giveaway ends 8/7

When a fellow contestant at the artichoke festival is found dead with the vegetable stuffed in his mouth, Sally Solari, restaurant owner/amateur sleuth is off and running. Her questions uncover a multitude of suspects who might have wished the artichoke farmer ill will, for a variety of reasons.

I am new to this series, but I never felt out of place. The characters immediately felt like people the reader could care about. The tiny story arcs gave a level of nuance to the mystery and left me wanting to come back and read more to see where things are going.

Sally’s investigation technique is a breath of fresh air, out of the box thinking coupled with tried and true cliches. At any rate, she got the case solved. I wasn’t surprised when the person I thought did it turned out to have actually done it, but I couldn’t have proven it right up until the moment Sally made the discovery for herself. There were so many questions needing answering, great suspects, and tiny currents of drama that kept the story moving at a steady clip.

I simply love the recipes and delectable dishes offered in the book. Artichokes are an unsung veggie that needs more attention. All in all, this was a pleasant quick read.

I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

About The Book

The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery Book 5)

Restaurateur Sally Solari has a nose for trouble, but when her sense of smell goes missing, it’s not just her career on the line . . . it’s her life.

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she’s noticed her nonna’s friends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to her woes, a sinus infection has knocked out her sense of smell, making cooking on the hot line difficult, indeed. Nevertheless, Sally is determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her work.

But then her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and her powers of investigation are called into action once more. Could Neil have been killed by the local restaurant owner who took his winning spot at the competition? Or maybe by one of his siblings, who were desperate to sell the family farm to a real estate developer?

Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows – including the dapper Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it’s not only her restaurant and tentative new relationship that are on the line – it’s her life . . .

The Fragrance of Death is a non-stop fun cozy mystery that will keep your mind buzzing and your mouth watering and contains a selection of delicious recipes to cook at home.

Purchase Links – Amazon – BookShop Santa Cruz– B&N

About the Author

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari culinary mystery series. The daughter of a law professor and a potter, she waited tables and sang in a new wave rock band before deciding she was ready for “real” job and ending up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts.

Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, singing alto in her local community chorus, and of course writing. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links

Website http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leslie-karst
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14220589.Leslie_Karst
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesliekarst/
Twitter https://twitter.com/LeslieKarst