The murder investigation was interesting. I didn't know who the killer was. My favorite characters are: Grant Bird, Edna, and Joan.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

It's a hot summer evening in South Lick, Indiana and the residents are enjoying the Friday night fireworks, including Robbie Jordan, her new husband Abe, and residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living. One of them is Grant Bird, Police Lieutenant Buck Bird's father. Despite his blindness, Grant is an active member of the group home’s knitting circle. When the lightworks ends, fellow knitter Vi is found dead from a puncture wound in her neck. The method used to kill Vi is eerily similar to the unsolved homicide of Buck's mother many years ago.

Robbie, who had just met Grant and Vi that evening, is determined to help find the killer and may be also help solve the cold case. Rumours of illegal goings-on by members of the knitting circle provides Robbie with a likely motive and set of suspects. This was another enjoyable, well-crafted story in the long-running Country Store Mystery series.

Another good read in a long running series. I love Robbie and the rest of the cast of characters, even with her marriage Robbie continues to cement her place in the community and expand her circle. Suspects are all around; just about anyone could be the killer. During the fireworks, no one would hear anything, and the seniors had been dozing or concentrating on their knitting. The witnesses are numerous, yet no one saw a thing. Or… was there a witness that no one knows about? There are plenty of red herrings to keep readers rooted in their seats. It doesn’t take long for Robbie to connect the dots and come up with the killer's name; even though she doesn’t want to believe it, she is faced with no choice. It doesn’t take her long to figure out that the person who killed Buck’s mother all those years ago is the same person responsible for this latest death. Robbie and Abe will make you believe in love and hope. This book has a lot of fireworks, and not all of them are in the night sky. Batter Off Dead brings Robbie’s country store, the hometown feel of South Lick, and the citizens, seniors, and others to the forefront. It allows readers to enjoy a couple of hours without the worries of the world on their shoulders.

An unsolved murder from the past might give clues to a similar murder in the present and both involve Buck’s Dad. An emotionally charged mystery that has you wondering how can there not be a connection to the past, but it was so very long ago. There are suspects who seem both, likely and unlikely, friendly and unfriendly, as people come and go for a bite to eat at the Pans and Pancakes restaurant and store. Some suspects are looking to give some friendly and not so friendly competition by way of a food truck and more. Speaking of food, as always, Ms. Day graciously shares Robbie‘s recipes at the end of the book which includes a blueberry spritzer cocktail recipe, perfect for the summertime or when you want to remember the summer time.

I have read and enjoyed all Maddie Day's Country Store Mystery books and Batter Off Dead is not exception. Ten books in, and this series is still enjoyable. Robbie Jordan’s Pans ’N Pancakes is still going strong in South Lick, Indiana and murder still seems to abound in the small town. Following a Friday night firework display in the park, a woman is found dead with a puncture wound in her neck. She was one of a group of knitters from the Jupiter Springs Assisted Living Centre. One of them, Grant Bird, is Police Lieutenant Buck Bird's father. Although he is blind, he has a great memory and is able to shed light on the various people that were there, as well as thing that happened in the past that might have a bearing on the case.

I enjoy the various characters in this series, and I liked that this book let us get to know Buck Bird a bit better. Buck's mother was killed years earlier in a crime eerily similar to the one that he is trying to solve, in fact, his mother had been friends with the victim. Robbie is happily married by this time in the series, and I liked seeing her and Abe together. Not only are they married, but he helps her out somewhat while she investigates. There are no shortage of suspects in this mystery, and she has to sort out whether the "Stitch and Bitch" knitting group have anything to do with the deaths. I love how people open up to Robbie and share all sorts of information. I don't understand why the police don't find the same people to question. One thing I like is that Robbie always shares whatever she finds out with the police, usually Buck, instead of putting herself in danger. The motive is interesting for this murder as well. With older folks, sometimes the memory isn't always the best, but these seniors are sharp and as long as Robbie can put together all the clues, this murder can be solved and they can move on. I love the humor, quaint town, quirky characters, talk of good food and well plotted mystery in this book. This is a cozy mystery that kept me interested and guessing from start to finish and I highly recommend this book and the complete series. This is a 5 star cozy for me.

Batter Off Dead by Maddie Day is book ten in the County Store Mystery series.. This is a fun series and would be best read in order.
Robbie and Abe are now married and are enjoying an evening of the towns' fireworks when an elderly woman from a local assisted living home is murdered. Robbie once again is involved in finding out who the guilty party is
and why would someone want the woman dead.
The characters are likeable as is the setting. There is romance, friendship, plenty of plot twists and a loveable cat.
I was given an ARC by Kensington Books via NetGalley for an honest review..

Robbie is back again investigating a murder. She is a likable and resourceful main character. The charm of the pancake house and the secondary character really add to each storyline. This is the tenth book in the series but it is just as well written and entertaining as the first. The mystery is well-written with plenty of twists to keep you guessing whodunit.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been influenced by anyone.

This is the tenth book in the Country store mystery series. I have read the majority of this series and I think it is helpful to try to read them in order.

Robbie and Abe are now newlyweds. They are enjoying a summer night in the park with the majority of the town to see fireworks. When the fireworks end it is found that one of the Senior homes members has been murdered with her own knitting needle. How did no one see or hear anything? Why would this person be targeted? Was it something from her past? Robbie does what she always does...her own investigating

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 10 in the series.

I've enjoyed this series all along, but lately Buck's way of speaking has just been bugging me. I get that it's the local Hoosier patois, but why only Buck? Is it deliberately meant to make him look like a hayseed, and therefore lesser at his job so he needs Robbie's help? It really pulls me out of the story, which is too bad.

The mystery was interesting, and I did like that in the end they were able to solve a cold case, too, and give Buck and his dad some closure. It was an entertaining, fast read for me. As always, it was nice to visit South Lick and I look forward to more in the future.

Robbie and Abe have finally gotten married and are enjoying their first weeks of being together. During the Friday night fireworks, unfortunately, one of the local townsfolk is murdered. Robbie is of course intrigued and determined to figure out what happened!

Robbie is such a fun character! I really love her relationship with everyone in the town. I love Abe and the workers at Robbie's restaurant. The mystery in this one was so much fun! It was so twisty and so surprising. I have such a great time reading this series and can't wait to read more!

Maddie Day's latest in the Country Store Mystery series is a delight. Robbie Jordan finds herself trying to unravel the murder of the special friend of Grant Bird, father of South Lick's police Lieutenant Buck Bird. She was stabbed with a knitting needle after the town's summer fireworks show. The investigation takes a turn to include a look into the death of Buck's mother years ago.

Day's writing is fun and engaging and I find myself rooting for the characters. Robbie is interesting and intriguing as a newly married woman to her husband Abe. I last read Maddie Day's seventh book in the series, Nacho Average Murder and I liked her then too. I'm definitely going back to read from the beginning of the series to see how things started and progressed. Definitely worth a read.

I recently got to interview Maddie Day for my blog and she was great fun to talk to. It was nice to get some insight into her books in this series, as well as her others.

Rating: Four Stars

Country store and B&B owner Robbie Jordan is savoring newlywed life with Abe O’Neill, her husband of six weeks, despite the sultry summer weather. The heat is almost but not quite enough to mar their latest visit to Jupiter Park to watch the weekly fireworks display put on by their patriotic South Lick, Indiana town. The weekly gathering is a nice way to catch up with friends in a festive atmosphere as well as to make new acquaintances, including Grant Bird, father of one of Robbie’s own friends, Lieutenant Buck Bird. The lieutenant is on duty performing crowd control for the municipal gathering, but is happy to introduce Robbie to his elderly and now blind father, as well as to Grant’s lady friend Vi Perkell, who’s been teaching Grant to knit.

Once darkness falls, the gathered townsfolk and visitors settle into their seats to watch or otherwise enjoy the spectacle. The fireworks certainly make for a stunning display, but their aftermath stuns in an entirely different and far worse way. Someone took the opportunity to stab poor Vi in the neck under cover of darkness, dazzling light and explosion. Robbie is deeply saddened by this terrible occurrence, but grows alarmed when she learns that this was also the same way in which Buck’s mother had been killed several decades earlier.

The murder of Yolande Bird remains unsolved, but no one thinks it was a coincidence that Grant’s latest love interest was killed in the same, unusual way. The only questions are who and why. Robbie finds herself unwittingly tangled up in the investigation, by virtue of her reputation for providing assistance to both Lieutenant Bird and homicide Detective Oscar Thompson. Being the proprietor of one of the most popular restaurants in town means she gets a heads up on all the local gossip. Plus, her affection for the elderly finds her visiting Grant and several other residents of the various senior centers in the area. She can hardly say no when Grant himself asks her for help in solving the murders.

This tenth book was another solid entry in the Country Store mystery series, though I don’t remember Robbie being quite so pushy with her inquiries in the previous books. The killer’s identity came as a surprise, though I thought the juxtaposition between the contemporary murder and the older one was nicely done. It was also nice to read of Robbie’s ongoing interactions with her employees and extended family, as well as her renewed focus on volunteering.

There were six delicious recipes included, and I decided to take advantage of a (very short) Maryland warm spell to make this tasty soup:

QUOTE
Spanish Gazpacho

2 pounds ripe local Roma-style tomatoes, halved and cored (remove seeds and any white core)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored and roughly chopped
2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large clove), peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 thick slice of good bread, soaked in water for three seconds, then wrung out
Optional garnishes: homemade croutons, chopped fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, or an leftover chopped gazpacho ingredients

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree for 1 minute, or until the soup reaches desired consistency. Taste and season with extra salt, pepper, and/or cumin if needed. Refrigerate in a sealed container for 3 to 4 hours, or until completely chilled.

Serve cold, topped with desired garnishes.
END QUOTE

I didn’t actually core my tomato or cucumber – I just don’t believe in throwing away edible nutrients like that! – and that probably made my soup a little paler than it’s meant to be, but it was still incredibly tasty. The flavors were bright and summery, contrasting nicely on the tongue with the chilled temperature of the soup. It didn’t even need the addition of hot sauce, and I usually like to add hot sauce to everything!

Next week, we head back to the East Coast to make a delightful springtime appetizer while trying to figure out who would frame a cooking competition contestant for murder. Do join me!

Batter Off Dead

by Maddie Day

Robbie runs a breakfast and lunch restaurant in South Lick, Indiana. It has gained quite a reputation for its good food and the antique kitchen goods and local products sold in a dedicated part of Pans ’N Pancakes. Robbie also has a three bedroom B&B above the cafe. Locals love to meet to chat and eat there. Tourist buses often stop with excited visitors keeping the versatile staff on their toes. The reputation extends to Robbie who is even known in the bordering state as a detective.

Batter Off Dead is the tenth book in this series by Maddie Day, but the fourth one for me. I don’t like the way the series is developing. There is a violent crime and the local enforcement officers, Robbie herself, and the citizens of South Lick expect Robbie to find the criminal. She does this by picking up on clues she overhears in the restaurant. She also butts in on conversations there questioning anyone and everyone with even a remote connection to the case—all the while running around with coffee carafes in hand and telling the reader how busy the restaurant is. Meanwhile, Lt. Bird with the South Lick Police Dept. and Oscar Thompson, a detective with the Indiana State Police, come by the restaurant at least once if not twice a day asking Robbie what information she has for them, in addition to emailing, texting, and phoning her for information. They are not portrayed as bumbling, but the direction of information is almost always one way with Robbie leading and solving while the interested detectives follow along.

The reader is fed detailed descriptions of Robbie’s day: prepare, open, go crazy with breakfast, lunch and investigating, clean up, prepare for the next day, visit someone to nose around, dinner and drinks with new husband, and crash in exhaustion. Repeat. I am sorry to see a series I enjoy disintegrate. There is a good plot, but it was too drawn out to hold my interest to the end. There was action in the conclusion, but not much of a surprise. By that point, I didn’t really care whodunit.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #10 in the Country Store Mystery Series
2. Cookie and crepe recipes included

Publication: February 22, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

I took her hand and felt her soft, parchment-like skin, which had first seen light when automobiles were new, when white women first won the vote, when the technology we so relied on today was a science-fiction dream.

“Dessert before the meal?” “Hon, I come by my silver hair honestly. At this stage of life, I figure I can do pretty much what I want, as long as it’s legal.” She winked. “And sometimes when it isn’t.”

His face took on a sorrowful look. “So, I can’t get me a pile of lunch? My stomach’s got a hole in it bigger than the Grand Canyon with no tourists, and it needs filled.”

Absolutely loved reading Batter Off Dead.

The author has weaved such a great cozy mystery that when it was over I was left wanting more. Great job and a must-read!

I love this series. I've always loved reading about Robbie and this part of Indiana. Robbie is completely relatable and likeable and I love that she has a strong network around her. Excellent story. Very entertaining read!

Batter Off Dead: A Country Store Mystery
By Maddie Day
Kensington
March 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Pans ‘N Pancakes owner Robbie Jordan is enjoying South Licks, Indiana's outdoor summer fireworks show with her husband of six months, Abe O'Neill. Also taking advantage of the weekly Friday night entertainment are residents from the Jupiter Springs Assisted Living residence, one of whom is Grant Bird, the father of Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Grant is there with his ladyfriend Vi Perkell, but when she tragically collapses during the festivities Robbie immediately notices that it was not due to her age. Vi was stabbed in the neck, and when the weapon is described as needle-like, antique cookware specialist Robbie has an idea of what it could be.

Having been involved in a number of murder investigations, Robbie and her friends immediately set out to help Buck solve a murder that hits so close to home. Vi's death eerily resembles that of another murder many years ago, and the unsolved murder Yolande Bird haunts Buck and Grant to this day. That their mother and wife was murdered in a manner so close to that of Grant’s new friend would seem to make them the common link, but Robbie soon learns that there are quite a few secrets being held within the assisted living complex. When not preparing delicious pancake recipes along with an assortment of breakfast treats in her restaurant, Robbie, Abe, and their friends follow a trail of clues that include Grant’s 100-year-old mother-in-law, a gambling ring for seniors, and a possibly lethal knitting club. It is at the bookstore once owned by Vi that Robbie encountered the aptly titled Stitch and Bitch knitting club, where Vi ensured that the club lived up to its name.

This 10th in the series encourages readers to embrace all of the charming characters and characteristics of this small Indiana town. Regulars to the Pans 'N Pancakes meet to gossip, check out the antique cookware, support one another, and of course provide information that will help Robbie solve her investigation. The cooperative relationship she has built with Buck and the State Police effectively propels their investigation as they question locals and follow the many clues that lead back to a decades-long mystery. Readers should be prepared for an abundance of mouth-watering descriptions of Robbie's creations in her kitchen, which are as tasty as the gossip that flows at Pans ‘N Pancakes. Having achieved her professional goals to own and run a successful restaurant and country, newlywed Robbie is ready to focus on her personal life and maybe even expand her family. Recipes, entertaining characters, and all of the quirkiness that abounds in South Licks make this another light-hearted and very enjoyable read.

Another likable and enjoyable installment in one of my favorite cozy series. Robbie and the gang have another murder to solve, that ties in to an unsolved murder from 30ish years ago with personal ties to one of Robbie's friends. Fun plot and characters I know and love makes for a great read.

Another interesting adventure for Robbie. I am glad the series continued after she married. Cann not wait for the next one.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Such a great cozy the setting was adorable.