An Eggnog to Die For

Amy Pershing

Nov 2021 · A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery Book 2 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Christmas is coming to Cape Cod, but when Sam Barnes finds a very dead Santa in a very hip restaurant, it’s up to her to sift out suspects who have been naughty vs. nice….

Professional foodie Samantha Barnes has a simple Christmas list: a quiet holiday at home with her dog and a certain handsome harbor master; no embarrassing viral videos; and no finding dead bodies. Unfortunately she’s got family visiting, she’s spending a lot of time in front of the camera, and she’s just stumbled over the lifeless body of the town’s Santa Claus.
 
Plus, Sam’s plans for Christmas Eve are getting complicated.  There’s the great eggnog debate among her very opinionated guests.  There’s the “all edible” Christmas tree to decorate.  And there’s her Feast of the Five Fishes prepare. Nonetheless, Sam finds herself once again in the role of sleuth. She needs to find out who slayed this Santa—but can she pull off a perfect feast and nab a killer?

Ratings and reviews

An Eggnog to Die for by Amy Pershing is the 2nd A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. The author provides all the information that a new reader needs to know. An Eggnog to Die For has Samantha Barnes getting ready for the holidays. Sam is working on fixing up the home she inherited from her aunt and working as a food critic for the local newspaper, Cape Cod Clarion. She also tapes short food segments for the online paper. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and their upcoming holiday celebrations. This is a quintessential small town that is celebrating Christmas New England style. There are several quirky characters in the story that keep things lively. Sam is filming a holiday drink segment at the local hot restaurant, Ginger Jar. She takes a break to use the ladies’ room and ends up finding the town’s Santa dead in the owner’s office. Sam dons her sleuthing cap once again and sets out to locate the killer. She has a long list of suspects since the victim was not well liked. There is misdirection to throw readers off the track of the guilty party. There are clues to help armchair sleuths solve the crime. I enjoyed the reveal of the killer and I appreciated that the whodunit was completely wrapped up. The food and drink descriptions will have your mouth watering. There is humor in the story to provide giggles. Sam’s snarky comments are amusing. The story is told from Sam’s point-of-view, so we get to know what she is thinking and feeling especially with regard to her harbor master boyfriend. An Eggnog to Die For is a cute cozy mystery with a delightful dog, appetizing appetizers, a sanctimonious Santa, costume crisis, parents paying a visit, and a snooping Sam.

About the author

Amy Pershing, who spent every summer of her childhood on Cape Cod, was an editor, a restaurant reviewer and a journalist before sitting down to write the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery series, including A Side of Murder -- which Elizabeth Gilbert called “the freshest, funniest mystery I have ever read” -- and An Eggnog to Die For -- which Kirkus Reviews gave a starred review, saying, "A delightful sleuth, a complex mystery, and lovingly described cuisine: a winner for both foodies and mystery mavens." The third book in the series, Murder Is No Picnic, will be published in the summer of 2022.