Maya Corrigan has created another amazing addition to her Five Ingredient murder mystery series, A Parfait Crime. In this story, Val and her granddad set out to solve a series of murders that starts with arson and ends during a dress rehearsal of Agatha Christie’s famous mystery play, The Mousetrap. Ms. Corrigan gives each of the new characters a great backstory and adds new depth to the regular cast of characters with every story. This helps tell the tale and move the plot along. I have enjoyed getting to know Val, her granddad, and Val’s friends thru these nine books. In this story we see romance added to the plot with Val and her boyfriend, Bram being a little more at the forefront which is a fun addition. And as always the recipes at the end of the book are a nice bonus. If you’re looking for a cozy murder mystery for the fall this is the perfect book.

Another awesome mystery in this series that’s also packed with some great-sounding food. I’m so proud of how far Granddad’s come with his cooking and his column. The name Codger Cook always cracks me up! I love his character and his crazy way of sleuthing, but hey sometimes he might be right. I guess Val figured there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of the two of them might be right about whodunit.

The showdown was really cool especially when more about it was revealed. Never underestimate the power of these seniors! They knew exactly what they needed to do to solve this case, and they did. I thought the ending was super sweet and now I’m eager to see what happens next in the series!

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

A Parfait Crime is book #9 in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series by Maya Corrigan.

I enjoy catching up with Val and her Granddad. There are plenty of red herrings to keep Val and her grandfather on their toes trying to figure out who the guilty party is. It kept me guessing! I liked how it all wrapped up and look forward to the next book.
I can’t wait to try the baked rigatoni and baked fish.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

EXCERPT: 'Who'd want to kill Jane? She was cheerful and kind, a lovely person.'
Bram cleared his throat. 'We only saw Jane's public face.' He stopped and looked down, as if deciding how much more to say. 'Behind closed doors, her life might have been unhappy. He paused again and took a deep breath. 'In the storeroom adjacent to her kitchen was a chest freezer the size and shape of a coffin. It had only one thing in it - a dead body.'

ABOUT 'A PARFAIT CRIME': Set in a quaint Chesapeake Bay town, the latest novel in Maya Corrigan’s Five-Ingredient Mysteries brings back café manager Val Deniston and her recipe columnist grandfather – a sleuthing duo that shares a Victorian house, a love of the culinary arts, and a talent for catching killers.

At the site of a fatal blaze, Val’s boyfriend, a firefighter trainee, is shocked to learn the victim is known to him, a woman named Jane who belonged to the local Agatha Christie book club—and was rehearsing alongside Val’s grandfather for an upcoming Christie play being staged for charity. Just as shocking are the skeletal remains of a man found in the freezer. Who is he and who put him on ice?

After Val is chosen to replace Jane in the play, the cast gathers at their house to get to work—and enjoy Grandad’s five-ingredient parfaits—but all anyone can focus on is the bizarre real-life mystery. When it’s revealed that Jane’s death was due to something other than smoke inhalation, Val and Grandad try to retrace her final days. As they dig into her past life, their inquiry leads them to a fancy new spa in town—where they discover that Jane wasn’t the only one who had a skeleton in the cooler . . .

Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!

MY THOUGHTS: Although this is the 9th mystery in this series and the first that I have read, I had no trouble at all with the characters or the plot. There is a complete mystery in each book and none of the relationships are complicated. This is a lovely, quick, easy read and I will be looking for more books both in this series and by this author.

Really, I can find nothing to fault in this book. It moves along at a good pace, the characters are well fleshed out, and the mystery is a good one based loosely around Agatha Christies The Mousetrap, to which there are many references throughout the story. The romance occupies a small place in the plot and doesn't overwhelm it. The writing flows beautifully and naturally including the dialogue.

A Parfait Crime is an absolute pleasure to read, and I will definitely be trying out the recipes included, especially the Tiramisu Parfait! I'll also be trying to replicate the Pina Colada smoothie. That sounds absolutely divine!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#AParfaitCrime #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Maya Corrigan blends her love of food and detective stories in her Five-Ingredient Mystery series set in a fictional historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Before taking up a life of crime (on the page), she taught university courses in writing, detective fiction, American literature, and drama. She won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mainstream Mystery / Suspense. Her short stories, written under the name of Mary Ann Corrigan, have been published in anthologies.

When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Her website features trivia about food and mysteries.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of A Parfait Crime by Maya Corrigan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.

A PARFAIT CRIME is the ninth book in the Five-Ingredient Mysteries by Maya Corrigan. If you’re a fan of Dame Agatha Christie, you’ll be a fan of this newest addition to the series! With the stage play, “The Mousetrap”, the focal point of the mystery, protagonist Val Deniston and her grandfather take part in a local production after one of the cast members is murdered. One of the many things I love about this series are the characters. Val and her granddad, Don, are roomies and great friends. Their close relationship is built on love and respect for each other, which reflects how they treat other people which is refreshing in today’s society. They rely on each other as they investigate, each bringing their own strengths to tracking down clues. They, along with the cast of supporting characters, are people you’d love to hang out with and call your friends.

As much as this is a character-driven book, Ms. Corrigan doesn’t forget that a murder mystery is the purpose of the book. A shocking discovery starts the story off with a bang and continues with twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. I also appreciated how the author touches on the personal psychological trauma emergency responders face when they can’t save victims, especially of those who are known to them. It brings a gravity to the storyline that can often be missing in cozy mysteries. There are plenty of clues for the armchair detective to follow and with the reveal, all my questions were answered in a highly satisfactory manner. I’m looking forward to the next book with eager anticipation!

A Parfait Crime
(Five Ingredient Mystery 9)
Maya Corrigan



Val Deniston and Grandpa Myer are back!

Bayport is the scene of a fatal house fire. Bram, Val’s boyfriend is a rookie firefighter, with the town's volunteer department. He arrives late for family dinner and has to tell them about the fatality. Found with Jane, in a freezer is an unknown male skeleton. Shocking everyone!

Val, a health club cafe manager is roped in by her best friend Bethany, granddad, Dorothy, and even Bram himself into accepting a role in the play! She is playing Molly, in her new role in Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. Replacing Jane Johnson turns out to be more difficult than first thought. Granddad decides to invite the group for rehearsals and continue Jane’s tea service.

The more Val and Grandpa learn about Jane, the more curious and determined they become to bring her killer to justice. Sadly, it looks like Mrs. Christie might be needed to solve the crime!

I wholeheartedly loved this book! Heck, I’ve already re-read it twice. I think it may be my favorite of the series. The five recipes included also look interesting.
5*****
For anyone wondering...Yes, Paris is still on!!!

Recipes: Baked Fish, Jerk Chicken, and Rigatoni are the mains. Dessert is a Parfait as expected, Tiramisu, and a Berry smoothie.


Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

#AParfaitCrime #MayaCorrigan #Cozy #FoodThemed #5Ingredients #Chesapeake #Mousetrap #stageplay #AgathaChristie

“It was a mousetrap.”

Outing number nine for Val and the Codger Cook has a sound mystery and thrilling conclusion but it simply felt a bit long and repetitive when as our sleuths seem to endlessly go over the same theories without any evidence to support them for a good portion of a book. I wanted to love it, I really did yet I’ll be tuning in for the next installment because it looks like change is on the horizon for Val and her grandfather.

An enjoyable addition to Maya Corrigan’s Five-Ingredient Mysteries. I had fun reading along as Val and her grandpa came up with five-ingredient recipes (well, grandpa likes to modify Val's recipes), rehearse for Christie's play, The Mousetrap, and try to solve a murder or two. The twists and turns kept me interested throughout the whole book.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This is the third book in this series I've read, and I've had varied reactions to them. I think this one's pretty good! The main character, Val, is relatable, and the rest of the cast is colorful. Although it's not a book that will stick with me a long time, it's an enjoyable read. The whole Readers' Theater bit works well for bringing together a group of people and getting them into the theater and to various places for rehearsal. The new spa is again a good vehicle for bringing in several characters and dramatic events. A few cozies I've read recently basically just have people going from scene to scene asking questions. In A Parfait Crime, Val and the others are taking a lot more action than that, which I appreciate it. The solution works out logically and doesn't leave any loose ends. A good book to read while curled up with a smoothie :>)

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

Val and her grandfather, alongside her romantic interest Bram, find themselves investigating a death that wasn't caused by the fire in the place she was found. I always struggle with this series because of its setting in an alleged town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (because there are so many opportunities missed with the real atmospherics of the Eastern Shore) but this time it hit one of the tropes I least enjoy- the community theater. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Points to Corrigan for growing her characters and for the recipes but I ultimately opted to DNF.

A Parfait Crime is the ninth book in the five-ingredient mystery series. A woman is killed in a house fire and a dead body is found in her freezer. Val and her granddad once again put their sleuthing skills to use to find a murderer. Overall I enjoyed this book, but some chapters felt a little slow and repetitive. I guessed who the murderer was early on. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC to read and review.

A Five-Ingredient Mystery #9

Val Deniston and her Grandfather, the original five ingredient recipe guy, are back at the cafe’ in their cute little town.

Val and her grandfather live together in a Victorian house and share a love for cooking and catching killers.

When a fire kills one of the actors for a play, everyone is shocked, until they find a body in the freezer. Now there are a couple of mysteries to solve.

As everyone gathers at Val’s place to discuss the mystery, they find out the woman died before the fire! With things getting stranger and stranger, Val and Grandpa are going to have to dig deep to find that Jane isn’t the only person keeping a body in the freezer!

Always a good time here. And of course there are recipes.

Netgalley/ Kensington Cozies October 24, 2023

series, amateur-sleuth, firefighters, friendship, family, local-law-enforcement, murder-investigation, cooking, cookbook, cozy-mystery, Maryland, caterer, gossip, small-town, small-business, siblings, secrets, unputdownable, amateur-theatre, recipes, spa, threats, suspense*****

Who was the skeleton in the freezer of the burned house with the body of a familiar woman in it?
The dead woman was a popular actor in local theater and there are more questions each chapter. Lots of friends help with providing and dissecting gossip as Val and Grandpa dig into the pasts of everyone relevant. Excellent sleuthing with some really inventive twists and red herrings.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!

Val lives with her grandfather in the house he's owned forever, and they're both happy with the arrangement. When Val learns that there's been a fire and her boyfriend Bram has been fighting it alongside others, she's worried. But more so because both he and Grandad knew the victim -- a woman named Jane Johnston, who was in the play both of them were rehearsing. But then there's a complication -- Val learns that Jane may have found a person who got away with a crime, and she was not happy about it. This person works at the new spa in town, and Val wonders who it is and what crime was committed...

So begins a tight tale of murder, exposed crimes, vengeance, and suspicion. It's woven tightly and with the threads difficult to unravel. Just as Val and her grandfather think they've found one clue; another red herring pops up to move them in a different direction. Or does it? Are they being manipulated intentionally? Or are there just that many things occurring at the same time?

When Val is roped into playing Jane's part, she meets the other people in the play, and it appears to her that they might have secrets of their own. In fact, they may have known what Jane knew, so are they suspects or potential victims?

This time, Val might be playing a dangerous game with others' lives without even knowing it, and will she be able to figure it out in time? Or will her personal life keep her on her toes, as Bram has been leaving small hints himself when he speaks to her. Val knows one thing -- if there's been one murder, there could very likely be two -- or three. Will she be able to prevent them or will she be a victim herself?

This is a delightful mystery, one that pulls you in from the death in the beginning to all the clues scattered throughout. Ms. Corrigan is talented enough that she can weave a tale that keeps you guessing, and hoping that you have everything right. After all, half the reason you read mysteries is to see if you can solve it before the protagonist. Even if you do, you might not have the right answers as to why the murder was committed. When we come to the end, and the murderer is revealed, it all turns into a very good mystery that kept me reading throughout the night. I love this series, I love the author, and the story (and the others) are written well with plots that are indeed worth it all. Highly recommended.

The ninth book in the Five Ingredient mystery series. It's as fresh and exciting as book one! The characters are well developed and have become so dear to my heart. Loved the story plot. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I highly recommend this series to cozy readers!! Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is the ninth book in the series. Val Deniston and her grandfather are joined by local friends and acquaintances in researching the death of a community actor.

Val’s boyfriend, Bram, is a firefighter trainee. He is shocked to learn the victim of a recent fire call is known to him. Jane belonged to the local Agatha Christie book club and was rehearsing alongside Val’s grandfather and himself for an upcoming Christie play being staged for charity.

Val is cast to replace Jane Johnson in the play. She, Bram, and her grandfather are investigating her death and a body found in a large freezer.

This is a well-plotted and crafted mystery. I enjoyed the characters, the method of death, and trying to figure out who did it and were the deaths connected.

When a woman who was in a play with Grandpa dies in a fire, Val replaces her in the Christie play. When it comes to light that the woman didn’t die from smoke inhalation, the whole cast becomes involved in their own hometown mystery. Can they figure it out, or will they be the nexts ones on ice?

Come for the five ingredient recipes, but stay for the mystery! It’s awesome! I love the Bay area as I spent a big part of my life in the DelMarVa area. Each book in this series not only feeds my cozy love, but it feeds my soul for a little time back East…and fans the fuels of my blue crab craving! It’s a win, win, win in my book!

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

This is book nine in his endearing cozy mystery series with likable charachters and a fun sleuth. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Val and her savvy Grandpa are back to solve a crime of a body found in a burned house and another body found in a freezer. The clues abound as they conduct what if scenerios and interview locals to determine motive and suspects. The clues build around a local play that Val becomes involved in as replacing the dead person from the house. Grandpa is busy serving up wonderful treats to all the actors as they work together to solve this complex crime. A enjoyable read and fun sleuth . I look forward to the next in series.

I enjoyed this book. I did find parts of the book slow, as they just kept going around on different theories and nothing is happening. I did know the cause of death for one without the explanation and guessed the other. I did also guess correctly who the killer is, I’m surprised that the book sleuths didn’t figure it out earlier. #AParfaitCrime #NetGalley