Treble at the Jam Fest by Leslie Budewitz is a Food Lovers' Village Mystery and was originally published in 2017. It features Erin Murphy and half-Italian, half-Irish woman who had returned to a small town in Montana in order to reawaken her family's business: the Merc, which is a specialty food store, featuring organic and locally-sourced foods. In her store she has a hand-made chocolate shop and a patio, which she shares with a cowboy bar for special events. She is the local amateur sleuth who helps the police solve the few crimes that happen there. Right now they are all into the annual Jazz Festival by hosting a before-the-festival-starts evening of music offering a preview of what is to come. Full of great music and good food, only a few little things marred the evening: a couple of tiffs involving performers. Then the next morning, there is a murder. The star of the festival falls of a ledge (or is he pushed?).

Erin is a good character, at 33 still working through the intricacies of life, especially regarding her boyfriend, Adam, and their relationship, which is one of several story lines. The setting is fantastic, the characters endearing, and the murder mystery a good one. The only issue I had with the book is the pacing. I felt like it dragged in some spots, making it difficult for the reader to hang in. There is plenty of activity, murder-related and not as well as a plethora of characters, some regulars, some just for this story. As always in a cozy mystery, all the problems are solved by the end of the book and everyone lives happily ever after!

I was invited to read a free ARC of Treble at the Jam Fest by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own. #netgalley #trebleatthejamfest

When one of my favorite author’s books is up for review, I jump at the chance to share how much I love it! Cozy mysteries are my favorite genre and Leslie Budewitz is one of my absolute favorite authors. As with all of her books, the characters are all well developed with plenty of personality, the plot is entertaining, the mystery is interesting and the book is fun to read! If you enjoy cozy mysteries, do yourself a favor and start reading the first book in the Food Lovers Village Mystery series, this book is #4 but it’s such a fast read that you’ll get to it in no time!