Daryl Wood Gerber's latest in her A Cookbook Nook Mystery was a miss for me. I have read every book in the series and love the author, but the way the victim and Aunt Vera treated each other was completely off-putting. The whole story seemed so contrived it just didn't in anyway resonate with me. Go back to others in the series to get the enjoyment that is possible.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. While the twelfth book in this series, it’s easily read as a stand-alone. This time, Jenna and the Cookbook Nook team are supporting the town’s crossword puzzle weekend. With a big-name crossword creator in town, the crowds are huge and all things crossword are flying off the shelves. However, the big name also has a big ego and big altercations with several people in the small world of crossword creation and publication. When Jenna and Rhett find him dead on the local trail, Jenna’s dismayed that her beloved Aunt Vera is one of those suspected in his death.
This is a fun cozy and I love all the crossword references, definitions and usages that the author sprinkles throughout the book. And, as a bonus, there are tons of recipes at the end for both gluten and gluten free baking.

THis was a cute little cozy mystery. I have not read the other books in the series, and I don't think it was necessary for me to do so.

Jenna Hart and her Aunt Vera own the Cookbook Nook. Anything to do with Crossword puzzles is flying off the shelves since the annual crossword puzzle contest is taking place in Crystal Cove.

The prominent puzzle constructor who’s acting as master of ceremonies was once in Aunt Vera's circle of friends, although they had lost contact over the years. It seems to Jenna that he's awfully full of himself and rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Not surprisingly he's found murdered on a nature path near his hotel. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of suspects. The police even consider Vera's motives.

Apparently this puzzle Guru has stolen puzzles from some of the contestants and claimd them as his own. Jenna considers these people much more likely as suspects but needs to find proof.

This one is just okay for me. The victim is so very unlikable that his friendship with Aunt Vera feels completely weird and inauthentic. And I grow wary of the constant listing of synonyms (Cleverness: cunning, ingenuity, shrewdness). I get it. The setting is a crossword puzzle conference. If the whole series were around crosswords, I'd understand that. But they just feel dropped into the text since the first-person narrator isn't at all into crosswords. And there are a lot of alibis just being accepted. If so and so says it, it must be true. The police seem completely incompetent here.

I was invested enough to want to finish the book and know who killed Wes. But it felt more like curiosity than actually caring.

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

In Crystal Cove it’s time for the annual crossword puzzle contest. Jenna’s Aunt Vera has offered a large cash prize as part of the winnings. The contest is for puzzle solvers as well as puzzle creators. Jenna is surprised to find Vera knows the prominent creator, and although they claim the barbs are harmless fun, there are definite problems between the pair. In the Cookbook Nook, puzzle books are flying off the shelves as avid crossworders grab up every copy they can. Meanwhile, accusations are flying among the professional puzzlers. Theft of puzzles is a prominent theme, even between her aunt and Wesley, a famous cruciverbalist (puzzle maker) and guest of honor.

The next morning, Jenna and hubby Rhett, take an early morning hike before the festivities begin. It’s not as relaxing as they hoped because their dog, Rook, found a dead body. It’s Wesley, and since his throat was slit, natural causes can be ruled out.

He was a known birder who liked to birdwatch early in the morning. It appears someone anticipated this and laid in wait. The police think it might have been Vera. Jenna knows better and sets out to prove it. Can she sift through the clues and solve the puzzle of who killed the puzzle maker?

This is book twelve in the series. Jenna and Vera are likable characters and you’d certainly want to loiter in the Cookbook Nook — especially when snacks are served. The mystery is a good one with lots of clues to follow to find the killer’s identity.

In addition to the Cookbook Nook series, Gerber also has written two French bistro mysteries, three fairy garden mysteries (reviewed here), five suspense titles, and as Avery Aames, seven food-themed mysteries.

Included in this book are recipes. GF notes both regular flour and a gluten-free version are included—banana date coffee cake (GF), brie leek appetizers, caramel pumpkin muffins with caramel sauce (GF), choco-monkey brownies (GF), coffee crunch cookies (GF), crispy salmon appetizers, lobster bisque, mini spinach quiches, mini chicken pot pies, pumpkin cardamom tarts, and zucchini patties with dill sauce.

Jenna and the entire town is looking forward to the annual crossword puzzle tournament, until the guest of honor is found dead. Jenna and her group of friends will band together to solve this as Jenna's aunt is one of the suspects. This is a fun, easy read and there are enough suspects to keep you guessing. The recipes at the end sounds tantalizing as well.

Crosswords, cooking and cross-examinations are all wrapped up in this delightful mystery that once again brings the best characters out to play! Jenna, Bailey, Rhett and Tito as well as Aunt Vera and of course the police are all on top of things when things go awry at the Crossword Convention! The characters are so realistic and quirky that you just want to find the small town that they reside in and head for a visit yourself. This book is no exception to that rule! Add in the depth of the plot on this mystery and you'll have yourself hours of fun while learning new words for things! My favorite new word is cruciverbalist! Now if I can only figure out a way to work that into an everyday conversation! As always this series is fun to read and left me with something new to think about! I can't wait to see what the author cooks up for us next in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Poaching Is Puzzling is the latest book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. Jenna and Vera are great main characters and make the book fun and charming. Newcomers to the series won't feel lost and will be able to enjoy the book perfectly well. Of course, reading the books in sequence is great for character development, but Poaching Is Puzzling will please all readers.

The storyline line is good and the mystery is well written. There is never a dull moment to be found. I like that there are many clues as well as many suspects so that I keep trying to guess who committed the murder as I am reading. The ending is satisfying, and the recipes looked really delicious as well! A nice cozy mystery!

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. There were so many characters I couldn’t keep them straight and I wasn’t invested enough to go back and look them all up. I loved the crossword theme throughout the book. There was a lot of fun wordplay sprinkled throughout the book. I think this book would be very appealing to someone who read the first book in the series and had a basic knowledge of the characters. It was not easy to pick up as a stand-alone. The writing style is good and if I ever get a chance to pick up the first book in the series I would happily do so.

This review of Poaching Is Puzzling by Daryl Wood Gerber is courtesy of NetGalley.
Rating 4/5 #PoachingIsPuzzling #NetGalley #CozyMystery

When it comes to cozy mysteries, I'm usually reading culinary cozies. I enjoy puzzles, including the NYT Daily Mini crossword, so when I saw the book description on NetGalley I decided to add the book to my list.

This is the first book I've read by Daryl Wood Gerber and it turns out to be the 12th in her Cookbook Nook Mysteries series. Overall, the book was complete by itself and I didn't feel lost in the sea of characters.

In fitting with the crossword theme, each chapter had a epigraph that was a word with possible definitions or crossword style clues. Right at the start, I got to learn a cool word "Cruciverbalist."

Reading a bit more, I found some of the sentences tried to give too much information all at once. One example, "Tomorrow night, Intime, my husband's French restaurant—how I enjoyed calling Rhett my husband; we'd married in June and had been living in wedded bliss ever since—would host a cocktail reception for the tournament participants and their guests." I started thinking this was going to be a painful read and not the easy light reading I generally associated with cozy mysteries. Luckily, the extra stuffed sentences didn't continue the entire book.

I liked that we were able to follow along with Jenna and the clues that were revealed. It wasn't one of the books were some facts that weren't shared with the reader leads to the sudden solution. A pet peeve of mine in cozies is when the amateur sleuth does something legally dubious to gather information. Sadly Jenna does.

Dollycas's Thoughts 

Jenna Hart has stocked her Cookbook Nook with a variety of puzzle-themed books, aprons, cookie jars, and other culinary items, for the large group of crossword puzzle fans who have come to Crystal Cove for an annual crossword puzzle tournament. Her Aunt Vera has a history with the event's guest speaker "crossword designer extraordinaire" Wesley Preston but is keeping mum about the details. "A memory best forgotten." That is until the man is killed and Vera is at the top of the suspect list.

Now Jenna has her own puzzle to solve. She has seen that the man doesn't get along well with others with her own eyes including people in his own entourage. She has learned that the Cruciverbalist has no issue with stealing puzzles created by others and touting them as his own. She just needs to pull all the clues together to reveal the real killer, who is definitely not her Aunt Vera, but she has to be careful so that she is not permanently erased before she has a chance to do that.

_____

What a fun theme for a cozy mystery! Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at designing crossword puzzles complete with some perfect words to use in each chapter heading. I may even try my hand a crafting a crossword or two.

All my favorite characters from the previous books are back. Jenna and Rhett are living in "wedded bliss". Vera is very involved in the crossword event. She even donated a nice cash prize. Kate is cooking away and doing food demonstrations. Bailey keeps the Cookbook Nook running with a smile while Jenna and Vera are doing other things. Cinnamon is always busy trying to catch a killer but knows people just tell Jenna things they would never tell police. Tigger who sometimes acts more like a dog than a cat loves hanging out at the Nook on his kitty condo. Rook is always happy to welcome Jenna and Rhett at the end of their days and is thrilled to take walks on the beach. Ms. Gerber has created such genuine characters. As soon as you open the book it feels like you are visiting dear friends.

The mystery she wraps her characters in is quite puzzling, LOL. There are plenty of suspects, twists, turns, and moments of distraction, along with great clues for readers to follow. This all leads up to a very exciting ending as all the clues fall into place for Jenna at a most inopportune time. As the drama played out I found myself scooting closer and closer to the end of my seat. The guilty party was high on my personal suspect list but was still surprised and a little saddened when they were revealed.

I love that Ms. Gerber shares an abundance of recipes at the end of each book including Gluten Free Versions. It is always best not to read her books on an empty stomach. Her food descriptions will cause cravings, so be prepared.

Poaching is Puzzling is so well-written and well-plotted. It was fun and entertaining and I am so excited to see what the author comes up with next for her wonderful characters.

I’ve sadly missed a few books in this series, since the last one I read, but it was easy to pick up Poaching is Puzzling without feeling like I was missing anything. Daryl Wood Gerber immediately immerses you back – or for the first time – into the world of Jenna, Aunt Vera and the Cookbook Nook. Just like with Sifting Through Clues, I really loved the concept of this bookstore that’s all about cookbooks, culinary fiction, and food (as further evidenced by the yummy Nook Cafe next door). Jenna is a great protagonist who draws you in and engages your attention, and the whole ensemble cast of supporting players are equally endearing.

In Poaching is Puzzling, the author combines this fun bookstore with something else I love – crossword puzzles! It was fun to see some tongue-in-cheek references to the most overused crossword clues/answers, and I had to chuckle because for the most part the reason I even know those words at all is thanks to doing puzzles lol. In fact, Daryl Wood Gerber does a great job here of finding a balance between honoring & respecting the crossword puzzle world and also not taking itself too seriously. The words and definitions that begin each chapter added to the overall atmosphere of the book too, though the elevated vocabulary of so many of the puzzlers did get a bit tedious before it was over. For instance, I don’t know many people who use the word cruciverbalist in everyday conversation but it came up a lot in this book.

The mystery is its own puzzle to be solved, of course, and the parallels between solving this murder & creating a crossword puzzle were not lost on me as I read the book. The true culprit was indeed on my radar but so were almost half a dozen other suspects, and sometimes it did feel like realizing one of the intersecting words you’ve filled in must be wrong because those letters are just not adding up. The author is definitely skilled at crafting a plot that keeps readers guessing, and I had fun trying to solve it along with Jenna – especially with Aunt Vera being under the microscope in this one!

Bottom Line: Poaching is Puzzling by Daryl Wood Gerber is an enjoyable addition to this popular cozy mystery series! Not only will it test your sleuthing skills and hone your vocabulary, but it will also whet your appetite for the delicious food served up on its pages. A bevy of cookbooks will cross your path too … and may even end up in your Amazon cart before it’s over. Charming and entertaining, this is another must-read from this author!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

The annual crossword puzzle contest has drawn contestants from near and far to Crystal Cove, and Jenna watches in amazement as puzzle-themed books fly off the shelves at the Cookbook Nook. Her aunt Vera is putting up a sizable cash prize, and no one is more surprised than Jenna to discover there’s bad blood between Vera and the prominent puzzle constructor who’s acting as master of ceremonies. And when the puzzle guru has his throat slit while he’s out hiking, the police instantly peg Aunt Vera as the culprit. Jenna can't and won't stand by and watch her aunt take the fall for a murder she did not commit. I love this series and characters.
#PoachingIsPuzzling #NetGalley

Poaching is Puzzling by Daryl Wood Gerber is a visit back to Cookbook Nook, and Jenna and all her pals. They are in the midst of the annual Crossword Puzzle Tournament and Aunt Vera is one of the organizers. Both she and Jenna were still newlyweds and basking in it. Aunt Vera had been part of the crossword scene for years and has many friends, in town and out. All seemed to be going well until Jenna and Rhett found Wesley Preston, the puzzle master, dead on a trail in a nearby park. That kind of sent everyone reeling. Rhett knew better than to tell Jenna not to investigate, so he just hoped for the best and tried to be near here when he could. The amazing thing was that no one liked him very much so there were plenty of suspects. But, the tournament must go on, as did Jenna, who kept toe Cookbook Nook well stocked with cookbooks as well as crossword themed items.

The characters in this book are like old friends. We know all of them and how they got where they are in their loves. That is one of the hallmarks of a successful cozy series. Jenna is a good lead. She is clever, determined, and always at her best. She works well with her staff, Bailey her best friend, and Katie, who runs the Cook Cafe. She is aware Katie will probably move on one day, but for now she enjoys the people around her. She is a terrific character. So many suspects for the murder of this largely unimportant man. It made it all so much more difficult. It turned out to be a good solution. Yes, it was one of the people Jenna suspected. It was a mystery worthy of the series and of Jenna’s sleuthing skills. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Poaching is Puzzling by Beyond the Page Publishing, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #DarylWoodGerber #PoachingIsPuzzling

The annual crossword puzzle contest has drawn many contestants to Crystal Cove and while Jenna Hart is thrilled for the extra business at her store, the Cookbook Nook, she is surprised at the bad blood between the master of ceremonies and some of the contestants – and her beloved aunt Vera. When murder occurs and Vera is one of the suspects – Jenna knows she needs to clear her aunt’s name but will she be able to solve this puzzle?

“Poaching is Puzzling” is the nicely done twelfth book in Daryl Wood Gerber’s Cookbook Nook cozy mystery series. As a crossword puzzle fan I loved the theme of this book – I considered entering crossword puzzle contests in my younger days but, while I enjoy solving them, I’m not that good at it. The crossword puzzle contest setting gave plenty of suspects and I enjoyed reading the book and trying to figure out who the killer was. One word of caution – do not read this book while you are hungry! Food is a big part of this book and I swear I gained ten pounds just reading it!

“Poaching is Puzzling” is a nicely done cozy mystery.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This little jewel wad an amazing Cozy Mystery that you have to read! I cannot stop thinking about these characters and I absolutely adore Jenna! What a great cozy mystery series this is!! I can't wait for the next to come out!!
I just reviewed Poaching Is Puzzling by Daryl Wood Gerber. #PoachingIsPuzzling #NetGalley
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oooh crossword puzzle theme - word nerd heaven. Loved all the bits of trivia and I found out about some crossword puzzle types I had never heard of. I also appreciated the cast of characters at the front of the book. This is a fun and charming read. I received this as a complimentary copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Poaching is Puzzling by Daryl Wood Gerber is a diverting cozy mystery. We return to the scenic Crystal Cove, California where Jenna Hart and her Aunt Vera own the Cookbook Nook. The story is well-written with developed characters. This is a character driven series. Jenna is back as well as her Aunt Vera, her husband Rhett, Bailey, Kate, Cary as well as Tigger and Rook. I enjoyed the crossword puzzle theme for this story. There are daily crossword puzzles for the townspeople to solve, a crossword puzzle tournament, crossword themed merchandise (cookie jars for example), and the murder of a cruciverbalist (crossword puzzle designer). The death of Wesley Preston, a renowned crossword puzzle designer, puts Aunt Vera in the crosshairs of Chief of Police Cinnamon Pritchett. Aunt Vera asks Jenna to investigate. She knows that the crossword puzzle visitors and contestants will talk to Jenna because she speaks their language. There are multiple suspects in Wesley’s death. Wesley managed to antagonize several people in the days leading up to his death. Jenna asks questions, searches for helpful clues, and gets useful gossip. The whodunit can be solved before the reveal (the devil is in the details). The case is neatly wrapped up at the end (thanks to Jenna). I learned a couple of novel words while reading Poaching is Puzzling (like cruciverbalist and turophile) and I enjoyed the addition of the fifty cent words (my favorite type). There are details on how crossword puzzles are crafted along with the crossword puzzle trivia. I also learned about the different types of knives and their names (there is one for each type of cheese—soft, hard, smooth, and semi-hard). There is some repetition of minutiae (a pet peeve of mine). We get to spend time with the cutie Tigger and the clever Rook. I like that the author includes adorable furbabies in her books. I look forward to my next visit to Crystal Cove. Poaching is Puzzling is the twelfth A Cookbook Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but you will miss out on the background of the characters and how the couples came together. Poaching is Puzzling is a crossword centric cozy with clever conundrums, a slain cruciverbalist, enticing appetizers, luscious cheeses, a sparkly spirit staff, shrewd wordsmiths, and a triumphant tournament victor.

I come from a family of crossword puzzle lovers, the kind who did them in pen, never pencil, and were rarely stumped by the NYT. Only once did I have an answer that my mother couldn't figure out. I always came in dead last when it came to the family ranking. On top of that I am not a cook but I do love looking at cookbooks. This series and Poaching is Puzzling in particular, had me engaged from start to finish.
How could anybody entertain the notion that Aunt Vera could kill anyone? Turns out the police can when one of her childhood friends, Wesley, comes to town but will not be leaving alive. Wesley had a hidden side and that provided the motive for somebody else. He was in town to be the master of ceremonies for a big crossword puzzle event and was a well know constructor of crossword puzzles but he was in no way a very nice person. Jenna has a list of suspects to wade through as she works to save Aunt Vera from being fitted for an orange jump suit.
The small town setting, the cookbook book store as well as all of the other interesting and charming businesses in town make this a place I'd love to visit. The recurring characters are people I would like to have as friends. Put them in a well constructed and well researched mystery and this is the best sort of cozy.
My thanks to the publisher Beyond the Page and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.