I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

Loved reading this book and author. if you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading and enjoy

In this installment there are five short stories and one novella. They all star Erin who owns a very old general store she revamped to become local foods. There are some zany antics and some terrible murders. But then there is a cast of intriguing and very likeable characters. All of the stories have a fantastic plot. I had a truly wonderful time reading these stories. If you like clever twists and entertaining banter than this is the book for you.

Another fun installment in the Food Lovers Village Mystery series written by Leslie Budewitz. This book is a collection of ~5 short stories / novellas all revolving around various characters set in Jewel Bay, Montana. While it focuses on Erin, one story travels back a century to the opening of her family's wonderful store. Another teases us with some murders and past relationships, including the death of a character we know a little bit about already. Great way to lure in new readers... enough to sink your teeth into but not something you need to dedicate an entire afternoon to read. Read a few each day until you are all caught up. It was good to get this release knowing the next full-length novel isn't until 2022, I hope!

I loved this book of short stories. Part of the Food Lovers Village series, book 6. Set in Jewel Bay, Montana this book is multi-generational with the history of the Merc and Erin's family. I'd love to find a town like this, small and friendly. I'll be looking for more of Ms. Budewitz's books. this one is easily a stand alone read. Leave plenty of time when you open this one, you won't want to stop. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was entertaining, with mild intrigue and excitement. The stories were a good afternoon tea read. For me, it needed a bit more tangible excitement and intrigue.

In her Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, Agatha Award-winning author Leslie Budewitz introduces us to Jewel Bay, a tight-knit Montana community that thrives on tourism and farm-to-table fare. Featuring Erin Murphy, beloved proprietor of the Merc—a century-old general store converted into a local foods market—each book brings us closer to the folks who call Jewel Bay home, and the cunning culprits in their midst.

In this delicious new collection of five short stories and one novella, she takes us further into the heart of Jewel Bay—from the playhouse to the Merc, from funerals to food festivals—with equal parts humor, suspense, and compassion, and no shortage of murder to spice up the menu . . .

In Carried to the Grave, a long-hidden family secret refuses to be put to rest.

Jewel Bay’s community food festival serves up the perfect opportunity for a devious killer with an appetite for murder in Pot Luck.

In The Christmas Stranger, a small gesture by a mysterious man turns out to change lives . . . and much more.

A romantic getaway to a secluded beach town in Mexico provides a deadly remedy for a couple’s trouble at home in A Death in Yelapa.

As the local playhouse opens for the season, it’s curtains for a stage manager with a secret in Put on a Dying Face.

And in An Unholy Death, when Kate and Paddy Murphy open Murphy’s Mercantile in 1910, they know making a go of it in rough-and-tumble Montana will be hard work, but for a local preacher, it’s murder.
Amazon.com
Leslie Budewitz’s collection of short stories and a novella, Carried To The Grave and Other Stories, shows different aspects of the characters and the town of Jewel Bay, the setting of the Food Lovers’ Village mystery series, and the series’ basis.

One short story, “The Christmas Stranger,” gave me goose bumps. It is a story of unexplainable coincidences, but it also answers a question that main character Erin has about her father’s death. My reaction is the sure sign that the story teller did her job well.

I never expected the last novella. “An Unholy Death,” set in the early twentieth century, provides readers with the origin of the Mercantile (Merc) and shows the integrity of Erin’s ancestors, Paddy and Kate, from whom Erin inherited her crime solving abilities.

Please welcome Leslie Budewitz (whom we last spoke to about her suspense debut, written as Alicia Beckman) back to WWK. E. B. Davis

“Carried To The Grave”

Are huckleberries sweet or tart?
Ah, the wild huckleberry, a fruit worth the considerable effort of hunting and gathering. It’s tart with a hint of sweetness. Imagine a wild blueberry, one you had to hustle to pick before the bears beat you to it.

When the truth is obvious, why stick with a lie?
In this particular case, the older generation of Taylors, the family of Erin’s friend Wendy, knew the truth because they’d been eyewitnesses, but it wasn’t obvious to everyone. What happened---and I’m trying to avoid spoilers---was not uncommon in that era; I know of several instances, including one a few generations back in my own family. Thank goodness attitudes have changed.

Do extreme times, such as during wars, change morals or social acceptability? If so, then why hide truths originating from that time?
I suspect they do, although the importance of keeping the secret in this instance has less to do with the war itself than with the family’s desire to protect Gwendolyn and Corinna from gossip and shame. When we look through the modern lens, we think “oh, people would have understood.” But it’s clear from real-life accounts that that was not always true.

“Pot Luck”

Do you have a recipe for Elk Medallions with Mustard-thyme Cream Sauce? Does elk taste like deer? Is it tougher? How does buffalo compare to beef?
Elk is delicious! Much tastier and more tender than venison. Buffalo is a lot like beef, but leaner and more flavorful. Sadly, I have never made the dish Nan brings to the festival, but when I spotted a similar recipe in a local community cookbook, I thought it would be perfect.

Okay, now I’m hungry!

Do you believe in divine intervention?
You have to wonder sometimes, don’t you?

Bunny Easter Burns—Bunny is just a nickname, right?
Readers of the Food Lovers’ Village novels may remember the Easter twins, Bernadette “Bunny” Easter Burns and Polly Easter Paulson. They are Erin’s old classmates, still friends, and delightful women with fingers in all the town’s pies. I’ve enjoyed playing with character names in this series.

“The Christmas Stranger”

If there are enough coincidences do they add up to miracles?
Or do those who don’t believe in miracles dismiss them as coincidence? It’s clear to me that there is much in this world we can’t explain. Erin’s encounter in the UPS store actually happened to me; I’d been reading Anne Perry Christmas novellas and then watched It’s a Wonderful Life, and I suspect readers will pick up on both influences.

Who would drink a beer called Moose Drool?
You’d be surprised! It’s a tasty brown ale made by Big Sky Brewery of Missoula, where the brewers enjoy word play as much as I do.

Is taxidermy still big in Montana?
That I couldn’t say, not being a hunter, but mounts ranging from a small red fox to a bull moose adorn the walls of the local restaurant that inspired the Jewel Bay Inn---the original, destroyed by fire in 1937, makes a brief appearance in “An Unholy Death”---and at Christmas, they do get into the holiday spirit.


“A Death in Yelapa”

Have you spent time in Yelapa? Where is it?
Yelapa is a small town on the southern end of the Bay of Banderas, about an hour’s boat ride south of Puerto Vallarta, and yes, I have been there with my own Mr. Right. As Erin says, it’s a taste of paradise.

Do you paddleboard?
Not on your life!

Do you like cilantro?
Absolutely! There’s a pot growing on the back porch right now.

“Put on a Dying Face”

Is the Merc the oldest business in Jewel Bay? Is it the heart of the town?
The bank predates the Merc, although in both Jewel Bay and Bigfork, its inspiration, the bank long ago outgrew its 1908 building, which is now a restaurant. But the Merc’s history adds to Erin’s sense of mission and her determination to keep it going. Old buildings are a constant challenge to keep up, and I’ve tried to make that part of the story, particularly in the novels Death al Dente and As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles.

Who said that laughing in the middle of tragedy shows humanity?

Erin is musing about the tragedy and remembers Sheriff Ike Hoover’s comment to her, years ago, that “if violent or untimely death didn’t bother you, you were a poor excuse for a human being.” Something funny occurs, and she flips his observation to say that laughing is equally important, and I think she’s right. Hoover was the deputy who investigated her father’s death in a hit-and-run when Erin was seventeen, a case that went unsolved until she identified the culprit in Butter Off Dead, the third in the series, and the two share a deep respect.

“An Unholy Death”

What was the Great Fire of 1910?
In August of 1910, wildfire swept through the Northern Rockies, burning more than 3 million acres of heavily timbered land in Idaho, Washington, Montana, and British Columbia, and killing 87 people, mostly firefighters. The Great Fire, also known as the Big Burn, increased support for the fledgling US Forest Service and led to major developments in fire management and conservation. Scarred mountain slopes are still visible in these parts. Several books and documentaries cover the fire, most notably The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan (2009) and “The Big Burn,” in PBS’s American Experience series.

I know licorice is an old-fashioned candy, but doesn’t it taste awful and gives the eater a black mouth? Clear Toys or peppermint sticks are far better!
Licorice sticks were a great treat in pioneer days, and I imagine for some kids, the black mouth was part of the attraction! But like you, I’d probably have chosen something else.

Paddy immediately sees the dog Buster as protection for his wife and orphan Grace. But Buster is more than protection, he’s smart, isn’t he?
You’re right. Like many dogs, Buster senses when someone might pose a danger to his girl, Grace, and it doesn’t take long for him to extend that protectiveness to Kate. A protective man, like Paddy, can spot that instinct in a heartbeat.

Those with physical deformities or other impairments are seen as bad or criminal in the early 1900s. Was it fear of their differences that caused people to assume the worst?
Fear does seem to be part of such cruelty, doesn’t it? The physically or mentally disabled have been seen as touched by angels in some times and cultures and touched by the devil in others.

What’s next for Erin and Adam?
They are planning to go skiing at a historic lodge in a still-unnamed short story that will be part of Murder in the Mountains: A Destination Murders Short Story Collection edited by Karen Cantwell and Cathy Wiley, slated for February 2022. After that, who knows?

I had fun in reading this collection of short stories set in the world of A Food Lovers’ Village.
There's plenty to enjoy, well written short stories that kept me entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a wonderful collection of short stories. I really enjoyed catching up with the characters. It had been a while since I read about Erin the the Merc so it was fun to see what the characters are up to.

I've missed this series and these characters since the last book so it was nice to visit with them again and have the storyline progress. I loved traveling with Erin and Adam on their honeymoon and then the glimpse into the life of her grandparents and the opening of the Merc. Hoping for another one in the series.

The stories were a bit too short to build much tension and I felt the endings came abruptly as a result. I believe fans of her Food Lovers' Mystery series will probably enjoy this a great deal. As it's the first I've read of the series, it was choppy instead. I adored the last story in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Beyond the Page Publishing, and Leslie Budewitz for giving me the chance to read this book and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

A fun cozy novella filled with whodunit, murder and intrigue.
I like reading the short stories, they keep it fresh and exciting.
A great read for your summer vacation or just relaxing on your deck.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

A collection of shorter stories, with the title story being previously published on the author's website. All are tied to the author's Food Lover's Village series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each story was another glimpse into life in Jewel Bay, from the founding of the Mercantile to present day.

The title story actually combines past and present, weaving the two together quite skillfully as Erin uncovers another family's long kept secret. I'd originally read it when the author provided the link in her monthly newsletter ages ago, and enjoyed it again on re-read. This one left me a little sad, both times, and especially sad that the family continued to feel the need to hide the truth in this day and age. (sorry to be so vague, but trying not to give any spoilers!).

I especially enjoyed An Unholy Death, with its glimpse at the founding couple of the Merc. I loved Kate with her big heart and Paddy's obvious love and devotion. I am really hoping we get another story with Kate, Paddy and Grace.

The entire book was a nice, quick read, that I didn't want to end.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I enjoy short stories. I love being able to read an entire tale in one sitting and collections are often a treat. This book is crammed with several wonderful stories featuring Erin Murphy and her small town of Jewel. There is a nice selection of events that happen at different times in her life. Erin, who returned to Jewel to run her family’s emporium, the Merc. She did not expect to run into friend from college whom she never noticed romantically but who had feelings for her. It is fun to read about the progression of their lives together.

I like that there is also a story starring the Matriarch of the entire family, Kate and her husband Paddy, who started the Mercantile when Jewel was just getting established. This is an interesting family and it is rather fun to read about the people who started it all. But I think my favourite is the Christmas story about how miracles can happen and change lives.

Five purrs and two paws up.

This was a very well written book. The plot was very enticing and I couldn't put the book down. This was a new to me author and I will definitely try another book by this author.

I've enjoyed all of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries. So I wasn't too surprised that I liked this collection of short stories and novellas. I was surprised that I really enjoyed the short stories. A great read when I had only a few minutes. Also, it was interesting to meet other residents of Jewel Bay and see old 'friends' again.

This is a great one to have with you when you have a few minutes to spare.

Carried to the Grave and Other Stories by Leslie Budewitz contains tales involving the characters from A Food Lover’s Village Mystery series. Erin Murphy in Jewel Bay, Montana runs the Merc, a local food market. There are five short stories and one novella in this book. This is a nice addition to the series. Each storyline ties back to Erin Murphy and/or The Merc. We get to see how Adam went from friend to husband in this collection. I especially enjoyed An Unholy Death where we get to go back to the opening of The Mercantile. I thought the stories were well-written and engaging. We get a chance to explore Jewel Bay and get to know the unique characters (past and present) that reside in the town a little better. Fans of the series will enjoy these fun mysteries. You can read all at once or one at a time. Carried to the Grave and Other Stories contains humor, romance, mystery, kindness, and more than a little mayhem.

In this delicious new collection of five short stories and one novella, Leslie Budewitz takes us further into the heart of Jewel Bay—from the playhouse to the Merc, from funerals to food festivals—with equal parts humor, suspense, and compassion, and no shortage of murder to spice up the menu . . .definitely worth a read

Carried to the Grave and other Stories
A Food Lovers Village Mystery
By Leslie Budewitz


This is a short story of fans of Food Lover’s Village Series. There where five short stories,
all with Erin and Adam.. How the Merc” was established, A Pot Luck, Carried to the Grave,
The Christmas stranger, A Death in Yelapa, Put on a Dying Face.

All of these stories bring us back in a time and place where it’s much harder than it is today.
To make us understand what people went through so we can live with what we have now.
And maybe even with a miracle thrown in.


I loved this addition to to the Food Lovers’ Village and can’t wait for the next book in this series!

I received this e-book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I so enjoyed this compilation of short stories based on the author's Food Lovers Village series Each story was a snapshot of the lives of the locals in the village and of our favorite charcters. It was a enjoyable group of stories that I highly recommend for cozy readers. You will love returning to Jewel Bay Montana a small town with a big heart and wonderful charcters. Each story gives the reader some back story of the people and their village. Very well done to the author. I highly recommend this group of short stories for your reading enjoyment.