This is a cozy mystery, and it is the 4th book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. I really love the characters and the mystery of this book. This book takes place near Halloween, so this book talks a lot about Halloween and the local Halloween events that is happening. This book is not scary, but it is a cute cozy Halloween mystery. This book was everything I wanted from this book.

If you're looking for a book about murder but is overly sweet, this might just be the book for you.

I honestly had a hard time connecting with the characters and felt that the story was dragging a bit. Gia is obsessed with her pup and talks about it quite a bit (I'm sure avid fur moms will love this but it wasn't my cup of tea). While I can't put my finger on anything that is glaringly wrong with the writing, it obviously just wasn't for me.

A Waffle Lot of Murder by Lena Gregory
Book #4: All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Lyrical Underground
Rating: 4/5 stars


Gia Morelli would be perfectly happy if people would stop dropping dead around her. With Halloween on the horizon and the opportunity to participate in one of Boggy Creek’s most beloved events, the Haunted Town Festival, Gia was looking forward to the totally crime-free mayhem and madness. Unfortunately, one sinister being in Boggy Creek has it in for another resident and Gia will once again be lucky enough to stumble upon the mess.

As Gia and her best friend are checking out the site of the All-Day Breakfast Café’s haunted house, they have the misfortune of stumbling across the body of one of the town’s most devoted citizens. The poor woman spent her life devoting her time and energy to the Haunted Town Festival which serves as a fundraiser for the local animal shelter. While this seems like a completely selfless community service, the old bat wasn’t at all what she seemed and far too many people knew of her viler nature. While she’s managed to get away with her double life for years, someone finally had enough and put an end to her wicked ways.

For the first time, Gia isn’t at all connected to the crime or the victim and she’s absolutely determined to keep her nose where it belongs, in her own blinkin’ business. As with so many times in life, that sentiment is easier said than done and before Gia can say “BOO!” she’s up to her pretty little neck in an investigation. As always, Gia and her bestie begin digging around and what they discover are the secrets that many in Boggy Creek likely would have been happy to see go to their graves. The “poor” victim seems to have been blackmailing a load of people as well as getting up to her own shenanigans. By the time Gia puts all the pieces of the puzzle together, her life is very much threatened and her boyfriend, the good detective may not be able to get to her in time, this time.

The Bottom Line: I always worry about a series going stale after too many books, but so far, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery Series is going strong and staying fresh. I like that not only are the plots staying fresh in interesting, but the personal narratives are also evolving. Gia has truly settled into Boggy Creek and she is surrounded by good friends and co-workers who truly have her best interests at heart. I like the spirit of community in Boggy Creek and how the regulars at the café have become trusted companions and great sounding boards when there’s murder and mischief afoot. I have high hopes for the future of this series.

One of the things I enjoy most about this series is the friendships that Gia has established in Boggy Creek, and this element is perhaps showcased strongest in the latest book, A Waffle Lot of Murder. Not just Gia’s friendship with her bestie Savannah or her sweet romance with Hunt or her affectionate love for her dog Troy – but also her relationships with Earl, Cole, Willow, Skylar, Trevor & Harley. It’s these friendships that cause Gia to be a bit more reckless in this book than we are used to. It’s also what gives this book its heart.

The plot was fairly complex with several twists and turns and red herrings along the way. I had the “who” figured out pretty early on but not the why & I still didn’t piece that together until the stunning “whydunnit” reveal. The added element of getting ready for the big Halloween Festival (complete with themed haunted houses & yummy food) definitely contributed to the book’s mood and gives it the perfect tone for a fall read.

Bottom Line: A Waffle Lot of Murder is a fun, well-plotted mystery with an autumn flair & a spotlight on friendship. Gia remains a very likable protagonist whom readers will root for throughout the story, and Lena Gregory’s writing voice is engaging with an easy flow that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. A wonderful story world to immerse yourself in for a few hours & a clever mystery to solve alongside the main characters!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Gia takes some getting used to. She isn’t the average character. She is emotional, loyal, and far too curious for her own good. Her cafe is busier than ever, but she finds herself missing New York in the fall. She has come to love her new home and wants to be a part of the community, no matter how reluctant she is to participate in the fall Halloween festival. All of this means she finds herself in trouble all the time and brings her best friend, Savannah, along for the ride. In A Waffle Lot Of Murder, Gia sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong, again, but this time she doesn’t need to drag Savannah with her; her best friend is insisting on leading the way.

The story has many ups and downs, twists and turns, and keeps you wondering. This book is fast-paced, well written, and filled with an emotional outburst that will have readers thinking about their best friend and what they would do to protect them. There are plenty of suspects, and it doesn’t take long for readers to figure out who the evil-doer is, but the why may have them temporarily stymied. Gia’s cafe is the center of her world and a local hub for gossip. This enables her to investigate the murder within relative safety, or so she tries to convince herself and everyone else. Fall in Florida isn’t cool and picturesque like New York, and Gia has to venture outdoors to find this killer. The critters that inhabit the wetlands terrify Gia, even when she comes face-to-face with one of the deadly variety, but nothing will stand in her way of finding a murderer.

Despite all of the problems Gia has faced in her life and how she has handled them, she is easy to like, even when you want to shake her and tell her to stop being foolish. Savannah is the friend we all wish we had, and I am glad her role continues to grow, but I have begun to believe that Savannah is the bad influence, not Gia. After some heart-stopping moments, Gia and Savannah find the killer and solve the crime. Life returns to normal in Gia’s cafe, and the fall festival continues as planned. There are some yummy sounding recipes in A Waffle Lot Of Murder, and I plan on trying at least one or two. I look forward to the next installation in this series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Gia is cajoled into participating in the Haunted Town Festival. No sooner has she agreed than she is there on the fairgrounds when the body of the main organizer is discovered. Was it a random killing in the woods? Did it have something to do with the Festival? Or was it something far more personal that caused somebody to commit murder?

Gia and her best friend Savannah want answers. Even though Gia’s boyfriend Hunter is a cop and Savannah’s cousin, and Savannah’s fiancé is Hunter’s partner, the two ladies go around town asking all sorts of questions. There is a certain amount of self awareness about the dangers. They have a discussion at one point where they recognize they have tread very close to the thin line between curious and too stupid to live. Kudos for that. And then, when Gia feels more personally invested when a friend is attacked, she loses her head entirely. If it was not for her realization of her own disregard for safety, I might have given up on the story.

It was a decent mystery and the outcome was not predictable but more than one time, Gia and Savannah throw caution to the wind and put themselves in the line of fire. To give Savannah credit, she does try to tamp down Gia but this lady does not learn from her mistakes. She is a most loyal friend. As the story reveals, loyalty without concern for consequences can be a deadly mix.

Four purrs and one paw up.

If there is a dog in a mystery, as a reader I am hooked from the first bark! Spooky season is upon the town, and just to add to it, a discovery of a body throws everyone into a tailspin. As this series progresses, so does the character development and relationships which are a joy to read. A great mystery to get lost in.

I really loved the whole Halloween in Boggy Creek event! What a cool idea to have individual haunted houses for people to tour and businesses to decorate and make spooky! Except the woods had become complete with a real dead person found by none other than Gia and Savannah. Even though she's an awesome main character, sometimes Gia seriously gets on my nerves with how darn persistent she is, but she'll turn around and do something incredibly unselfish for her bestie or another friend, and I always get reminded that she's very driven and passionate about the people she has in her life. All I can say is Hunt is the most patient man in this entire universe! lol

There were so many good distractions and things to throw readers off the track that I wasn't sure until the reveal who the killer was. I was so set on it being someone else for most of the book. I just love Earl and Cole! They've always stepped it up a notch to help Gia whenever they could with Earl being the most faithful customer ever since day one. Cole was the best thing that ever happened to the cafe cooking scene too. It'll be interesting to see if he adopts a dog and if Gia ever lets Savannah talk her into being a multi-dog mom! I'm already anxious for the next one which I'm hearing comes out in the spring.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

It's almost Halloween in Boggy Creek, Florida and Gia Morelli is really missing her roots in New York with the Fall colors and cold weather. Her mind is on adding Fall themed food offerings to the patrons of her All Day Breakfast Cafe. When her BFF, Savannah, chastises her for not opening a letter from the town council, Savannah does the opening. Turns out that there is much coveted opening for both a table and a "haunted house" - a combo that is sure to go fast if Gia says no to the offer. The town has a Halloween event using a variety of abandoned buildings on a large piece of property to raise money locally. Savannah dashes for the phone and gets the deal done, assuring Gia that it will be the perfect showcase for her seasonal offerings to be sampled. Decorating a haunted abandoned building is one thing but there is nothing in the plans that includes finding the dead body of the woman Gia and Savannah are supposed to meet at the festival site.
This is the fourth entry in this delightful cozy series and I enjoyed every page. The list of suspects who might have bumped her off is a long one as the victim knew a whole lot of secrets that shouldn't have seen the light of day. Gia hears all of the local gossip because good food draws people to her cafe and people do like to talk. Gia always listens but sometimes she puts herself in a tight spot when she takes it upon herself to snoop/investigate. It also helps that she is dating the police chief who is also Savannah's cousin. The regular customers are a great bunch and there is also an ongoing doggie theme with her wonderful one year old Bernese Mountain dog, Thor and local animal rescue. So, to sum it up, this mystery has it all - a good puzzle to solve, great characters to hang out with, a holiday theme, yummy food and an awesome dog. More please.
My thanks to the publisher, Lyrical Underground and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Waffle Lot of Murder earns 5/5 Spiced Waffles...Entertaining Fun!

Lena Gregory’s new book in her All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery is all-day entertaining. “A Waffle Lot of Murder,” fourth in the series, is fresh, fun, and full of waffle talk! It’s autumn, it’s Florida, and Gia misses the colorful nature of New York. What better way to recapture the feeling than with pumpkin-spiced waffles and a spooky Haunted Town Festival! But, the festival organizer’s body dead in the nearby woods is more than she expected. Lena’s writing style, using a third-person narrative, is entertaining, filled with descriptive language to heighten one’s senses and witty banter that does well to illustrate some fun and frustrating personalities. The murder mystery followed the traditional cozy formula of which I am a fan revisiting background and connections for newbies and creating varied personalities, a rich setting, endearing BFF dynamic, a bit of romance, and lots of food! The murder occurs relatively early in the drama, and as a rule, law enforcement is not circumvented, but when an amateur is involved unintended consequences happen and impatience can be problematic. Plenty of misdirection and motives abound along with everything Halloween can offer has background. It ended with some nail-biting delight...and Recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café: Gia’s Pumpkin Spiced Waffles, Homemade Vanilla Cinnamon Creamer, and the Original Breakfast Pie which is now a family favorite! I loved it!

A WAFFLE LOT OF MURDER by Lena Gregory
The Fourth All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery

With the onset of autumn Gia Morelli is missing New York. Boggy Creek, Florida has it's own fall festivities, however, and Gia is persuaded by Savannah and the rest of her friends to participate in the town's haunted festival. Being in charge of a table serving her food is one thing, but Gia is not as thrilled to have her own haunted building. Things get even scarier when Gia and Savannah go to see the outbuilding they'll have to decorate and find the murdered body of the festival's organizer. At least Gia has no reason to get involved in this murder investigation. Or does she?

Friendship and community are the hallmark of this series and the cornerstone of A WAFFLE LOT OF MURDER. I love how the entire community bands together to celebrate Halloween and support the local animal shelter. While Gia's friendship with Savannah is extra special, her other friends are almost as important. They gather together to support and help in practically all aspects of their lives and would do almost anything for each other. It's this aspect that can get some of our characters into trouble.

The fourth All-Day Breakfast Cafe mystery provides a complex mystery with several characters behaving suspiciously. Although fast paced there was time to promote animals adoptions, and adopting correctly and for the right reasons, which I really appreciate. Several exciting scenes had my adrenaline pumping and I'm proud of Gia for forgetting some of her fears, or at least not allowing them to get in her way.

A WAFFLE LOT OF MURDER is a fast paced fun Halloween read. With friendship and community at its core this mystery will make you both smile and gasp and ultimately be thankful for your friends.

A Waffle Lot of Murder by Lena Gregory is book four in the All Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. This was the first of the series for me but I was able to get caught up easily.
This will be Gia's first Halloween since moving to Boggy Creek, Florida from New York. Even though, she is missing Fall activities in New York, she is getting involved in the annual Haunted Town Festival thanks to her bestie, Savannah. The festival is set on an old farm property and Gia and Savannah go out to get out the cabin that has been assigned to Gia. Once there, they stumble over the body of the organizer's body in a shallow grave.
Gia sets out to find out why someone would murder the organizer.
There are plot twists that have you guessing to the end. The characters are likeable (I want to hang out with Thor) as is the setting. There is also, romance and humor. Recipes are included. You will be craving waffles though.!
I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.

This is book 4 in the All-Day Breakfast Café series, but the first I have read! I will definitely be going back and reading books 1-3! Just in time for Halloween, this book deals with Gia dealing with settling into her new town, and hosting one of the haunted houses at the annual Halloween town festival. But little does she know that among the waffle planning, aligning with another business for scary fun, she would literally walk upon a murder of the festival planner! Always at the wrong place at the right time, Gia once again is in the middle of a murder investigation, with info coming to her and not her police boyfriend. It's a fun read about friendship and how we value it! And the recipes will leave you VERY hungry so don't it read on an empty stomach!

Are you a fan of having breakfast for every meal? I could absolutely eat breakfast foods all day. In fact, sometimes I do, but to be completely honest, sometimes my breakfast, lunch and dinner are cereal... But, don't worry; I don't do that often! However, if I were a resident of Boggy Creek, Florida, I'd be visiting Gia Morelli's All-Day Breakfast Cafe at all hours of the day. She's got delicious breakfast pies, waffles, cold brew coffee, and much more!

Gia's also got a habit of getting involved in murder mysteries, much to the chagrin of her policeman boyfriend. A Waffle Lot of Murder is the 4th book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery Series but the first I've read. I was able to piece together the gist of the important background information, and the main characters are easy to get to know. Some of Gia's background is still a little foggy for me, but I got that she was in a very bad situation before she moved to Boggy Creek around a year ago. Now she's got a great group of friends who care about her and help her out when she gets in over her head!

I love that the book revolves around a Halloween festival that benefits the animal shelter. The festival grounds seem like such a cool place with the abandoned houses used as themed scare houses for the festival. Apparently those houses are prime real estate during Halloween! Local businesses are fortunate if they get a house to "haunt" because it's free advertising.

The murdered woman in A Waffle Lot of Murder was not liked by many people, so there are a lot of potential suspects. Furthermore, I think you'll be thrown off by the many red herrings that pop up. I was! Oh, I had this person on my list of suspects, but I "waffled" back and forth.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, and I will be reading more books in the series as they come out! If you like your cozies centered around a holiday, filled with yummy recipes and baffling mysteries, check out A Waffle Lot of Murder by Lena Gregory!

Fall is coming to Boggy Creek, Florida but you wouldn't know it by the weather or foliage. Gia is still getting used to fall in the Florida where trees don't change colors and the weather stays warm. One thing that does ring in the changing of the seasons is the Haunted Town Festival and Gia has been invited to participate this year. To view their "house" and the general layout of the festival, she and bestie, Savannah make plans to meet the festival organizer on-site in the deserted plot of farmland complete with a spooky woods. Gia and Savannah weren't planning to locate an abandoned cell phone or find the body of the organizer. Now, Gia and Savannah and the rest of her crew go on a hunt to find out if the rumors about the deceased are true and if so, if her endeavors were worth killing over.

A Waffle Lot of Murder is another great book in the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series. The book is perfectly paced - not too fast and not too slow. I was pulled in from the very beginning and engaged in the plot. The character development continues as we learn more about the characters, old and new, without being bogged down with useless filler. The story was fun, exciting, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns. I had a wonderful time trying to figure out just what happened and who was responsible. The continued world building is great, and I was able to visualize the story.

Gia came from New York one person and has since evolved into another as she gets used to the differences in Florida. Gia is a very strong character and I enjoy the books about her world. I love that the author does not, at any time, write her as weak or unstable. She's just had a very rough past that she thought she would escape by moving away from her former life and completely starting over. Samantha and Hunt are stability characters for Gia. Savannah is a wonderful best friend and Hunt proves to be another person who has Gia's back. I'd like to see their romance expand a bit since they don't seem to spend a lot of time together.

As in previous books, Gia does some questionable things in A Waffle Lot of Murder that made me shake my head. Her shenanigans don’t detract from the story, though. The characters are all likeable, the setting in Florida is nice, and the assortment of suspects kept me on my toes. The chemistry between Gia and Hunt is sweet and believable. I prefer a little bit of soft romance in my cozy mysteries. I really enjoy the author's writing style and devour every book she publishes.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

I had a lot of fun in reading this cozy mystery!
It's highly entertaining and engrossing, the cast of characters is well thought and likable.
The solid mystery, full of twists and turns, kept me guessing and I like the Halloween atmosphere.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

*Disclaimer: I have been provided this book free of charge by the publisher Kensington Publishing for the sole purpose of reading and reviewing this book for NetGallery.com, along with my YouTube Channel as well as this blog. All reviews are completely my own thoughts and opinions*

It’s getting towards fall and Gia, owner of the All Day Breakfast Cafe is missing New York and the changing of the seasons where she could TELL that the seasons are changing. I get that - I lived in Washington State where it was just rainy and drizzly all the time and I wouldn’t know the change of seasons if it smacked me in the face! Gia has recieved, once again, a letter form the City Council, and has been putting off opening it. As any TRUE friend would do, her friend Savannah opens it and has her read it. It isn’t BAD NEWS! It is an invitation to participate in the annual Haunted Town Festival that supports the Animal Shelter by having a Haunted House and a Table to promote her business!

Gia’s Feelings - Neves and not too into it.

Savannah (her best friend), Cole (her employee), & Earl (a customer and friend) all convience her to do it. Ok - they really don’t give her much of an option when Savannah takes it into HER hands to call and confirm that GIa will be participating!! (Sounds like something one of MY Friends would do!) While Savannah is on the phone, Cole and Earl are coming up with food ideas for her table - along with a pet friendly option as well as a trial run!

So, later that evening, Savannah and Gia are on their way to see their “house” for the haunted house and meet up with one of the organizers, Barbara. Barbara is always on time, and she is late. Eventually Savannah starts to call her phone and the find the phone outside in the bushes where they also run into one of the other event organizers Ginny who offers to go ahead and give them the tour that Barbara was supposed to do.

As Savannah and Gia are walking through their house and making plans to do a Dormitory theme, they are approved on the spot by Ginny who thinks its an amazing idea, but then as they are leaving.....they are met by emergency red and blue lights........



Police Captain Hunter Quinn (who also happens to be Savannah’s cousin and Gia’s Boyfriend) arrives on the scene and tells Gia she is a magnet for trouble and a bad influence on Savannah. As the questions keep coming at the two, finally Gia gets what’s happening. There was no accident, Barbara didn’t die of natural causes - Barbara was murdered.

Suspects in the Case:

Ginny - An Associate of Barbara’s

Jeb - Security

Allie - A Friend of Barbara’s

Mike Smith - Year-Round Maintance of the Festival Grounds

Kayla Claybourne - A Friend of Ginny - also was Jealous of Barbara’s friendship with Ginny



So the town of Boggy Creek, NY is buzzing with the latest murder and wondering if the Haunted Festival will even be allowed to proceed and Gia’s All Day Breakfast Cafe is at the center point for gossip. I mean, doesn’t good food and gossip go hand in hand? I remember growing up there was a saying - ‘Your parent’s will know what you did before you can even come up with a cover-story’ #smalltownliving AND on top of that - Mike Smith, who is considered a suspect, is now missing....

So as the investigation is continuing, every time Gia and Savanah turn around.....there is Kayla Claybourne....spewing that the Festival should be allowed to continue no matter what, as well as Kayla continues to bash the police department for continuing to ask questions!! (I mean, they HAVE to ask questions, right??)

THEN, Gia and Savannah go to check on Ginny one evening, and Ginny rushes them off the phone, then a few seconds later.....she is rushing Jeb out of the house.....and he is telling someone...”She Doesn’t Have It”.....what could it be???



Do you want to know what happens next??? Then you will JUST have to read the book!!



Huge thanks again to NetGallery, Lena Gregory, and Kensington Publishers for the opportunity to review this book

My favorite part about cozy mysteries are when they have a holiday theme. And Halloween is my favorite holiday! If you want to get in a Halloween mood, A Waffle Lot of Murder will get you there fast. Even here in California with triple-digit heat, I still feel the brisk winds of Fall closing in.

In addition to haunted houses, the book also contains three recipes from the plot: Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Breakfast Pie, and for the less culinary, a Vanilla Cinnamon Creamer. Yum! The mystery was challenging. The characters were genuine. A Waffle Lot of Murder is highly recommended. 4 stars!

Thanks to the author, Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick, light, fun read. It held my Interest all the way through and I would recommend it to others.

90% of the reason I read this book was because of the cover. It was just so adorable! Dogs, and pumpkins, and waffles, oh my! Sign me up for a cute cozy mystery--especially a fall, Halloween one--any day of the week.

Gia runs the All-Day Breakfast Cafe in Boggy Creek and, as a transplant, she's excited to receive a coveted initiation to participate in the harvest fright night, where local businesses take over abandoned houses to create an attraction for locals and advertise their services! However, when someone is murdered on the fairgrounds, everyone feels unsafe and the fair may not even happen! Gia can't help meddling in the investigation, with her best friend Savannah, right by her side.

This was my first in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series, and I do think I was at a slight detriment, not understanding the character's backstories and relationships more. Gia and Savannah's relationship felt too good to be real, and Gia's quasi-boyfriend Hank seemed random and not at all boyfriendish. I think if I had been with these characters for the first three books, it wouldn't have felt as artificial. Despite the murder, a lot of the people in town have quite a gloss and seem to fall very neatly into buckets of "good" and "bad." I love the comfort of cozy mysteries, in knowing my heroine is going to be okay, nothing is going to be too creepy, and we normally get some A+ food descriptions--and this book checked all those categories. But if you're not a cozy mystery fan, this one may feel just a little bit too clean with not enough quirk, romance, or humor to cover up its neatness. In the end, I'd say that the high points of this book--an interesting, cohesive plot, a Halloween/fall theme, superb food descriptions, and a charming town--make it an easy recommendation for cozy mystery fans, but the lack of humor, quirkiness, romance, and grit may make it a hard read for those unfamiliar with or new to the genre.

4 stars - 6/10