This is the first book that I've read by this author but it won't be the last. I enjoyed solving the mystery along with the Red Carpet Catering crew and the twists and turns kept me guessing to the end of this well-planned mystery. I definitely think this series should be read from the beginning though to get to know the characters better. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

The life of a movie set caterer is never dull! This time the excitement begins before they even get to set location. While enjoying a breakfast at a local café there is a bizarre attack by Russian thieves. Fast forward to a sleepy town and the mountains of Vermont for a docudrama about a tennis star. The technical consultant for the movie is a friend of Shawn's, and this same tennis pro is plagued by odd accidents. Accidents that make as much sense as the brothers who are producing/directing the movie. Little town with little secrets but with Shawn's friend in danger there is no way she will let it be. The only thing this story is missing are some recipes to go with those tasty meals she describes.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. The main character, Penelope "Penny" Sutherland owns Red Carpet Catering, which specializes in catering for film sets. Penny is getting ready to start a new job in Vermont when she and two friends are witnesses to a violent robbery. Meanwhile, her friend, Nadia is being threatened and Penny is trying to figure out who is doing the threatening and how to put a stop to it.

I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable story. I will be looking for other books in this series!

“Murder on the Rocks” earns 5/5 Felonious Film Sets…Murderously Fun!

This fifth book, “Murder on the Rocks,” in Shawn Reilly Simmons’s Red Carpet Catering Mystery series has made this newbie a very eager fan. This page-turner grabbed me right off with an action-packed movie scene, then a real-life traumatic robbery and lots of mayhem on the set of Arlena Madison’s new movie…any connections? Penny Sutherland’s Red Carpet Catering heads up to an out-of-the-way, cell phone/Wifi ”black hole” location in Vermont to support the cast and crew of BFF Arlena’s new biopic, but “peace and quiet” will not be served up. The well-known, yet eccentric, producers/directors Truegood brothers make demands Penny finds stressful to accommodate, panic attacks prove disturbing, a possible stalker suspiciously appears, and the “accidents” that plague the set put everyone on edge…what else, murder? A well-written mystery with twist, turns, more than a few nail-biting predicaments, and a very satisfying solution, Simmons also provides a look behind the scenes of a movie production, a new chef joining the catering business, an evolving romance between Penny and Joey, and the luscious Vermont environment. However, she doesn't rely on the narrative or stereotypes by penning dialogue to cleverly illustrate the personalities and emotions of a rich group of characters. In this five-book series, many events have happened, and like real life, the characters have grown and relationships strengthened. But enough background (no spoilers) and character connections are revisited to make it easy for newbies to join in. I highly recommend this book, and fans will agree start here, but don't forget the other books that will offer an understanding of how we all got here from there.

I enjoy this series and it’s characters and plots but this particular one didn’t grab me. I don’t know if it’s brcause the ‘regulars’ weren’t involved as much or because it just didn’t read as smoothly as usual

This is the book in the 5th Red Carpet Catering mystery series, and I really enjoyed it. I love this series in general, the premise of cooking for a movie set is such an interesting one! In this book, Penelope and her crew go to Vermont after a frightening robbery in their local cafe where people were injured and a woman was killed. The culprits got away, but not before the stole money and property.
Arlena is starring in a movie about Helen Wills, a tennis legend from the early part of the last century. Penelope has some difficulties with the directors for this movie...they have strict rules about what to serve, where the food comes from, what she can serve it on etc. that make this a tough shoot for her crew. No disposable dishes means a lot of washing at the end of every meal!

On top of everything else, Nadia, a tennis player consulting on the film and a friend of Penelope's, suffers a series of frightening accidents. Penelope is determined to get to the bottom of the accidents and hopefully identify the men who took part in the robbery back in NY.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Henery Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Shawn Reilly Simmons Interview by E. B. Davis 031418

"It's just the shock of it, I think. The idea that something so random can happen to anyone, something so life changing, just when you least expect it."
"Exactly. Unfortunately, things like that are happening every day, all over the world," Nadia said, nodding in agreement. "It's hard to wrap your mind around."
Shawn Reilly Simmons, Murder On The Rocks (Kindle Loc. 744)

Murder on the Rocks (Red Carpet Catering #5)
Shawn Reilly Simmons has cooked up something rocky this time, and it's going to be a delicious read. After surviving a brazen attack at one of her favorite local cafes, Penelope Sutherland is ready to escape the big city and head to her next film set. She and her Red Carpet Catering crew set up their kitchen on location in the tranquil mountains of Vermont. But peace and quiet aren't on the menu. It starts to get hot when a series of accidents befall the celebrity tennis pro consulting on the film. Then mix in an uptight director, an isolated location, and a quirky bunch of locals with secrets of their own and that's a recipe for disaster. Penelope soon suspects a connection between the cafe attack and the incidents on set, and you know what comes next. She must uncover the truth before her goose gets cooked. This page-turner is serving up the coziest of entertainment, and you do not want to miss it.
http://www.shawnreillysimmons.com/books.html

I love books that have elements of reality in them. And in Murder On The Rocks, reality abounds-from real historic figures to apparent terrorism to drug dependence. Shawn Reilly Simmons weaves all that reality into fiction capturing readers' interest. This book was hard to put down.

Historic figures are fun especially when they are trailblazers of their time, relating to present day in terms of role models. Unfortunately, real realities of terrorist attacks and the aftermath of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and drug dependency followed by death aren't so fun. But I'm glad that authors, like Shawn, are addressing these issues. For readers, it allows contemplation of these realities without having to experience them-a luxury, but also a good exercise for if, and when, reality stops lurking and pounces.

All my favorite characters returned in this fifth Red Carpet Catering Mystery, released on February 6th, with a few additions. I've always enjoyed main character chef Penelope Sutherland. Joining her is a new-hire chef, Tama, old friend and tennis pro, Nadia, and a new partner for Joey, Clarissa. Like most folks, all of them have good and bad aspects of their personalities, which Shawn portrays well. You won't struggle to remember their names and who they are in the story.

Please welcome Shawn back to WWK. E. B. Davis
Glendale, NJ, where the first few chapters of the book take place and where Penelope and Arlena call home, is supposed to be a suburb of New York. But the real Glendale is closer to Philadelphia. Why did you change the location?

When I first moved to New York after graduating from college, I lived in Glendale in Queens, so I gave the fictional town in New Jersey that name as a personal touchstone for myself. I have to admit I hadn't heard of the little town Glendale, NJ until after I'd done this, even though I lived in New Jersey for many years! It is a large state, though, and I lived near Hoboken, and spent most of my time working and playing in Manhattan.

Arlena hires Nadia Westin, a professional tennis player, to help her during the filming of Grand Slam, the new movie Arlena will star in. How did Arlena meet Nadia?

Nadia is an old school friend of Penelope's who has now gone on to have a successful professional tennis career. Penelope has always been very driven as far as her career goals and attaining success as a chef, so she and Nadia were drawn together because they were both ambitious, and as a result of that in a way, loners. Their chosen pursuits, cooking and tennis, are solitary at times, and both rely on individual talent and drive, which I believe cemented their friendship early on.

What is the Grand Slam?

A Grand Slam happens when a player or team of players wins the four major tennis tournaments in the same calendar year: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. To give you an idea of how difficult it is, the most recent Grand Slam was in 2014, and the last Americans to achieve a sweep of the majors were Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver in 1984 playing women's doubles. (Others have achieved career Grand Slams, but they haven't occurred in the same calendar year).

When Penelope, Arlena, and Nadia met in a café, a young man with a hockey stick proceeds to attack the diners while another young man bars the café's door trapping people inside. The attacker keeps saying "plate it," but Nadia knows what he's really saying. How does she know Russian?

Nadia has traveled extensively during her tennis career, playing tournaments around the world. And part of her training took place in Russia, where she picked up some of the language while living there.

In Grand Slam, Arlena plays the part of Helen Wills, a tennis star of the 1920s and 30s, whose eight consecutive wins at Wimbledon wasn't surpassed for fifty-two years until Martina Navratilova won nine in 1990. I thought she was a fictional character you made up, but she wasn't. What drew you to Helen Wills? Was a real movie ever made about her?

To my knowledge there hasn't been a movie made about Helen Wills. Most of the time in my books, I create a movie I think should be made, and I think a movie about her life would be an excellent choice. I've always been fascinated by tennis players, I think because I went to the same middle and high school as Chris Evert, and we heard about her a lot from the nuns and priests, who held her up as an example of how you can reach success by hard work and having a dream. When I thought about Arlena starring in a biopic about a tennis player, I wanted to highlight someone who perhaps people didn't know much about, and I thought Helen was perfect. While doing my research for the book, I was intrigued by Helen's life story, both on and off the court. Her athleticism was matched by her love of art and writing, and she was such an elegant and beautiful lady, a reluctant celebrity of her time. And for me it was fun to picture Arlena and her costar playing tennis in wardrobe true to the 1920s and 30s.

Penelope seems thrilled, but old biddy that I am, I wasn't. Why did Joey ask her to live with him-not marry him? Is that really the next logical step in today's world?

I think it's up to the individual, but I'm always fascinated by how the newer generation seems to be marrying and having children later in life, when it used to be something people did quite early on. It began with my generation, I believe (I didn't get married and have my son until I was 39!), and the trend seems to be holding. That being said, I've just finished the first draft of my next book, and my readers will find that Penelope is torn by this decision, and the very issue you raise is one that she is seriously pondering before taking the leap.

Thomas and Jeremiah Truegood are the directors of Grand Slam. Shouldn't their last name be Toogood? They're just a bit hard to take with exacting standards, especially given the demands on Penelope and her personnel.

Ha! Yes, they do think they have seen the error of all of our ways, don't they? I was inspired to create the Truegood brothers because I hadn't had a team of directors yet in the books, and in thinking about the setting of Vermont, my impression every time I visited there was that the residents really valued the beauty of where they lived. I was further inspired to make them kind of a pain about environmental awareness when I read several articles about Hollywood being one of the biggest pollutant industries in the world. And finally, I did meet one executive producer on a movie who had flown in from L.A. to visit the set for the day and could barely hide her disgust at the food we were serving. She had a very negative emotional response to eating meat, which she felt was morally wrong. But we had been hired to do a job, which we were doing very well, and she told us as much (trying her best to not look at the food!). That was a weird day on the set, and I tried to convey some of those emotions through Penelope in the book.


Do chefs critique other chefs' techniques?

Absolutely, just as writers critique other writers. The opinions may not be voiced out loud, unless a request is made, but I think in every profession there is an innate impulse in us all to consider the similar work of others and compare it to our own, for better or worse.

What is:

Craft Service- Craft service is essentially a snack station, where you can grab something like a muffin or a bag of chips, coffee, water, whatever you might need to keep going between scheduled meal times. This is usually run by someone other than the catering crew, but can be managed by the team on smaller productions.

Mise en place assignments- Mise en place is a French term that basically means everything in its place. When you're making a stew, for example, you wash, peel and chop all of your ingredients before you begin cooking them. Or when baking a cake, you set out your pan and measure out all of your ingredients before you begin assembling. This pre-work makes pulling together your dish easier, and results in fewer mistakes-and eliminates that sinking feeling of having no butter and then having to run out for some to make that cake!


Have you plotted all your major characters' arcs for the series?

I know at the moment I have five more books to go at least, so I have been laying out whose relationships will be evolving, and at what pace, for the near future. My characters do have a way of surprising me during the writing process, though. I can't count how many times they'll do or say something that was not in the plan, but it fits, and we go from there. That's one of the most fun parts about creating characters, watching them take on a life of their own in your imagination.

What's next for Penelope?

In the next book it's the holidays and everyone is together to celebrate. Randall and Arlena are teaming up to shoot a documentary in and around an old theater in New York City that features a big Christmas extravaganza each year, and Penelope is on hand to cater for the crew and the performers. Arlena's grandmother was a Big Apple Dancer, and her death is shrouded in mystery, which mirrors some of the things happening there in current day. Several characters make big decisions about their relationships, and the bonds between friendship and family are at times tested and at others strengthened. Penelope continues to balance her love of her demanding career with the idea of beginning a new phase of life with Joey. And there's lots of big filling meals to prepare, because it's the holidays!

Red Carpet Catering's Penelope Sutherland is enjoying breakfast with her client Arlena Madison and tennis pro friend Nadia until two young men storm the cafe to commit a violent robbery. Penelope and Arlena are glad to leave the city to start a new film job based on a 1930s tennis star. Penelope hopes that the remote Vermont location will help her forget what she saw that day but it seems that trouble has followed them to the set. Nadia is a consultant for the film and maybe the target of a stalker.

This was a good read and another enjoyable entry in the Red Carpet Catering mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Henery Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I had a tough time getting into this book. I am sure it is not the author's fault. I will retry this book in a few months. I just kept picking it up and putting it down without really following what was going on.

Murder on the Rocks is the 5th entry in the Red Carpet Catering Mystery series by Shawn Reilly Simmons. It was the first book in the series I read, and I received a copy from NetGalley. Reading the first four books prior to this one may have provided backstory on the characters, but it was just fine as a standalone.

This time around Penelope Sutherland and her Red Carpet Catering crew set up their kitchen on location in the supposedly tranquil mountains of Vermont. But tranquil isn't going to happen. Action and mayhem start right away, including a series of accidents to the celebrity tennis pro consulting on the film.

This is a well-crafted cozy mystery with a lot of action right up until the end. The characters are an interesting mix, and it's obvious they care about one another. I want Penelope as my friend - and my chef!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I’ve read all of the books in this series and am pleased with the newest entry. In this book, Penelope (who owns a catering business which works with film and television shoots) is off to Vermont with her crew.

Before she leaves, she and her best friend and actress, Arlena are meeting with another friend of Penelope’s from the past. Nadia is a professional tennis player and is going to be providing tennis advice for Arlena’s next film (which Penelope is also doing food service for.) An unexpected and traumatic event occurs involving all three as well as others.


Penelope seems to be more apprehensive than the others even though she was not physically threatened.

Once in Vermont, Penelope is confronted with a brother writing/director team who are very hands-on (for one of them, in several meanings of the word.) It stretches both her and her team to meet their expectations.

Meanwhile, events keep occurring that lead Penelope into trying to solve the original crime. More of a crime drama mystery than usual in this series but nonetheless, a good read.

Just a note, the book starts with an out-of-character scene. It was so unusual, I had to check that I had chosen the right Kindle book to open. It was fun and, once I understood why it was in the book, funny as well. It was very surprising, though, and I wanted to note that element of the story.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Murder on the Rocks by Shawn Reilly Simmons is the fifth book in the Red Carpet Catering Mystery series. Penelope is visiting her favorite local café with movie star Arlena and tennis star/movie consultant Nadia before heading off to a catering job. The happy day is spoiled by an attack on the café. When the troubles seem to follow her, Arlena, and Nadia to the movie set, Penelope is determined to get to the bottom of everything that is happening. I enjoy this series. This one was more focused on Penelope than Arlena which was a nice change. Some of the supporting characters were annoying, but not every character can be likeable. The mystery kept me interested until the end.

The movie catering premise for a series is a great way to create interesting settings. I particularly enjoyed the different red herrings and subplots that added interest and were handled beautifully as the book wrapped up. I do think Penelope and the other primary characters could have used more depth/development, and the catering wasn't particularly believable (again, lacking convincing development/details). Overall, a solid story with enough meat to be satisfying.

Light fast-paced story with interesting insights into movie locations. Penelope and her friends are gifts of a vicious robbery while out for a brunch. Trouble follows them to a remote Vermont movie location where dead zones, strict environmental restrictions and strange family dynamics already have made life difficult for Penelope and her crew. I've rounded up to 4 stars from 3 and a half because of the details of life on a movie set added so much to the story.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me from the beginning. From the time that Penny and Arlena have brunch at Sonya's this book had me. I love all of the wonderful descriptions of the food, of the area where they are filming, of the people. It really makes me feel like I am in the story. This story takes place on location in Vermont and I loved that it was a cellular dead zone. No cell phones, no Wi-Fi, in one way it sounded like a real escape, but also difficult when you need help and there is no phone available. Each book in this series has it's own type of setting and I enjoy seeing the challenges of each, especially when a criminal act is involved. This is a wonderful series that gets better with each book. I'm looking forward to reading what happens next, especially with Penny and Joey!

Thank you to Henery Press and NetGalley for this e-book. This did not influence my review in any way.

Arlena and Penelope are getting ready to head up to Vermont where Arlena will have the starring role in a biopic based on the life of Tennis Legend Helen Wills. Ms. Wills was one of the first celebrity athletic stars of her generation which was in the late 1800s through the 1940's. This is a role of a lifetime for Arlena because of the famous Truegood brothers who have not only written the film but will also be producing and directing it as well.
Penny and Arlena are in Glendale having brunch waiting to meet up with one of Penny's oldest friends Nadia who just happens to be a current Tennis star who has agreed to help coach Arlena and add support on the technical side of the game. When Nadia arrives at the café they are just finishing up with introductions when the café is robbed. The trio of friends are all seated outside, and Penny gets a good look at one of the robbers. They are shaken up by the violent occurrence that is out of place for Glendale. Joey, Penny’s boyfriend who is also an investigator with the Glendale police department comes over later that evening to deliver some property that was recovered, and Penny tells him what she witnessed.
The show must go on, as they say, so off they go headed for bucolic Vermont hoping to leave all this bad business behind them. Penny's catering company is growing fast. She has hired a new chef, Tama and this will be the first time they will be working together so Penny’s excited to be on this trip. She felt a connection with Tama and hopes she made the right decision in hiring her.
Once they make the long drive up to Vermont, her caravan of trucks is greeted by one of the Truegood brothers. These guys are eccentric to the extreme!!! How is she expected to run her catering business with all these rules, to make matters worse they are in the middle of a dead zone and the nearest town is a 30-mile drive away. They feel like they have been dropped into a time warp, Penny’s about had it with these two nuts, but she perseveres for the sake of her good friend Arlena. The only thing keeping Penny sane is her infrequent chats with Joey, who is waiting for her back home. Their relationship is growing as fast as her catering company.
The awful robbery in Glendale that is still close in their minds plus odd happenings in Vermont keeps Penny on her toes. Jeremiah Truegood is the oddest of all, just what is it with this old guy?
This was a super-fast read, it held my interest and with all the other sideline plots going on it's another win, win for Ms. Simmons. I love the spunky Penny that's for sure, she's really grown with this series, I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for her.
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinion expressed above are mine alone.

Penelope Sutherland keeps seeing a man everywhere, after she and her movie star friend Arlena Madison, find themselves in the middle of a robbery attempt at a café where they are having brunch with Penelope’s friend and tennis star Nadia Westin. Penelope is almost certain that this man is the same one who was involved in that attack and is both worried for herself and her friends and eager to help her boyfriend policeman apprehend the robbery perpetrators. However, Penelope can never seem to pinpoint where the man is exactly or find out who he is. Now, Penelope has joined her friend and Nadia to provide catering of food during the shoot of a film shoot Arlena will star in and the man continues to show up. When more accidents and strange things start happening, Penelope jumps head first into the mystery of what is going on and whether these events are somehow connected to the robbery at the cafe—in addition to running her catering company, who have been hired to provide the food for the shoot.

This is a nice cozy mystery. I have not read any other Penelope Sutherland mysteries, but that was not a problem, as this is a good stand-alone. Penelope is a strong, business-minded, hard working woman, which I found refreshing. In addition, she knows her business and how to plunge into a mystery, sifting through clues and events to find answers while not going overboard. The book reads well and moves along at a nice clip, making it an easy read. After reading I decided there was not much I would change about it. In fact, I now plan to read other books in the Red Carpet Catering series, figuring they will be equally as good as this one was. The story is easy enough to follow and understand, though I had never read anything else about a film shoot. I think most people will enjoy this book and especially the character Penelope. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.