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DEATH OVER EASY, the fifth book in the Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day is an entertaining read which immerses the reader in a Bluegrass music festival set in Southern Indiana. The author captures the setting perfectly from the colloquialisms spouted by the locals to the descriptions of the town and the open country surrounding the area. The protagonist, Robbie Jordan, is an admirable character. Not only is she a successful restaurant owner and chef, but she’s more than proficient in carpentry and creating crossword puzzles! I love that she remodeled the floor above her restaurant to create a bed & breakfast. The incoming guests bring added character to the story and provides ample material for twists and turns to the central plot. I truly enjoyed getting to know Robbie’s father and his wife, who are visiting from Italy. It’s a joy seeing her get to know them and create a deeper bond after finally finding out who her father was.
When it’s discovered that the murder victim, Pia Bianchi, grew up in the small Italian town where Robbie’s father and step-mother are from, an added layer of emotional tension develops for the characters. The local police are suspicious of foreigners and makes them focus on Robbie’s family. It doesn’t help that Robbie’s talented boyfriend, Abe, was seen having a loud disagreement with Pia at the music festival right before they were supposed to perform together. The author provides compelling reasons for Robbie to get involved in solving the mystery. I truly enjoyed the way Ms. Day weaves the setting, the main plot and several subplots together into one cohesive story. The heart-stopping finale had me turning pages faster and faster until I was finally able to give a sigh of contentment as I read the last word.
Robbie cooks up some amazing dishes at Pans ‘N Pancakes and I love that Ms. Day provides several recipes at the back of the book. A side note: one of the breakfast specials Robbie serves is fried mush. That one scene had me flashing back to childhood, suddenly remembering that was a dish my mother served to us while I was a kid! I haven’t had it since my early childhood and while the recipe isn’t included in the book, I will definitely be tracking down a version to try for myself and take a taste down memory lane. One of the recipes Ms. Day does share is Sugar Cream Pie, as supplied from Hoosiers Max and Jane Carter. Sometimes simple is best and this pie proves the point. Simple ingredients combine into a creamy, delectable dessert that provides both comfort and indulgence. A rich dairy custard with a sprinkling of warm cinnamon sits atop pastry. The chilled pie is refreshing yet deeply satisfying and will make the recipients think of home-cooked meals and sitting around grandma’s kitchen.
Amazon Synopsis
Restaurateur Robbie Jordan is ready for the boost in business a local music festival brings to South Lick, Indiana, but the beloved event strikes a sour note when one of the musicians is murdered . . .
June’s annual Brown County Bluegrass Festival at the Bill Monroe Music Park in neighboring Beanblossom is always a hit for Robbie’s country store and café, Pans ‘N Pancakes. This year, Robbie is even more excited, because she’s launching a new bed and breakfast above her shop. A few festival musicians will be among Robbie’s first guests, along with her father, Roberto, and his wife, Maria. But the celebration is cut short when a performer is found choked to death by a banjo string. Now all the banjo players are featured in a different kind of lineup. To clear their names, Robbie must pair up with an unexpected partner to pick at the clues and find the plucky killer before he can conduct an encore performance . . .
A special thanks to Maddie Day for providing a winner with a print copy of DEATH OVER EASY. Contest ends Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
A Hoosier favorite, this recipe is kindly shared by Jane Carter. Robbie makes the pies for her restaurant customers.
- 1 stick butter
- 1 scant cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cinnamon
- 1 pre-baked and cooled pie crust
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In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter, sugar, and cornstarch, stirring to dissolve.
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Add milk, half-and-half, salt, and vanilla. Cook until thick, stirring constantly.
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Pour into prepared crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.
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Chill at least two hours before serving.
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I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love this series and look forward to reading this book. Thanks for the chance to win
Seeing as I live in Ohio, I guess something all of us Ohioans like are Buckeyes, chocolate covered peanut butter balls. Here in central Ohio being in OSU territory, they’re even more popular since the Anthony Thomas candy company is close by and features them. Can’t think of an actual dessert recipe this area has but when we came to central Ohio, it seems like everyone in this little community likes homemade noodles at Thanksgiving. I love homemade noodles but would never take the time to make them lol
I’m from Ohio, too – Toledo.
When I lived in Texas, it was Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie — YUM! (The Pecan Tree is the State Tree of Texas ~)
I love the southern Mississippi Mud cake recipe. Thanks for a chance!
No particular dessert here in Iowa that I can think of but thanks for the giveaway.
I don’t really have a favorite recipe from Alaska. When I was in the lower 48 I made a lot of recipes from my family that I grew up on. These were from the Appalachian area of southeast Kentucky. Things like leather britches, biscuits and gravy, chicken n dumplings, cornbread, soup beans, ramps and scrambled eggs. Now I’m amazingly hungry. I can’t get leather britches or ramps here but the soup beans and cornbread sound like a plan for today.
Thanks for recipe and a chance to win Death Over Easy.
I can’t think of any special recipes for Southeast Missouri, but I enjoy Jack Daniels Tipsy Cake, also Mississippi Mud Cake.
I don’t think there are any dishes specific to So Cal.
Thanks for another beautiful presentation of one of my recipes, Kim! And I’m delighted you loved my story.
This pie looks yummy. I can’t think of any pied that are regional.
I don’t think so. I have a lot of recipes from when I was growing up but I don’t think they are especially regional.
Funeral potatoes are pretty amazing. I’m not in love with the green Jell-o containing carrot slices though. Lol
My favorite regional dessert is Texas Sheetcake.
The Sugar Cream Pie looks easy & delicious & like it would be a crowd-pleaser. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’m looking forward to reading Death Over Easy.
The books look and sound great, as for the pie it looks like it would be really sweet, I’ve never seen anything like it.
I think the recipe I made and we all love that represents not only Arkansas but the south in general would be the fried pies. Cream pies are something every southern gal is taught to make with the perfect meringue, but the fried pie has roots way back in history. It was a pie of many varieties that could travel whether on the road, in the fields or on a picnic. First you were taught how to make the perfect flaky crust that could take being fried and not fall apart or be greasy tasting. The fillings are endless from the same filling of the cream pies to the wide variety of fruit pies, especially in season or from canned from fresh or made from dried fruits. My absolute favorite and one not mentioned much was my Mom’s fried banana pies. Oh my goodness, such wonderful deliciousness in a crust! You use ripe but firm bananas and put butter and sugar in with the bananas which turns to a sweet syrup around the cooked bananas in the cooked pies. You learned real fast to make sure that the banana pies were sealed completely or you ended up with the syrup mixture bubbling out into the your hot oil. Now you’ve done went and made me hungry for banana fried pies. 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of “DEATH OVER EASY” which is on my TBR list and I can’t wait for the opportunity to read this book by one of my favorite authors!
I live in Oregon so I guess my go-to salmon recipes are probably the best representation of where I live. They are simple but yummy!
peach cobbler is the Jersey go to. Jersey peaches are so juicy and sweet and the cobbler is fantastic. Can not wait to read Death Over Easy, it sounds great.
That pie looks delicious. I live in Michigan so, cherry pie.
Derby Pie as in Kentucky Derby pie. Love this series!!!
I have a really easy peach cobbler recipe!! Georgia is the peach state!! ?
None here in Nebraska.
Where I live in Ohio we make buckeyes with chocolate and peanut butter
Pecan Pie made with real Karo syrup and Lemon Chess Pie for me in my region…Texas.
Lefse.
I live in Toledo, Ohio. Cincinnati is about four hours away and they have Skyline Chili. You can get it different ways – with spaghetti or other items. You order it by saying “four ways” or however many items you want in it. I heard that their chili’s secret ingredient is cinnamon.
No I don’t have a favorite recipes that are associated with the region that I live in. Thank you for a chance to win a print copy of Death Over Easy.
I’m from Chicago and Italian Beef and Chicago style hot dogs are big here.
Bratwurst in Wisconsin stuffed with cheese of course. Lol the pie looks so delicious I want to make it soon. The book I really want to read soon.
Hi Kim! I love this series! Living in Southern California as you do, I cannot think of one single thing that we folks cook or bake that would be associated with us. Thanks for the chance to win!
Sounds SO cute! I’m crazy about food-based mysteries!
I’m trying to imagine what this pie would taste like. Custard?
None come to mind.
Originally from Boston and I’m a sucker for chocolate chip cookies!
No not really!
In Tennessee it’s pinto beans and cornbread.
I can’t say that I have a favorite regional recipe, but I do have several favorite regional foods: Chicago deep dish pizza, Chicago style not dogs (minus the hot peppers, and So I’d Cheesecake (any variety)!
I can’t think of any regional recipe or state specific recipe, New England and New Hampshire, that I make. I like cooking with seafood and I love lobster and sometimes I will make lobster eggs benedict but not sure if it’s a local recipe only.
Massachusetts is known for Toll House Cookies, Boston Cream Pie,. New England baked beans, and seafood fresh from our coast. Lobster is a big favorite.
We just moved to Florida less than a year ago. I’ll have to check with Lucy Burdette’s blogs to find a recipe for Key Lime Pie. My husband and I both love it. Thank you so much for this chance.
So many delicious recipes! An area recipe would be Kolaches, a frui filled pastry which is Czech in origin.
No i don’t have any favorite recipes, maybe lasagna. We are a melting pot here in New York, so anything goes.
Creamy chicken wild rice soup. Walleye! And of course, various “hot dishes”. Go MN!
A favorite here in Florida is Key Lime Pie!
I have family that lives in IN & I always look forward to sugar cream pie when I visit.
I don’t really have any recipes associated with south east Michigan.. we have Mackinac Island Fudge but that’s about all I can think of ?
Texas Sweet Tea!!!! Nothing better..and Hoppin John..:)
I like to make my go to and that’s chocolate chips!
Derby pie is a Kentucky thing and it’s very good! I sure would like to try making the sugar pie!
The half & half is that a creamer?
jennydtipton at gmail dot com
The only thing Iowa is known for is corn, and I do not know of any desserts with corn in them. Love to read a new series.
Living in Dutch country I enjoy chicken pot pie recipe.