Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental.
However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, the police get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose. ~~ synopsis from Goodreads
My thoughts about Still Life in Brunswick Stew ~~
Okay, Still Life In Brunswick Stew is book #2 is the Cherry Tucker Mystery series. How did I miss book #1, Portrait of a Dead Guy? I loved my look into the world of Cherry Tucker, even if I was a little late coming to the party.
Cherry is a struggling artist whose good friend dies after eating Brunswick Stew at the cook-off competition. She makes it her mission to get answers and solve the crime, even though the police don't think a crime was committed. I enjoyed the adventures and mishaps that Cherry found herself in, while trying to get those answers. And all of this taking place on the sly because her boyfriend doesn't want her to get involved. Then there's the ex (a quickie wedding and divorce? ~ which is what I think I might have missed from book 1). Is it really over between them? Or are the sparks still flying?
One of my favorite parts is when Cherry is sneaking around in a house trying to find clues and ends up climbing/falling down the outside of the house. It is making me laugh again as I am writing this. And there are some amazingly funny lines in this story. I love the author's quirky sense of humor.
Here are just a few that I marked. Enjoy!
'Of course they want you to look into it. You like to stand up for people like the Parkers. You got talent for telling the big folks how the cow eats the cabbage.'
'Beautiful men make us stupid.'
And one of my favorites ~ what an image this line put in my head.
'Why would someone be interested in an old curmudgeon like Grandpa? We don't have money and he's not even good looking. More like a stingy piece of jerky than a hot hunk of beef.'
Love it!
The characters and the story made me think a little but about Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, which I love and think is hilarious. Cherry and her escapades reminded me of Stephanie's adventures and I am going to love reading more to see what predicaments she gets herself into. And how she gets out of them. And..... which guy she ends up with. I am definitely going to have to go back and read book#1 so I can catch up and be ready for book#3. So much fun!
About the author
Larissa Reinhart loves small town characters, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) is the second in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. The first, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website, her Facebook page, or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.
Connect with Larissa
Tour Giveaway!
**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page (click here) will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Still Life in Brunswick Stew before June 10 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
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