A SIDE DISH OF DEATH by T.C. LoTempio

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cats, #5 in Series

4****

Blurb: When a celebrity chef is murdered, Shell McMillan has to cook up a plan to trap the killer of a man for all seasonings . . .

With adopt-a-cat month in full swing in Fox Hollow, pet shop owner Shell McMillan decides that hosting a night of murder mystery dinner theater will be a fun way to raise funds for the cause. But she didn’t realize that the celebrity chef she’d hired for the event would turn out to be a tyrannical snob, or that her scoundrel of an ex-fiancé would turn up with his own shady agenda. Still, the show must go on, and as the lighthearted plot on-stage unfolds, the scene off-stage turns decidedly darker when the chef is found murdered. Rather than question an entire roomful of possible suspects, Shell determines that looking into the victim’s past will lead her to the culprit more quickly. What she finds is that the chef had left behind a disreputable past and a trail of disgruntled people, including a long string of women he’d wronged and a host of others who may have been out for revenge. But as Shell closes in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her. And she’s discovering that while too many cooks can spoil the broth, being a murderer’s next target can really ruin your appetite . . .

Thoughts: Who doesn’t love a good mystery with cats. Specifically, Purrday, Princess, and Kahlua. I loved how they helped Shell out of a couple of tight spots, found not one, but two dead bodies, and helped catch the perp.

Shell is helping host a charity “adopt-a-cat” event – during a hurricane – and with a murder mystery theme. What could possibly go wrong? Right. Add in an egotistical chef and you have all the fixings for a murder. Fortunately, Shell’s boyfriend, a cop, is stranded in the building with them so they have built-in support. But so is her ex, who has an issue with the chef. As do several other people. And how does he tie in with the second murder?

This was a fun read, especially with the cats. Loved how they helped out with things. There were a few editorial glitches- like a phone showing up in a pocket when a few pages earlier, it was pointed out that she didn’t have her phone. And it was rather obvious to me from the start who the murderer was – just not the why until later. But overall, an entertaining read with a satisfying ending. And you don’t have to know the entire series to understand who the players are and what’s going on in this one.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this material. I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”