Dead Men Don’t Eat Cookies
A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery, Book #6
By Virginia Lowell
ISBN: 9780425260715
Author Website: virginialowell.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
As the national bestselling Cookie Cutter Shop mysteries return, things are heating up for Olivia Greyson, her best friend, Maddie, and the rest of the crew at The Gingerbread House—until a cold case puts their plans on ice…
Olivia’s mom, Ellie, is always cooking up new schemes, but her latest idea has Livie and Maddie especially excited. Ellie’s converting an old boarding house into an arts and crafts school—one that, of course, houses a kitchen for those interested in baking. But right as renovations start, the workers discover a pile of bones buried within the boarding house’s walls, evidence of a long forgotten crime.
A silver necklace with a cookie cutter charm is found within the remains, convincing one of the workers that the bones are the remains of her father, who’s been missing for over five years. Of course, Livie and Maddie can’t resist the allure of investigating. But they’re about to discover that digging up the secrets of the past can be deadly dangerous…
RECIPES INCLUDED
Review:
Dead Men Don’t Eat Cookies is the sixth installment in Virginia Lowell’s “A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery” series. I have to say the adorable yorkie on the cover drew me in and I am so happy it did. A thoroughly enjoyable cozy, with fun characters and a well written mystery with different layers of intrigue. The main character Olivia Greyson and her business partner Maddie run The Gingerbread House that sells all things cookie cutter. Now I have to say that I for one never realized cookie cutters were a prosperous retail item, nor that people actually collected and loved them. Sure I remember my mother’s copper cookie cutters with love and wonderful memories, but this is way beyond that. Saying that, the abundance of cookie cutter information, does not deter from this fabulous book and for some I am sure it only enhances it. The cast of characters including Olivia’s brother Jason, construction guru Calliope and many others, is enjoyable and diverse. I really enjoyed the mysteries in this cozy.
Olivia’s mother, Ellie, is converting an old boarding house into an arts and crafts school and Calliope is doing the work and providing funding as well. As Olivia and Maddie try out the kitchen to bake cookies of course, they are summoned upstairs. There the work crew has unearthed a dead body in the wall. One of the crew, Alice, insists it is her father who disappeared years ago. When they find a cookie cutter charm necklace on the body, it looks like it may actually be him. The friends have to help with hunting down clues since this hits so close to home. Olivia works along with her boyfriend Del, who is also the sheriff of this adorable town of Chatterley Heights, Maryland. Alice begs for help so she can finally get answers about her father, the man who instilled a love of baking in her.
Virginia Lowell’s writing is delightful. I could almost smell the cookies baking. This is the 6th installment in the author’s series and I have not read any other than this one. You do not have to read them to truly enjoy Dead Men Don’t Eat Cookies. I really enjoyed the mysteries in this cozy, they were well written, entertaining and had just the right amount of suspense. The town is wonderful and full of interesting characters. This is a wonderful cozy mystery and I am sure the series is great, glad I have the first few to read now. I recommend this delightful book to anyone that enjoys a well written cozy, with well-developed and interesting characters. And if you are cookie fan, this series is definitely for you. Although there is a lot of talk about cookies and cookie cutters, even if you are not a fan, you will enjoy this fun novel.
