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Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber


"Shredding the Evidence" is a cozy mystery by Daryl Wood Gerber that will hook you from the beginning with descriptions of tasty mouth-watering treats and a who-done-it murder that will keep you page-turning to the very end as the author expertly shrouds the killer in mystery until the surprising twist of a reveal.

The author creates a backdrop in Crystal Cove where the citizens are getting ready for Food Bowl Week, and man do I wish I could have been there myself. People are excited about the festivities and food, but there is trouble brewing with a foodie reporter/reviewer is making waves and causing problems. Apparently she’s about to push one button too many and her troubles are coming home to roost.

"Shredding the Evidence" is the ninth book in Daryl Wood Gerber’s “Cookbook Nook” series, but trust me when I say…this book can be read as a stand-alone. The author provides readers with a cast of characters in the front of the book so that you know who exactly to expect and who’s who. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I’ll admit…I skipped the character index. Haha! I like to learn the characters as I go, and I really just wanted to get to the story and see if it could be read as a stand-alone. The characters, while their relationships are well established, easily engaged me and pulled me into the story. Now, I have to say this – when I read the story was set in Crystal Cove my first thought was…well, where’s Scooby and the gang? I couldn’t resist since I’ve watched almost everything Scooby-Doo.

The author does an excellent job of pulling the reader into the story before the murder even happens. You feel like you could cross paths with the characters at any moment with this book. The author sets the stage piece by piece before dropping the murder on you and then it’s not just the murder that you get to watch be dealt with. The author also throws in personal drama with each of the characters that help to move the story along. Jenna is such an engaging character and she captures my attention the most as she runs a business, manages her love life with her fiancée, and works hard to solve a murder and help her friends. I pride myself on figuring out on who committed the crime before the big reveal, but the author, I have to say , is a master of misdirection and keeps me in the dark until the end. I loved it.

My only gripe about this book would be Bailey. The author paints her as a “force of nature” but my goodness! She is a freight-train of nature! When she’s determined to grill someone she GRILLS someone! I couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed in Jenna for not standing up to her when she becomes more than a “little” overzealous in her efforts to clear her husband. I wasn’t too keen on how she bulldogged people for answers and skirted the line if not crossing it by even a hair. I think I’d have felt a bit better if she had at least apologized later.

Honestly though… at the end of the day, I loved this book. There is so much to like about it. The characters are engaging, the storyline is easy to follow, the mystery hooks you, and the suspense keeps you coming back until the big reveal. If you love a good cozy mystery with lots of tasty treats then this is the book to pick up. If you have read the previous books in this series and enjoyed them then don’t hesitate and grab this book ASAP! I can’t wait to go back and read the other books by this author. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. Job well done to the author! You’ve got yourself a new fan!


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