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Book Review
Reviewed: 01 February 2024

Death Rolls In

by: Gretchen Allen

Seasoned Sleuth - Book 1

  • Rating: full starfull starfull starhalf starstar outline (3.5/5)

New home, new community, and a new murder….

It seems almost like a cruel joke to move far away from your old life to a place that is supposed to stress-free set around a calm lake only to discover a murder not even a week in.

That’s what happened to Loretta Barksdale when she moves into a retirement village in Florida.  I wholeheartedly echoed her buyers remorse when not only was she “mean-girled” by a couple of residents but she was cajoled into making way too many rolls for one person in a short period of time only to stumble on the body of one of the few people who’d been nice to her.

The story moved smoothly and the characters were interesting, if not a little odd. I wonder if Loretta’s brother, a lawyer, will play a larger role in future cases.  One thing that I did not quite understand was Loretta’s answers when health concerns were raised. I will go onto the next one and see how they play out.

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 22-May-2023
Cozy Mystery, Food Mystery, Female Sleuth

Plot Summary

When it comes to breaking the ice…There’s nothing quite like murder.Former bistro owner, Loretta Barksdale, is excited about moving into a retirement village in Breezy Lake, Florida, and is looking forward to starting a new life with her large, and very opinionated, feline best buddy, Milo. Wanting to make friends and become involved, Loretta joins the Clubhouse Cooks, a group that shares their skills and love of cooking to make meals for the community.Unfortunately, when Loretta goes to the clubhouse to drop off the copious amount of dinner rolls that she has prepared, she discovers the body of a beloved member of the village. The quirky and fun community is abuzz over the untimely demise of one of their own, but as she digs a little deeper, Loretta discovers that many of the Breezy Lake retirees are harboring secrets. It seems that nearly everyone has something to hide, and it’s not always as innocent as a family recipe. She’s is determined to get to the bottom of the case so that she can get back to cooking, making friends, and spending quality time with her persnickety cat.Can Loretta uncover the facts and cook up a convincing conclusion to the case before the killer strikes again?Find out in this delightfully tasty Culinary Cozy Mystery!