of the book.

This was a very fast paced and interesting cozy! I enjoyed every minute of it. The heroine is relateable and interesting, the side characters are such fun, and the country store is definitely someplace I would love to visit. The mystery was intriguing and I didn't expect whodunit. Can't wait for the next in series.

Cute with a small-town setting. I'm on the fence with this one. While it is enjoyable, the story and characters were just ok. This is the first book in a new series, but yet the main character Robbie, isn't memorable enough for me to want to read the next book. I'm sorry! I looked forward to reading this and didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

Seriously fun read, South Lick and the restaurant remind me so much of going back to WV for family reunions, though we never had great mysteries like this series to keep us occupied.

Book received from NetGalley.

I loved this cozy mystery set in small town Indiana. I think part of its appeal is that the area it's set in is familiar to me, though the town it takes place in is fictional. The mystery itself is entertaining, though you can figure out what's going to happen from the set up in the first chapter. I had a slight idea of "whodunnit" just past the midway point but things kept happening that made me second guess myself constantly. While it is the third book in the series, I had no problem keeping up with what was going on so it could be read as a standalone.

Ever since I can remember, I have been watching or reading some sort of murder mystery. Thanks to my mother, I grew up watching TV shows like Perry Mason, Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries were either read to me or on my own.

I haven't read this authors books before and I really enjoyed reading this book as it was a great mystery that kept me on my toes! I loved that is didn't give anything away and keeping the reader guessing as to who's done it.
I loved the characters of this small town. The simplicity of the town and the people that live there. I also love the idea of a country store with a diner like eatery. (I wish I had one in my town!) The diner, as it became in this story, is like a local focal point for everyone to gather. Which also help collect the clues to figuring out who committed the crime.

I am definitely recommending this author for others that love murder mysteries to read. And I can't wait to read Maddie Day's other mysteries for the country store series!

Maddie Day's latest book in the Country Store Mystery series is When the Grits Hit the Fan. I have read a previous book in the series, but it is not necessary. Robbie's country store/restaurant continues to thrive even during the winter months. She and a friend stumble across a dead body. With the suspects piling up, Robbie is determined to solve the mystery. While I enjoyed this book, I felt the story became too political in several places. Politics have taken over everything, but I hope that the series will go no deeper. A good book should be an escape rather than more of the same.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Robbie and her friends are back flipping pancakes and solving crimes. This time she has an added incentive as her best friend is suspected of murdering a thoroughly unpleasant tenured profession. No one likes him including his family and when Robbie and her friend Lou stumble across his body the suspects just keep on coming.
My suggestion however is not to read this while you are hungry. All these cozies with food in them would have a normal human, or kitty, weigh a gazillion pounds.
All kidding aside, this is an entertaining series with a likeable heroine and some twists and turns that come out of the blue. I give this four purrs and two paws up.

This is a fun series and may be my favorite one so far. Robbie Jordan has finally settled into the community of South Lick, Indiana, her restaurant, the Pans N' Pancakes, going strong. One way she has tried to add to the bottom line, is opening up part of her café for committee/group meetings from nearby Indiana University. When she and her friend Lou discover a body while out snowshoeing, the memory of one of those more raucous meetings comes to mind. Robbie is also continuing to renovate the building housing her restaurant, hoping to someday open up rooms similar to a B and B. There is a fascinating backstory with the history of her buildings that plays into the modern day mystery, which I found very appealing.

I love this series! Robbie is an awesome main character with some great supporting characters. The characters are all nicely developed, and you quickly get a good idea of what the new characters are like. The mystery was great, and everything tied together in an unexpected way. I also love Robbie's unique way of putting together all of the clues and suspects.

My favorite of the two I’ve read, Robbie’s story is reaching for, and achieving the promise so prevalent earlier in the series. Winter has come and things are cold and frosty, but inside the walls of Pans ‘n’ Pancakes, the cozy welcome hits all who enter. She’s offered to host the University’s Sociology department two evenings a week – hoping the discussions will be interesting and benefit the business and her expansion plans with a much-needed infusion of cash. Surprised by the infighting and hostility of these meetings, she’s off snowshoeing with her friend Lou when they discover a body. Under Ice. In a pond. Of course, Lou had words with the now-dead man, and as everyone runs to cover their own tracks, her guilt increases.

Now, Robbie knows that Lou had no hand in the murder, but she’s been fairly successful in her earlier investigations, so why not nose around and see what she can discover. And could it all be connected to the discoveries she’s making as she digs in to expand the shop to a B&B, or the secret tunnel to the barn. A barn with secrets of its own to conceal?

Robbie has found her place in this little town, and built quite a series of friendships and respect, even from those who first doubted her ability. The shop was the best move she made, and the opportunities and possibilities that she imagines are exciting. Since she “just” owns a small café and store, many people discount the clever woman behind the apron: she’s good at putting pieces together and discovering answers, and she’s decided she NEEDS to know the answers to the questions uncovered in this story. Secondary characters are clever, the culprit is well-disguised and the secrets (some long buried) in this small town are never safe from a determined sleuth. This series is working into a solid favorite with a solid sense of place, a few clever recipes and plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Robbie decides to open her restaurant twice a month during the frigid month of February to help bring in money. This should have been a smooth transaction. Well, thanks to one of the professor's, specifically Charles, gets into a fight with couple different people. So there went that idea. But then, it gets worse...Charles is found under the ice. Who did it?

Thanks to authors like Maddie Day, I have come to really enjoy cozy mysteries. This story kept me wondering what exactly was going to happen. There were times when I thought I knew how it was going to turn out but then the author throws in twists I didn't see coming. All in all, a really good murder mystery and I look forward to more from this author.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The weather is chilly in South Lick but for Professor Charles Stilton it is downright icy! Robbie Jordan and her friend Lou find the prof frozen under the ice when they are out snowshoeing. Lou becomes the prime suspect because of a heated conversation at Pans ‘N Pancakes the night before. Robbie decides to do a little investigating to show the police some more plausible suspects. Turns out fans of Charles Stilton are hard to find but there are many people that are not too upset the man is dead. Robbie passes on what she learns to the police and that lands her right in the killer’s sights.

Oh this was such an entertaining read!

The third installment to the series finds Robbie Jordan renovating the upstairs of Pans ‘N Pancakes in hopes of adding some guest rooms. While tearing out the walls she finds several surprises. Then we have a college prof-cicle with quite a list of suspects. Robbie is going to be sure the right one is iced for the crime. We also have the budding romance between Robbie and Abe that is progressing quite nicely. The weather matched what we face her in Wisconsin so I could identify with all the ice and snow.

There is never a dull moment in When The Grits Hit The Fan. Maddie loves crossword puzzles and she even makes her own. She uses them to order her thoughts, this time to connect the clues to help her solve this whodunit. She also connects the dots and learns more about the history of her building. Plus she makes an amazing discovery that connects two characters. If that isn’t enough there is a shocking end to the story the had me on the edge of my seat.

Maddie Day has brought back the characters we love from the previous books and twisted them into a very complex mystery. I loved following along with Robbie everywhere she went, even to a place I would never go in real life. My claustrophobia would definitely got the better of me. Robbie is a much braver woman than I will ever be.

Oh I have to mention the food. The problem with type of story is that the food descriptions set my stomach to growling and I start to make special meal requests of my personal chef, Mr. Dollycas. He always knows when I am reading a foodie mystery.

You can’t go wrong with a Maddie Day mystery. Well written stories with genuine characters will keep you coming back for more. I recommend you start this series from the beginning so you don’t miss a thing.

Robbie is starting to feel comfortable and settled in Southlick. Her café is a success and she’s finally able to get to work on renovating the upstairs to accommodate a couple of rooms for B&B customers. Troubles set in when she overhears a heated argument between her friend Lou and Professor Charles Stilton. It certainly doesn’t help matters when Stilton ends up on the underside of the iced over fishing hole Robbie and Lou discover on their morning run the following day.

Don’t let this cute title and cozy format fool you. This little installment of the Country Store Mystery series packs a punch. With the many varied characters and plot threads, gathered together with automatic weapons, will leave readers a little short of breath. Day’s easy style carries you along as downhome cooking lulls you into a ‘food coma’ then drops you into the action. Good reading.