chez_jae | Book 42, 2022

Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery, #1)

Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On my lunch break today, I finished the book Delicious and Suspicious, which is the first part of the "Memphis BBQ" cozy mystery series by Riley Adams. Story is in third person pov, but it mainly follows Lulu, the owner of Aunt Pat's BBQ place in Memphis, TN.

When a representative from the Cooking Channel comes to Memphis in search of the best place to get BBQ, everyone at Aunt Pat's is excited. They are known for their ribs, red beans and rice, and spicy cornbread. Unfortunately, Rebecca Adrian turns out to be a shrew. When she dies shortly after eating at Aunt Pat's, suspicion quickly falls on the food. Desperate to prove that her food didn't kill Rebecca, Lulu tries to unravel Rebecca's movements in Memphis to learn who may have had a reason to do her in. What she learns is that most everyone who came into contact with Rebecca was angered by her. Now it's up to Lulu to find out not just who had motive, but opportunity.

There were aspects of this story I liked, and others I didn't like. It was funny; I got a chuckle out of some of the downhome colloquialisms. I didn't care for how many points of view we ended up following. Lulu's regulars were a colorful and entertaining bunch, and there were some interesting plot twists thrown into the mix.

Favorite lines:
♦ She looked for all the world like the Scarecrow asking the Wizard of Oz for a brain.
♦ The day had clearly been destined for calamity in every way.
♦ "I thought you might want to join me in grasping at straws."
♦ "I don't know where she's been, but she looks like the cat dragged her in after spending the night carousing."
♦ "Did you have a life-threatening encounter with the murderer?"
♦ "Well, if you're going to be a hussy it's best not to be a meek one."
♦ "Pickle is in town?"

This was one of those odd books that I didn't enjoy so much as I was invested in it. Would I read another in the series? Sure, if I can snap it up at a used bookstore for a little bit o' nothing. Eh, I'll give it four stars.