Dollycas's Thoughts
Jenna Hart has stocked her Cookbook Nook with a variety of puzzle-themed books, aprons, cookie jars, and other culinary items, for the large group of crossword puzzle fans who have come to Crystal Cove for an annual crossword puzzle tournament. Her Aunt Vera has a history with the event's guest speaker âcrossword designer extraordinaireâ Wesley Preston but is keeping mum about the details. âA memory best forgotten.â That is until the man is killed and Vera is at the top of the suspect list.
Now Jenna has her own puzzle to solve. She has seen that the man doesn't get along well with others with her own eyes including people in his own entourage. She has learned that the Cruciverbalist has no issue with stealing puzzles created by others and touting them as his own. She just needs to pull all the clues together to reveal the real killer, who is definitely not her Aunt Vera, but she has to be careful so that she is not permanently erased before she has a chance to do that.
What a fun theme for a cozy mystery! Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at designing crossword puzzles complete with some perfect words to use in each chapter heading. I may even try my hand a crafting a crossword or two.
All my favorite characters from the previous books are back. Jenna and Rhett are living in âwedded blissâ. Vera is very involved in the crossword event. She even donated a nice cash prize. Kate is cooking away and doing food demonstrations. Bailey keeps the Cookbook Nook running with a smile while Jenna and Vera are doing other things. Cinnamon is always busy trying to catch a killer but knows people just tell Jenna things they would never tell police. Tigger who sometimes acts more like a dog than a cat loves hanging out at the Nook on his kitty condo. Rook is always happy to welcome Jenna and Rhett at the end of their days and is thrilled to take walks on the beach. Ms. Gerber has created such genuine characters. As soon as you open the book it feels like you are visiting dear friends.
The mystery she wraps her characters in is quite puzzling, LOL. There are plenty of suspects, twists, turns, and moments of distraction, along with great clues for readers to follow. This all leads up to a very exciting ending as all the clues fall into place for Jenna at a most inopportune time. As the drama played out I found myself scooting closer and closer to the end of my seat. The guilty party was high on my personal suspect list but was still surprised and a little saddened when they were revealed.
I love that Ms. Gerber shares an abundance of recipes at the end of each book including Gluten Free Versions. It is always best not to read her books on an empty stomach. Her food descriptions will cause cravings, so be prepared.
Poaching is Puzzling is so well-written and well-plotted. It was fun and entertaining and I am so excited to see what the author comes up with next for her wonderful characters.
Jenna Hart has stocked her Cookbook Nook with a variety of puzzle-themed books, aprons, cookie jars, and other culinary items, for the large group of crossword puzzle fans who have come to Crystal Cove for an annual crossword puzzle tournament. Her Aunt Vera has a history with the event's guest speaker âcrossword designer extraordinaireâ Wesley Preston but is keeping mum about the details. âA memory best forgotten.â That is until the man is killed and Vera is at the top of the suspect list.
Now Jenna has her own puzzle to solve. She has seen that the man doesn't get along well with others with her own eyes including people in his own entourage. She has learned that the Cruciverbalist has no issue with stealing puzzles created by others and touting them as his own. She just needs to pull all the clues together to reveal the real killer, who is definitely not her Aunt Vera, but she has to be careful so that she is not permanently erased before she has a chance to do that.
What a fun theme for a cozy mystery! Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at designing crossword puzzles complete with some perfect words to use in each chapter heading. I may even try my hand a crafting a crossword or two.
All my favorite characters from the previous books are back. Jenna and Rhett are living in âwedded blissâ. Vera is very involved in the crossword event. She even donated a nice cash prize. Kate is cooking away and doing food demonstrations. Bailey keeps the Cookbook Nook running with a smile while Jenna and Vera are doing other things. Cinnamon is always busy trying to catch a killer but knows people just tell Jenna things they would never tell police. Tigger who sometimes acts more like a dog than a cat loves hanging out at the Nook on his kitty condo. Rook is always happy to welcome Jenna and Rhett at the end of their days and is thrilled to take walks on the beach. Ms. Gerber has created such genuine characters. As soon as you open the book it feels like you are visiting dear friends.
The mystery she wraps her characters in is quite puzzling, LOL. There are plenty of suspects, twists, turns, and moments of distraction, along with great clues for readers to follow. This all leads up to a very exciting ending as all the clues fall into place for Jenna at a most inopportune time. As the drama played out I found myself scooting closer and closer to the end of my seat. The guilty party was high on my personal suspect list but was still surprised and a little saddened when they were revealed.
I love that Ms. Gerber shares an abundance of recipes at the end of each book including Gluten Free Versions. It is always best not to read her books on an empty stomach. Her food descriptions will cause cravings, so be prepared.
Poaching is Puzzling is so well-written and well-plotted. It was fun and entertaining and I am so excited to see what the author comes up with next for her wonderful characters.
