Jody M. (jodymcgrath) -
Helpful Score: 2
This is the first book in the new Down South Café Mystery series by Gayle Leeson.
Amy Flowers is sick and tired of her job as a waitress at Lou's Joint cafè. She was professionally trained as a chef and if tired of being belittled and bullies by her boss Lou Lou. She puts in her notice and offers to buy the place, her dream always having been to own her own cafè, but Lou Lou is determined not to sell. When Lou Lou's son calls her and asks her to meet him and his mom at the cafè to talk about a sale, Amy is doubtful but hopeful. When she arrives, she finds herself alone with Lou Lou, and Lou Lou is clearly dead. Being suspected of homicide is not what Amy was planning to put on the menu!
This was a great start to a cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and either likable or despicable. Amy was a fun narrator with a sense of humor, curiosity, but not TSTL. The mystery itself was a little too simple and even the twists were pretty easy to figure out. I don't think it is because I have read a lot of mysteries either. I just think it was blatantly obvious. That did not stop me from enjoying the book though. I will definitely be checking out the next book in this series. (It has recipes also!!!)
Amy Flowers is sick and tired of her job as a waitress at Lou's Joint cafè. She was professionally trained as a chef and if tired of being belittled and bullies by her boss Lou Lou. She puts in her notice and offers to buy the place, her dream always having been to own her own cafè, but Lou Lou is determined not to sell. When Lou Lou's son calls her and asks her to meet him and his mom at the cafè to talk about a sale, Amy is doubtful but hopeful. When she arrives, she finds herself alone with Lou Lou, and Lou Lou is clearly dead. Being suspected of homicide is not what Amy was planning to put on the menu!
This was a great start to a cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and either likable or despicable. Amy was a fun narrator with a sense of humor, curiosity, but not TSTL. The mystery itself was a little too simple and even the twists were pretty easy to figure out. I don't think it is because I have read a lot of mysteries either. I just think it was blatantly obvious. That did not stop me from enjoying the book though. I will definitely be checking out the next book in this series. (It has recipes also!!!)
Helpful Score: 1
The Calamity Café by Gayle Leeson is the first book in A Down South Café Mystery series. Amy Flowers is ready to open her own café in Winter Garden, Virginia. She would love to buy Lou's Joint where she has been working as a waitress for the last year (while taking care of her grandmother for the last year), but Lou Lou Holman does not wish to sell. Lou Lou's son, Pete, though, would love for the restaurant to be sold (and get out from under his mother's thumb). Amy could build her own place, but it would much easier to remodel an existing structure. Amy is surprised when she gets a call asking her to a meeting at the café to discuss the sale (Pete has been talking to his mom). Amy arrives at the café and no one answers. She goes back to the office and finds Lou Loud dead. Somehow, Amy ends up the prime suspect (just because she wanted to buy the place, had a disagreement with Lou Lou, and quit her job). If Amy wants to open her Down South Cafe, she will need to get her name off the suspect list (and hopefully solve the murder).
The Calamity Café is not bad for a first book. With a little work, this could be a good series. The book has a good pace (which I liked) and I found the book easy to read. The characters need more development (of course), but they have potential. Amy cried a wee bit too much in this book (it got on my nerves). I liked that there were several suspects in the crime and is was interesting how it tied back to an eighty-year-old crime. I did wonder how Amy was planning on opening a café without a business plan, budget, etc. (they definitely help when opening a new business). I give The Calamity Café 3.5 out of 5 stars. I will be reading the next book in A Down South Café Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of The Calamity Café in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.
The Calamity Café is not bad for a first book. With a little work, this could be a good series. The book has a good pace (which I liked) and I found the book easy to read. The characters need more development (of course), but they have potential. Amy cried a wee bit too much in this book (it got on my nerves). I liked that there were several suspects in the crime and is was interesting how it tied back to an eighty-year-old crime. I did wonder how Amy was planning on opening a café without a business plan, budget, etc. (they definitely help when opening a new business). I give The Calamity Café 3.5 out of 5 stars. I will be reading the next book in A Down South Café Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of The Calamity Café in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.
