A cozy murder mystery set in a soul food cafe in Chicago. Lots of bad men doing bad things and Savvy has to solve the murders. An interesting take.

Thank-you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This murder mystery included a great deal of character development and history. The main character was likeable and had a complicated backstory with a favorable outcome.

At times it seemed I was reading a script. This would translate well into a movie.

Four ⭐️

3.5 ⭐

This was a fun debut cozy mystery. There were times it did feel a bit slow and there were a lot a lot of characters to keep track off. But I enjoyed reading it especially with all the food mentioned.

I loved that there were recipes included from the story at the end and can't wait to try to make them soon!

A cozy mystery novel full of suspense. I enjoyed the story snd the representation of this book. That is always important to me when reading. I did find the beginning a bit slow to start, but with a lot of mysteries you have to build the plot and that takes time.

Thank you Netgally for this e-ARC
Pub Date: Jul 29 2025

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes was a delightful mystery with a perfect mix of humor, heart, and suspense. Savvy is a fantastic protagonist—quick-witted, determined, and relatable, especially as she navigates the challenges of keeping her soul food café afloat while solving a murder. The small-town setting and quirky characters, like her assistant manager Penny, added so much charm to the story. The mystery itself kept me guessing, and I loved the unexpected twists. It was a fun, fast-paced read that I couldn’t put down! Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a touch of sass and soul.

Rating: 3.5 rolled up to 4

This book sets itself apart from the other cozy mysteries in a few ways. It is set in the South Side of Chicago with a divorced and widowed 50s Black woman as the main character, you know off the bat this will not be your typical mystery, just in case you didn’t get it from the title. Unlike other cozy mysteries that dribble the character backstories throughout the series, we are given a lot of it upfront character development. Keep that in mind as you read and wonder “when are they going to get to the investigating”. Plus there isn’t a love triangle, though there is some will she/won’t she.

A minor thing for me was the dialogue for Savvy didn’t seem to match the person show would correct others (if only in her head) due to her past career as an English teacher.

The ending was a bit of a surprise but as I look back it is not out of the realm of possibilities, just wasn’t one I thought of.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

This was good but a little slow for me. I liked the setting and cooking background - those type cozies are always a must read for me. This was a fun one - great title.

The title of this one alone is what actually had me picking up this cozy food mystery but once I realized Savvy Summers was the name of the heroine I knew that I had to read and that I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't and I loved the book.

This was very interesting : the language. was hard for this white girl to read but I muddled Thue. Good story line . Guess family is the same for all of us humans. I'll read another book by author! But I like sweet Potato Pie!

First in a new culinary cozy series.

Savvy Summers runs a soul food cafe & when Grandy Jaspers, a 75yr old regular at her cafe dies there--right after she catered an event for Grandy & his wife of 50 years & people start blaming her food, Savvy figures she better find out what's up before her beloved business goes belly up.
Add in a secondary plot-line about urban development & purchasing of all the plots of land surrounding Savvy's cafe & this was a very busy title-sometimes a bit too busy.

There were lots of characters to keep track of between the main mystery, the secondary mystery and adding Savvy's ex-husband to the mix with a will she/won't she get back together with him. I'm voting for 'won't she' myself as much as I liked the ex as a character.

The mystery kept me guessing all the way to the end which was a big plus as I was shocked by the reveal but not in a OMG can you believe the author pulled that BS. It was believable & satisfying & I was glad the bad guy or guys (not to give anything away) got their just desserts.

I'll be looking for the next in the series for sure!

Thanks to St Martins/Minotaur & netgalley for a review copy.

I love mystery stories like this! Love! I did feel like there was some character soup going on at times but I was still captivated by the story and enjoying the reveal at the end.

A light hearted mystery that is set in South side of Chicago. But when a neighbor mysterious and suddenly dies the town is set into a flurry.

This was a fun mystery! I felt this debut was well written and mysterious enough to keep me reading. Thanks for this opportunity!

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a new cozy series with a sassy and interesting protagonist in her fifties. Savvy Summers opened Essie's soul food cafe in Chicago and serves up some tasty sweet potato pies to her customers. When not one but two of her regulars drop dead and people try to link it to her sweet potato pies, Savvy begins to investigate for herself to save her business from ruin. The characters are fun and feel like your real people you want as friends. The mystery catches your attention and keeps you hooked for an entertaining cozy debut. This is definitely a series I would check out future books in. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The beginning introduced so many characters that I got very confused as to what was going on. By the end of the second chapter though, the fog lifted & everything fell into place in my head.

I had so much fun reading this book. So. Much. Fun. The characters all felt like real people. They were all different: some quirky, some funny, some sassy, some dramatic. Penny, Mattie, and, of course, Savvy were my favourites.

The mystery was comical, but the story was absorbing to read. The clues were given to us in bites & fun to put together. I was wrong most of the way through! But the mystery wasn't so overly convoluted that no one could solve it. I liked that.

I want this to be a series. I want both a show & more books with these characters! And Mattie needs to be played by Loretta Devine.

A great touch was adding recipes at the end of the book. I wish Essie's existed for real & baking recipes from this fictional world is going to bring them to life. I'm going to try Aunt Essie's Sweet Potato Pie first. Maybe Aunt Essie's Table will be published next?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This is definitely one of the more unique cozy mysteries I have read. It almost lost me half way through so that's why it isn't quite a 4 star but I really enjoyed the backdrop of Chicago, the culinary descriptions, and the lively characters. Not sure if this is going to be a series but if it is I would definitely pick up the sequel.

I've really been in the cozy mystery book mood lately. I've been looking for some escape from the various yo-yoing news cycles, and Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku was a great way to do that. I liked that the characters' history, and generational history was explored and the author mixed American history with the actual people and the effects of those histories. She did it in such a way that you didn't know you were getting a history lesson about the Great Migration and its impact on community. There were also other serious themes such as the lengths women have to go to to keep their independence, and what they may give up for family.

Another thing I loved about this book was that it wasn't the traditional protagonist and setting. Savvy is in her 50's, and has grown children. She's strong and independent, and has lived (and is continuing to live) a very full life before she sets her mind to solving the murders of the men around her, and she is one of the first to believe they are connected. Savvy faces multiple pressures from different angles throughout the book, being pressured to sell her business, the rumors in the community that her food poisoned the men, jealous competitors, and many other realistic stressors.

I really enjoyed reading about a non-traditional character and setting. So many books are now set in English countrysides, pastoral New England towns, and other stereotypical spaces. I liked seeing Chicago/the Midwest represented in this genre. It's the second murder mystery I've seen in this general physical location, and I'm here for it. I also enjoyed the writing style, and how much each character was developed with very impactful writing. I really hope there are more in this series, and will definitely be buying a copy or two for a couple family members.

Please be advised I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NG and Minotaur for the ARC. Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is a drama-filled, hilarious, and mouth-watering mystery set in the greater Chicago area. I found the characters to be real in that they were both over the top and nuanced in equal parts. Savvy Summers is a compelling woman who has many experiences under her belt and many burdens to shoulder, which slowly unfold during the story. Savvy, along with her friend Penny, snoop out the dirty laundry in their community to find the common thread in the recent string of tragedies.

The story is full of rich and vivid details that provide great context and possibilities. However, these details might catch a typical cozy mystery reader off guard, since they don’t fit into the standard cookie cutter format, where the details are only there to serve the plot. This is where Jackson-Opoku flips the script because finding out who committed the crimes and how they did it, is not as important as the complexity and tension of the circumstances in which the crimes exist. The mess is what makes this story great. I thought I was walking into a standard cozy mystery, and came out caring more about the community than the plot.

I absolutely loved this fresh and funny mystery! From the first page, I was hooked by the quirky charm of Essie’s and its vibrant characters. The plot is full of twists and turns, and unlike many mysteries where you can figure things out too quickly, this one kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Savvy Summers and her assistant, Penny, as they dive into the investigation—together they make a great, hilarious team. Savvy's determination to save her café from bad press while solving the murder and the added tension with her ex-husband made the story even more fun. It’s a fantastic blend of humor, suspense, and heart, and I’m hoping this is the start of a great series because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.