I am such a big fan of cozy mysteries - and I quite enjoyed Cinco de Murder so much because it brought the mystery a bit closer to home (i.e. Texas). I am also a completist when it comes to series books, so I made sure to read the first two books in the series, Here Today, Gone Tamale, and The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole.

These books are absolutely great - so entertaining! Our protagonist, Josie Callahan, is such a great character; she's sweet, ballsy, inquisitive, and just plain funny. Her whole family reads just like an "average" (meaning, not so average lol) Texas family would really be. And her dog, Lenny, is so funny in his own right.

In Cinco de Murder, we find Uncle Eddie getting a chili cook-off approved to be hosted in the town. The cook-off attracts contestants from all over, and one in particular, Lucky Straw, appears to be not well-liked by all those around him. Lo and behold, our Josie comes across Straw's body (what luck our Josie has!). Josie, along with Detective Quinton Lightfoot, get pulled along for the mystery of who killed the chili chef.

Along with the mystery, something that I truly enjoy due to my love of romance books, is the developing attraction between Josie and Detective Lightfoot. It's something that started brewing since book one, and it's something that I truly enjoyed seeing grow between them. On the flipside, I also think it's fun to read about how Josie's ex boyfriend, Ryan, doesn't seem to be over Josie - though Jose doesn't seem to see that (I kinda love when the reader knows something the protagonist doesn't!).

Adler's writing flows so smoothly, and it is so entertaining to read. Since book one, I liked Josie instantaneously along with her family trailing right behind her. Adler helps you care about her characters and it reads less like random characters and more like people you know. I am all for it! I recommend this book (and the whole series actually) to all lovers of cozy mysteries, and especially to those who think they can't possibly get into a cozy mystery. These books will convert you for sure!

Josephina Callahan is back in this third installment of Berkley Prime Crime’s Taste of Texas Mysteries, by Rebecca Adler.  Preparation is underway for the small West Texas town of Broken Boot’s first ever International Chili Association sponsored Chili Cook-Off.  Josie’s Uncle Eddie is in charge of organizing the event, and he’s determined to impress his new colleagues on the town council. But things don’t go as planned as Josie discovers one of the contestants murdered in his tent the morning of the event.  She teams up again with Detective Quinton Lightfoot to try to get to the bottom of the crime and gets in over her head with her faithful long-haired Chihuahua companion, Lenny. Twists and turns complete this fun read with a satisfying and heartwarming ending.

I love a good cozy mystery, and this one fit the bill.  Josie is a honest likable character, and her sidekick, Lenny makes the story fun.  I enjoyed the complex relationship she has with her grandmother, Senora Mari, and their love and loyalty to family.  Josie’s curiosity keeps her knee-deep in the middle of the unfolding mystery, and as Lightfoot allows her more and more access to the investigation, their relationship grows.  The ending took me by surprise, as a good mystery should, but wrapped everything up nicely. I have to add that reading this book made me incredibly hungry for Tex-Mex, and I was thrilled to see the family recipes included at the end of the story.  Bravo! Though this is part of a series, and I’m sure the reading experience could have been enhanced by reading the two previous books, I read this one as a standalone and it was great. If you love cozy mysteries and small town Texas, you’ll love this one too. Highly recommended.

Cinco De Murder by Rebecca Adler is definitely a hilarious cozy mystery that will keep you laughing, hanging on the edge of your seat, and hankering for some spicy Texas Chili, a heaping plate of Tex-Mex with homemade tortillas, chips and salsa, a Margarita or maybe a tall glass of sweet tea, and...where was I?

While Josie Callahan is a protagonist with plenty of attitude, her long-haired Chihuahua, Lenny, is even sassier as he dances and "Yips" his way into your heart. Anyone who has spent any time in any small town in Texas will recognize the fictitious Broken Boot in West Texas. That small-town vibe is rampant here, with Josie navigating her family, friends, rivals, her job as a journalist, and her demanding duties at her family's Mexican restaurant, in addition to dancing in a Cinco de Mayo parade, working the chili cook off, and solving a murder. This girl is busy! And anyone who has participated in a Texas Chili Cook Off (I have but without the murder) will know that these cook offs are serious business!

Even though Cinco De Murder is the third in this series, it can stand alone. But don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to read them all because these characters and the story line are fun and a bit corny at times yet highly entertaining.

The overall mystery in Cinco De Murder is actually quite sad when the culprit is finally snared and the reasons for the murder are revealed. That serious note will make you ponder life's often unfairness, but Josie's and Lenny's antics will keep the humor at a high level. I adore the dynamics between Josie and Detective Lightfoot as they dance around their relationship throughout. That is, until the fireworks and the danger heat up in the last chapters, and they both end up rescuing each other.

Fast-paced hilarity and a thought-provoking modus operandi in Cinco De Murder will keep you entertained and ready for another Taste of Texas Mystery!

What a great addition to the cute series. This time we get to follow Josie as they host a huge chili cook-off competition. Being a dead body magnet of course she has to stumble across one while checking the set-ups before it all got started. The story that comes after is nice mystery that gives us lots of little clues while still keeping us entertained with crazy characters like grandma and Lenny. I enjoy the Texas flair and touch while all the food talk just makes me hungry. If you enjoy a good cozy mystery that features an adorable dog and a culinary touch then this is the book/series for you. I really enjoyed it so I give it 4/5 stars.

Cinco de Murder by Rebecca Adler is the third book in A Taste of Texas Mystery series. Josie Callahan is busy rehearsing the folklorico dances for the Cinco de Mayo parade in Broken Boot, Texas. Her dog, Lenny (a long-haired Chihuahua) will also be participating in the dance wearing an adorable costume. Uncle Eddie is busy organizing the First Annual Broken Boot’s Charity Chili Cook-Off. He needs to ensure that this event goes off without a hitch or he could lose his seat on the town council. The next day Josie finds contestant Lucky Straw dead in his tent (this does not bode well for Uncle Eddie). Lucky was not well-liked on the cook-off circuit and had managed to anger several people since his arrival. Detective Quinton Lightfoot, Josie and Lenny work to find the killer and restore Uncle Eddie’s reputation.

Cinco de Murder is a fun cozy mystery with a small Texan town that is filled with unique characters. I felt the author captured the small town feel and the competitiveness of a cook-off. Cinco de Murder can be read alone. The cases from the other books are rehashed in Cinco de Murder along with Josie’s background. I did feel that the novel needed some work. There were several continuity issues that needed fixing (Lenny cannot be in two places at once). The beginning of the book is disjointed and stilted (it gets better after several chapters). There is also a great deal of repetition (I lost track of how many times Josie’s Prius is mentioned or that Hillary Sloan Rawlings is called a nemesis). Plus, do we really need to know every single time the dog has to use the restroom or about the horse poop in the road (not needed). The mystery felt incomplete (details are missing). Josie does ask questions (she is bad at it), but the solution lands in her lap. I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the book. There are numerous quirky characters in Cinco de Murder along with plenty of activities (which dominate the book). It sounds like Broken Boot goes all out for Cinco de Mayo. Josie had a busy two and half days and I bet Lenny was ready for a nap (and to ditch the costume). Readers who enjoy light cozy mysteries (prefer more cozy than mystery) will delight in visiting Broken Boot for the Cinco de Mayo festival in Cinco de Murder.

Overall, it was thrill to read this book and I didn’t want it to end. I loved solving this mystery with Josie and Lenny, along with the community of Broken Boot. A book rooted in the manners of Texas with the a flair for murder, I doubt a reader can put this book down!

love Texmex, how can you not? Cinco de Murder by Rebecca Adler is about more than family, more than mystery and more than food. But there are some great recipes in the back of this one. I liked the premise of this cozy and this the third book in the Taste of Texas series will not disappoint fans of this series. A fun and feisty family, great town and out now!

This book has great characters and setting. I enjoyed the first one in the series, this book just moved really slow and was hard to not put down but I am glad I kept reading because the end got really good. I would say give it a try.

A few years ago when the first book in this series, Here Today, Gone Tamale, came out, I was absolutely charmed. Born and raised in South Texas, I loved the small town atmosphere, the Tex-Mex vibe, and the amazing family dynamics. I unfortunately never got around to the second book, The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole, so when this book popped up for review, I had to jump on the tour!

Although it had been a while since I read the first book, Adler's writing style creates such a casual and welcoming experience that is hard to forget and I was immediately swept back into this endearing locale. Josie is still so self-deprecating, likeable, and fiesty, and through her narration, she vividly captures this colorful community, while also remaining staunchly loyal to her family. Her journalism background and instincts gives her amateur sleuthing skills authenticity as well as playing on the antagonistic relationship between the media and law enforcement who would much rather she mind her own business on all levels!

Lenny, her adorable sidekick, is a chihuahua who sounds the alarm with yips and yaps to get Josie's attention as he aids her in their fight against crime. You'll definitely have cravings for Mexican food while reading, so do yourself a favor and have some chips and salsa with a Dr. Pepper nearby or use the provided recipes to cook up something tasty on your own.

From the hilarious banter to the well-plotted mystery, this book is a solid choice for any cozy culinary mystery fan! I also look forward to seeing whether the dash of romance we saw serves up something warm for Josie in the next book!

I LOVED this book. But really, how can you not love a book that has a Chihuahua that wears a tiny sombrero and dances around? Oh yeah and that same little pup sure does a ton of sass and he will definitely let you know what he thinks! Yip! I think it is a definite debate on who steal the show in these books, Lenny or Josie, a fiesty tex-mex waitress that is more sleuth than reporter or waitress. This book is full or twists and turns and the ending will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, or like me standing and chewing your barely there thumb nail! This book is one giant ball of Texas yumminess with amazingly written characters and settings you will want to go visit to see or yourself! Another great add to this series, I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next. I know my stomach can't wait for more recipes!

I enjoyed every minute of this high fa looting Texas escapade. The authentic Texas sayings had me rolling on the floor. I'm a Texan and boy did I relate to the towns and chili cook off so well. Texas loves to have chili cook offs and I remember all the fun it was when I attended them. The competition is fierce and some of the ingredients could be questionable at times. I loved Uncle Eddie right away. He is trying so hard to run the chili cook off while trying to follow the rules . Josie is downright adorable and her eye for details is impeccable. Writing for the paper keeps her busy and she is fixing to get real busy when one of the contestants is found dead in his tent. The deceased was a mean old coot who caused trouble wherever he went.

The story is funny and keeps readers involved as the investigation starts leaning toward someone close to Josie. After reading about the different people at the chili cook off I suspected everyone. I loved how the author delivers a real Texas charm of a story and has unforgettable characters. I have to say Lenny stole my heart. His little personality just makes you smile. Who doesn't like to see a cute little chihuahua dancing around? Maybe I'm a bit biased because I have three very little chihuahuas myself.

From a parade with excitement galore to authentic Tex-Mex food, there is something for everyone in this wonderful cozy mystery. The author brings out authentic dishes that made me so hungry, I had to grab some salsa and chips as I read the book. The ending is so action packed with snakes , coyotes and fireworks that I found myself reading as fast as I could. This is one book you don't want to miss. Make sure you check out the recipes at the end of the story.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.I

Synopsis:

Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan serves up more Lone Star justice in this spicy mystery from the author of The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole.

It's fiesta time in Broken Boot, Texas, and tourists are pouring into town faster than free beer at a bull roping for the mouthwatering Cinco de Mayo festivities. Tex-Mex waitress Josie Callahan, her feisty abuela, and even her spunky Chihuahua Lenny are polishing their folklorico dances for Saturday's big parade, while Uncle Eddie is adding his own spicy event to the fiesta menu: Broken Boot's First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off.

But Uncle Eddie's hopes of impressing the town council go up in smoke when cantankerous chili cook Lucky Straw is found dead in his tent. And when Josie's beloved uncle is accused of fatal negligence, she, Lenny, and the steadfast Detective Lightfoot must uncover who ended the ambitious chilihead's life--before another cook kicks the bucket. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Josie is a smart caring person who has a feisty personality. She is surrounded by family and loved ones and she loves them as much as they love her. Maybe it is the reporter in her, but Josie has never met a mystery that she did not want to solve. And when her uncle is a person of interest, she becomes determined to find the real culprit. There were quite a few characters in this book and at times I had a hard time keeping them straight in my mind. This is only my opinion and others may not agree with me. Since this is the first book in the series that I have read, I would imagine it would have been easier if I had read the others. I really liked the feeling of familial love, caring and support that the author brought to all of the pages in this book. And her dog, Lenny, is just adorable.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. 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 and listening in on conversations. The mystery was carried on well throughout the book and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. There was enough action taking place that I happily kept swiping pages to see what would happen next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I think for optimum enjoyment you want to read the other books in this series first, but again, that is only my opinion. I plan on reading the first two soon.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Colorful costumes, memorable music, fiery foods and fantastic fireworks! It is another festival weekend in Broken Boot, Texas. Tourists are flooding into town as well as contestants for the First Annual (they hope) ICA approved Chili cook-off competition. It comes down to more than the beans vs no beans debate, however when one popular and ever present contestant is dead before the meat begins to sizzle.
Josie Callahan has dreams of being a full time crime reporter but her latest contribution to the paper is buried deep and takes up less space than the ads. Having "helped" solve a few murders in the past, with the help of her sidekick, Lenny, Josie hopes local law enforcement may give her some leeway and information this time around. After all - she is the one who stumbled over the body!

A little romance, a lot of suspects and moments of merriment as the festival weekend plays out.
Josie is definitely in the middle of the action as danger explodes around her.
Lots of colloquial phrasing spices up this quirky cozy mystery.

This was my first time reading a book in the A Taste of Texas Mystery series. At first, my head was spinning a bit, getting to know all the characters in the series, and following along. But I quickly felt at home in Broken Boot, Texas, as setup began for a chili cook-off and Josie has to solve the murder of a chili cook.

I really liked Josie and her little dog, and enjoyed following along as she solved the murder mystery. As in any cozy mystery, some of the typical challenges writing an amateur sleuth who is solving a crime alongside police are there, but the author navigates the genre perfectly. The mystery is solidly plotted, and the supporting cast is just quirky enough to enjoy--I really felt like I wanted to live in Broken Boot, Texas.

What I loved most was exactly this: the different setting. Where so many cozy mysteries are set in a quaint New England town, this series really embraces and celebrates its small town Texas setting.
I'll be reading the first two, and hope there will be more books in the A Taste of Texas Mystery series.

Maybe I am just smidgen biased but Cinco De Murder was a
super great read for this Texan! I think I have found a new series that is a favorite. A Taste of Texas Mystery series promises to
be a favorite for this reader.
Admittedly I couldn't help but sneak a peek at the end to see
the recipes that followed. And, this foodie was not
disappointed. From Pralines to Texas Chili I couldn't help but
drool!
The story/plot was fun and interesting. Meeting Josie her sweet
little dog Lenny who not only dances but speaks up whenever it's necessary. His little 'yips' got my attention.
It seems that the series follows a pattern of Josie stumbling into
murder scenes.

And ends up having to investigate and find the real villains so that her friends and family are saved from the cell block.

In Cinco De Murder Josie is hard pressed to find the culprit this time to keep her Uncle Eddie from taking the fall.

I enjoyed my first visit to Broken Boot, Texas. I'll be planning
a trip back and catching up with the previous installments in the series.

BTW our towns don't have names like Broken Boot.
But it's o.k.I loved the book anyway.
If you enjoy a little or a lot of Tex-Mex. A good 'ole cozy.
Then you'll love Cinco De Murder!
I received a complimentary copy.

There’s another fiesta in Broken Boot, and you know what that means…waitress and part-time crime reporter Josie Callahan is about to discover another dead body in her small West Texas town of Broken Boot. As this is the third novel in the A Taste of Texas Mystery series, and the third murder that takes place during some sort of festival or celebration, the initial plot of the series is getting a little predictable and stale. But don’t worry, Josie will solve the case and help Detective Lightfoot apprehend the killer before the celebration officially ends.

In CINCO DE MURDER (2018), Josie’s Uncle Eddie’s reputation – and his seat on the city council – hangs on the success of Broken Boot's First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off. The night before the festivities, the contestants gather at the Milagro for dinner and a reminder of the rules for the chili-cook off. Tempers are quick to flare when one of the contestants – a man with the laughable moniker of Lucky Straw – reminds everyone that he has won the most chili cook-offs out of all of them. Lucky is an abrasive man and it appears that he only has one friend. That’s probably because he cost many of the other contestants their jobs when they all worked for the local electric company. Lucky also has a nasty habit of stealing other men’s girlfriends. It’s no surprise when Josie stumbles over his dead body the next morning while she is double checking everyone’s set ups at the site of the cook-off. Between patrolling for cheaters and catering to the judges, Josie finds time to check out the crime scene, interview suspects, and confer with Detective Lightfoot about the case. Josie seems to be the only one who knows how Lucky was killed – which is actually in a bizarre way that kept things interesting. Josie is also the first person to figure out who the killer is – though she does it totally by accident when he takes her as a hostage and locks her into his van that can only be unlocked from the outside by using a key. It also takes Josie way too long to finally break a window to escape the van so that she can go after the man who killed Lucky and has now kidnapped her dog.

While I found CINCO DE MURDER to have an intriguing storyline, I felt like the story jumped around at times and wasn’t always cohesive. Secondary storylines that may or may not have had anything to do with the murder seemed to peter out without any conclusion. (Was Dani the mother or the aunt of the three children that were with her? And did she make it back to the hotel or did she pass out drunk along the way? And did the two B&Es at the local stores have anything at all to do with the murder, or were they just to help Josie figure out clues from the crime scene? And what the heck happened to that poor woman’s laptop charger???) There also seemed to be way too much going on during the two-and-a-half days in which the story took place – aside from the chili cook-off and the investigation, there is also the daily restaurant work that takes place as well as a parade, two B&Es that Josie helps Detective Lightfoot check out, and a fireworks show. The main characters remained consistent with the first two novels – though Detective Lightfoot is much more receptive to Josie’s amateur investigation than he ever was before. It’s good to see them working together. I also enjoyed the way in which the bad guy murdered Lucky even though I didn’t quit understand exactly how it was possible to kill someone in that way.

Cinco de Murder by Rebecca Adler was a wonderful, entertaining read about a journalist/waitress, Josie, her chihuahua, Lenny, her family and their restaurant, and a chili cook-off murder. The tale starts the day before the cook-off and follows our heroine through a festive Cinco de Mayo weekend that culminates in fireworks, a chase, and a kiss. Josie’s character acts mainly on spunkiness with a dash of trepidation. She is surrounded by a very loving group of family and friends who are supportive and hilarious. The two main men in the story add a nice dash of romance that creates a fun side plot. Lenny is a wonderful side-kick who’s tiny yips speak volumes. The story ends in a scary, thrilling trapped scene that grips the reader’s attention. I thoroughly adored this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, spicy, cozy murder mystery read.