I was delighted to have the chance to read the 2nd book in the
Sarah Blair Mystery Series.
I met Sarah's family and friends in book 1 One Taste Too Many the characters and town are charming even though murder tends to be an event ever time Sarah's back is turned (or sometimes right in front of her).

Two Bites Too Many has Sarah's mother Maybelle in the hot-seat again as the town banker Lance looses his life and Maybelle is the last one to see him alive in his office at the bank.
When video tapes are compromised Harlan the families lawyer has to work hard to establish reasonable doubt to keep Maybelle out of jail.

As the plot thickens Sarah's elderly neighbor is assaulted. Funds are not accounted for at the 1st annual Animal Shelter fundraising event and Sarah witnesses murder #2.

I have enjoyed this cozy series that is set in a small town and around the catering/restaurant that Sarah's twin sister owns and operates. Sarah end's up being 'snagged' into helping Emily with her business much to Sarah's chagrin. But hanging out at catered events gives Sarah the opportunity to hear tid bits of conversation and see towns folks reactions to each other that help Sarah and her amateur sleuthing.

If you enjoy a good cozy mystery take the time to read this series.
You'll enjoy the story, the story lines and the recipes at the end.

Two Bites Too Many by Debra H Goldstein in the second book in the Sarah Blair Mystery series. Sarah has settled into her new home with her inherited cat RahRah while continuing to work as the receptionist at a law firm. Her mom, Maybelle, drags her to the bank to fight Sarah's sister's loan request rejection. When the bank manager is later found murdered, Maybelle is the only suspect. I enjoy the southern setting but have a bit of trouble connecting to the characters. I realize it is a fictional book, but I still expect them to act moderately reasonable. Sarah's sister Emily needed to be sat down for a good talking to over many of her actions. The mystery was strong. While I had my suspicions, I was not certain until the very end.

Two Bites Too Many is about Sarah Blair who would rather catch bad guys that slave over a hot stove. Recently divorced, she settles into a cozy carriage house with her cat. The president of the town bank is found murdered after denying Emily’s business plans and receiving a sharp message from Emily’s mother. Now her mom is a suspect and Emily has to get to work to save her Mom as quickly as possible. This is a nice, cozy, mystery with a little romance thrown in for good measure. The pets in this book are adorable - The characters are well-developed and friendly. A good story to read! Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC for me to review.

The second book in a new cozy mystery series featuring strong characters, an intriguing plot, and some great supporting characters makes a great read you can't put down that will leave you waiting for the next one to release.

This book kept me engaged while trying to figure out who had enough motive to kill Lance.

This is the second book in this series and it is just and thrilling as the first. It seems that Sarah has adjusted to her role as RahRah's caretaker while life continues as normal and she finds herself in the middle of deciphering a crime that has put her mother in the hot seat. There are also some issues regarding her sister Emily that take an interesting turn.

As with the first book, I enjoyed getting to know a few more town residents and picturing more of the town through the author's descriptions while trying to figure out who the killer could be this time. While there are a few characters I wouldn't mind it being, I feel like they are going to be permanent to the storyline. There are many possibilities and the author does a good job throwing in multiple suspects and motives. While this killer was one character I had suspicions about, I didn't know for certain until the end.

The relationship between Sarah and Emily is a typical sibling and twin relationship. There are highs and lows but you can tell that they care what happens to each other. Their mother is quite a character, but I feel like it adds more dimension to the story.

Overall we give this book 5 paws up and look forward to the next installment.

I enjoyed that this cozy mystery highlighted pet adoption and the mystery was well-plotted. Although the main character in Two Bites Too Many does not cook or bake, I think the tone and writing make this a book fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson series will enjoy, as well as other readers of cozy mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TwoBitesTooMany #mystery #cozymystery

Princess Fuzzypants here: Sarah and Rah Rah are doing quite well in the Carriage House. They have both settled in nicely to domestic bliss together. Sarah is enjoying her job and her life. She’s thinking of turning the mansion into a classy restaurant with her twin and her twin’s partner. They are the cooks. Sarah is definitely kitchen challenged. It should be coming together but for two small problems. One the town is divided between those who want to revitalize the old centre into an entertainment district and those who want the status quo. It has delayed zoning permission which in turn leads to the second problem. The delays are costing money and the local bank has denied a loan, which does not sit well with Sarah’s mother.
She enlists Sarah to confront the bank manager. As long time patrons of the bank, she cannot understand why the loan was denied. Things appear to be moving towards a happier conclusion but for another small detail. The bank manager is murdered and Sarah’s mom is the prime suspect.
While all this is going on, her twin, Emma, is being professionally “seduced” by the owner of a posh hotel who needs Emma’s expertise to bring his restaurant up to standards. This creates tension as Emma is being pulled in two directions when her focus should be on her new ventures. In spite of being movie star handsome, this hotelier is hiding some nasty characteristics and is closely related to others entangled in the entire re-zoning issue. It’s a convoluted mess where business, politics and crime all conspire together.
It makes for an entertaining read with lots of twists and turns, good characters and a wonderful kitty. Four purrs and two paws up.

Two Bites Too Many is a good mystery and I enjoyed the recipes. The characters are interesting and the storyline is interesting.

Two Bites Too Many finds Sarah at the bank, where she and her mother are meeting with the president because he turned down a loan for Emily and her restaurant. Sarah’s mother, who insists on being called Maybelle even by her daughters, has plenty of money and is not only guaranteeing the loan, but threatening to take her money to another bank if the loan doesn’t go through. Lance Knowlton promises to look at the loan that was actually rejected by his assistant loan officer, Bailey, and when Maybelle checks back in, she discovers that Lance has been murdered. The incompetent police chief refuses to look at any suspects other than Maybelle, so Sarah must find the real murderer. It happens that Sarah is in charge of YipYeow day, a fundraiser for the animal shelter, and her interactions with some of the town’s rich and elite put her and her family in danger.

Goldstein knows how to tell a story, and the characters are likeable and well-developed. The scenarios are fun and show some imagination on Goldstein’s part, and in this novel, Sarah’s cat RahRah is an important character. Once again, the drawback of the novel is the recipes. The ones given are not for anything anyone really will want to make, and Emily’s recipes for things readers’ would actually like to prepare and eat aren’t given.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy off this novel

Excellent Cozy Mystery For Animal Lovers
This cozy mystery is very well done. The plot keeps the reader engaged, especially in wondering who was partnered with whom for what purpose. The animal end of it is very cute and realistic. We can all enjoy a bit more critter love. I want to read the first book in this series and more of this author's work in general. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is a superb story with mystery, scandal, lies, corruption, and family dynamics.

Will Sarah clear her mom before the Police Chief arrests her?

Sarah our Sleuth
Just when Sarah thinks things are going good, everything goes crazy. Sarah is finding herself, and her confidence is getting better. She has a good job, lives in a lovely house, and has the best guy, her cat RahRah to keep her company. What more could she want? The one thing she knows for sure is she doesn't want to cook. She has a great sense of humor and dedication to the local animal shelter. We could be friends.

The Mystery
The mystery was good. My mom and I debated over this one a lot, in the end, she figured it out before me. I like the way the town got involved in the fundraiser for the animal shelter and made it a success. However, I love all of the red herrings and the way that Sarah eliminated them.

The big question is which guy will Sarah date, Harlan her boss or Cliff the cute carpenter? I look forward to the next book to see.

5 Stars for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein
My rating for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is five stars. I think the mystery is excellent; the setting is adorable; the characters are well developed with fantastic backstories. I highly recommend this one to all cozy cat lovers.

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

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein.

Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Synopsis:

Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone ...

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and--if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts--lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end ...

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily's business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands--the Blair girls' sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?

Includes quick and easy recipes!

"This smart cozy--full of heart and humor and surprises--has everything a mystery lover could ask for."
--Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Trust Me (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well wounded and well developed. Sarah, Emily, her sister, and their mom, Maybelle, are close and really love each other, even if their mom drives them nuts most days. They will help each other anyway they can. Sarah is determined to find the real culprit so her mom does not go to jail for a crime she did not commit. The secondary characters added a lot to the story, but it seemed like there were a lot of characters to keep track of. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the story I felt like I was listening in on conversations and watching all of the action taking place. The mystery was well plotted and there were a lot of red herrings thrown in to mess with all of the armchair detectives.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I will definitely read the next one when it is released.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

TWO BITES TOO MANY by Debra H. Goldstein
The Second Sarah Blair Mystery

Maybelle is on the warpath and grabs Sarah Blair to set the bank president straight. While Sarah wonders why her mother doesn't take her twin sister Emily, since it was Emily's loan that was denied, she knows its easier to go along. But Maybelle isn't the only one angry at Lance as they discover another man whose loan was denied threatening him. But when Lance is found dead, the acting Chief of Police only has Maybelle in his sights. Will Sarah Blair be able to help her mom while organizing the town's first YipYeow Day? Will she be able to make Emily see the dangers of agreeing to work for Thomas Howell and whip his floundering hotel restaurant into shape? Or will she find herself in trouble once again?

There's a lot going on in the second Sarah Blair mystery. Emily and Marcus are without a restaurant and are anxiously awaiting the necessary permits. The rezoning of Main Street is still up for debate, a pet celebration is being organized, Emily seems to be helping the competition, and the bank president is murdered. Just another day in Wheaton, Alabama. Despite all this seemingly disparate activity, the book flows seamlessly. It's like real life; multiple events are going on simultaneously and, like good mysteries, everything is eventually tied together.

I love how this book highlights animals, from the rich Siamese RahRah to the seemingly homeless Fluffy. I especially loved Fluffy's transformation. I enjoyed seeing the town get together to help their animal shelter by organizing a YipYeow Day, even if some humans had ulterior motives.

TWO BITES TO MANY is an intricately plotted mystery with a compelling storyline. Richly developed characters and lots of future possibilities, positive, negative, and complicated, make me eager to read the next Sarah Blair Mystery.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sarah Blair doesn’t have to work but she enjoys her job at the law firm and is happy living in the carriage house with her cat RahRah. Her sister Emily along with Marcus have big plans for not just one restaurant but two! The one lost to a fire and one in the “big house” that Sarah inherited. When the bank turns down their loan request her the girl’s mother Maybelle drags Sarah to the bank to hash it out with the president of the bank. Apparently Sarah’s healthy bank account will remind the man who is dealing with. Promising he’ll look over the paperwork, Sarah heads to a meeting but Maybelle has other plans. She waits a short time and then returns to the president’s office where instead of getting the answer she wanted she finds the man dead. She then finds herself the police’s prime suspect.

Sarah is surprised by how quickly people believe her mother is a murderer. Emily has her hands full working at a local hotel until she can get her restaurants open. Sarah is busy with a fundraiser too but knows she needs to help lawyer Harlan do everything she can to keep Maybelle out of jail.

___________

There is a lot happening in Wheaton, Alabama and Sarah Blair seems to be caught up in all of it. She can do many things now that she has received her inheritance but for right now she is content working for Harlan, helping her sister and staying involved with things around town, like the fundraiser. She and Emily are best friends, the yin to the other’s yang. Maybelle knows just how to push their buttons, but we see a different side of her this time. Emily is very driven and Sarah is still finding her way. The core characters are evolving at a realistic pace. We learn more about Sarah’s neighbor George this time and because of that, we meet some new characters. Employees of the bank are also introduced. The author does an excellent job giving us characters to root for and those that could be villains/suspects. RahRah again stole my heart.

I did enjoy the way Ms. Goldstein sets the scene. The bank, the hotel, the carriage house and everything in between were all described so well. I could easily envision each place.

The mystery was murky for me but I latched onto the killer pretty early on. I just didn’t know the details of their motive until it was all laid out for me. There were several red herrings though that could have diverted my thinking but I held strong. Mini mysteries that eventually tied together to the murder were very interesting and pressed me to realize I was on the right track. The ending was pretty exciting.

Debra H. Goldstein has again given readers a fun and entertaining mystery filled with characters I wish I could know in person. Comfortable cozies, both books in this series so far have been Perfect Escapes. Once I started reading they were virtually impossible to put down. Two Bites Too Many has whet my appetite for book #3. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

All their lives, it has been their mother guiding them through to adulthood. Now Sarah and Emily Blair have become "the Parent" as they try to clear their mother of murder. In Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein, Maybelle is found with blood on her hands leaning over the body of the bank president. There are plenty of suspects including the handsome surfer/construction worker Cliff.

A witty and charming mystery with Sarah Blair as a disarming amateur sleuth.

I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this second Sarah Blair mystery as much as the first. No sophomore slump for this mystery series. In the first book Sarah was the twin in hot water and her sister was the one with the talent to go far in the restaurant business. Things got sorted out for Sarah, her sister didn't go to prison and now both sisters have plans. Those plans involve bank loans. Emily wants to open her own restaurant and needs a loan. While waiting for the loan, she is working at another restaurant. Well things take a nasty turn and another family member runs afoul of the law - their mother, Maybelle is accused of murder. After the bank president turns her down for the loan, Maybelle, truly a force to be reckoned with, takes Sarah with her to confront him and try to get him to change his mind. As they leave, with hope that they were successful, Maybelle goes back into his office and finds him dead. To the police that sure screams open and shut case, lock her up. Not so fast - Sarah isn't about to let her mother go down for a crime she sure as heck didn't commit. As she has already been involved in getting her sister off on a homicide charge, no reason why she can't do the same for her mother, right?
Added to the family dynamics and the well crafted mystery, there are two animals in Sarah's life - her cat Rah Rah and a new addition, a dog. Sarah is still working at the law firm and has added an animal shelter to her activities. Investigating another homicide tied to her family seems reasonable. All in all, this series has everything I love in a cozy series - a good puzzle, great characters, animals and food. I will be looking forward to reading the next in the series.

This is the 2nd installment in the Sarah Blair mystery series. Sarah is still working as a legal receptionist (good thing given the amount of legal services the family needs lol) and is living with her cat RahRah in the carriage house. She has applied for a loan for the animal rescue as has her sister Emily applied for a loan to re-establish her business (fire in the last book). Lance the president of the bank has denied both loans. Sarah and her Mother Maybelle go to talk to Lance to find out why and leave the bank thinking everything is resolved. Maybelle returns and finds Lance dead. Maybelle becomes the prime suspect and Sarah begins to investigate as she feels the sheriff is not looking for anyone else. Sarah, Emily and Maybelle are all characters who defend and love each other and they will support each other. Lots of other good supporting characters. Solid cozy and like the pace of the mystery. Looking forward to the next in this series.

Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is the 2nd book in the Sarah Blair Mystery series, and another fun addition. Sarah and Emily are twins who are very different. Sarah is divorced, and is working at a law firm as a receptionist. Sarah recently received a large inheritance and a cat named, RahRah. Emily is a chef, who is high achieving. In this adventure, it is the twins mother, Maybelle, who is the suspect who is suspected of murder. Sarah is determined to find the real killer, knowing her mother is innocent. Once I started this book I could not stop reading it. It was a quick read that kept me guessing. I look forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery book lovers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

This is the second book in the Sarah Blair Mystery series, but it is the first one I read. It worked okay as a standalone story, but I do wish I had read the first one. There were some things I would have liked clarified. I did enjoy this story well enough, even though I did not read the first book.

Sarah's twin sister, Emily and her partner, Marcus have been turned down for a loan to reopen their pub and catering service after a fire in the strip mall where they were located. When Maybelle, their mother, and Sarah go to the bank to find out why, they leave assuming the bank manager will approve the loan. When Maybelle goes back in to talk to the manager, Lance, she finds him dead. Of course the person who discovers the body, is often the prime suspect and that is the case here. Sarah believes the acting police chief is not investigating other suspects, so decides to investigate on her own.

I enjoyed the twins, Sarah and Emily. They are great friends and supporters and even when Sarah is right, she refuses to tell Emily "I told you so." Maybelle is a wonderful character. She is smart, sassy, strong-willed and persistent. I really enjoyed the animal characters, even though they don't play a huge role. RahRah, the Siamese cat and the heir to a rather large estate, gives Sarah the funds necessary to live a different life. Fluffy, the little lost dog, is instrumental in a couple important plot points. The mystery is well written and plotted. I narrowed down the culprits pretty early and was basically correct, but for all the wrong reasons. There were a variety of possible suspects with very different motives and that kept the story interesting and had me doubting my guesses somewhat. There looks like there might be a love triangle coming up, but both the male characters are likable, so this will be tough. I am definitely going to go back and read the first book in this series to clear up a few questions that I still have. This was a good cozy mystery with all the things I enjoy about this genre: small town, great atmosphere, good food, animals, multi-age characters, a bit of romance, an interesting crime, and a great sleuth. I do recommend this one to all cozy mystery lovers.

Two Bites Too Many is a very well written cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the quirky characters. I always enjoy books that have animals in the story. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.