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CLAWS OF DEATH is the first book in the Fatal Food Festival Mystery series by Cathy Wiley. This is one of those books wherein the protagonist, Jackie Norwood, is flawed yet comes across so engaging you can’t help but be grateful for the opportunity to get to know her. I cheered as she attempted to put her life back together and couldn’t wait to find out if she succeeds. Ms. Wiley creates a compelling backdrop with a Texan Crab Festival and a cooking contest featuring Jackie’s ex-boyfriend, Chef Benjy. She brings the festival to life, capturing the sights, sounds, smells, and especially the tastes of the event to life. The supporting characters are well-defined and bring their own strengths to the story. What I really enjoyed was the added humor, both in the banter between the characters (some of it admittedly sarcastic, but called for) and in Jackie’s internal dialog. It kept the story fresh and had me turning pages.
The mystery starts out quickly when Jackie’s nemesis, celebrity chef and co-judge Heather Curtis, dies after tasting crab soup served by Chef Benjy. Even though Jackie often wanted bad things to come Heather’s way, she didn’t orchestrate the murder, despite what local law enforcement officers might think. When their sights are set on Jackie’s brother and Chef Benjy, Jackie knows she’ll have to get to the bottom of the crime and clear their names. It was fun tagging along with Jackie as she investigates. She’s hampered by being a visitor to the town and not knowing everyone. Yet, she manages to suss out clues and put the pieces together. I was surprised at the reveal and didn’t have the killer on my radar. Ms. Wiley pulled all the threads of the clues together in one highly satisfactory conclusion and I look forward to the next book in the series, MUSHROOM CAPPED, releasing November 29, 2023!
With plenty of delectable dishes prepared for the cooking contest, be prepared to be hungry while reading, especially if you love crab! Ms. Wiley has thoughtfully included a couple recipes at the back of the book and I was eager to try Un-Cream of Crab Soup since my husband has to eat dairy-free. Truly, this was just as rich and decadent as if it had been made with cream. With a generous amount of crab used in the soup, the sweet, briny taste shines through. Depending on where you live, crab can be prohibitively expensive. But, for a special occasion or served as a starter, it’s well worth it! I made the soup as directed for a starter one night and then for the second night, added sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the leftovers for a hearty main course soup.
Amazon Synopsis
Join Jackie Norwood, a down-and-out celebrity chef, as she judges the first gig on her comeback quest—a Texas Crab Festival cooking contest.
This new venture takes an unexpected twist when she discovers that her archnemesis, Heather Curtis, is her co-judge. As if that weren’t enough to stir the pot, one of the competitors is Chef Benjy Hayes, Jackie’s long-lost ex-boyfriend.
Disaster strikes as Heather takes a fatal taste of Benjy’s dish. Determined to clear Benjy’s name—and her own—Jackie relies on her wits and the unique skills of her friends and family. The kitchen timer is ticking as Jackie races to bring the killer to justice before her own goose is cooked.
I had the pleasure of meeting Cathy Wiley at the Bouchercon conference in San Diego in early September, and I came home with a signed print copy of CLAWS OF DEATH, which I’m happy to giveaway! Contest ends October 22, 2023 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!)
- 1 tablespoon margarine/butter substitute
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup stock (chicken, vegetable, or seafood)
- 2 cups almond milk
- Salt to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Old Bay or similar seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- Additional half pound crab meat (or crab substitute or shrimp)
- Optional garnishes: Chives or parsley
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Melt margarine in medium saucepan, add in minced shallots and garlic.
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Cook until soft, about five minutes.
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Add in liquids and heat until simmering.
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Add in Old Bay, salt, and tapioca flour and whisk until lumps are mostly smoothed out.
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Add in almond butter and the half pound of crab or crab substitute (you will be blending this to make a smooth texture, so it's not necessary to use lump crab for this). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for five minutes.
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Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
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Add in lump crab meet and simmer for ten minutes.
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Serve with additional garnishes like chives or parsley.
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This soup is great as a first course as it is rich (without added cream) and delicious. However, if you'd like to make it as a hearty main course, as I did for half of the soup, with a tablespoon of olive oil sauté a chopped onion, 2 thinly sliced carrots, 3 ribs of celery chopped, and 2 cubed red potatoes together until tender. Add to the crab soup for the last 5 minutes of simmering along with an additional 1-1/2 cups of broth.
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YUM! That soup sounds delicious!! Love the book cover!
Sounds delish!
“This soup is great as a first course as it is rich (without added cream) and delicious. However, if you’d like to make it as a hearty main course, as I did for half of the soup, with a tablespoon of olive oil sauté a chopped onion, 2 thinly sliced carrots, 3 ribs of celery chopped, and 2 cubed red potatoes together until tender. Add to the crab soup for the last 5 minutes of simmering along with an additional 1-1/2 cups of broth.”
The potatoes cook in only 5 minutes?
Hi Libby, the potatoes are sauteed with the other veggies until all are tender before adding it to the crab soup for the last 5 minutes of simmering.
Have to try this soup.