The title of this entry could, in fact, be the title of this blog in its entirety - though I prefer the one I chose in . . .gasp . . . 2006. It is, of course, not the blog's name. It is, rather, the title of a murder mystery authored by Lucy Arlington. And yes, Lucy Arlington is a pseudonym for an author I already know (Ellery Adams) combined with another, Sylvia May. I purchased this one at a used bookstore in Winston Salem, NC that I found delightful for junk books - McKay's. It was (and I suppose is, though I no longer live in any sense near by!) a fun place to acquire unexpected books.
On this one: the series is set in . . . North Carolina. A place called Inspiration Valley. As often is the case in such cozy mysteries, there is a . . . festival. And, a death. And an investigation. And, in this case it does indeed involve Books, Cooks, and Crooks as the title indicates. The amateur sleuth is a part of a literary agency which is sponsoring the festival which is bringing food related authors, including cookbook authors to town. Hence, the title - and the events of the novel which, I have to confess, bring together a lot of tropes I have seen before but (gasp again) I like. Egos galore. Food references galore. And, a tiny bit of insight into literary agency politics.
This is not the first cozy I have read set in NC. As a state which is internally diverse (eastern NC is so very much not western NC, a reality even I as a stranger got) and which has a variety of cultural particularities. Some of them appear in this little gem. (For a list of mysteries and series set in NC, click here. When I read the list, I was surprised by how many I recognized and indeed read - but did not remember as set in NC!)
I have little else to say beyond: enjoy yourself if you pick this little quick read up. I did.
