MRC RECOMMENDS: Serving Up Spite by Devon Delaney
“Culinary cozy mystery lovers will find Serving Up Spite a delightful and delicious installment in author Devon Delaney’s A Cook-Off Mystery series” – The Mystery Review Crew
Serving Up Spite
By Devon Delaney
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Culinary Mystery
A simple wooden spoon stirs up a tantalizing puzzle in the new Cook-Off Mystery . . .
With international cuisine on the menu for her next cook-off, Sherry Oliveri experiments with one dish after another looking for that perfect killer recipe. But her competitive drive gets put on the back burner when her friend Patti calls Sherry because Patti’s new boyfriend has vanished, and signs of foul play suggest he may have been killed. Then the police begin investigating the disappearance as a murder, and they’ve got Patti pegged as the main suspect. Still, the man’s body has yet to be found, and that in itself has Sherry wondering.
Slipping out of her apron and into her sleuthing cap, she learns that the man had serious money and relationship complications. Did he fake his own death to get out of a jam? Determined to find the truth and get her friend off the hook, Sherry follows the clues until they come together like the perfect meal—until one final surprise brings her face-to-face with a killer . . .
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Review of Serving Up Spite by Devon Delaney
Culinary cozy mystery lovers will find Serving Up Spite a delightful and delicious installment in author Devon Delaney’s A Cook-Off Mystery series. Though it’s the eighth book in the series, it was the first I’d read, so I’d recommend readers do a little pre-gaming, like I did. By reading the synopses of the seven prior books, we get a feel for the recurring characters and main character Sherry Oliveri’s journey from then to now.
In Serving Up Spite, there’s a lot going on. Sherry’s teaching gardening to fifth graders, she’s entered a local cooking competition that has an international flair, her sister Marla is visiting, the two newspapers are feuding and dividing the Augustin community, and oh – her friend Patti’s boyfriend has gone missing and Patti’s the prime suspect. (One additional mystery to me is how she pays for her cute house and fabulous lifestyle without a job.) Sherry wears many hats in the story (and lots of knit caps because the Connecticut setting is a cold one). She’s a teacher, gardener, and sleuth, but also a faithful daughter, sister, girlfriend, and friend, plus a mediator and dog-mom.
Speaking of Sherry being a dog-mom, the inclusion of her Jack Russell named Chutney, who wears little snow boots, adds a lovely layer to the story and checks the box for one thing I love about cozies. Despite my disinterest in cooking, I enjoy it when there’s a culinary element in cozies, and in Serving Up Spite, Sherry dropped small bits of healthy-eating advice like limiting red meat and regularly having meals that skip protein. (And *GASP*, I do believe my noncooking-self will be attempting the Snappy African Groundnut Stew, one of the recipes provided at the end.) The romance element between Sherry and Don was not the focus of the story, which was fine with me, but if I had been paying closer attention, I might have anticipated a twist at the end of the book.
“Are you playing it safe for the sake of not challenging someone’s taste buds or are you willing to dive into the flavor and texture pool with an underappreciated cut and change someone’s life forever?” Sherry asked, hoping she hadn’t overdramatized the importance of adventurous cooking.”
Yes, Sherry. You may have overdramatized. Ha! One of the most enjoyable aspects of Serving Up Spite is the characters’ senses of humor. It’s subtle, and author Delaney uses a light hand in sprinkling it about the story. I got a giggle and learned a new term, “staycation,” from Marla. Actually, readers will learn a lot in this book about cook-offs, K9s, and Iceland given all the Icelandic people, traditions, and foods that are included in the story. (Ummm, no thanks to the black pudding made with sheep innards or the fermented shark. Nope.)
The author does a great job of interspersing the story with sections that provide a logical, organic reason to summarize and give readers a recap. This was very helpful given all the twists and turns, suspects, and multiple plotlines. Jumping in so late in the series, I didn’t have a clear idea of the recurring characters’ appearances, ages, or relationships. However, I am certain that a trip back to the first book, Expiration Date, and reading forward from there, would clear up those ambiguities. And I intend to do just that.
About Devon Delaney
I entered my first recipe contest on a whim. My three kids were all napping and I had a moment to browse a magazine where I saw an ad calling for recipes showcasing a piece of bread for a cash prize. I won the contest. Suddenly, I was hooked on a new hobby. Mealtime became an exercise in recipe experimentation, to the point my son asked me if we could have “regular” chicken as a special treat. I’m still considering. Despite the hardship (ha!) on my family, success in cooking competitions has earned me multiple trips and valuable prizes over the past twenty years. Meeting fellow cooking competitors has enriched my life immeasurably. Throughout my culinary journey, writing has always been a passion. Combining the two hobbies was as destined as the pairing of sea salt and caramel, and just as addicting. Speaking of hobbies, take a look at my other favorite interests I pursue with passion. All serve to inspire and motivate me to write on!
Visit Devon Delaney: https://www.devonpdelaney.com/
