Gina is embroiled in a murder mystery when her head chef is the chief suspect. This was lots of fun to read. The characters are engaging and there are twists enough to keep you guessing throughout.

I am really learning to enjoy cozy mysteries and this book is one of the reasons. When we think of a cafe that serves breakfast all day, we think comfort foot but there was nothing comfortable in the situation that Gia and her team found themselves in. Gia’s café seemed to be the place to meet for a small town full of interesting characters. With amicable chatter, good food and friendly staff, nothing prepared this team for the menace that was Rusty Bragge. He wanted to follow his normal path and destroy lives and livelihoods and he had just set his sights on the All-Day Breakfast Café. When he becomes the victim on a murderer, we learn that he lived like he died violently and even in death he tried to manipulate the situation.
The more we learn about the “victim”, the more suspects we find, and we soon realize that more than murder was on the menu in this well written cozy. It is difficult to have much sympathy for the vile and contemptable man who was murdered. Instead, we found ourselves feeling for the victims of his schemes and one of Gia’s own could have been on the list. The author did a nice job of creating a vile person who sought to sow destruction in his wake. Doing so, we are provided with multiple suspects, and a few read herrings to really keep us guessing as we eagerly turned the pages.
The author also did no skimp on levity adding a fun aspect to a cozy murder mystery. Gia may be chasing a murderer at work, but at home it was the four-footed forest dwellers that gave her a fun challenge. The raccoon in her car and the bear in her yard gave us a quick chuckle to lighten the mood. Oddly enough, the bear may just prove instrumental in the outcome.
While this book can be read stand alone, you will find yourself wanting to know about Gia’s past and the man she came to love as well as the clever side characters in the book. This is another cozy I am glad I read. I will be on the hunt for other books from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

BATTERED AND BURIED by Lena Gregory
The Seventh All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery

Gia Morelli strives to make every customer happy at her café, but it's not always easy. Rusty Bragge despises the food, the service, and everything about her café declaring she needs to shut down and return to New York! Gia soon learns Rusty has a history of destroying people and their businesses. He also has a history with her good friend and cook, Cole. A kayaking trip to try and get the nasty encounter out of her mind leads Mia and Trevor into the Ocala National Forest where they find Cole standing over Rusty's dead body. While she knows Cole could not have murdered the man, Cole has shut down and isn't talking. When it becomes obvious that someone is trying to frame him, Gia and her friends will use all their skills to uncover the killer.

While visiting the All-Day Breakfast Café is usually a relaxing comfortable visit with friends, in BATTERED AND BURIED my stomach was in knots thanks to Rusty Bragge and his vitriolic diatribe. I got increasingly nervous when I learned more about him and his plan to destroy the café. His death didn't even solve the problem. Though the café was probably safe, Cole's freedom was definitely up in the air.

It's a good thing that Gia is surrounded by close friends because a lot of unpleasant and downright nasty people turn up in the seventh All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery. Rusty is by far the worst of the bunch. He lies, cheats, and not only wants to win, but wants to utterly destroy his competition. Those associated with him aren't much better.

The mystery was finely crafted with a victim that everybody hated. So much was riding on solving this murder and I loved how everyone pulled together. I appreciate how real the characters are, with their pasts incorporating into their present, especially the ramifications of Savannah's trauma from the previous book in the series. Despite all the drama, there's plenty of comedy too, especially from a certain wily raccoon.

BATTERED AND BURIED is an emotional roller coaster highlighting the relationships of the characters as they do what they do best, solve murders and share great food. I look forward to visiting the All-Day Breakfast Café and spending more time with these friends.

Dollycas's Thoughts

We are back in Boggy Creek at Gia Morelli's All-Day Breakfast Cafe after a short time away. She is delighted to have realized her dream of owning a successful cafe where people love to gather for "good food, a cozy atmosphere, and to stoke the Boggy Creek rumor mill". Most of her customers are friendly and enjoy their time there but there is always someone that has to make a scene. Rusty Bragge was not happy with his food or the service and he seems to know her head cook, Cole. He finally leaves after making some threats but that wouldn't be the last Gia saw of him.

On a well-deserved day off Gia and her friend Trevor head down the Ocklawaha River, drifting along in their kayaks. She has become accustomed to seeing the monkeys and the gators but she watches carefully for the deadly water moccasins. She gets a pleasant surprise when they notice Cole and Cybil on the shore. Then they notice Cole is standing over a dead body. The dead body of Rusty Bragge.

Clues on the body point to Cole and the altercation at the cafe doesn't help. Gia knows Cole is no killer and even after the murder weapon is later found in the cafe, she is determined with a little help from her friends to prove his innocence. She plans to serve the real killer up on a silver platter for her fiance Captain Hunter Quinn and his partner Leo Dumont.

_____

The core characters of this series are a tight-knit group of people and when one of their own is in trouble they quickly band together to help. Savannah and Gia always make me smile. They are there for each other no matter what. Their romantic relationships are strong. Hunt and Leo know Gia and Samantha are going to get involved in their cases and work hard to keep them safe. I love Alfie, his skills are amazing, and he is quick to do anything to help solve the case. All of Ms. Gregory's characters are well-developed and continue to evolve as the series continues. She has created some wonderful pets for her characters too.

The author has written a fast-paced well-plotted mystery with several possible suspects and confounding clues. There was twist upon twist but I finally moved someone to the top of my own suspect list. That being said, I was surprised by how the showdown occurred and how fast the pages were turning. This is not the first time and I am sure it will not be the last that I found a book by Lena Gregory impossible to put down.

Battered and Buried is an excellent addition to this series. I am thrilled that this series has found a new home and that we will be able to continue to visit Boggy Creek and Gia and all her friends. I am very excited for their stories to continue.

I’m not sure if I’ve read any of the All Day Breakfast Cafe mysteries before Battered and Buried. I felt like I was able to follow the characters and storyline fine from the introductions the author provides to the main cast.
I enjoyed following the twists and turns of this mystery. There are classic elements of amateur sleuth having a member of law enforcement as their love interest. There are the pets, in this case a dog Thor and a kitten. One of the sleuth’s friends is the main suspect in the murder, so there is no way Gia isn’t getting involved.
The friendships in this book are solid and act a bit like a warm blanket. Friendships and these warm feelings are some of the main reasons I like cozy mysteries.
I am happy to recommend Battered and Buried as a fun cozy mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page publishing for the opportunity to read the book.

So many things to enjoy in Lena Gregory’s newest installment to her All-Day Breakfast Cafe cozy mystery series: Battered and Buried! First I do want to pause and say a big thank you to the author for including the character list at the start of the story. Can we get more of this in books?! So helpful as it had been a bit since I had dipped into this series.

Readers are not long into the story, when the mystery begins, and with Gia’s cook Cole as the main suspect for the awful business man Rusty, Gia is on full-powered sleuth mode, even forgoing sleep to find the true killer. Her determination is contagious, and I found myself quickly turning the pages as Gia and Savannah worked together. Lena also does a great job interspersing humor with the journey to solve the mystery.

I certainly had my suspicions of the true culprit, but couldn’t figure out why. No spoilers here, but that ending was super intense and brought great resolution to the story.

Aside from the mystery, what I loved most is the theme of found family throughout. Found family stories are my most favorite to read and when I read one I am so happy. Gia’s friends in this small town, far from her life in New York, have truly become her family. It is clear they all care deeply about each other and that’s such a lovely thing to read.

Battered and Buried is a cozy mystery by Lena Gregory, featuring café owner Gia Morelli. After stumbling upon a body, Gia and her friends are thrown into a whirlwind investigation, racing against time to uncover the truth and clear her friend’s name.

This book is a must read for cozy mystery readers. It is full of intrigue and well developed characters that you will love.

Excellent cozy mystery with great characters, an interesting mystery, and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I haven't read all the books in this series, but this one makes me want to go back and read the ones I've missed.
Highly recommend.

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

Gia Morelli owns an all-day breakfast cafe in the small town of Boggy Creek, Florida. When she goes kayaking with a friend on her day off, they discover a body -- and one of her friends and co-workers is a suspect in the murder. Gia goes to work with her friend Savannah to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read Battered and Buried because I enjoy Lena Gregory's cozy mystery series. She is one of my favorite authors in this genre.

I enjoy Gia's sleuthing. She and Savannah make a great team, even though Gia's fiancé and Savannah's husband are the police detectives in their families. There are several viable suspects, but Gia does a good job of solving the mystery ... and I enjoyed playing armchair detective to solve along!

As always, the pets in this mystery series add fun -- Thor, a Bernese Mountain dog and Klondike, a rescued kitten.

Gia's fiancé Hunt and her friends are great, and I also like the southern small town atmosphere in this series.

I recommend Battered and Buried for fans of cozy mysteries. This is a great series! I try to read all the books in Lena Gregory's All-Day Breakfast Cafe series and her Coffee & Cream Cafe series as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Battered and Buried is part of the All-Day Breakfast Café series, and my introduction to the series. The description grabbed my attention, as well as being a reader of Lena Gregory's other cozy mystery series, Bay Island Psychic, which I really enjoy. Battered and Buried met my expectations. The mystery was interesting and solid, the characters were great and got the story moving. I was really pulled into the book from the very first chapter. A very good cozy mystery!

When I first started Battered and Buried I didn’t know it was part of an already established series. It is in fact the 7th book in the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series. That being said and while there were definitely some references to events that must have happened in previous books in the series, this one can easily be read as a standalone, though I have no doubt those with previous knowledge of these characters will enjoy the story even more. When a rude customer complains about the food at her cafe, Gia Morelli has no idea how much trouble was about to come her way. You see that jerk of a customer actually has plans to open his own deli right across the street and also plans to serve all-day breakfast. She soon finds out that this man has a history of opening businesses, bad mouthing the competition/review bombing them and driving them out of business. He also happens to have history and bad blood with Cole, Gia’s friend and the cafe’s cook. And when he turns up dead Cole instantly becomes suspect numero uno! But Gia knows Cole is being setup and sets out to prove his innocence. This is a well plotted cozy mystery with a fun cast of characters. I definitely plan on going back to read the earlier books in the series. I’d like to thank Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Battered and Buried.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RT89QLOV20ROL/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Gia Morelli has finally realized her dream. Her café is thriving, she has good friends and life is good. Until Rusty Bragge comes to town and threatens Gia and her business. A few days later, Rusty is found dead and Gia’s chef, Cole Barrister is arrested for murder. Now Gia and Savannah try to figure out who did murder Rusty. And there is no shortage of suspects. Was it Rusty’s wife, who despised him? Or the city counsel woman who Rusty had bribed to change the zoning for his new business? Caleb Ryan, who was having an affair with Rusty’s wife or was it the woman Rusty was having an affair with? I couldn’t put this book down, read it in one sitting. Although it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone, but will also hook you into wanting to read the earlier books in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Battered and Buried is the seventh book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe mystery series by Lena Gregory. I started this series with book four, and you can easily read Battered and Buried as a standalone! I’ve loved every book I’ve read in this series, and Battered and Buried didn’t disappoint me.

I’m always happy to visit (and solve crimes) with Gia, Savannah, their significant others and the All-Day Breakfast Cafe crew and friends. The characters are well-written, and I’ve come to see them as friends! Their interactions are genuine as are their actions. Sure, not all cafe owners solve crimes, but this is a cozy mystery! One of my favorite characters is Alfie who is a computer genius. He knows how to get information legally…only just. And there are the adorable pets of course!

Battered and Buried has a well-plotted mystery with enough red herrings to make finding the murderer quite tricky! Since one of their own is a suspect, Gia and Savannah are extra motivated to find the killer. The suspects are all really plausible, and I couldn’t figure out whodunit until the end!

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with yummy breakfast food, great characters,and a puzzling mystery, you’ll love Battered and Buried! I give it five big stars!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I am GIDDY to be back at the All-Day Breakfast Cafe with Gia and Savannah and Cole and Leo and Hunt and Alfie and Trevor and Cybil and Harley and Earl and Thor … and all the wonderful people that make up Gia’s inner circle. I have missed these characters and the cafe, and it was just such a delight to dive back in and feel right at home once more.

I’ve loved Cole since he first showed up at the cafe, and I quickly came to admire his steadiness of spirit and loyal support of Gia. In Battered and Buried, he’s the one in the crosshairs of the murder investigation, so Gia was deeply invested in solving this murder – and so was I! The victim is an odious man who takes great pleasure in wrecking people’s livelihoods, so there is no shortage of plausible suspects who hated him enough to want to do him in. Which means Gia and Savannah (and Alfie too) have their hands full trying to narrow it down to the correct perpetrator before anyone else winds up dead… including themselves. I had my suspicions of the murderer’s identity early on but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been any other of the suspects instead. One thing I’ve learned about this author’s books is that I shouldn’t assume I’m right about whodunit because I usually change my mind three or four times before all is said and done.

Bottom Line: Pull up a stool and join the All-Day Breakfast Cafe for a clever mystery that’s very personal to Gia and the family she’s built for herself in Boggy Creek. I absolutely loved being back with these charming characters who feel like dear friends and it was fun to tag along as they attempt to save their friend from being framed for murder. The author’s writing voice is warm and engaging, as always, and I read this in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. Battered and Buried by Lena Gregory is perfect for fans of Maddie Day, Lynn Cahoon, and Gayle Leeson!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

What do you do when you find your head cook standing over the body of your newest enemy? If you are Gia, you start investigating to find the real culprit even when all signs point to your employee and friend, Cole, being the murderer. This is the 7th book and my first read of this series. I enjoyed this book a lot. The setting of the All-Day Breakfast Cafe and all the friends that work together there is wonderful. The characters are all interesting and the relationships are honest and feel real I was easily able to figure out the main characters and what they did without reading the previous books (which I will now be doing). All in all, a fun read with an interesting crime.

Battered & Buried
(All Day Cafe 7)
Lena Gregory




Gia Morelli an NYC transplant, is the owner of the All Day Cafe in Boggy Creek, Florida. She arrives at work late with a full cafe. Her relief cook Cole Barrister gets harassed by a customer who turns out to really be the man opening a new sandwich business across the street. Rusty Bragge.

The next day Trevor and Gia go kayaking through the Ocala Forest, where they come upon Cybil and Cole. While hiking they happened to find Rusty lying dead! Sadly, as an old adversary of Cole’s the police

Park ranger Wade Erickson is on the scene almost immediately, he attempts to arrest Cole for the murder. Luckily, Leo and Hunt arrive to take over the case. Unfortunately, Cole is taken to the police station to answer questions. Gia heads back to the cafe to call a war council. After discussing the situation Savannah and Gia leave to speak with Amanda the new widow. They come upon her and Caleb having a business argument.

It’s been about 5 months since Hunter and Gia became engaged. Savannah and Trevor are anxious to begin planning the wedding. Gia is working hard to find a cold blooded murderer, so Cole doesn’t end up with more trouble. Hunt and Leo are on the case trying to clear Cole, keep the girls safe, and find a killer, and attempted murderer!

Lies, bribery, revenge, and ex’s… Oh my!
This is one rinse cycle that’s going to need a few extra spins to get this mess clean.

5*****
I missed Gia and the gang while they were on hiatus! This is a wonderful book without any profanity. The mystery was good but I return again and again for the characters. The ways they interact and the progress of their stories.
I love that a cast of characters was included to make it easier for new readers. This also makes it easier for long term readers as the author doesn’t have to reflect so much on past events in prior stories.

An interesting and fun cozy with good characters and an engaging mystery. The story flows easily and you quickly feel like you would love to settle in for a cozy chat and a good breakfast at the cafe where everyone in town is sure to stop by. I haven't read any other in the series but you don't have to understand what is going on or to connect with the characters. I will be sure to stop by for more of this delicious series soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Cole is the prime suspect in a murder, Gia and the gang will leave no stone unturned to clear his name. No matter how guilty he looks, the gang knows that Cole is being framed. Can they solve the case before one of them becomes the next notch in the murderer’s belt?

I really enjoy this series. Gia has really evolved and faced her internal demons over time and, along with the mysteries, this makes each and every book a most enjoyable read.

Gia runs a diner and she has a patron who very loudly trashed her food. Come to find out her head cook (Gary) knows the guy and Gia finds out that he is planning on opening his own diner not far from hers. She learns that this is his MO to trash his competition and then open his place, only to run it into the ground. On her day off, she is kayaking with a friend when they come across her head cook standing over the jerks body. Gary soon becomes the prime suspect.

The cozy is fun and has a few twists and turns in the plot. It is a nice escape.

Battered and Buried by Lena Gregory is the next in a really fun series, featuring Gia and her best, bud, Savannah who run a cafe in Florida, is a huge change from New York. Gia had had a very tough time there until Savannah convinced her to relocate and it had been nothing but good. Well, except for the raccoon who kept tearing up her garbage and was now trapped in her car. She had friends, was engaged to a lovely man who had wanted her enough that he waited until she was ready, and she had her cafe. Then, one morning a man came in and complained, at the top of his lungs. He was rude and unreasonable. Cole, her cook, came out to back her up until the police arrived, and it turned out he knew the jerk. Then, sadly, the next day he discovered his “friend” murdered and he was the main suspect. Now everyone knew he would never kill anyone but the evidence was mounting up. Was he being framed?

Gia couldn’t let it go. She and Savannah were creative and intelligent investigators, although neither her fiance (a police detective) or Savannah’s husband( also a detective) were happy with their antics. The dead man had a girl friend, but slept also with a friend of his wife’s. The wife had a boyfriend. There was a lot going on here. Meanwhile, the cafe was busy, Cole wasn’t always there, and Gia and Savannah were off following leads. Their friend, Alfie, was a computer genius and found things, mostly legally, that broke the case wide open. It was a good mystery, although there was foreshadowing aplenty. I never did get a good feel for the murderer’s motive, but all’s well that ends well. Thank you Lena Gregory for another fun visit with Gia and the gang.

I was invited to read Battered and Buried by Beyond the Page Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #LenaGregory #BatteredAndBuried