This is the first title that I have read in the Undercover Dish series. It was a light read - nice mystery with romance mixed in. It could be read as a stand-alone title, however, there were references to previous novels. I would like to go back and read those. Nice series that I would recommend to library customers.

Pudding up with Murder by Julia Buckley is a 2017 Berkley publication.

A wonderful combination of mystery and romance-

Lilah makes a ‘covered dish’ for her friend to serve at a birthday party for millionaire, Marcus Cantwell. Lilah attends the party with her adorable dog and meets the large, unusual, and the complicated Cantwell family.

But, when Marcus keels over at his own party, it wasn’t from natural causes. Someone murdered him, and Lilah is afraid her pudding might have been the murder weapon.

This is the third installment in the ‘An Undercover Dish’ series, but it’s my first. However, the book can be read as a stand alone, although, I do want to read the first two books in the series now that I see how enjoyable it is.

While cozy mysteries can often feature a slight romantic side story, this one has a much stronger romantic element, which took up equal space with the mystery.

But, the two elements blend well with each other beautifully. I enjoyed getting to know Lilah and Jay, as well as the secondary characters.

The mystery is very puzzling, with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing all the way to the very end.

This cozy mystery has everything in it, I enjoy about this genre. Pets, food, great characters I can grow to care about and think of as old friends, and a good old fashioned whodunit.

I am definitely going to read the first two books in the series as well as eagerly anticipating the next installment.

4 stars

4.5 Stars

Pudding Up with Murder finds Lilah Drake and her friend Ellie Parker, who happens to her boyfriend’s mother, in a familiar situation. Lilah has a little secret business where she cooks dishes for people and then allows them to pass off the dishes as their own. This time around, Ellie requests that Lilah make a rice pudding for her neighbor Marcus Cantwell’s birthday party. After happily reminiscing that the pudding tasted like childhood, Marcus collapses into the dish and later dies. Lilah and Ellie know they didn’t do anything wrong, and luckily this time around the police are there and know that they aren’t guilty.

In recent years, Marcus became a difficult man to get along with. He was a wealthy man who seemed to love his dogs more than he loved his three ex-wives, five children, and three grandchildren. He believed in hard work and wasn’t one to lavish his family with money. He didn’t seem to have any enemies. But the question remains, who would have wanted him dead and why?

Julia Buckley has written a wonderful mystery to add to her Undercover Mystery series. The main characters of Lilah, Ellie, her boyfriend Jay, her brother, and sister-in-law are wonderful. The secondary characters of Marcus Cantwell’s children and grandchildren are just as great. The mystery was good with you not being able to take anything for granted. Julia definitely added a few extra breadcrumbs to throw readers off. There were definitely a few surprises. I’m happy to say that the romance girl in me is extremely pleased.

I’m hoping this series continues because I just can’t get enough of these characters. Hopefully, a couple of the secondary characters will make more appearances.

A full cast of characters, children and dogs, all linked to the deceased wealthy man who invited his neighbour Elle and our heroine Lilah to his birthday party. With six children and multiple wives, there are plenty of suspects in the search for who had the greatest motive to poison him,
Once you get through the info-dump of chapter one, this is a Romance first and mystery second, backed up with detailed characterisation. Unusually, this novel is written in the first person, which does create challenges when another point of view would have created balance,

In the beginning of the book we meet Lilah Drake whom is a cooking professional. She actually lets people take the food to events and act like they made it and let them get credit for it. She has a few jobs, she works in a restaurant, side jobs of her own and on a tv show with her ex-boyfriend. We promptly get to see when Lilah takes her friend Ellie some Rice Pudding for a birthday party for Ellie's neighbor Marcus Cantwell and dies. Most of the book is spent where Lilah is trying to figure it out while her Boyfriend Jay Parker (Ellie's son) a cop is the one paid to figure out the mystery of who did it. We also meet all of Marcus Cantwell's family and how they pertain to the story. In the end we do get to see who did it and see some happy parts in the love story that is happening through out the book.
I really liked this book. I actually liked most of the characters, that is rare in a book. It was a great quick read. The book was written well enough that I never did guess who was the one who did it. This is in a series but I was able to read it and not get lost, I was able to read it as a stand alone. I will be keeping an eye out for the others in this series. Based on this book I would also be willing to read other books by this author.
I received this book for free to read from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own.

Pudding Up with Murder by Julia Buckley is the third cozy mystery in An Undercover Dish Mystery series. Lilah Drake works as a secret chef in her spare time (when not working at Pine Haven Caterer’s). Lilah along with her dog, Mick are attending the birthday party of Marcus Cantwell. She prepared a rice pudding for her client, Ellie Parker to take to the event. After speaking with Marcus, Lilah is given a tour and the dish on the family by Cash Cantwell. When Lilah goes back to the kitchen, people are enjoying the rice pudding. Marcus enters the kitchen with an empty bowl of rice pudding and collapses. Thankfully, Detective Maria Grimaldi was on hand to secure the scene and quickly gather evidence. Who disliked Marcus enough to murder him? When Cash ends up being a prime suspect, Lilah starts looking at the extended family to find the real killer.

I found Pudding Up with Murder to be easy to read and it had a decent pace. The mystery was straightforward and one detail gives away the identity of the murderer. I could pinpoint the killer early in the story. I felt the romance dominated the book (I like a little romance, but I this was over-the-top). I quickly tired of Lilah mooning over Jay and Jay’s jealousy over Angelo Cardelini (it was ridiculous). I wanted more investigation and less day-to-day activities. There is cooking, walking the dog, dates, friends, and work. These elements make up a significant portion of the book. My rating for Pudding Up with Murder is 3 out of 5 stars. I do not quite buy into concept of a secret chef. Why would anyone be ashamed about not cooking or not wanting to cook? What am I missing? I was not enthralled with Lilah, but I did enjoy Mick, the dog (a cutie). Pudding Up with Murder can be a standalone. For cozy mystery readers who prefer the emphasis on cozy, then you will appreciate Pudding Up with Murder.

Mystery, and romance! What a fun read. It was over far too fast. Love the dog, love the punny title. This is a series I could devour. Dish up some more please!

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Pudding Up With Murder, is a great mystery that kept me guessing. The characters are amazingly written and I loved that this book had more romance than the last. I look forward to future installments in this series. I would highly recommend this series and book to everyone and plan on buying it for Christmas gifts

I would pud up with anything, even murder, to read a book written by author Julia Buckley!

I once heard it said that “There is such a thing as too much of a good thing”. Okay, I don’t know who came up with that, but they never would have said it if they were readers if Julia Buckley. I’m here to tell you, when it comes to this author’s books, the phrase should have been “There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing”!

The best of the batch so far, PUDDING UP WITH MURDER is a fantastic story that held me captive from beginning to end. I simply adore the characters in this series, and that makes any book so much more of a joy to read. Hanging out with Lilah and her dog, Mick is always a great way to spend a day. Even when we come across those ever present, pesky dead bodies. ;-)

The fun in an Undercover Dish Mystery always starts on page one, and PUDDING UP WITH MURDER was no different. From the moment I opened this book, I was on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. Honestly, I spent 293 pages, laughing, gasping, blurting out, “No way!” and “Get out of here”, with the occasional “Nah-uh” thrown in for good measure.

When trying to figure out the who in the dunit, I always come close but second guess myself, which is exactly what author Buckley wants. She has a real skill for plotting the perfect crime. Good thing she uses her power for good, as a writer, or the law would have their hands full with her!

As always with this fantastic series, the whipped cream on the pudding if you will, there are some amazing recipes at the back of the book that just beg the reader to make them!

If you are a fan of tried and true cozy mysteries, look no further. PUDDING UP WITH MURDER is the book for you!

Lilah Concocts a Drop Dead Pudding

Lilah would love to have a full time catering business, but right now her catering consists of making dishes for customers who want to pass the dishes off as their own. One of her first customers, and the mother of her boyfriend, Jay, Ellie loves to get dishes from Lilah and pass them off as her creations. This time, she takes a rice pudding casserole to Marcus Cantwell’s 65th birthday party.

All is going well. Marcus and the children love the pudding until Marcus slumps over, face first in the remains of the pudding. Fearing that she may be suspected of murder, Lilah decides to unravel the murder. There are plenty of suspects. Marcus was married three times and has five children. Distributing the money via his will provides a reason for any of the beneficiaries to commit murder.

The author does a good job of making the suspects and their motivations real. I had suspicions about the murderer, but it took until the end to see the whole picture. One of the delightful benefits of this book is the plethora of delicious dishes Lilah concocts. It will make you hungry just reading about them.

Romance is in the air. Lilah and Jay are going over a rough patch and with three ex-wives people wonder about Marcus’ relationship with Ellie.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. If you like murder mixed with delicious food and a helping of romance, you’ll love this book.

I received this book from Berkley Publishing Group for this review.

Lilah Drake provides private catering to people in the town of Pine Haven who want to take credit for cooking a particular dish themselves, but either don’t have the time or the talent to do so. Discrete is Lilah’s middle name but that’s gotten her in trouble in the past and may cause potential problems in this new book. I love, love the premise of series. How clever to have someone cook a dish so that someone else can take credit?!?! And so many mentions of delicious dishes! It also gives the protagonist an “in” with a variety of townspeople who she otherwise wouldn’t come in contact with.

While this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. A new reader won’t be lost as there is a bit of backstory mentioned. However, previous books sets up the scenes for Lilah’s blossoming romance with Detective Jay Parker. It’s very entertaining that Lilah met him via his mother, Ellie, who uses her catering service and claims the dishes as her own. Even her grown children think she’s an amazing cook. There is an undercurrent of romance throughout the book that is cute at times and also sweet but perhaps that’s because the season is spring and everyone is twitterpated. It does not detract from the plot and instead, provides a nice backdrop to the murder mystery.

When Lilah accompanies Ellie to a 65th birthday party for Ellie’s next door neighbor, little did she know that the birthday “boy” would drop face first into her dish of rice pudding during the party, poisoned to death. Lilah feels a bit responsible since the man just ate her pudding and starts asking some questions and listening to the gossip going around town. The author provides plenty of suspects via the victim’s many adult children and the book deftly explores the theme of parent/child relationships, especially as they age. The threads of the plot and subplots are skillfully interwoven to provide a very surprising and suspenseful ending… one that I didn’t see coming at all! And as I read the last page, wondered just how long I have to wait for the next book to release!

Being a caterer, Lilah prepares many yummy dishes and the descriptions will make you hungry! Fortunately, Julia has provided several recipes at the back of the book and they all sound delicious!

Pudding Up with Murder by Julia Buckley is a cute culinary cozy mystery with recipes included.

While Pudding Up with Murder is the third book in the Undercover Dish Mystery series, it is my first book by Julia Buckley. I don't think it will be my last.

I liked the main character, Lilah Drake. She is a chef who works at a local catering company and appears on the local cooking television as the Friday guest chef. But the interesting part of her occupation is as a secret cook. She whips up culinary delights for customers to pass off as their own. I'm not sure how long she'll keep this under wraps as her clientele are all referrals. And since it seems that these secret dishes are present when murder is on the menu, it may soon become a secret everyone knows.

In Pudding Up with Murder Lilah makes a rice pudding for her friend Ellie (who is also the mother of her boyfriend) to take to her neighbor's birthday party. The old man next door is a bit odd, but Ellie seems quite taken with him. He likes dogs and Ellie asks Lilah to bring her dog Mick to the party. The man has a number of ex-wives and is presumed to be quite well off. So when he kills over dead at the party there are plenty of suspects including Lilah's rice pudding.

Buckley has created a fun cast of characters. Some of them have probably shown up in the previous books - best friend, co-workers - and then there is the Cantwell family who appears for the first time (I assume since I haven't read the previous books, but they are the focus of the murder case). I thought Buckley did particularly well creating Tim and Emma's kids.

Lilah's boyfriend Jay is a local police detective and he is in charge of the investigation. (I get the impression that the town they live in is small, but perhaps it just has a small town feel since the police station is always described as being busy.) Even though Jay grew up next door to the Cantwell's he knows he won't get all the answers he's looking for. So he asks Lilah to keep her eyes and ears open, and she does just that and more!

If you are like me and haven't read the series, you won't have any problem with knowing who is who. Since this is only book 3, even the plot threads that carry over from the previous books are easy enough to follow.

If you are looking for a culinary cozy mystery, then definitely check this one out. I'm looking forward to making a couple of the recipes.

Lilah Drake creates delectable meals and allows her clients to call them their own. The fact that she cooks them is kept strictly confidential. When she and her furry companion, Mick are invited to the birthday party of a millionaire who ends up in her rice pudding, she is stunned.

Lilah cooks up a sweet new cinnamon rice pudding casserole for the birthday party of Marcus Cantwell, a wealthy man with three ex-wives and five grown kids. When he's found face down in her casserole, Lilah can’t believe it is happening, again. She along with her boyfriend, Detective Jay Parker set out to locate the killer.

--

Series: An Undercover Dish Mystery - Book 3
Author: Julia Buckley
Genre: Culinary Cozy
Publisher: Berkley

Julia Buckley’s third addition to her “An Undercover Dish Mystery” series, Pudding Up with Murder is a wonderful happy adventure with delicious ideas. It fits in well with the other books in the series, The Big Chili, and Cheddar Off Dead but can easily stand alone. The writing is smooth, the plot executed with flair and polish. The story is fast-paced and keeps the reader guessing until the last minute. There are plenty of clues along the way but finding them may be a bit of a challenge.

The character of Lilah is enchanting. She is stubborn and nosy but also loving and kind. Her love interest, Jay is a fine specimen of a man, but like Lilah, a bit hard headed with trust issues. They are perfect for each other but take their time revealing their feelings to one another.

Love is in the air, and many of the supporting characters are getting engaged and planning a wedding. Lilah helps things along with two of the couples by interfering, which is something she is almost as good at as she is cooking. All the characters are well rounded with individual personalities that are easily relatable. The Victim is not as likable as the other characters, but the reader will find that they feel sorry for him and his family, but also for the killer in the end.

Lilah’s furry companion Mick is adorable and seems almost like another human character. There are times when she speaks to him that the reader truly expects Mick to answer her. But Mick is more than just a quiet companion, he is also a protective friend and shows his true colors when Lilah needs him the most.

Pudding Up with Murder is a wonderful read and is highly recommended. If the reader enjoys fantastic food, unparalleled mystery with suspects that could be your next-door neighbors; children that are beyond delightful, and twists and turns until the very end, they will appreciate the nuances of this book and the entire series.

An ARC was provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

This is book 3 in the Undercover Dish Mystery series. I did not rad the first two stories but had no problems enjoying this book. I loved the premise of a cook who makes dishes for people anonymously so they can take the credit from their friends and family. Lilah is dating her police detective Jay, whose mother Ellie, is one of Lilah's best customers. She and Ellie go to a birthday party for a neighbor and are shocked when he drops dead in Lilah's rice pudding. The mystery in this book is great and I love the interaction for all the characters including Angelo, Lilah's ex boyfriend. Will definitely be looking for future books by Julia Buckley.

Pudding Up With Murder
An Undercover Dish Mystery, Book #3
Julia Buckley
5 Stars


Synopsis:

Secret chef Lilah Drake has a killer casserole to deal with in the latest Undercover Dish mystery from the author of Cheddar Off Dead....

Customers trust Lilah Drake to keep her mouthwatering meals under wraps, but when a millionaire meets his untimely end, some sinister secrets become the main course. . . .

Spring is right around the corner, and with the warmer temperatures come plenty of food requests from Lilah Drake's covered-dish clients. Lilah pulls out all the stops with a sweet new casserole for the birthday party of Marcus Cantwell, a wealthy curmudgeon who has some angry ex-wives and more than a few enemies.

When he's found face down in Lilah's casserole, it's anyone's guess as to who might have wanted the old man dead. A possible new heir to Marcus’s fortune adds some unexpected spice to the investigation, but Lilah fears that the old adage is true, and "the proof is in the pudding."

INCLUDES RECIPES! (Goodreads)



Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I really enjoyed spending time with Lilah and her family and friends. They are people that I would like to get to know better and hang out with. But I am still not sure about Jay, I just do not think that he is right for Lilah. He is not one of my favorite book boyfriends. And it really bothered me how Lilah would call him Jay or Parker or even Jay Parker, it was confusing and irritating. At the beginning of the book I had to go back and make sure she was talking about the same person. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me, but for me it was irritating.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place around me. I felt like I could smell the aromas of some of the food the Lilah made and it made me hungry. The writing style flows smoothly and the book was an easy quick read.

The mystery was well plotted and carried on well throughout the book. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through that it was nearly impossible to figure out who the culprit was. In fact, I was surprised when I found out. And that is a good thing in my book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. With great characters, a perplexing mystery, a unique premise and a homey small town atmosphere, what’s not to like? I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Pudding Up With Murder: An Undercover Dish Mystery
By Julia Buckley
Berkley
September 5, 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

Lilah Drake is accustomed to attending the exclusive parties and celebrations of Pine Haven, Illinois, but the birthday party for wealthy Marcus Cantwell is one of the few that came with an official invitation. Lilah has built up a growing business preparing special meals for clients who take all of the credit, which means that Lilah spends more time sneaking out of kitchens than entering through the front door. Ellie Parker was responsible for Lilah being an actual guest, although in truth Lilah’s adorable hound Mick was the real attraction. Retired Marcus interacts far better with canines than with humans, which may explain his having three ex-wives and a multitude of estranged children. Unfortunately, Marcus will never celebrate his next sixty-sixth birthday, as he collapses face-first into the rice pudding casserole Lilah had prepared.

For once it wasn’t one of Lilah’s delicacies that poisoned the victim, and there are any number of exes, discontented heirs, and significant others who may have tampered with the fatal drink. Having just returned from FBI training, Lilah’s Pine Haven police detective Jay Parker asks her to coax out information that his official status often inhibits. Having grown up with Jay as a neighbor, the Cantwells give Lilah insight into a younger, less suspicious man. Jay’s emphasis on honestly nearly broke them apart when he learned about her “deceptive” practice of preparing undercover meals, and they are still in the tentative stages of romance. While jealousy and mistrust is an issue between them, love is flourishing among the many other couples in the tiny Illinois town, from those in the catering business where she works to her family, neighbors, and friends. If Lilah and Jay can move past their own personal issues, they will be a considerable investigative couple more than capable of unraveling the tangle of a truly dysfunctional family.

This continues to be a warm and engaging series full of so many likable and entertaining characters. This third novel advances characters’ arcs and brings them to very satisfying points in their lives. Romance is indeed alive and flourishing in Pine Haven, and the relationship between Jay and Lilah is developed realistically by having them confront issues from their pasts. Indeed, Lilah’s ex-boyfriend and television chef Angelo Cardelini could have been an irritating or obnoxious presence in their lives, but instead he proves himself to be as delightful and well-meaning as he is often exasperating. Lilah’s empathetic canine companion Mick as well continues to patiently lend an ear to her woes, serving as a perfect wise counsel to the mystery to come. Full of humor, romance, and genuinely engaging characters, this is the perfect combination of food and intrigue.

She's at an expensive home with her boyfriend's mother. The mother took a rice pudding dessert to the family birthday party. Lilah made the dessert but the mother is taking credit for it. When the birthday boy who is the patriarch of the family walks in the kitchen and tells them he loved the pudding, the next thing he does is fall over dead! Not again...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 5th.

Lilah met her boyfriend during a murder investigation and she would like to avoid getting involved in another one. But he ate part of her pudding cake. He also had a drink. It appears he was poisoned so she anxiously waits for the results. It was in the drink. He was allergic to nuts and a ground up one was added to his drink.

This man has a lot of money and a lot of children. Did one of them kill him? As Lilah picks at the pieces of the puzzle, her boyfriend is investigating the case. What she finds out helps him. But neither one of them knew who or how many illegitimate children he had.

This was a good mystery with several twists and a dysfunctional family at the core. I actually felt sorry for the killer. (That doesn't usually happen!) Ms. Buckley doesn't give enough away to make you guess the killer ahead of time and I like that a lot. I'd read more in this series. Plus there are recipes in the book so you can make the desserts, too.

These books have an interesting premise: hire someone to cook or bake for you, then pretend you are the preparer. Lilah Drake operates Undercover Dish and sometimes gets into trouble with her secret. In Pudding Up With Murder, Lilah's rice pudding casserole is a hit at the party for Martin Cantwell, but suddenly he keels over unconscious. The plot thickens.

Well written cozy, hope we have the romance out of the way but regardless this was an enjoyable read. Simple premise you never truly know what goes on in someone who else's home.

Pudding up with Murder is a typically delightful Julia Buckley cozy mystery. The Undercover Dish Mystery series has warm characters who feel like neighbors and intriguing murders that never go the way one would expect. I enjoy the regular twist of Lillah's secret side business providing "homecooked" meals for people who don't have the time or talent or for those like Jay's mother who are not physically able to keep up with their famous cooking. There are some big twists at the end but the author plays fair and leaves a trail to the solution.

When Emma takes Lillah to a neighbor's birthday so he had meet the adorable and unique Mick the nodding labrador they have a interesting time until Marcus collapses into Lillah's rice pudding. His condition leads to suspicion of poisoning and an estate full of children, grandchildren and ex-wives leave an open field for suspects. Lillah and Jay's relationship have been moving forward at a great pace but a new roadblock may quell the blossoming romance.

I requested and received an advanced readers copy of Pudding up with Murder via NetGalley because I have enjoyed other books by the author. I always review books that I enjoy and I loved this one!