What a disaster Samantha found herself in, through no fault of her own. She was in trouble and couldn’t stop herself from investigating. She was now the number one suspect, so with no choice before her, she put on her sleuthing cap and began investigating, which was detrimental for her health.

This was a really different hobby, soon to be a job for a main character, at least that I've read. It seemed interesting, although I gotta admit I'm not really interested in drink mixing and tended to skip those details, but she definitely had a lucrative thing going for her. I enjoyed her two besties characters more than I did Samantha's at first. Maybe she'll grow on me more in the next book, but it just seemed weird to me that she'd go crying to her ex every time something went wrong. Now I just love David and really hope they'll end up together. He's got his head screwed on right, lol. I started liking Sam's character a little more after a point in the book. I won't give that away, but you'll know when you read it!

I'd guessed who the killer was, but I wasn't totally sure why. The showdown was pretty exciting and ended in injuries for Samantha, but I was proud of her for her bravery. There was some good news about a new business partnership at the end, and I was happy to see that maybe Samantha and David might get a chance together.

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

I gave A Dash of Death by Michelle Hillen Klump 4,5 stars.

Fantastic new series! This was a fun, quick read and I enjoyed the main character Samantha Warren and her snooping ways. She is actively seeking out the clues and doesn't just let them fall into her lap like in many other cozy mysteries. I love that this book have a lot of investigating going on.

I would like to read more about Samantha's job as a mixologist but I am sure we will in the second book and I am very much looking forward to it.

I highly recommend this book and would like to thank Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4228301032

An okay start to a new series. I liked the addition of a same sex couple and the protagonist's side hustle which make the story unique.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

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

Samantha Warren is trying to restart her life after losing her fiancé and their life together. Her friends invite her to show off her mixologist skills at a party for a local historical-homes council. But, when one of the council members dies of a poisoned drink, Samantha finds that she’s a suspect in the murder. To keep her reputation, Samantha investigates the crime, but can she trust her instincts to figure out the truth?
This was an interesting cozy mystery. I loved Samantha, the main character, and how she was determined to turn her life around after her fiancé left. I could see how Samantha’s growth throughout the novel made her into an even more compelling protagonist. The mystery was a puzzle and I was surprised with the ending. I want to read the next one in this series. I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time liking the main character, she seemed so self-absorbed and it wasn't enjoyable to be near those kind of vibes. Still, I muscled through and finished the book. The deuteragonist was much better and I preferred them more. Would've liked to see how they would be if they were the protagonist. Eventually Sam improved for the better and it was abit more bearable to read. Regardless, still a decent read besides getting frustrated at Sam

Samantha is rebuilding her life after losing both her journalism career and her husband in one swoop. She likes making cocktail bitters and the chance to work as a mixologist at a party, well, she's excited. Not so much when Mark, one of the guests, dies after sipping one of her drinks. She had no reason to kill him but who did? Cozy readers know that the wife, the girl friend, and others are in the running as suspects. This mystery isn't as twisty as some but it's a good set up for future installments. She does spend rather more time than is wise talking with Greg, her ex but in general, she's looking like a good protagonist to watch. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Oh- and there are recipes!

A DASH OF DEATH, the first book in the brand-new Cocktails and Catering Mystery series by Michelle Hillen Klump, is off to a good start. With a unique twist in the culinary cozy mystery genre, protagonist, ex-reporter Samantha Warren, concocts homemade cocktail bitters. There are delicious descriptions and cocktails mentioned throughout to make the reader feel warm and comforted as the mystery unfolds. I enjoyed the set up with Samantha roped into working at a historical homes tour event on what should have been the evening of her wedding. Jilted by her fiancé only three weeks earlier, on top of losing her newspaper journalist position nine months before that, Samantha has a lot of life changes to overcome. She’s a sympathetic character given all that she’s had to endure. Then things go from bad to worse when someone becomes ill and then dies after consuming one of her cocktails at the event. Ms. Klump writes with a descriptive voice that makes the action and details come to life. I could hear the ice clattering in the cocktail shakers, smell the tang of lemon peels, and taste the sweet bite of cherry mixed with gin.

Given it was her cocktail that might have killed the guest, Samantha becomes a suspect. It doesn’t take long for the victim’s ex-wife to serve her with a lawsuit. With a background in reporting for the newspaper, Samantha knows she needs to start digging into who had motive and means to commit murder and does so in a more energetic way than the usual amateur sleuth. But the results pay off and she ends up with several possibilities with the hope that the police will focus on them instead. As she uncovers secrets, Samantha joins forces with an unlikely partner which provides some twists and turns. With an edge-of-your-seat reveal that I didn’t see coming, the author wraps up the threads of the story and subplots neatly. There’s a hint at new beginnings for Samantha and I look forward to seeing what’s coming next!

Between bitters, cocktails, and yummy food mentioned throughout, be prepared to be both hungry and thirsty as you read. Ms. Klump has kindly included several recipes at the back of the book.

A Dash Of Death is the first book in a new series, “A Cocktails and Catering Mystery.” I have to say that although this book is not the worst cozy out there, it isn’t the best either; it is a little below average. Samantha was jilted just before her wedding; she lost her job as a reporter and has to find a way to put her life back together. When her friends encourage her to use the handmade bitters she created for her wedding guest at a historical home tour, she jumps at the chance. If nothing else, she can get rid of the daily reminder of how her life was destroyed overnight. Unfortunately, during the tour, one of the cocktails that she creates ends up being the main clue in the murder of a guest.

A murder using Samantha’s bitters is just the topping of a lot of bad events, and she is determined not to take the fall for someone’s crime. The cocktails may flow, but the evidence doesn’t come in a pretty blue bottle. She didn’t know the victim, and she didn’t really know any suspects. As far as she can tell, what clues she does find all point to one person, the victim’s wife, Gabby. But Samantha doesn’t believe the woman is any more guilty than she is, and she sets out to prove that even everything isn’t what it seems. Taking risks and seeking out a killer may not be the best cocktail, but it definitely gets results.

There is a time of character building and relationship bonding with any new series. Unfortunately, the bonding part with the main character, Samantha, isn’t easy. For the most part, she is not a character that I can empathize with, at least not at first. Other characters, such as Samantha’s best friends, are likable but don’t jump off the page. In addition, the setting isn’t awe-inspiring, and the plot wasn’t original. The killer was not challenging to figure out and the red herrings were simply not strong enough to lead readers away from the truth. I managed to read this book to the bitter end, but I found it a difficult cocktail to swallow.

Overall, A Dash Of Death is an average story with average characters, but it can be far more. I liked the idea of the cocktails and creating your own bitters; recipes for the bitters would have been good. By the end of the book, Samantha had grown a tiny bit, giving me hope for future books in this series. I liked the ending and found it left me with a desire to read the next book. It also left me wanting to see this series mature and grow. I think the author has talent, but the plot and the characters need work.

A Dash if Death is off to a great start for this new cozy series! This one has all the makings of what we all love about cozies: Girl done wrong, rediscovering herself, cozy setting, fun theme and of course: a murder!
I really enjoyed this debut mystery and look forward to more in the series!

I read and enjoy a lot of cozies and this one was a new occupation concept for me. While I love the usual innkeepers, chefs, bakers, etc, this was interesting. This is the first in a new series so a lot of it was introducing the characters, scenes and backstories but I enjoyed the author’s writing style as well as her characters. I think this is a promising new series and I can’t wait to read the next ones!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A Dash of Death is an interesting cozy mystery although it took me some time to get into the story. At first, I thought the main character, Samantha, was somewhat irritating. Self-pity and bad decisions kept me from liking her, although she does improve a little as the story progresser. Fortunately, there are pleasant secondary characters to keep the book going, and I hope that we will get to see more of them in a future book. The mystery is interesting enough, and the ending is satisfying. I would definitely read the second book in this series, it has great potential.

After what seemed to me a slow start, the book captured my attention when main character Samantha Warren, Sam, finally stopped feeling sorry for herself and began to focus on not just the crime but others. She came across as rather self-absorbed initially, unable to get past the painful events of her recent life. For someone who had once worked as an investigative journalist of sorts, she seemed unable to make a decision of any kind, even when it came to her own legal self-defense. Thank goodness lawyer/artist David had her back, as did her friends. She might not have even contacted him without the urging of another friend. I found it interesting she is told that she leaned on the ex=almost-husband since she seems to be relying on others, too, initially.

As noted above, that changes. Sam makes mistakes, among them the classic rookie sleuth mistake of not trusting others with the potentially important information she's discovered. Ultimately, however, she shows strength, intelligence, and determination. Heck, she was even determined to prove the innocence of Gabby, the woman who had sued her. That connection seemed fuzzy to me but, as Sam notes at the end, she's learning to trust her instincts. It also showed her blossoming ability to tune into others' needs rather than fixating on her own, in this case Gabby's child. It'll be interesting to follow Sam's growth as the series continues.

The guilty party wasn't an obvious one and there were numerous red herrings, so the book will probably keep you guessing. It did me. In the process, even though I wasn't fond of Samantha initially, I came to like her better as I not only came to understand her but she came to understand herself better. I'm looking forward to Sam's future adventures and getting to know her circle of friends better.

Thank you #NetGalley and #CrookedLane Books for this intriguing new series.

This book was a real treat. While enjoying a mystery, I also learned how to make some interesting beverages along the way. The characters were fun to meet and I am excited to read the next installment.

I reviewed the for Mystery Scene Magazine please refer to issue 171 Spring 2022 for my complete review

This was a great start to a new cozy mystery series.
I really connected with the main character -she can’t catch a break! Samantha is down on her luck, when a murder takes place where she is “bartending” on the night she was to be married!
The side characters were a nice bonus-I loved their friendships.
It usually takes me a couple books to fall in love with a series but I was immediately pulled in with A Dash of Death. I look forward to continuing on with this series.

A Dash of Death is the first book in author Michelle Hillen Klump's Cocktails and Catering series. Ms. Klump entertains with well-developed characters and interesting scenarios. The storyline is replete with mystery and suspense as amateur sleuth Samantha Warren uses her wits and reporter experience to solve the murder mystery. This was an entertaining read.

The plot of the book was such a great page turner. The plot of the book was very well written. I truly cannot wait to read another wonderful book from this author. This was a truly great book.

A fun book with mystery and cocktails: A Dash of Death!

The story and characters was fun to read and you can't help but hope Samantha's life/situation gets better. If you enjoy bartending and cocktails, you will enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series!