Book Review and Giveaway - A Classic Case of Murder (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber

My Review

Allie Catt caters literary theme events in Bramblewood, North Carolina, a small town near Asheville.  She is excited to host A Christmas Carol theme event, featuring a rare edition of the book and a holiday menu.  But when a rare book expert attending the event is discovered dead, Allie sets out to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read A Classic Case of Murder because Daryl Wood Gerber is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors.  I have enjoyed the previous books in this series.

This is my favorite book in the Literary Dining Mystery series.  It has several elements I really enjoy:

• Rare books
• A holiday theme
• A Christmas Carol references throughout

This mystery works so well.  There is a small group of people gathered at the Amber Lantern Inn for the event, so Allie has a ready-made list of suspects.  I enjoyed her sleuthing process, starting with making a simple Word document of suspects.  The mystery is well paced, and it was enjoyable to follow Allie's deductive process.

The holiday food references and rare book details added a lot to this book as well, and I think these elements will appeal to cozy mystery readers.  

I recommend A Classic Case of Murder for cozy mystery fans who enjoy holiday themes, small town settings, foodie books, and literary references.

Book Synopsis

Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt combines her love of fiction with her love of food in the scenic North Carolina mountains—but amid her latest themed event, based on Dickens’s beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, a rare-book expert’s goose is cooked…

In the charming town of Bramblewood, not far from Asheville, Allie’s preparing for a special seasonal soiree: a literary-themed dinner party that’s a tribute to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It’ll take place at the Amber Lantern, the quaint inn recently opened by her best friend’s mother, Noeline—and the holiday spirit has even led a Scroogelike local businessman to lend his prized first edition of the nineteenth-century novella for the event.

With the voices of carolers ringing in the air and the community theater staging a special performance, it looks like it will be a happy Christmas—until the priceless book disappears and someone murders the expert who authenticated it. And if the police have their way, Allie’s lawyer friend Freddy will be dragged away in chains like Marley’s ghost…

The crime has also cast a shadow over Noeline’s fledgling business, so Allie feels doubly obliged to find the real killer among the gathered guests and local visitors—and put an end to this nightmare. It’s time to investigate them all, every one . . .

Author Bio

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, a mystery anthology, and a children’s illustrated rhyming book. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

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Purchase Links 

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