Sifting through Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber is the eighth A Cookbook Nook Mystery. Jenna Hart co-owns the Cookbook Nook and Nook Café in Crystal Cove. Jenna, Aunt Vera and the store staff are busy preparing for Book Club Bonanza week (another creation by their esteemed mayor). Book clubs will be descending upon the town and the Crystal Cove Mystery Mavens to which Jenna belongs will be hosting a progressive dinner where they will discuss The Diva Serves High Tea (by Krista Davis). After a busy day at the Cookbook Nook, Jenna is ready to enjoy good friend and companionship with her friends at the progressive dinner. The group enjoys their first three courses and then depart for dessert at Ivy’s. Upon arrival they find the door ajar, music playing, desserts ready to eat and Ivy dead on the kitchen floor with a rose quartz shard protruding from her chest. Chief Cinnamon Pritchett and Deputy Marlon Appleby quickly arrive to contain the scene and question the ladies. Unfortunately, Pepper Pritchett, Cinnamon’s mother, quickly rises to the top of the suspect list. A distraught Pepper asks for Jenna’s assistance in clearing her name. Jenna soon finds that Ivy had upset numerous townspeople, many did not like her business practices and Ivy had a penchant for spreading people’s secrets. Jenna examines the clues and narrows down the list of culprits by confirming their alibis. Jenna needs to catch the killer before Pepper ends up behind bars.

Sifting through Clues is the eighth delightful installment in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone, but why would you not want to read to. I recommend reading all the books in this charming culinary mystery series. I thought Sifting through Clues was well-written and it progresses at a steady clip. The author provides descriptions that allowed me to visualize the characters, their shops and the tourist friendly town (I would love to visit this town). The characters are friendly and developed. There is also a quirky character or two (like Aunt Vera) which is guaranteed to provide humor. Tigger, Jenna’s cat, is back with his feline antics and to provide cuddles when needed. I like that the author provides a cast of characters at the beginning of the book which helped to refresh my memory. There is plenty going on in our characters lives. Bailey is expecting her first baby, Tina is having boyfriend trouble, Cinnamon’s father whom she has never met has come to town, Crusibella wants to buy Ivy’s shop, Pepper is having trust issues regarding her male suitor, the town is flooded with tourists for the Book Club bonanza plus Jenna and Rhett cannot decide on a wedding date or venue (I told you it was busy). I enjoyed the references to cookbooks and other cozy mysteries. I had to laugh when Jenna noticed To Brie or Not to Brie (by our esteemed author) in the window of the local cheese shop. I liked the unique mystery. It starts with a rose quartz crystal sticking out of the victim’s chest. There are other items with unique symbolism (you will have to read the book to find out more). It was interesting to learn about crystals and what they represent. There are good clues to aid readers in solving the crime plus a red herring or two and plenty of suspects. Jenna wore some book themed t-shirts with cute sayings on them. Two of my favorites were “Good things come to those who read” and “There is no friend as loyal as a book”. There are recipes at the end of the book for the tasty sweet and savory items featured (Katie created some sumptuous offerings for the Nook Café). I look forward to the next A Cookbook Nook Mystery to learn if Jenna and Rhett pick a wedding venue (great opportunity for an out of town mystery). Sifting through Clues is one of those books that you want to read quickly to find out what happens, but you also do not want it to end.

Spring has sprung in Crystal Cove, and the town is celebrating all things book club. Clubs from neighboring towns have come to advertise their clubs and Jenna Hart is letting the Cookbook Nook be used to host some of the book discussions happening during the week. But she’s most excited about the progressive dinner that her own book club, the Mystery Mavens, is planning for Saturday night. However, the night ends in tragedy when they arrive at their last stop and find their final hostess, Ivy Beale, dead on her kitchen floor. Ivy had a reputation of knowing everyone’s secrets, and Jenna had seen her clashing with several people in town recently. Was that what got her killed?

One thing I love about the series is the different themes that author Daryl Wood Gerber works in via the town’s events, and book clubs is one that will appeal to all readers. The mystery is strong, with some unusual elements that Jenna must figure out in order to solve the case. I felt the suspects are good and kept me guessing as I went along. The climax was a lot of fun and perfectly wrapped things up. There is a large cast of characters, and I love spending time with them. However, at times it can be hard to remember all the connections, so I was thankful for the list of characters at the beginning of the book. My biggest issue is the relationship between Jenna and Cinnamon Pritchett, the chief of police. They are supposed to be good friends, but I don’t see it based on their interactions here. I get why Cinnamon behaves the way she does, but we need to see more of the friendship between them. We got over a dozen recipes at the end, some sweet and some savory, and many of them give us regular and gluten free versions. Fans of Daryl’s other series will enjoy the Easter eggs she slipped into this book; I know I did.

Sifting Through Clues in the eighth book in The Cookbook Nook Mysteries.

There is always something going on in Crystal Cove to entertain the residents and attack tourist to delightful little community. This time it is the Book Club Bonanza, where various book clubs from all over, plus the clubs located in Crystal Cove will gather, with the local library benefiting from the crowds expected.

Jenna belongs to The Mystery Mavens book club is planning on touring to members houses where they will discuss various books and enjoy foods prepared by the owners of the various houses. The last house on Mavens tour is that of Ivy Beale and when they arrive Ivy doesn’t answer the door. Jenna thinks that she might have gotten held up somewhere, so they go ahead and enter the house. Jenna decides to go into the kitchen and start bringing out the desserts that had been prepared. But as she enters the kitchen she finds the body on the floor.

There is no shortage of suspects, but the one that is considered the prime suspects is the mother of the police chief Cinnamon Pritchett, Pepper. Pepper is the last person that Jenna thinks is guilty of murder, but Jenna is determined to prove her innocence. It’s going to a difficult job as Pepper refuses to help Jenna to prove her innocent. Cinnamon and Jenna are friends, except when it comes to the investigation of police matters and she doesn’t want to hear of Jenna theories.

This another well-written and plotted story from Wood. Many of the characters are back once again and some interesting new characters are introduced in this book. Delicious sounding recipes are included with the book.

I will be watching for the next book in this tasteful series.

Loved revisiting Crystal Cove. I think this is the best one yet. The idea of a Moveable Feast was intriguing and I was drawn into the story from the beginning. I really did not figure out who dunnit in this one. I love the author' descriptive writing style and look forward to reading each new title in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy I received from NetGalley.

Sifting Through the Clues is Book 8 in the Cookbook Nook Mysteries by Daryl Wood Gerber.
I do believe these books just keep getting better and better with each one. I love visiting Jenna, Rhett, family and friends in Crystal Cove, California. Every book is a new event or festival that I enjoy visiting.
You can’t go wrong reading anything Daryl Wood Gerber has written.

Sifting Through Clues is book eight of the Cookbook Nook Series by Daryl Wood Gerber, Though it is book 8, it can be read as a stand alone as there is enough back story through out that you will be caught up. Having read all of the series, you will want to read them all.
The owner of the Cookbook Nook is the protagonist, Jenna, and she is looking forward to the evening as The Mystery Mavens are having a moveable feast. On one of the stops, she finds one of the Mavens and a shop owner, dead in her kitchen. When a friend, another shop owner, is the prime suspect, Jenna is again on the search for a murderer.
You have plenty of twists and turns that have you guessing until the end. You have a great setting, Crystal Cove, California, lovable characters, friendship, romance, and even some humor.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.

There’s always something going on in Crystal Cove and Spring is no exception! From Book Club Bonanza week to Spring Fling, to Bailey and Tito getting ready to welcome their baby, to Jenna stumbling onto yet another dead body. Yep, same old, same old in Crystal Cove…and I couldn’t wait to read it all!

When a local shop owner is found murdered in her home by the ladies of her book club, Police Chief Cinnamon finds her mother on her list of suspects. Throw in a visit from Cinnamon’s long lost father who left her and Pepper when she was a baby and a town full of residents who are victims of cyber extortion, there’s a whole lot of clues and trails to follow.

Another fantastic entry in the series, and a potential cross over into the author’s French Bistro series, will keep Daryl Wood Gerber fans on the edge of their seat as they savor another fantastic visit to the Cookbook Nook.

I recently discovered this series and I was hooked.
This is a very good cozy mystery, well written, entertaining and fun to read.
It was great to meet again the cast of characters and see what was going on in their life.
The mystery was very good, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
The plot was engaging, fast paced, and full of twists and turns.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Wish I could say I’ve read this complete series, but sadly I haven’t. The ones I have read, I’ve enjoyed. Love the characters and the interaction with each other. What a great book store! So many cookbooks and so many activities. What a fun place to hang out! I love the way the people pull together in their festivals and the decorating of the town. It’s interesting to see who actually turns out to be the bad person when there are so many possibilities. Makes for an interesting story. Hmmm, wonder if I could get a reading from Aunt Vera? Can’t wait to see what is next for Jenna and company. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I picked up this book, not realising it was the 8th in the series. Despite not having any background, I quickly found my feet with no more difficulty than any other first book. I only figured out it wasn't probably 30-40% of the way through the book. The references to things in the past seemed as though they were something I would have already known. The author did a great job introducing all characters, both old and new, and I never felt left out despite my neglect.

I didn't love this book though, I had a hard time staying engaged and I felt like the whole thing had a more "cutesy" feel than I prefer. On the sliding scale of mysteries, this certainly was more on the Cozy side than I like my stories. That said, the murder itself was an interesting one that I hadn't seen before, and more than once I thought I had figure out the murderer, only to be proved wrong.

If you're looking at reading this book than you probably have read the seven before, so the cutesy element is either not a problem or you really like it. In that case, you'll really like it and should read it!
I probably won't be picking up any more of them myself.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first visit to Crystal Cove, California and I can’t wait to go back. Even though this is number eight in the series, the story is written in such a way that I wasn’t lost and could immerse and enjoy myself.
It’s Book Club Bonanza week in Crystal Cove and the scenic little town is filled with book clubs from all over. There are plenty of events lined up to keep all participants happy as well as busy. Jenna has lined up a multitude of events for her shop, but still has plenty of time to go have fun with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast event. The Mavens gets to Ivy’s house and unfortunately, Jenna finds her dead in the kitchen. Cinnamon, the towns Chief of Police is on the case, but unfortunately her mother, Pepper is one of the prime suspects. Some of Jenna’s friends and family come to her to ask for her help in solving the case since she’s solved other murders since moving to town.
The writing is strong. I truly love a good mystery, and this is definitely it. The description of the town is marvelous, down to the dolphins statue in the town square wearing glasses. You can visualize all the locations thanks to the authors wonderful and vivid descriptions. Character development is good, and the story arc is strong. There are a couple of reasons for only giving a four-star review. One is that at times it was hard to keep up with all the characters. Another reason was that it was said numerous times in the story that Jenna and Cinnamon are friends, but Cinnamon sure doesn’t act like one at all. She acted like Jenna was a bother and a nuisance, even when Jenna tried to talk about other things. I know that Cinnamon had a lot on her plate, trying to solve the murder, having to worry about her mom since she is a prime suspect, and the special visitor that comes to town to see her. I feel that a true friend would not have treated Jenna the way Cinnamon does in this story.
Now that I’ve read this book, I’m going to have to go and start reading the series from the beginning. Such a great mystery and one that has you guessing til the end.
*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Are you a budding foodie, love to cook and try new recipes, or do you simply enjoy tasty food? Love cookbooks (or any book for that matter) and bookstores? Up for a light “cozy” with plenty of red herrings to keep you challenged? If you answered yes to any (or all) of those questions, then I highly recommend you check out <i>Sifting Through Clues</i>, the eighth in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series.

In keeping with earlier entries in the series, this one fits the category of a “cozy” perfectly. The series takes place in a small town on the California coast which enjoys a year-round calendar of themed celebrations. The town of Crystal Cove is filled with interesting shops and restaurants owned by equally as interesting and varied characters. The main character, Jenna, is co-owner of the namesake of the series – the Cookbook Nook and an amateur sleuth on the side.

This time around the town has welcomed book clubs from all over for a Book Club Bonanza week. The local book club, the Mystery Mavens, is celebrating with a progressive dinner which comes to a halt when the hostess for their final stop, Ivy Beale, is found dead upon their arrival. It seems Ivy made it her mission to uncover everyone’s secrets which caused more than a few ruffled feathers. Is that what led to her death?

Light and engaging, I enjoyed this – my second time visiting Crystal Cove and look forward to catching up with the back titles. I’ve also put a few of the cookbook titles mentioned throughout the book as well as a few of the shared recipes on my “to try” list.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sifting Through Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber is the 8th book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series, and my first book in this series. Where have I been? I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, it is full of twists and turns, when Jenna Hart tries to solve the murder. Jenna owns the Cookbook Nook book store. I plan on going back and reading the first 7 books in the series for a better understanding of the characters. I recommend this book for all people who enjoy a well written cozy mystery.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing. Thank you.

Possible spoilers for over-arcing themes of this series if you haven't read previous volumes.

Jenna is in another busy time but, really, when is she not? The Cookbook Nook is super busy with the theme of the week and Jenna's employees and friends are all experiencing struggles as well. On the personal front, Bailey and Tito are awaiting the arrival of their bundle of joy and Jenna and Rhett have decided to become more proactive about their wedding planning and at least decide on a date and select a venue. They decide to delay a venue-choosing trip until a less busy time for both of them. Jenna also continues her trend of discovering bodies when she comes across the body of a neighbor in her own (the neighbour's) home.

I enjoyed this book though I thought there was less actual investigation in this book than in previous volumes I've read in this series. In this one, Jenna seemed a more passive participant in the mystery, just talking to people but not actively investigating but rather focusing more on personal relationships. Though she has a personal connection to the victim and the suspects and and actual reason to look into things that would seem to me to be a time to get more involved, rather than step back and wait for the Chief of Police to do her job and arrest the guilty party.

The recipes in the book sound good and I plan on trying many of them, especially the ones for baked goods, as those are my forte.

It's Book Club Bonanza week in Crystal Cove. The Cookbook Nook's owner, Jenna Hart, is excited to spend an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast where they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. But then Ivy Beale is found murdered at the last stop on the tour. Jenna's friend Pepper Pritchett is one of the prime suspects. Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter Cinnamon is trying to be impartial but Jenna feels the need to help clear Pepper's name and find the real killer.

This was a fun read and another enjoyable book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

A cozy mystery about a cookbook store, written by Daryl Wood Gerber? Come on, you know I read this series! And I was beyond thrilled to read this latest installment!

I have loved everything about the Cookbook Nook Mysteries since book one, page one. I fell in love with each character the moment they appeared on the pages. I always look forward to what they’re up to next. I also love every new theme author Daryl Wood Gerber introduces in to each volume. I wish our Mayor would come up with some of these ideas! This time it’s Book Club Bonanza. Fun! Oh yeah, and deadly! I wish our Mayor would come up with some of these ideas!

There’s soooo much I want to say about SIFTING THROUGH THE CLUES. A lot of which I can’t because of spoilers. What I can say is, this is the best in the series so far! This book had me glued to my chair. A compelling, exciting mystery, there were times I was holding my breath. Author Gerber did such a great job keeping me guessing, I had to force myself not to peek at the ending! There were also times I was laughing so hard I was crying.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. SIFTING THROUGH THE CLUES in one word? FABULOUS!

Spring has sprung in Crystal Cove, California
Sifting Through the Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber is the eighth book in this fantastic series that I wish I found earlier. The whole cast of characters was excellent, and I liked every minute of reading about their lives. Ms. Gerber has a great series on her hands. I can’t wait to read the next novel. This book has a bunch of twists and turns in it which made trying to figure out whodunit even harder.

What I like:
• Written in first person narrative works so well in this novel and I loved it. We get to know more about the main character, and I liked being able to learn about her this way. We also get to try to solve it through her eyes and see if we can solve it first.
• For the brief moments, we get to meet Tigger, this fantastic cat. He knows how to make anyone happy just by being near them.
• The sleuth and the cop on the force are different here, and I love it. Jenna has it two ways. Her aunt is dating a cop, and of course, her best friend is the chief of police.
• I loved the high tea and mentions of food in here since it is a culinary cozy. The recipes in the book sound so good, I can't wait to try some.
• That despite everything that has happened in the past books that Cinnamon, the chief of police, wants Jenna’s help and that they have a good friendship.

What I don’t like:
That I didn’t find this series earlier. I am a bit peeved at myself for not figuring it out who did it since I am pretty good at that, but I got so lost in all the red herrings. Though I didn’t like that Jenna didn’t try to talk to Cinnamon faster about her findings.

Five Star
Sifting Through the Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber is a brilliant book, and I was so happy to get acquainted with this small town of Crystal Cove, California and its crazy citizens. I am putting the first seven of these books on my TBR list. I am giving it a five-star rating and recommending it to anyone that likes cozy mysteries with a culinary kick.

Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tour. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

If you would like to read more reviews like this one please go to baronessbooktrove.com

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We return to Crystal Cove, California just in time for Book Club Bonanza Week sponsored by the library. It is an event that has brought in many tourists and the Cookbook Nook has stocked up and planned a few events. Jenna’s book club, the Mystery Mavens is hosting a progressive dinner while discussing this month’s book, each course being hosted at a different member’s house. The final host seems to have received her “just desserts”. She is found dead as her guests arrive.

The deceased, Ivy Beale owned Dreamcatcher, a crystal shop, focused on their healing properties. All the evidence seems to point at the owner of Beaders of Paradise, Pepper Pritchett, Jenna’s friend and mother of Chief of Police, Cinnamon. Everyone knows Chief Cinnamon is too close to the case but she refuses to step aside, even when an unexpected visitor enters her life. Jenna finds herself Sifting Through Clues to get to the truth to make sure the real killer is booked!

The author brings readers another terrific mystery! This time her focus is on book clubs is a real treat. Because of that, we are introduced to several new characters. We also meet someone from Cinnamon’s past which adds another interesting dimension to the story. These characters all mesh with our returning favorites to create a story I had a hard time putting down.

All the core characters have evolved in this series. Jenna’s friend Bailey is getting so excited for her little bundle to be born and I loved the decor she has planned for the nursery. Bailey always makes me smile. After Jenna, she has become my favorite. The fact that Pepper and Jenna are now friends shows so much growth. They have come a long way. Jenna’s relationship with Cinnamon though is pretty rocky. I know she doesn’t want Jenna involved in her investigation but I would think this time she would be happy for Jenna’s help.

The mystery portions of the story were so intriguing, I mean the chief of police’s mother as the prime suspect! Twists, turns, red herrings, this story had them all. So well written and well plotted out. A truly exciting email element added to the drama. I urge to plan accordingly because had I been able to keep my eyes open I would have finished the book all in one sitting.

As with all the books in this series, the recipes had my mouth watering and all the references to cozy mysteries and cookbooks are always appreciated.

It is always a delight to visit this small town along the coast. The mystery kept me guessing. Lots of people kept me on my toes trying to keep track. The author did a great job of keeping me aware of who was whom. Father's day? Won't spoil that surprise, but there are many others, too.

This is a good whodunit. It kept me guessing through the whole story. I thought I knew, but didn't know for sure until the end. Jenna is setting up for book clubs and her book club is having a progressive dinner. When they get to the last house, there is a dead body. Jenna's friend Pepper is the prime suspect, but there are plenty of other suspects. Cinnamon isn't crazy about Jenna's help even if she does have lots of theories and some good gossip to pass along. Love the characters in this series and can't wait for more.