Book Review: And Murder for Dessert

Reviewed By: Dawn Dowdle

And Murder for Dessert     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kathleen Delaney
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth   Cozy
Series: Ellen "Ellie" McKenzie
Poison Pen Press, Hardcover, 7/07, 250 pages, $24.95

Ellen McKenzie never thought she’d get remarried. So why is she now engaged? She’s really not sure how it happened. She loves Dan Dunham, Santa Louisa Chief of Police, but marriage?

Her niece, Sabrina Tortelli, and her husband Mark are coming to stay with Ellen. Mark is the new winemaker at Silver Springs Winery, and Sabrina will be managing the tasting room and doing special events. Ellen, a realtor, has been wrangled by her sister Catherine to let them stay with her while Ellen finds them a rental.

At the Harvest Festival Dinner at the winery, guest chef Otto Messinger and Frank Tortelli, Mark’s dad, get into a verbal fight. Soon after Otto is discovered dead in one of the old fashioned wooden fermenting tanks. Sabrina and Mark are both suspects, but Sabrina appears to be their prime suspect.

Ellen doesn’t believe Sabrina did it. She sets out to find out who did, with the help of her Aunt Mary. To complicate life even more, an old high school classmate of Ellen’s is back in town and trying to pick up their “romance” where it left off. Funny thing is, there was no romance!

Can Ellen keep Sabrina out of jail and find the real killer without becoming the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book. Ellen is such a wonderful character. The interaction between the various characters is well written. The story moves at a good pace. The winery is a good setting for this story as well.

I highly recommend this book.

Dawn Dowdle

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Please visit Dawns website at www.mysteryloverscorner.com