Killer Green Tomatoes

Killer Green Tomatoes by Lynn Cahoon is the second story in A Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. Angie Turner is the co-owner as well as the head chef at County Seat. She has been trying to recreate her Nona’s fried green tomato recipe for the restaurant, but she has yet to get it exactly right. Estebe Blackstone, Angie’s sous chef, knowing that Angie is looking for good produce suppliers recommends Pamplona Farms which is run by his cousin, Javier Easterly. Javier is quite the flirt and is known for his rotating girlfriends. The produce, though, is exceptional and Angie is excited to create new dishes for the County Seat with the fresh veggies. One day Estebe gets a call at work from an agitated Javier. His latest girlfriend, Heather was found murdered behind the Red Eye Saloon after a very public disagreement. Javier is accused of the crime and Estebe asks Angie for her assistance. Angie will need to work in her investigating in between managing the restaurant, filling in for Estebe, making sure her farm animals get fed and taking care of her temporary roommate. Erica, Mrs. Potter’s granddaughter, has the chance to take a vacation in Cabo, but she needs someone to take care of Mrs. Potter. Angie agrees to watch out of for her elderly neighbor despite her misgivings. Angie is in for a busy and entertaining week. Things are heating up and Angie needs to be careful or she will get burned. I enjoyed reading Killer Green Tomatoes. I like the author’s conversational writing style and the engaging characters that she created. Angie is a smart, hardworking woman who is getting her new business off the ground. I find Angie to be a likeable and relatable main character with her unusual pets of Mabel, the chicken and Precious, the goat as well as the lovable, Dom (her St. Bernard puppy). Mrs. Harriet Potter is a delightful addition to the series. I am glad that she had a more prominent role in Killer Green Tomatoes. Mrs. Potter provided levity with her well-meaning antics (you will have to read the book to find out what I mean). Angie’s romance with Ian is progressing. I appreciate that the author is not rushing their relationship. They are taking the time to get to know each other. Working in time for dates is difficult, though, with their busy schedules and the pesky murders. The mystery was well-plotted and is woven throughout the story. The author manages to combine the cozy and mystery elements, so they are balanced. If you are an avid reader of cozy mysteries (like me), then you will not have a problem arriving at the solution. There are many cozy moments in Killer Green Tomatoes with friendship, animals, cooking, romance, mishaps, creating new recipes and, of course, eating. I like how everyone who works at the restaurant comes together for a meal each week. It gives all the workers a chance to try the food and get to know each other. Killer Green Tomatoes can be read as a standalone. Personally, I would read Who Moved My Goat Cheese? prior to Killer Green Tomatoes. It will allow you to see the development of the characters and the restaurant. My rating for Killer Green Tomatoes is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). There is a recipe for fried green tomatoes at the end of the book.

Killer Green Tomatoes stands up well to Lynn Cahoon's other books and to other cozy mysteries out now. The mystery is complex enough to keep the reader guessing and the personal relationships are real enough to make the reader feel part of the community. The warm and well-developed or developing relationships are among the greatest strengths that Ms. Cahoon brings to her books and that is my favorite aspect to any light mystery so her books are a must purchase for my. Just when The County Seat opens for business, sous chef Estebe is pull away by family problems. His cousin my be aggravating but he isn't murder no matter what the evidence shows. Naturally, Angie can't resist trying to find the real killer, especially since the police seem to have no clue and she wants her sous check back and working with a clear mind.

Very good