Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack

Food to eat while reading: To Die for Lemon Tart

This is the first “cozy” mystery I have ever read and I have to say I enjoyed the story immensely. Sadie Hoffmiller is exactly how I envision a modern, aged Anne of Green Gables to behave. Who could resist such a fresh heroine mixed up with a murder mystery? And I love the recipes included at the end of key chapters (hey, why didn’t I think of that?).

Read the synopsis here.

What I liked:

Sadie is such a loveable, perfectly flawed character and I related to her instantly. Her internal dialogue is fresh and hilarious and the way she jumps around in her head makes me laugh. When Sadie is chased by a killer, she apologizes as she slams the door on the killer’s hand and then pauses to buckle her seat belt.

The smattering of recipes and cooking in the story give it a homey feel. Sadie uses food for comfort, apology and to con information from her neighbors. The recipes included at the end of the chapters look delicious and I want to try every one.

All of the characters in the story are colorful and memorable, right down to the neighbor’s cat.

The intrigue weaves through the story, and will keep you guessing with twists and turns like every good mystery should.


What I would have changed:

It took me awhile to separate the two detectives in my mind. Although I knew they were different, the detectives looked and sounded the same to me. When I go back and flip through the chapter in which I was introduced to them, I can see that the author did a good job of describing the detectives and yet I just couldn’t keep them straight.

The verdict:

Lemon Tart is a delicious treat for anyone who enjoys a fast, suspenseful “cozy”, and is a great introduction for those who might be trying the genre for the first time.

I gave this book 4/5 stars.


Purchase: Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery

Genre: cozy, murder mystery

Publisher: March 4th 2009 by Deseret Book

Where I got the book: LDSStorymakers Conference bookstore