Member Reviews
This is the fifth book in the Cook off mystery series. I have not read them all but it was not necessary to in order to keep up with the series. The main character in the series is Sherry Oliveri who is an award winning cook off champion. In this book Sherry takes a step back…to behind the judges table! She is going to judge the big cookie contest where among the many entrants is her old high school home ec teacher, Mr. Currier.
Sherry invites him over for dinner to catch up and reminisce. The next day after the cookie competition the prizes at the bake-off go missing--and later turn up at the marina, along with her ex-teacher's body. Now Sherry has been asked to find out who would do such a thing by Mr. Curriers ex-wife. Can she figure out who did it?
This was a fun story with a great cast of characters!
An entertaining and clever cozy mystery. Great ending. Some surprises. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.
I ended up giving Sherri one more try, and although it was a slight improvement, I can't become attached to these characters. Continued warmth is a hallmark of a good cozy for me, and 'Double Chocolate Cookie Murder' lacked that characteristic. The inclusion of her sister, with her sister's problems was new, but was not a happy inclusion. I ended up just feeling a little depressed by the whole thing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
This was such a good read that I had to keep reading and proceeded to finish it in one sitting. It moves along at the perfect speed for a cozy mystery and the story grabs you and keeps you guessing and reading till the end. This book is a must read, there is no doubt about it.
Sherri is excited to be judging a cookie competition and happy to reconnect with one of her teachers but as cozy readers know things aren't going to end happily and she's going to investigate. I keep rooting for Delaney but once again I wish someone would take these novels in hand and edit them in a detached and firm way. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm the odd one out, I'm sure, but this is one better read for the recipes than the mystery.
Great cozy mystery. It kept me guessing until the end!
Sherry is a judge in a cookie bake off. While preparing for her role, she meets an old teacher of hers, Crosby Currier, who happens to be entering the contest. When the winner is announced, it seems the prizes have all been stolen, only to turn up later in Crosby's car, while Crosby's body was found at the marina. Sherry, known also for her amateur sleuthing, can't resist asking questions and trying to figure out who murdered Crosby. There are lots of motives, many suspects, and some unanswered questions from the past. But the killer knows Sherry is close to figuring things out, and is desperate to scare her off.
Love the book and the series. Looking forward to the next in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoy this series! The theme is fantastic, and the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters and the setting. The story was well-paced, and I had so much fun trying to solve the mystery.
This is the first book I have read in this series and I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed the mystery aspect as I really didn't know who did it until the end. I found myself really struggling with the main character because she would be nice one minute and then crass and short another. I tend to struggle reading and the whole book felt "choppy" and it made it harder for me to read.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy
I was definitely in need of light reading after I closed the book on an unexpectedly gruesome murder mystery for review. I welcomed the ARC of Double Chocolate Cookie Murder into my Kindle, since chocolate chip cookies in real life always lift my spirits, and relaxed in my beach chair with my first story by Devon Delaney. I didn't realize the novel was number five of five in a series featuring Sherry Oliveri, but the book stands well on its own. Cute.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalley Top Reviewer*
Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE MURDER (Book 5 of the Cook-Off Mysteries), by Devon Delaney, in exchange for an honest review. Sherry Oliveri is involved in another cook-off; however, this time, she officiating as a judge. When one of the contestants swipes the prizes and runs off with the loot, everyone is confused and disappointed. Then, Sherry finds out the prizes were recovered from the car of her old home economics teacher, who was one of the contestants in the bake off. The problem is that her teacher is now dead; he was slain at the marina. Sherry feels like she must honor one of her favorite teachers by identifying his killer. Sherry’s investigation will stir up decades-old drama.
I like this book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, cooking competitions, sailing, marinas, food, family, and family businesses.
#DoubleChocolateCookieMurder #NetGalley
Double Chocolate Cookie Murder is the fifth book in the cook-off mystery series and it's pretty sad that I just recently started reading Devon Delaney. The book follows Sherry Oliveri who is judging her very first cookie bake-off. She is pretty excited to be a judge as she is a seasoned cook-off participant. A typical throwback occurs a day before the competition when her former home economics teacher Mr. Currier shows up at her store informing her that she is participating in the cookie bake-off. Like every cookie left for too long in the oven, someone ends up dead at the bake-off. Sherry chews another bite off the cookie of investigation and takes one bite of the clues till she solves the case. I enjoyed the cozy and want more of them. The book also has amazing side characters, yummy foods, and a little bit of romance. A huge thanks to my publisher for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
Sherri Oliveri loves entering cooking contests. But this time out she's been asked to judge a cookie contest -- one with the backstory of how the baker created the cookie. Before the contest, a man comes into her store and she finds out that he was once her home ec teacher, the person who gave her inspiration to do what she loves. On a whim, she invites him to dinner at her home along with her sister, father, father's girlfriend Ruth, and her boyfriend Don. She also learns his life is much different now, as he's changed his last name and is also entering the contest.
The next day, everything seems to be going swimmingly; the contest winner is named along with the runner up, but when it comes time to disperse the prizes, they are nowhere to be found. Later, her old teacher's body is found at the marina, and it raises all sorts of questions as to who hated the man enough to kill him. When Sherry is asked by his ex-wife Rachel to find the killer, she decides to do it only because of what he taught her. Now, there's a killer on the loose, and Sherry wonders if someone is using her to play a deadly game...
This is the fifth book in the series and I have read every one of them. I have watched Sherry and her family as they go through changes in their lives, and it's nice to see the characters grow. Sherry's life is full, and I'm surprised she has the energy she does. It would wear most people out.
This time, she's trying to solve the murder of an old high school teacher, but things are more complicated than she expected. The past intertwines with the present, and not everyone is happy to see what she's discovered and wants it left alone. But Sherry, once she starts digging, doesn't stop until she's uncovered everything she needs to solve the crime. Unfortunately, people might not like it, but truth is truth. And finding that truth opens a lot of wounds, which nobody -- including Sherry -- ever expected.
When the killer is discovered and everything comes together, the motive for the murder is rather sad; even if there's no excuse for killing another human being, I found myself torn by the story. I really enjoyed the climax -- it was set in an interesting location -- and the tale was indeed intriguing; I love stories where the past meets the present, so this was a bonus for me. I think the author did well by this entry in the series and I eagerly await the next. Highly recommended.
Sherry is a notable cook-off contestant, but this time she's serving as a judge. It's a cookie competition and it has a lot of surprising community connections -- including an old high school teacher who helped Sherry develop and value her cooking skills.
But why did he change his name? Why is his ex-wife lurking around? Why does his story keep changing?
Meanwhile, Sherry's sister is visiting and things are not going well at home for her. How can Sherry support her sister, prepare for her upcoming cook-off, do a good job as the judge, keep up with her two part-time jobs and volunteer work, look after her friends and family, and still satisfy her curiosity on the latest cook-off mystery?
This is an enjoyable read, with likable characters and a satisfying plot.
Eager Bakers….
The fifth in the Cook- Off Mystery series and Thanksgiving weekend finds Sherry acting as a judge in a cook- off, instead of participating, with cookies to test and eager bakers at the ready. When one of the bakers ends up dead chaos ensues and Sherry is on the case. Enjoyable and entertaining cosy mystery with a likeable protagonist in Sherry and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A fitting addition to the series.
Double Chocolate Cookie Murder by Devon Delaney is the fifth book in her Cook-Off Mystery series. In this book amateur sleuth and cook-off queen Sherry Oliveri is on the other side of the competition. She is one of three judges in a holiday cookie bake-off. A murder occurs following the event and Sherry can't help but get involved in solving it. I really liked how Sherry worked on eliminating suspects. The story is realistic in that Sherry didn't solve the murder in a couple easy steps. I also liked the ending and the outing of the murderer.
I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
What can go wrong when a cooking show contestant turns judge? Missing prizes and murder. Fun characters and a storyline with plenty of twists to keep it interesting.
This book was a good read Sherry Oliverti lives in a small town and makes her living in a number of ways mostly by entering cooking contests.
She is asked to judge the Cookie Contest which is not her forte and she is not really a baker but she goes along with it.
She runs into a former teacher of hers and invites him to dinner and finds out that he’s entered the contest. The next day after the cookie contest he is found dead and the prizes have all vanished.
Sherry gets involved in the mystery and her sleuthing gets her car vandalized, almost gets her killed when her friend’s boat is sabotaged and she gets threats but she persists.
In the classic mystery tradition, she gathers all of the suspects and more for a final reveal of the murderer.
Devon Delaney writes a well-constructed mystery that had a lot of twists and turns and red herrings and with a panoply of interesting characters when the killer was revealed it was the person one would think least likely to be the perpetrator.
Double Chocolate Cookie Murder is an amusing murder mystery. Sherry Oliverti is a successful contestant on cooking shows. This time, she is a judge in a local contest. One of the contestants in the event is a former teacher that inspired Sherry to fulfill her dreams of cooking as a career. She has not seen him in years so she invites him over for dinner the night before the contest. She does not feel that it is a conflict of interest as she knows everyone in the contest since it is in the small town that she grew up in.
The next day after the big cookie contest, the prizes have gone missing which is a big mystery as the prizes were there that morning. The prizes later turn up at the marina, along with the dead former teacher. Sherry enlists her friends to help with the search for the killer. Things turn scary when someone damages her car to scare her off the case. A number of secrets of the townspeople come out over the course of the investigation. This was a good book that I highly recommend.
So fun! Good cast of characters and plenty of twists and clues to keep you on your toes; the murderer was definitely a surprise to me. The food descriptions kept me drooling and the only thing I could have wished for was the recipe for the Tropical Aloha bars.
Looking for a full cast of characters, an end with a twist and recipes added in? This mystery satisfies it all! Keeps you guessing until the end. Very enjoyable. This series gets better and better. Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.