small-business, small-town, local-law-enforcement, recipes, restaurant, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, pregnancy, wedding-anniversary****

A number of universities have bed races, Wisconsin had a coffin race this past Halloween, but this creative mind had an outhouse race in southern Indiana! Robbie and Abe own and operate a country store named Pans 'n Pancakes with lodgings upstairs for a few guests. A corpse fell out of their entry (outhouse) at the beginning of the race, and that made for a whole lot of trouble for several residents. Great characters and a cohesive mystery plot are the best assets. Add in the concerns and lingo of the characters which are classic small town everywhere, the problems of the small business owner (who is the central character) and a lot of witticisms. Great but quick read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!

I'll say it up front. This might have been four stars, except for the stupid title and deep fryer emphasis. When an author tells you before the book that the murder has nothing to do with that--"We loved the title so much we had to use it." Lord. And then the deep fryer keeps popping up in irrelevant mentions throughout the book and even in the finale. Just no.

Other than that, the story and plotting were fine. But I was so distracted by the damn deep-fryer. Honestly.

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

In “Deep Fried Death”, the latest Country Store Mystery by Maddie Day, Pans 'N Pancakes-owner Robbie Jordan finds herself on the suspect list when a body falls out of her outhouse entry at the start of an Outhouse Race. Robbie is anxious to clear her name but is being very careful because she is pregnant and will do anything she can to protect her unborn child. But will that be enough to catch a killer?

I really enjoyed this book! I love the Country Store/Restaurant setting – I get hungry just reading these books and wish Pans 'N Pancakes really existed so I could go there to eat! I love the way the characters have grown over the course of the series – the changes continue in this book and are nicely done. The mystery itself is well done with plenty of suspects – I wasn’t overly surprised when the killer was revealed but I did think there were a couple of loose ends that I wish had been tied into the mystery. Finally, I was seriously impressed with the way Robbie acted when the killer was about to be revealed – she was the total opposite of a Too Stupid To Live Character and did everything right – kudos to Maddie Day for a great way of handling the situation.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

A dead body in a Porta-potty! Robbie didn't kill her rival (although, really, heinous person) and neither did her brother in law or her husband but who did? That's the question that frames this latest in a long running series that will be fine as a standalone. The plot might be sort of familiar to fans of the genre but Day has done a great job of world and character building. This time out, Robbie's pregnant and thinking about the future even as she works with Buck and the gang to get answers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. And- recipes!

From one of the best cozy mystery writers out there. How funny is an outhouse race? Funny until Robbie and gang have a body fall out of their entry. Characters are rich and well developed. The story plot moves smoothly and the reader will be kept guessing. Another excellent addition to this awesome series. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Only in Southlick would you find an outhouse race. And as participants into this race, Robbie and her team have an entry of their own. While they’ve set up for the race, when they return the next day, for the actual event, a body falls out of their outhouse. Now with their outhouse, leaving them in deep Doodoo as suspects, Robbie and the gang, I need to figure out who done it, otherwise, she may end up giving birth in the jail house.

I adore this series, as I do all series written by Maddie Day. With a strong female protagonist, vintage, cookware, and tons of red herrings, this series never disappoints. If you haven’t read a book by Maddie day, yet, each one reads fine t as a standalone, so give it a read and k ow you’ll want seconds and thirds in this series once you do!

Another great cozy mystery from Maddie Day. I love the characters in this series.
Robbie and Abe are building their happy life together when, without warning, Robbie and her team literally stumble on a body. There are a lot of suspects and motives, but when Robbie gets a bit close for the killer's liking, things turn a little scary for her.
This is a light, easy read with awesome characters, a plot that kept me guessing, and a whole lot of delicious food. Completely enjoyable.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maddie Day is a new to me author and this is the first cozy mystery I have read of hers. Set in South Lick Indiana, the author had me guessing who the murderer was. I enjoyed the book and will look for more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

This is the twelfth book in the Country Store Mystery by Maddie Day. While positioning their outhouse entry in the upcoming race, the body of Evermina Martin of the Miss South Lick Diner, tumbles out. The police are called and the investigation begins.

Robie is pregnant but feels the need to clear herself, her team, and her diner. There is a list of potential suspects and plenty of twists to keep you reading.

Let the fun begin. Grab a glass of tea and enjoy the read!

I like the characters’ interactions, the sense of friendship and feel of family when I read this series. I also enjoy not having to yell at the sleuth not to do whatever action might place her in danger. Everyone knows Robbie Jordan does not seek to place herself in danger but she has a strong sense for the truth.

I was given an advanced e-copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

Cozy mystery number 12 in Maddie Day's latest Country Store Mystery series. "Deep Fried Death" is a great read.

Deep Fried Death is the latest mystery in Maddie Day's Country Store Cozies, and in this chaotic porta-potty race (yep, you heard me), Robbie finds another dead body, and it's her charming eatery's newest competitor. Did someone she love kill the woman? No, but it seems like another case of the cops wanting to harass the poor Indiana woman. Day invokes wonderful middle-of-the-country charm and clever relationships that keep readers loving the series. I always get hungry. I always want to open a B&B. And I always want to solve crimes. That's the motivation these books provide me. And I look forward to the next one.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Deep Fried Death is the 12th book in this series and I am so happy this series is still ongoing as it's one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Deep Fried Death was another great read and I really enjoyed it. This series just feels so familiar and starting a new book makes me feel cozy and comfortable.

Robbie gets involved in another mystery when at the start of the outhouse race she's participating in a dead body falls out of her outhouse. The killer seems to try and frame Robbie and then the older brother of her husband is a suspect as well, so Robbie can't help but get involved. The mystery was a solid one with some suspects and some questions surrounding everything. I would've liked a bit more progress at times and details towards the end, but I enjoyed following Robbie as she investigates. I thought the motive was a bit on the weaker side, but the resolution and wrap up was well done. I also appreciated how she's more careful now that she's pregnant and does her best not to get in danger.

My favorite part of this series is reading about Robbie, her store, her employees and all her other friends and family. It's just such a cozy read and I have fun seeing what Robbie and the rest cook up in her restaurant and how her business goes. The progression and changes in Robbie's life throughout the series is fun and I like seeing what's going on in her life now. Seeing her relationship with her husband Abe as well as his son Sean going well is great. And I also like how she treats and interacts with her employees.

To summarize: This series is still going strong and is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. The mystery was a solid one and I liked seeing it all play out. I would've liked a bit more progression at times and details at the end. I also thought the motive felt a bit weak, but I liked seeing everything fall on it's place. I enjoy reading about Robbie and how she investigates and also appreciated how she's extra careful in this one as she's pregnant. I like reading about Robbie's daily life and her restaurant and how she interacts with other characters. Another awesome read and I look forward to the next one!

Pans & pancakes have entered a submission into the outhouse races to advertise the restaurant. When at the beginning of the race the body of a rival restauranter falls out of the outhouse, Robbie finds herself as a suspect. As she asks questions of others who had problems with the victim, she finds not everyone is as they seem.

This was an interesting addition to the series. As Robbie is pregnant things are changing and the way she has to do things are changing as well. It will be interesting to see what happens after the baby comes.

#DeepFriedDeath #NetGalley featuring Robbie Jordan is an exciting addition to this series by Maddie Day.
Robbie owns Pans N' Pancakes, a well known restaurant in South Lick, Indiana.
Robbie is enjoying her pregnancy, well, not the morning sickness, but her apparent love for the baby she's carrying is apparent throughout the book.
It's time for the Memorial Day Outhouse Race, and even though she's got a lot on her plate, she's excited to participate with her employees.
After a rough start, the teams are ready to roll their outhouses to victory, but for the Pans N' Pancakes gang, things take a horrible turn when a body falls out their entry.
Robbie is horrified to find out it was the body of a new business owner, one who seemed determined to badmouth Robbie's restaurant.
The suspect list is long, but with the help of the fantastic duo of Buck and Wanda Bird, Robbie cautiously asks questions, while avoiding the killer at all costs.
I'm very happy to recommend this book to others .
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

This was fun cozy mystery with real-life characters and situations. This is the first book in this series that I’ve read and I had no trouble understanding where everyone fit in. The story was also very believable. I sorta had the murderer figured out about 2/3 of the way through, but wasn’t certain. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a good cozy mystery. As a side note, the victim’s first name is Evermina. I’m not sure how the author came up with that but I love it! I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Maddie Day's Country Store Mystery series is my favorite cozy series and, once again, this 12th installment does not disappoint. In fact, it's probably one of my favorite books in the series.

Here, Robbie, the owner of South Lick Indiana's country diner, Pans and Pancakes, along with her employees, are preparing for the outhouse race on the raceday, when the dead body of a rival diner owner falls out of the Pans and Pancakes outhouse.

Surprisingly, Robbie takes a very cautious approach and tries not to get involved but, as always, she does.

A very enjoyable mystery with terrific characters. A top notch cozy.

Highly recommended!!

This series is one on my favorites. Robbie and her crew enter the outhouse races. Much to their surprise on the morning of the race, a dead body is found in their outhouse. Of course, Robbie has to investigate, but her investigation is toned down a bit since she is expecting a baby. Many of the local characters from previous books appear in this one. Robbie's husband has a background appearance as he is changing job and studying for a promotion. Lots of humor, some recipes, and fun. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Deep Fried Death by Maddie Day is a great cozy mystery that is the 12th book in the Country Store Mystery series.

I have read all pf the previous books and novellas in this series, and it is always great to visit South Lick, Indiana again.

I really like Robbie and this series, and the murder/mystery was fun and entertaining, however this was not one of the strongest books in this collection. That being said, it still was am entertaining culinary, small-town cozy mystery and I am looking forward to the next book.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/26/23.

Deep Fried Death is apparently the twelfth book in the series but the first I have read. I did not have trouble starting with this story and keeping up with the overall arc. Maddie Day moved to Nashville , Indiana and started the Pans ’N Pancakes country store. This year the store has created their own outhouse entry for the outhouse race in a local festival. As Maddie and her workers push the outhouse to the starting line they hit a bump and out tumbles a dead body. The victim is one of Maddie’s competitors in the cooking industry who tried to ruin Maddie’s business. Now Maddie is determined to find a killer before she’s charged or any harm comes to her unborn child. The mystery is not unpredictable but the characters and the story come together in a way for an entertaining cozy that is easy to read. I will go back and check out previous books in this series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I had never heard of Abe Martin, and the outhouse race was a unique and fascinating setting for the crime. Robbie gets pulled into the murder investigation when her race entry is used as the hiding place for a dead body. The plot thickens when she learns that the victim was a rival diner owner who had made putting Robbie out of business her mission.

Despite the evidence, Robbie is offended at the mere suggestion that she could be a suspect and goes out of her way to prove her innocence.

Robbie is way too aggressive with the police in this book, almost to the point of impeding their investigation. Her new rule of not allowing the police to conduct their business in her establishment is awfully convenient, considering the fact that she breaks her own rule several times when asking for information about the case.

I have read all of the novels and short stories in this series, so I have a pretty good understanding of the characters. Having said that, I am not sure what to make of Robbie in this novel. Robbie is pregnant, which we learned at the end of the previous book. I lost track of the number of times she reminded people of that fact throughout the story. It reminded me of a podcast episode in which the hosts referred to a character in a show as “I’m pregnant!” since that was her defining characteristic. I hope Robbie does not head down that path.