AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR by Amy Pershing
The Second Cape Cod Foodie Mystery

Cape Cod is gearing up for its Santa's Seashore Selebration and Samantha Barnes is ready to host an amazing Christmas. She's discovered an up an coming restaurant that serves small plates and amazing cocktails, a perfect subject for her latest video as the Cape Cod Foodie. As her friends arrive for a meal Sam makes a horrible discovery at the restaurant: Santa is dead! The owners of the Ginger Jar are the obvious suspects, especially as the town selectman playing Santa apparently had it in for the siblings. But surely that's too obvious. Will Sam get involved in another murder investigation? More importantly, will she be able to salvage Christmas?

The second Cape Cod Foodie Mystery will make you hungry. Hungry for delicious food and drink as well as loving family and friends. We get to see Sam and her stoic, yet caring, relationship with her parents. Indeed family play a huge part in this book, the blood ties are ties that bind and we see the lengths people will go to for their family members! The description of the foods, as well as the included tips, is mouthwatering, even though I don't eat seafood. I especially love the idea of the edible Christmas tree and other frugal holiday ideas.

I enjoyed the mystery too. There were plenty of twists and turns, especially as we learned just how bad "Santa" really was. Well plotted, the surprises made sense and were ultimately satisfying.

AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR is a delectable mystery filled with food, family, and holiday cheer.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I liked the snarky comments the protagonist makes, but unlike the usual cozy heroine, this one had very little self-esteem. Her constant self-berating and self-doubt made the story at times uncomfortable and sometimes rather annoying. I liked the cast of characters, especially Sam's parents and Helene. At times I felt the dialogue was a bit stilted and the buffoon of a police chief was hardly endearing. It was a struggle to finish the book and even the cozy Christmastime setting couldn't keep me in the story.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery series, A Side of Murder by Amy Pershing, so when I came across An Eggnog to Die For, I just knew I needed to read it. And bonus points for it also being a Christmas story!

Samantha Barnes is the series’ amateur sleuth in An Eggnog to Die For, and she’s been enjoying being back in her hometown and reconnecting with her friends, and figuring out her relationship with Jason. She’s working part-time for the local newspaper doing restaurant reviews and spotlights.

With Christmas quickly approaching, she’s planning a small gathering of friends for the holiday when he stumbles on a dead body and can’t keep away from the mystery. Throw in the little twist that her parents decide to visit for the holidays, and madness ensues.

I found the mystery in An Eggnog to Die For to be quite well-rounded. I appreciated there were several people with motives as we slowly discovered the man who was killed was quite evil. There were twists and turns that kept me on my toes, and the ending was quite satisfying.

During all her mystery-solving, Samantha is also dealing with all that comes with the holidays: Parties, dinners, tree trimming, and the local festival, to name a few. At the end of the book, the author offers up several recipes mentioned during the story.

An Eggnog to Die For is more developed than the previous book in the series, as was the mystery. Sam and her relationship with Jason are blossoming, and the Christmas festivities rounded out the story in the perfect way. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

3.5 stars

Sam Barnes has returned to her home town on Cape Cod after inheriting her aunt's old house, and the trained chef is doing food reviews and video blogs. Her parents, resettled in Florida, are visiting for the Christmas holidays. In the manner of cozy mysteries, Sam discovers a dead body while hunting for the bathroom at a restaurant she is sampling.

The victim had a lot of enemies: he was a sanctimonious and vengeful man who liked to make people squirm. The list of suspects is long as he had a way of ferreting out people's secrets and using the informtion against them.

Sam keeps probing until she unravels the problem. Her ensemble of friends and family are appealing and the holiday prep makes for an interesting setting. Sam is also distracted by the aloofness of her boyfriend Jason, trying to figure out if this is just his introverted self.

A readable cozy, if a little cutesy at times, with a likable protagonist and setting. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book of the series and while it does allude to things in the first book I was still able to follow along. Mabey it was just me but I could not get into this book.. It is well written with an ok mystery but nothing really caught and kept my attention. I could not seem to like the characters all that much.

Who killed Santa? Well, not Santa but Caleb Mayo who despite being a real pain, played him in the annual Fair Harbor celebration. Sam finds herself wrapped up in investigating, largely because she's the one who found him and because, well, this is her second dead body. And it's Christmas! She's got a lot on her plate but plenty of time to sort all the people who disliked the Selectman. Sam's got a house she inherited from her aunt, a nice relationship with Jason, the harbormaster, and is earning her living with a variety of enterprises- she's a good cozy heroine. Loved the descriptions of the food and drink. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I missed the first one but this was fine as a standalone and now I'm looking forward to more.

This was a delightful Christmas themed cozy. A good book to curl up with a tea and enjoy. Solid whodunit and interesting characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This is the first book I've read in this series, but I think it stands alone and you don't need to have read book 1. There's actually an awful lot I DO like about the story, and the plot itself is clever. However, the cooking tips in parentheses throughout are very distracting, and the ridiculous risks Sam takes as she tries to solve the crime are super irritating. She's smart...but then acts in such stupid ways. :>( I really prefer when authors figure out how to get their smart main characters into dangerous situations without having those characters behave foolishly. I'd try one more in this series, though.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sam is preparing for what she hopes will be a quiet holiday at home, but life has a way of shattering even the best-laid plans. Her parents have invited themselves to stay at her not-ready-for-guests home, she has to prepare her Feast of the Five Fishes and decide on an eggnog recipe, and she has to film a foodie review piece of a new eatery in town. While she's there for the filming, she stumbles over a dead body, so add some sleuthing to her to-do list as well.

This is the second book in the Cape Cod Foodie series, and I enjoyed it as much as the first book. I like that Sam is trying to juggle work, home renovations and a personal life all at the same time, and I like (most of) the townspeople, although the police chief and his good ol' boys attitude made me cringe. I had a list of potential suspects and crossed them off one by one as Sam proved their innocence, but I was shocked to learn who the killer was. I look forward to the next book in this series.

An Eggnog to Die For by Amy Pershing
Published: November 2, 2021
Berkeley Books
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Amy Pershing is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. In her previous career she was the Managing Director and Global Head of Employee Communications at the Bank of New York Mellon. A few years ago (with the final college tuition bill paid!), she waved goodbye to Wall Street in order to write full time. A Side of Murder is her first novel.

“Not my circus. Not my monkey.”

Sam had settled since her move back to the Cape and has found herself belonging to the little town she now calls home. Her relationship with Jason is going strong, albeit slowly. Her friends are still the best; Diogi is just as stubborn, twice as large, and even more adorable. Things seem to be coming up, Sam. Her parents are coming for Christmas, she has the perfect menu picked out, and she is more than ready to celebrate until she discovers something that will throw her little town into a tailspin.

UGH. It was so worth the wait for book two, and I’m ready for book three. This book was so charming and original. I loved getting reacquainted with everyone from the first book and getting to know Sam’s parents.

The descriptions throughout this novel are top-notch. You will feel the breeze and taste the delicacies being discussed. Amy has the most incredible talent for literally bringing a scene to life.

I love that Sam is so perfectly imperfect, but that she owns it. She knows she’s slightly aware, very tall, funny, and a darn good cook. There is such a charming purity around her, but she is also sassy and tends to not fully think before she speaks or acts, which is how she finds herself in most situations.

I am still obsessed with Diogi and love that he was such a prominent character. Dogs just make everything better, and the love between Sam and Diogi will warm your heart so incredibly.

I enjoyed that each character had their own storyline that assisted the overall plot and gave a lot of dimension to the uniqueness of each personality.

I love that this series is so unlike anything else I have read and that it is a perfect mix of comedy, mystery, and suspense. This was such a delightfully charming book, and I did not see the twist coming.

I thought I had figured out “whodunnit,” but boy was I wrong! A charming read filled with beautiful souls, hilarity, shenanigans, and tasty eats.

It took me some time to warm up to the first book in the Cape Cod Foodie series, but by the end I was absolutely hooked and couldn't wait for the second title to come out. Now I've had the exact same reaction to the second book. I had to get past the Christmas festivities and into the details of the mystery itself before I started really enjoying the read. I love the protagonist and her friends, I love the Cape Code setting and the mystery and even the dog....but I didn't love those first chapters.

I enjoyed this book which had me immediately immersed in all that was happening. This tone of this well-written appetizingly whodunit was very comfortable making it easy to follow along with what the author has intended. The mystery was executed nicely with plenty of suspects and clues strategically placed here and there to keep me involved. The visually descriptive narrative enhanced how well this story was being told with engaging dialogue and a great cast of characters that also includes her parents who I hope visits again. The setting and the food added to the appeal of this light drama as well as the appearance of her dog, Diogi. This was a fun-filled holiday joy and I can’t wait for more adventures with Sam and her friends.

AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR by Amy Pershing is the second book in the cozy Cape Cod Foodie Mystery series. If you missed the first one, not to worry; this is a great entry point. The author’s deftness with descriptions will make you feel as if you already know the characters and setting.

Our amateur sleuth, Sam, is hoping for a simple Christmas celebration with her dog and her sexy harbormaster boyfriend but that’s not to be. Her parents decide to spend the holidays with her and the town’s controlling crank turns up murdered.

The author’s descriptions of the holiday cocktails and food are luscious-sounding. And Fair Harbor oozes small-town charm. There are plenty of suspects and motives to go around with a great twist at the end.

This makes for a great gentle read during the holiday season. It’ll make you want to curl up with a cocktail of your own.

It's the day of the Santa Seashore Selebration in Fair Harbor and Harbor Master Jason Captiva is sailing Santa Claus, Fair Haven Select Board member Caleb Mayo, into Town Cove where Caleb will distribute candy canes to the kids and listen to the kids tell him what they want for Christmas. Amateur sleuth Samantha Barnes can't handle seeing her boyfriend, Jason dressed as an elf while piloting the boat transporting Santa Claus so she heads to the Ginger Jar Restaurant where she and her friend Jenny are scheduled to do an interview with the owners. Her other friends, including Jason will meet up with her and Jenny at the restaurant a little later. After her friends arrive Sam accidentally opens the door to the restaurant manager's office while seeking the single person men's room as the ladies restroom is being cleaned. Sam discovers the deceased body of Caleb Mayo and in her shocked condition announces to the whole restaurant that "Santa is dead." So Sam has discovered the second deceased person in her amateur sleuthing career.

I enjoyed following along as Sam works out each suspect and then figures out why each one is innocent until she finally hits on the real culprit. I agreed with her on the suspects until she proves them innocent. I was surprised at the identity of the murderer. This is a fun whodunit with very likable characters. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Berkley Publishing Group and #NetGalley for my honest opinion

Amy Pershing knows how to cozy! This professional foodie mystery featuring Samantha Barnes is another delightful read set in a holiday theme. Enjoy.

An Eggnog to Die for is a highly enjoyable read. The mystery was well written, and the author created some great red herrings that made me think. The identity of the killer shocked me. The false trail of clues led me astray and my thought process was completely off base. .. A memorable setting, vivid food descriptions, and interesting characters make this a very worthwhile read. I cant wait to read the next book in the series


Thank You Berkley and NetGalley kindly provided me with an advance copy. This is a truthful review.

This is definitely a must read. I love all of the action, laughter and surprises. Sam gets herself into some real predicaments. This would make a wonderful movie with all of the unexpected in it. I could not figure out the person who did the murder. There were numerous suspects and the information was always leading me into another direction. I actually learned a little about science and I am not a science person. The food and drinks sounded so wonder and how does someone come up with a dessert using fish? That was a real surprise. Amy Pershing is a wonderful writer, she definitely kept me wondering what was next. If looking for a new author or a good cozy to buy for a friend or family member then pick this up. You will not be disappointed.

Samantha Barnes is back, making (unintentional) viral videos and chasing down killers. Her parents have come to visit for Christmas and in the midst of holiday celebrations the local town crank turns up dead in the restaurant he was trying to shut down.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I thought this one dragged a bit. There were lots of very long paragraphs explaining in great detail the clothing people were wearing, the menu for a meal, background information on people who weren't part of the story, all things unnecessary to the story. Unfortunately all this extra stuff made the story itself hard to get into.

That being said, I love the setting and the characters are great. I really liked Sam's parents and hope they do end up coming back. Her mom especially is a really fun character and her dad is also very charming. I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Christmas is coming to Cape Cod, but when Sam Barnes finds a very dead Santa in a very hip restaurant, it’s up to her to sift out suspects who have been naughty vs. nice
This book left me wanting more! I loved it all the characters are great, mystery and setting. I can’t wait for the next one!
#AnEggnogtoDieFor #NetGalley

I loved it! This mystery leads you this way and that through a charming small town atmosphere. The friends and family were a comfort and joy to gather with while they prepped for the holidays. And the insightful side notes given throughout were funny and interesting. I can't wait to visit with them again and again!