A Side of Murder

A Side of Murder by Amy Pershing is the debut of A Cape Code Foodie Mystery series. Samantha “Sam” Barnes is a chef who is returning home to Fair Harbor, Massachusetts. Sam’s professional and personal life in New York City derailed after a passerby posted a video on You-tube of an argument between Sam and her fiery tempered husband. When she learns she has inherited her Great-Aunt Ida’s home, Sam decides to head back to Cape Code temporarily. She gets a job at the Cape Cod Clarion writing restaurant reviews and food features. Her first assignment takes Sam and her friends to the Bayview Grille. After dinner, Sam takes a walk outside where she finds Estelle Kobolt dead in the water. The death is ruled accidental, but Sam’s instinct tells her it is murder. Sam decides to do a little digging on her own to see who wished Estelle dead. A Side of Murder is easy to read with mixed pacing. The author took the time to establish the setting of Fair Harbor in Cape Code. There are beautiful descriptions of the beach plus detailed word images of the food, Great-Aunt Ida’s house, and Diogi. We get to meet Sam’s childhood friends, Miles and Jenny along with the editor-in-chief of the Cape Cod Clarion, Krista Baker and Sam’s neighbor, Helene Greenberg. The mystery was straightforward with a couple of suspects, misdirection, and subtle clues. I would have liked more time devoted to the mystery and for it to be more complex. The whodunit is focused on more in the latter half of the book. My favorite phrase from A Side of Murder is, “Danger Will Robinson” when Krista charms Sam into taking the job at the paper. There is romance for Sam in the form of an old crush. They are attracted to each other and there is chemistry between them. A Side of Murder is a breezy cozy mystery with fine food, a cute canine, an insistent editor-in-chief, fun friends, a gone guzzler, a hunky harbormaster, and a beautiful beach.