Melina's Book Blog: A Side of Murder

A Side of Murder (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) by Amy Pershing

About A Side of Murder

A Side of Murder (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Berkley (February 23, 2021) Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages ISBN-10: 0593199146 ISBN-13: 978-0593199145 Digital ASIN: B087PL9HHF

Beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known for seafood, sand, surf and now … murder.

Samantha Barnes was always a foodie. And when the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America) came calling, she happily traded in Cape Cod for the Big Apple. But then the rising young chef’s clash with another chef (her ex!) boils over and goes viral. So when Sam inherits a house on the Cape and lands a job writing restaurant reviews, it seems like the perfect pairing. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a lot.

The dilapidated house comes with an enormous puppy. Her new boss is, well, bossy. And the town’s harbor master is none other than her first love. Nonetheless, Sam’s looking forward to reviewing the Bayview Grill—and indeed the seafood chowder is divine. But the body in the pond outside the eatery was not on the menu. Sam is certain this is murder. But as she begins to stir the pot, is she creating a recipe for her own untimely demise?

“Cape Cod provides a stunning background for a debut that offers the ideal combination of mystery, romance, and recipes.” Kirkus Reviews

“An exquisite Cape Cod setting, a shamed but resilient chef, murderous secrets, and a long-buried but still steaming romance… Amy Pershing’s debut mystery will leave you longing for a seaside vacation, complete with fried clams and the next book in her charming series.” Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author of THE KEY LIME CRIME

“This is one of the freshest, funniest murder mysteries I’ve ever read. I fell absolutely in love with Samantha Barnes — the brave, sarcastic, crime-solving, relatable heroine we’ve all been waiting for. A Side of Murder is a rich, satisfying meal that delights from beginning to end, and Amy Pershing is a wonderful and clever author.” Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author of EAT PRAY LOVE and CITY OF GIRLS

“A delicious mystery lovingly set in Cape Cod featuring a cast of charming characters. Amy Pershing writes with a fresh fun voice that will delight cozy fans. Chef turned restaurant critic Samantha Barnes proves a clever sleuth whose helpful cooking tips will be a big hit with culinary readers.” Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the DOMESTIC DIVA mysteries

What I Thought:

A Side of Murder is the first in a new Series, the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery Series. In this book, Samantha has moved back to the Cape from New York after an embarrassing altercation with her ex. She is hired by her friend, Krista, who is the editor of the local paper that Samantha's parents used to work for, to write a new column about local restaurants. One her first assignment, Samantha finds the body of local woman who used to be a waitress and caused some problems for Samantha and a crush she used to have named Jason. The police want to assume the death is an accident but Samantha is not so sure, so she sets out to find the truth with the help of her friends, Jenny, Miles, Helene, Krista, and Jason, who is now the Harbor Master. Samantha gets herself into a tight situation and her friends have to come to her resuce.

This was an interesting read from the very beginning. Cape Cod is a place I would like to visit, so I found the setting very interesting. I found the plot to the well thought out and well written. I liked Samantha and all of her quirky friends. I was surprised by the ending of this one and that there was more than one mystery in this one, and one mystery was not even suspected at all. This book kept my attention and kept me flipping the pages till the very end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Amy Pershing

Amy Pershing is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith who spent every summer of her childhood on Cape Cod. In her previous incarnations she was an assistant editor at Viking Penguin, a restaurant reviewer for Playbill magazine’s Restaurant Reporter, and a journalist at the Rome (Italy) Daily American before eventually going on to lead employee communications at a global bank. A few years ago (with the final college tuition bill paid), she waved goodbye to Wall Street in order to write full time (and spend more time sailing on Cape Cod!). A Side of Murder is the first book in the Cape Cod Foodie mystery series featuring Samantha Barnes, a disgraced but resilient ex-chef and the world’s most reluctant YouTube star. While Sam tries to balance her new job as the local paper’s “Cape Cod Foodie” with her complicated love life, a posse of just-slightly-odd friends, a falling-down house and a ginormous puppy, she also discovers a new talent – a propensity for falling over dead bodies … and for solving crime.