Assault and Buttery

Popcorn Shop Mystery, Book #3

By Kristi Abbott

ISBN13: 9780425280935

Author website: www(.)kristiabbottauthor(.)com

 

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Synopsis:

With her poodle, Sprocket, popcorn entrepreneur Rebecca Anderson must bag a killer in the latest Popcorn Shop Mystery from the author of Pop Goes the Murder.

Repairs are under way at Rebecca Anderson’s gourmet popcorn shop. With production of her tasty treats on hold, Rebecca has plenty of time to read the old diary she discovered hidden in the shop’s walls. It’s a fun peek into her town’s history…until the diary’s abrupt ending leaves Rebecca wondering whether she’s actually stumbled upon a cold case.

Unfortunately for Rebecca, mysteries are popping up right and left. When local busybody Lloyd McLaughlin is found dead, the police suspect he was poisoned by Rebecca’s popcorn. But Rebecca has only made one batch of popcorn recently, and it wasn’t intended for Lloyd. Nothing about Lloyd’s death makes sense–until Rebecca discovers a startling connection between the missing diary-writer and the murdered man.

Now, with her reputation on the line, Rebecca must discover who’s been cooking up murder–both in the past and in the present.

Review:

I am a fan of this series – Popcorn Shop Mystery. I really enjoy Rebecca Anderson and her poodle Sprocket. Author Kristi Abbott has written another wonderful installment in this fun and delightful cozy series. Assault and Buttery is the third. It starts out a bit different that the other two and for that matter most other cozies. Rebecca is in jail. I enjoyed the way Abbott set up the beginning and went between the past and what was going on right then. It gave the story even more “meat” and pop. Rebecca was bored since her shop was under repair so what better way to spend  your time then being in jail, not!

I love that this book comes in just after the last one, so there is wonderful continuation. When Rebecca was doing some demolition on her shop in order to repair it, she and her friend found an old diary. Now she has the time to read it and even more when she is sitting in jail. Things start out normal, but end up making her worried for the safety of the author. Also her own grandmother is in the diary. What could have been going on? A Nazi in their little town? No way! If that is not bad enough, a local man Lloyd McLaughlin is murdered and her popcorn is the weapon. How did that happen. Is Lloyd a nice man or not, who would want to kill him besides everyone, how did he get any of her popcorn since she is not in business right now?

I really enjoy these characters. Rebecca is a fabulous protagonist and she makes me happy. I was shocked to find her arrested for meddling, but I guess it is about time an amateur sleuth was made to pay for sticking their nose where they should not be. The author played that one exceedingly well. I love the relationship Rebecca has with her friends, family and even her boyfriend. Even when it gets rocky. The mystery is well written and kept me guessing. I was sure I had the killer(s) figured out and then nope I did not. I did finally pick part of it correctly.

I really look forward to the next book in this clever, well written, and highly entertaining read. Assault and Buttery was a real pleasure to read. It popped with humor, intrigue and fun. The characters just get better and better with each book. If you have not read the other two books, you will still be able to enjoy this one. Of course Sprocket makes me very happy. This is a super cozy mystery that will keep you in suspense, give you plenty of laughs, and make you drool for the great popcorn recipes.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*