Death Over Easy

Death Over Easy by Maddie Day is the fifth novel in A Country Store Mystery series. Robbie Jordan owns Pans ‘N Pancakes in South Lick, Indiana. Robbie currently has her father and his wife visiting from Italy and they are staying in her newly refinished B&B rooms over her restaurant. It is June and time for the Brown County Bluegrass Festival that is being held in nearby Beanblossom. It will mean extra business for her restaurant plus some of the musicians are staying in her B&B. Robbie enjoys an evening at the festival despite Pia Bianchi causing some disharmony. The next morning Lt. Buck Bird stops by for breakfast and mentions that Pia was found dead at the Beanblossom covered bridge that morning. She was strangled with banjo strings (ouch). When Sue Berry ends up at the top of the suspect list, Robbie swings into action. Pia managed to antagonize a notable number of people giving Robbie a suspect list longer than an operetta. Robbie will need to compose the clues into a harmonious tune to pick out the cut-throat killer. Death Over Easy is nicely written and has a steady pace which makes for a satisfying reading experience. I like the characters in the story. Robbie is a smart, strong woman who has started a new business as well as doing construction on the upstairs rooms to expand her business. It is sweet that Robbie is finally getting to know her father, Roberto Fracasso. I wish his wife, Maria spoke better English, so we could get to know her as well. The town of South Lick is quaint small town with friendly residents. The author has created a cozy environment. It is like visiting old friends when I pick up a new A Country Store Mystery. It is neat how each book features a different theme or event and I enjoy the various vintage kitchen tools mentioned. There are many pleasing cozy moments throughout the story as Robbie cooks, attends the festival, spends time with her kitten, and interacts with her friends, co-workers, boyfriend and family. The mystery was straightforward with some misdirection, a handful of suspects, a search through the woods, and a twist at the end. I like that the local police work with Robbie and are not portrayed as dullards. While Death Over Easy can be read alone, you would be missing some of the background on Robbie Jordan. I recommend reading A Country Store Mystery series in order. There are recipes at the end for a couple of the dishes featured in the story. Death Over Easy is a charming cozy mystery that will have you eager for the next A Country Store Mystery.

Welcome back to South Lick, Indiana and Robbie’s restaurant, Pans ‘N Pancakes! Fifth in the Country Store Mysteries, the one constant is that each mystery is better than the one previous. I like the characters; most are so down-to-earth and friendly. The foods Robbie and Danna prepare sound so tasty I can almost smell them cooking, and the mysteries are hard to solve. This time we enjoy a Bluegrass Festival through Robbie’s eyes. This weekend is the first time Robbie will have guests in the upstairs B & B rooms, and she finds that it isn’t what she had hoped for. She did the carpentry and painting herself, having been taught by her mother, who died suddenly 1 ½ years ago. Two rooms are taken by musicians in the Festival, and the third with her father and stepmother from Italy. Her father, Roberto, had been a student in this country and after an accident, had to return suddenly. He never knew that the woman he loved, Robbie’s mother, was pregnant when he left, or that he had a daughter, and she didn’t know who her father was. The Bluegrass Festival is in full swing, and Robbie and friends enjoy listening to the music by various bands. Her boyfriend, Abe, is part of a band that is playing. A young woman is playing with them for the first time and tries to change the playlist to include a song she wrote. It isn’t part of their agreement; she and Abe didn’t realize their mikes were live until their discussion was heard all around their stage. The group cooled down, they began to play, and all was well. The next morning, Lt. Buck Bird of SLPD came to the restaurant and questioned several people regarding the murder of Pia, the young woman who had played with Abe’s band. She was a gifted singer and musician, studying at the nearby university, but not so much a people person. Many people are questioned, from Abe to Robbie’s staff. Robbie is determined to not get involved in another mystery, but when even her father and stepmother are suspected, she has to do something. I love the “family” of staff Robbie has created at Pans ‘N Pancakes! We learn more about each person in each mystery, so there is always something new and special. Danna and her guy “Ize” Isaac are a sweet couple, but his unexplained disappearances cause challenges with the investigation, especially when a second person is found murdered, someone who has been an integral part of the community. I also enjoyed seeing Roberto and his wife Maria, and Robbie’s Aunt Adele. Death Over Easy has a fresh, unique, hard-to-solve mystery. With the influx of musicians and visitors, finding the real killer could be harder than finding a needle in a haystack. The author is very creative with plot twists and turns, as well as the effects of those twists on people being questioned. This mystery was so gripping that, at one point when I looked up from a scene, I couldn’t figure out why there was so much more light in the room than in the woods I had envisioned being amidst! I was quite surprised at the full resolution to the murders! While there were some I had thought of as guilty, my solution didn’t measure up despite some of the clues the author shared. I highly recommend Death Over Easy. From the delightful cover with the banjo and little Birdy to the mystery and relationships, it is a not-to-be-missed part of the series! From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this e-arc from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.