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I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour introducing THANKS FOR MUFFIN, the eighth book in the Merry Muffin Mysteries by Victoria Hamilton! It’s been a few years since the release of the last book in this charming series, and I was happy to see a new installment and a chance to catch up with protagonist Merry Wynter. Merry and her best friend, Pish, are preparing for the grand opening gala of the Wynter Woods Center for the Performing Arts. A longtime dream of theirs, it was rewarding to see it all come together as they got ready to celebrate. Ms. Hamilton fills the readers’ senses with her vivid descriptions of the settings and brings the characters to life on the page. Given the time between the last book and this new release, the author takes her time to reacquaint the reader with the characters and catch them up on what’s been going on. There’s also a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the book to help keep track of the main characters. There’s a slow buildup, filled with family, friends, and guests as they gather to celebrate the gala and Thanksgiving the following day. That said, the first part of the book’s pacing was a bit slow with a gradual lead up to the crime. And given the magnitude of the huge grand opening celebration, and there are so many characters to keep track of, I found myself flipping to the beginning to remind myself of who I was reading about.

That said, once the actual murder takes place, the plot kicks into high gear with Merry and Pish in the thick of the investigation. With such numerous people attending the grand opening, there’s a wide pool of suspects who not only had reasons to want the victim dead, but who had the opportunity to do the deed. It kept me guessing as the author led me on with twists and turns, only for me to change my mind a few pages later. There are clues for the armchair detective to follow… but be careful not to fall for misdirection like I did. As Merry’s investigation digs deeper, the author expertly weaves in the day-to-day life of running the Performing Arts Center, and entertaining guests at her castle. I enjoyed how well Merry works not only with her best friend, Pish, in uncovering the culprit, but she also relies on her private investigator husband, Virgil. As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, the heart-stopping reveal kept me glued to the pages as I waited with bated breath to see how it played out… which ended up being quite thrilling! This is a great addition to the series, and I hope more books are planned in the future!

There are a few delectable recipes included at the back of the book for the home cook to try out. Ms. Hamilton also provided me with a bonus recipe to share today: Cheesy Turkey & Veg Pasta. It’s a delicious and filling dish to warm you up as fall months turn cooler. And since it’s filled with lean protein and a generous amount of veggies, it’s quite healthy. I liked it relies on ground turkey for ease (I always keep some in my freezer for quick meals), and standard veggies that I generally have in my refrigerator. Just a note though, since my husband has to eat dairy-free, I used dairy-free cheddar cheese shreds and dairy-free parmesan. The actual dish may look a bit different from my version because of my substitutions. Even with my changes, the non-dairy Cheesy Turkey & Veg Pasta received two thumbs up and a request to make it again!

When Merry Wynter’s festive gala takes a fatal turn, she’ll have to grill her guests to catch a killer . . .

After years of planning and hard work, Merry Wynter was finally ready to host the grand opening gala of the Wynter Woods Center for the Performing Arts. With musicians, entertainers, members of the media and even influencers on the guest list, the event went off without a hitch—until a particularly nasty journalist posted a criticism of the gala and everything Merry was trying to accomplish. Still reeling from the review days later, Merry wasn’t sure what to feel when she discovered the reporter’s dead body on the grounds of Wynter Castle.

With many of her guests staying on at the castle for the weekend, Merry realizes they’ve got a murderer in their midst. Going from celebrating to sleuthing, she discreetly questions each of them, trying to weed out the culprit. She quickly learns that the victim had heated arguments with several of the people at the gala, and it turns out those people were all connected by a tragedy in the past. Certain the killer is among them, Merry will have to unearth the final clue that nails the killer—before the killer decides she’s getting too close . . .

Includes delicious recipes!

A special thanks to Victoria Hamilton for providing one winner with a “Hug from Canada” that also includes a $50 Amazon gift card! Contest is open to US and Canadian residents and ends October 20, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST. Please use the King Sumo box located below to enter. Contest is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour and the winner will be announced on this page and notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

Cheesy Turkey & Veg Pasta

Victoria Hamilton: Recently I’ve had to get creative with pasta. I have a friend who has had to switch to a low potassium diet, and wouldn’t you know it, tomato-based sauces are very high in potassium. But I’ve toyed with some recipes and really liked this one I came up with that used ground lean turkey, a versatile protein. I even found it for 30% off and threw it in the freezer.

This is comfort food in a big bowl! And it’s nice to change up pasta night from tomato based sauces. The great thing about this dish is, you can extend it with more of any of the vegetables, or even more pasta. It’s a great recipe to change up with your own additions.

This is delicious, filling and pasta-rific! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 a red or yellow pepper (or more if you like!) cut into chunks.
1 or 2 zucchini diced coarsely (2 small or 1 medium to large)
1-1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups uncooked pasta – I used farfalle
1 teaspoon garlic: freshly minced or minced in a jar.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 1-1/2 cups grated cheddar – my preference was an old cheddar. Suit your own taste.
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
concentrated bouillon – 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid bouillon to taste: liquid bouillon can be salty, so start with 1 tablespoon and taste before adding more!
A scoop of the pasta water
Olive oil

Instructions

Start pasta cooking in boiling water; you’ll cook this while the rest of the meal is being prepared. Undercook slightly and do not drain the pasta immediately, as you will use some of the pasta water!
While the pasta is cooking on the stove, in an electric or stovetop frying pan cook the ground turkey and then remove from pan with slotted spoon. Set aside.
Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in that same pan, and start the peppers frying for 5 – 7 minutes, add mushroom and cook for a couple of more minutes. Lastly add the thickly diced zucchini. Cook until all veg are tender, but not mushy. Keep a close eye on the zucchini; it can go from perfect to mush in the time it takes to say it. If you’re using fresh garlic, add it to pan 1 – 2 minutes before veggies are done.
Add turkey back into pan. Add seasonings: if using the jarred garlic add it now, as well as the garlic powder, onion salt, Old Bay, black pepper and the concentrated bouillon.
Add the grated cheddar and cooked pasta now, as well as a little of the pasta water. Stir and add the parmesan. The melted cheese and pasta water will make a sauce. If it’s too dry, add a little more of the pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately!

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About Victoria Hamilton:

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series, the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also writes a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder. Visit her website at victoriahamiltonmysteries.com.

Social Details:

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/598635.Victoria_Hamilton

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Hamilton/e/B007T7LGAU