A Mystery With Recipes
Latest release: February 20, 2024
Series
18
Books
About this ebook series
Two sisters get into catering and crimesolving in “a delicious mystery…that will have readers begging for second helpings” (Leslie Maier).
Bernadette Simmons wasn't sure what to expect when she left L.A.—and her no-good, cheating boyfriend—to move back in with her family in New York. And her sister Libby had no idea what she was in for when she hired Bernie to work for her catering business. But in between cutting up canapés and dishing up desserts, the two find themselves in the midst of a mystery they can sink their teeth into…
Right now they’re baking cookies and slicing rare beef tenderloin to serve at a high school reunion. The dinner has a Dracula theme and a very strange guest of honor: Laird Wrenn, a New York Times-bestselling author of vampire novels. Libby and Bernie know this will be an evening unlike any other. And they're proven right when Laird pours a glass of water, takes a long sip—and drops stone-cold dead.
Now, with murder on the menu and Libby under suspicion, the sisters must put their heads together to figure out whodunit, in a mystery that promises to be deadly to the very last bite.
Includes 7 delectable recipes for you to try!
“A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likeable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it.”—I Love a Mystery
Bernadette Simmons wasn't sure what to expect when she left L.A.—and her no-good, cheating boyfriend—to move back in with her family in New York. And her sister Libby had no idea what she was in for when she hired Bernie to work for her catering business. But in between cutting up canapés and dishing up desserts, the two find themselves in the midst of a mystery they can sink their teeth into…
Right now they’re baking cookies and slicing rare beef tenderloin to serve at a high school reunion. The dinner has a Dracula theme and a very strange guest of honor: Laird Wrenn, a New York Times-bestselling author of vampire novels. Libby and Bernie know this will be an evening unlike any other. And they're proven right when Laird pours a glass of water, takes a long sip—and drops stone-cold dead.
Now, with murder on the menu and Libby under suspicion, the sisters must put their heads together to figure out whodunit, in a mystery that promises to be deadly to the very last bite.
Includes 7 delectable recipes for you to try!
“A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likeable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it.”—I Love a Mystery
A Catered Murder
Book 1 · Nov 2012 ·
3.9star
Two sisters get into catering and crimesolving in “a delicious mystery…that will have readers begging for second helpings” (Leslie Maier).
Bernadette Simmons wasn't sure what to expect when she left L.A.—and her no-good, cheating boyfriend—to move back in with her family in New York. And her sister Libby had no idea what she was in for when she hired Bernie to work for her catering business. But in between cutting up canapés and dishing up desserts, the two find themselves in the midst of a mystery they can sink their teeth into…
Right now they’re baking cookies and slicing rare beef tenderloin to serve at a high school reunion. The dinner has a Dracula theme and a very strange guest of honor: Laird Wrenn, a New York Times-bestselling author of vampire novels. Libby and Bernie know this will be an evening unlike any other. And they're proven right when Laird pours a glass of water, takes a long sip—and drops stone-cold dead.
Now, with murder on the menu and Libby under suspicion, the sisters must put their heads together to figure out whodunit, in a mystery that promises to be deadly to the very last bite.
Includes 7 delectable recipes for you to try!
“A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likeable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it.”—I Love a Mystery
Bernadette Simmons wasn't sure what to expect when she left L.A.—and her no-good, cheating boyfriend—to move back in with her family in New York. And her sister Libby had no idea what she was in for when she hired Bernie to work for her catering business. But in between cutting up canapés and dishing up desserts, the two find themselves in the midst of a mystery they can sink their teeth into…
Right now they’re baking cookies and slicing rare beef tenderloin to serve at a high school reunion. The dinner has a Dracula theme and a very strange guest of honor: Laird Wrenn, a New York Times-bestselling author of vampire novels. Libby and Bernie know this will be an evening unlike any other. And they're proven right when Laird pours a glass of water, takes a long sip—and drops stone-cold dead.
Now, with murder on the menu and Libby under suspicion, the sisters must put their heads together to figure out whodunit, in a mystery that promises to be deadly to the very last bite.
Includes 7 delectable recipes for you to try!
“A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likeable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.”—Publishers Weekly
“Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it.”—I Love a Mystery
A Catered Wedding
Book 2 · Sep 2013 ·
3.0star
Someone’s shot an arrow at the bride, and it isn’t Cupid…A mystery filled with “clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast” (Publishers Weekly).
Bernadette and Libby Simmons have been working twelve-hour days, and between whipping up sweet treats and catering high school graduation parties, the sisters have to fit one more event into their busy schedule: catering a high-society wedding that takes a very low turn…
Leeza Sharp is getting ready to have the wedding of her dreams. She’s got a $25,000 dress (gorgeous and made to order), a rich Estonian fiancé (head of a multimillion-dollar caviar empire) and a four-star menu (planned by none other than Bernie and Libby). Never mind that she's not really in love with her boring, bland groom-to-be.
But the dream wedding turns into a nightmare. Hours before she’s scheduled to walk down the aisle, Leeza takes an arrow to the chest. Now Libby and Bernadette have more on their minds than pouring Cristal and cutting up wedding cake: they’ve got an archery-inclined killer to find…
Includes 6 delectable recipes for you to try!
“The sisters’ playful rivalry, clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast make for plenty of cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“Frequent humor, a couple of little-old-lady Marxists, and several delicious recipes complete the cozy picture. Recommended for culinary mystery fans.”—Library Journal
Bernadette and Libby Simmons have been working twelve-hour days, and between whipping up sweet treats and catering high school graduation parties, the sisters have to fit one more event into their busy schedule: catering a high-society wedding that takes a very low turn…
Leeza Sharp is getting ready to have the wedding of her dreams. She’s got a $25,000 dress (gorgeous and made to order), a rich Estonian fiancé (head of a multimillion-dollar caviar empire) and a four-star menu (planned by none other than Bernie and Libby). Never mind that she's not really in love with her boring, bland groom-to-be.
But the dream wedding turns into a nightmare. Hours before she’s scheduled to walk down the aisle, Leeza takes an arrow to the chest. Now Libby and Bernadette have more on their minds than pouring Cristal and cutting up wedding cake: they’ve got an archery-inclined killer to find…
Includes 6 delectable recipes for you to try!
“The sisters’ playful rivalry, clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast make for plenty of cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“Frequent humor, a couple of little-old-lady Marxists, and several delicious recipes complete the cozy picture. Recommended for culinary mystery fans.”—Library Journal
A Catered Christmas
Book 3 · Oct 2006 ·
4.3star
’Tis the season to be sleuthing—as two sisters try to solve a crime at a cooking show.
Picturesque Longley, New York, is ringing in the holiday season, but visions of sugar plums are not dancing in Libby Simmons’s head—especially since she and her sister Bernie are set to appear on the Hortense Calabash Cooking Show. The premise is to give six professional caterers random ingredients and have them whip up a holiday meal. The icing on the fruitcake is that Hortense Calabash is a grinch of epic proportions. And the other contestants are some of the most demanding—and difficult—chefs in the business.
Bernie and Libby are thrown into the mix as arguments and accusations simmer on the set. Then Hortense, all dressed up as Santa Claus for the opening sequence, is killed by an exploding oven. With the holiday rush in full swing and a killer still on the loose, Bernie and Libby have no choice but to wrap up the mystery before their geese are well and fully cooked…
Includes scrumptious holiday recipes for you to try!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
Picturesque Longley, New York, is ringing in the holiday season, but visions of sugar plums are not dancing in Libby Simmons’s head—especially since she and her sister Bernie are set to appear on the Hortense Calabash Cooking Show. The premise is to give six professional caterers random ingredients and have them whip up a holiday meal. The icing on the fruitcake is that Hortense Calabash is a grinch of epic proportions. And the other contestants are some of the most demanding—and difficult—chefs in the business.
Bernie and Libby are thrown into the mix as arguments and accusations simmer on the set. Then Hortense, all dressed up as Santa Claus for the opening sequence, is killed by an exploding oven. With the holiday rush in full swing and a killer still on the loose, Bernie and Libby have no choice but to wrap up the mystery before their geese are well and fully cooked…
Includes scrumptious holiday recipes for you to try!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
A Catered Valentine's Day
Book 4 · Jan 2008 ·
0.0star
In this “well-paced” mystery, a chocolate shop owner is killed, and there’s quite an assortment of suspects (Publishers Weekly).
Sisters Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, have plans to partner up with the Just Chocolate store for a taste-tempting Valentine's Day fundraiser featuring pairings of exotic chocolates, food, and wine, as well as a bachelor auction. And though Bernie isn’t too happy about her boyfriend volunteering to be auctioned off, she’s got too much on her plate to be jealous: one of the coolers is leaking; they need a new butter supplier, and the mother of a very good client has died.
Putting their preparations on hold, Bernie and Libby attend the funeral, only to be recruited to help solve a mystery. In an old cemetery-turned-lover’s-lane, the body of Ted Gorman has been found in someone else’s grave. The same Ted Gorman who supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier.
Ted was the owner–with his wife–of Just Chocolate. So now, as Bernie and Libby continue working with the grieving widow, they open up a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, bittersweet passion, and just desserts.
Includes scrumptious dessert recipes for you to try!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
Sisters Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, have plans to partner up with the Just Chocolate store for a taste-tempting Valentine's Day fundraiser featuring pairings of exotic chocolates, food, and wine, as well as a bachelor auction. And though Bernie isn’t too happy about her boyfriend volunteering to be auctioned off, she’s got too much on her plate to be jealous: one of the coolers is leaking; they need a new butter supplier, and the mother of a very good client has died.
Putting their preparations on hold, Bernie and Libby attend the funeral, only to be recruited to help solve a mystery. In an old cemetery-turned-lover’s-lane, the body of Ted Gorman has been found in someone else’s grave. The same Ted Gorman who supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier.
Ted was the owner–with his wife–of Just Chocolate. So now, as Bernie and Libby continue working with the grieving widow, they open up a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, bittersweet passion, and just desserts.
Includes scrumptious dessert recipes for you to try!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
A Catered Halloween
Book 5 · Feb 2013 ·
5.0star
A haunted-house party turns homicidal: “Fun, well-plotted…A selection of delectable seasonal recipes rounds out the volume.”—Publishers Weekly
With the promise of a hefty commission and some valuable word-of-mouth for their catering business, A Little Taste of Heaven, sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons agree to cater the charity haunted house being staged at the old Peabody School. But when wealthy socialite Amethyst Applegate is found dead in the haunted house, Bernie and Libby wonder if a murderer might also be lurking about Peabody’s gloomy halls…
While almost everyone Amethyst ever met might have a motive for killing her, not everyone had access to the Peabody School. All Bernie and Libby know is if they don’t solve this mystery soon, they might become the next stars in a real-life horror flick…
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Includes recipes!
With the promise of a hefty commission and some valuable word-of-mouth for their catering business, A Little Taste of Heaven, sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons agree to cater the charity haunted house being staged at the old Peabody School. But when wealthy socialite Amethyst Applegate is found dead in the haunted house, Bernie and Libby wonder if a murderer might also be lurking about Peabody’s gloomy halls…
While almost everyone Amethyst ever met might have a motive for killing her, not everyone had access to the Peabody School. All Bernie and Libby know is if they don’t solve this mystery soon, they might become the next stars in a real-life horror flick…
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Includes recipes!
A Catered Birthday Party
Book 6 · Nov 2010 ·
4.3star
“Fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke will enjoy the investigative and culinary antics of the nosey sisters.”—Library Journal
A Little Taste of Heaven catering certainly knows how to feed people. Dogs, however? When sisters Bernie and Libby sign on to cater Trudy the Pug's birthday bash, it isn't just any doggie do. Trudy's owner, Annabel Colbert, is one of the richest women in town—and as mascot of the Colbert toy company, Trudy herself is a bona fide celebrity. But when the big day arrives, mere moments after dipping into the wine, Annabel is shrieking she's been poisoned—and falling face first into her soup. After two days in a coma, Annabel is dead.
It seems the woman who had everything also had her share of enemies. In fact, Annabel was cheating, blackmailing, or backstabbing most everyone she knew—including Trudy's trainer and kennel owner. With so many suspects, sniffing out the truth is a risky proposition. Bernie and Libby had better close the oven on this case fast—before they get burned…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Diverting.” –Publishers Weekly
“Enjoyable and entertaining.” –Romantic Times
A Little Taste of Heaven catering certainly knows how to feed people. Dogs, however? When sisters Bernie and Libby sign on to cater Trudy the Pug's birthday bash, it isn't just any doggie do. Trudy's owner, Annabel Colbert, is one of the richest women in town—and as mascot of the Colbert toy company, Trudy herself is a bona fide celebrity. But when the big day arrives, mere moments after dipping into the wine, Annabel is shrieking she's been poisoned—and falling face first into her soup. After two days in a coma, Annabel is dead.
It seems the woman who had everything also had her share of enemies. In fact, Annabel was cheating, blackmailing, or backstabbing most everyone she knew—including Trudy's trainer and kennel owner. With so many suspects, sniffing out the truth is a risky proposition. Bernie and Libby had better close the oven on this case fast—before they get burned…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Diverting.” –Publishers Weekly
“Enjoyable and entertaining.” –Romantic Times
A Catered Thanksgiving
Book 7 · May 2011 ·
4.5star
A dysfunctional family holiday turns deadly in this “sprightly” mystery (Publishers Weekly).
Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. Everything has to be perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty’s lucrative will. That’s where sisters Bernie and Libby’s catering company, A Little Taste of Heaven, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can get along for one meal. But no one can dress up disaster when the turkey goes boom right in Monty’s scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky.
With everyone harboring their own cornucopia of secrets, discovering who wanted to carve up Monty won’t be easy. Worse, the Field Mansion is draped under a snowstorm, trapping them with a killer determined to get more than his piece of the pie. Bernie and Libby will have to find out who the culprit is, fast, before the leftovers—and their chances of surviving—run out for good…
Includes tasty recipes!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. Everything has to be perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty’s lucrative will. That’s where sisters Bernie and Libby’s catering company, A Little Taste of Heaven, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can get along for one meal. But no one can dress up disaster when the turkey goes boom right in Monty’s scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky.
With everyone harboring their own cornucopia of secrets, discovering who wanted to carve up Monty won’t be easy. Worse, the Field Mansion is draped under a snowstorm, trapping them with a killer determined to get more than his piece of the pie. Bernie and Libby will have to find out who the culprit is, fast, before the leftovers—and their chances of surviving—run out for good…
Includes tasty recipes!
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal
A Catered St. Patrick's Day
Book 8 · Jun 2012 ·
4.4star
“Cozy fans will appreciate the zany characters, witty dialogue and puzzling plot.”—Publishers Weekly
To most of the people of Longely, New York, St. Paddy's Day means good food, great music, and plenty of Guinness. But when the lifeless body of Mike Sweeney floats to the top of a vat of green beer, it looks like the luck o' the Irish has just run out. Unfortunately for the Simmons sisters, Bernie and Libby, the number one suspect is related to one of their very best catering customers, the pampered and powerful Bree Nottingham. When Bree visits A Little Taste of Heaven to beseech them to clear her nephew's name, they just can't say no.
But the more information Bernie and Libby stir up, the more Duncan Nottingham looks like a killer. For Bernie and Libby, the situation is in danger of boiling over. And they can't count on good old Saint Pat to drive out the snake in their midst…they'll have to do it themselves.
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Includes original recipes for you to try!
To most of the people of Longely, New York, St. Paddy's Day means good food, great music, and plenty of Guinness. But when the lifeless body of Mike Sweeney floats to the top of a vat of green beer, it looks like the luck o' the Irish has just run out. Unfortunately for the Simmons sisters, Bernie and Libby, the number one suspect is related to one of their very best catering customers, the pampered and powerful Bree Nottingham. When Bree visits A Little Taste of Heaven to beseech them to clear her nephew's name, they just can't say no.
But the more information Bernie and Libby stir up, the more Duncan Nottingham looks like a killer. For Bernie and Libby, the situation is in danger of boiling over. And they can't count on good old Saint Pat to drive out the snake in their midst…they'll have to do it themselves.
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Includes original recipes for you to try!
A Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange
Book 9 · Nov 2013 ·
3.7star
“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Bernie and Libby Simmons, caterers extraordinaire, are hosting a televised cookie contest just in time for Christmas, but unfriendly rivalries cook up a cutthroat competition…
The feisty members of the Christmas Cookie Club Exchange are busy perfecting their recipes once again. And with the Baking for Life cookie contest on the line, the stakes are higher—and deadlier—than ever. When the odds-on favorite dies in a suspicious car accident en route to the show, Bernie and Libby start digging and are shocked to uncover a soap opera of sinister secrets and clandestine affairs. But they'll stop at nothing to get to the truth, because no holiday treat is sweeter than justice.
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“A chatty, cozy mystery.”—Library Journal
Bernie and Libby Simmons, caterers extraordinaire, are hosting a televised cookie contest just in time for Christmas, but unfriendly rivalries cook up a cutthroat competition…
The feisty members of the Christmas Cookie Club Exchange are busy perfecting their recipes once again. And with the Baking for Life cookie contest on the line, the stakes are higher—and deadlier—than ever. When the odds-on favorite dies in a suspicious car accident en route to the show, Bernie and Libby start digging and are shocked to uncover a soap opera of sinister secrets and clandestine affairs. But they'll stop at nothing to get to the truth, because no holiday treat is sweeter than justice.
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“A chatty, cozy mystery.”—Library Journal
A Catered Fourth of July
Book 10 · Jul 2014 ·
5.0star
It’s murder by musket at a Revolutionary War re-enactment: “This satisfying cozy will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen mysteries.”—Booklist
High noon on July Fourth in the quiet town of Longley, New York, and it’s got to be a hundred degrees. Thankfully, sisters Bernie and Libby are setting up their yummy catering in a shady gazebo for the reenactment of The Battle of Meadow Creek—and not baking in those Revolutionary War uniforms with their fellow townspeople.
After a few cheery exchanges of “Moveth” and “Thou speakest treason,” the muskets are fired and the fake battle is over. But the blood on the notorious town playboy looks very real. Is it possible he’s had his last tryst?
When town councilman and resident loudmouth Rick Evans accuses Libby’s beau, Marvin, Bernie and Libby know they’ve got to get cooking on the case. But the former Casanova has burned half the town—including the hotheaded politician and his occasionally faithful wife. And what about the re-enactor who’s training as an EMT yet almost fainted at the sight of the deceased’s blood?
Bernie and Libby have their plates overloaded with suspects, and will need to work fast to clear Marvin’s name. The simmering killer is still out there, armed and taking shots, and unless the sisters quickly get to the bottom of this patriotic pre-meditation, their goose may be cooked…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Scorned women, jealous husbands, Wiccans, and Hilda the pet pig add to the cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly
High noon on July Fourth in the quiet town of Longley, New York, and it’s got to be a hundred degrees. Thankfully, sisters Bernie and Libby are setting up their yummy catering in a shady gazebo for the reenactment of The Battle of Meadow Creek—and not baking in those Revolutionary War uniforms with their fellow townspeople.
After a few cheery exchanges of “Moveth” and “Thou speakest treason,” the muskets are fired and the fake battle is over. But the blood on the notorious town playboy looks very real. Is it possible he’s had his last tryst?
When town councilman and resident loudmouth Rick Evans accuses Libby’s beau, Marvin, Bernie and Libby know they’ve got to get cooking on the case. But the former Casanova has burned half the town—including the hotheaded politician and his occasionally faithful wife. And what about the re-enactor who’s training as an EMT yet almost fainted at the sight of the deceased’s blood?
Bernie and Libby have their plates overloaded with suspects, and will need to work fast to clear Marvin’s name. The simmering killer is still out there, armed and taking shots, and unless the sisters quickly get to the bottom of this patriotic pre-meditation, their goose may be cooked…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Scorned women, jealous husbands, Wiccans, and Hilda the pet pig add to the cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly
A Catered Mother's Day
Book 11 · May 2015 ·
4.8star
A mom feels taken for granted—but she’s got bigger problems when she’s taken in for murder: “Engaging…cozy fans will find plenty to like.”—Publishers Weekly
It’s Mother’s Day in sleepy Longely, New York, and catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons’ friend Ellen is an overworked, underappreciated mom who’s fed up. She’s a dutiful wife and mother while also running her pet-treat business—yet her birthday and anniversary have both been forgotten.
But when she tries to fake her own kidnapping as a prank to get back at her family, things go very wrong. The phony ransom note directed her husband to come to a local motel, but when he gets there, Ellen’s being arrested for murdering the man whose body is in her room. She insists she doesn’t even know him—but her staged abduction doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the police. Now Bernie and Libby will have to cook up a plan to clear their pal’s name…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
It’s Mother’s Day in sleepy Longely, New York, and catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons’ friend Ellen is an overworked, underappreciated mom who’s fed up. She’s a dutiful wife and mother while also running her pet-treat business—yet her birthday and anniversary have both been forgotten.
But when she tries to fake her own kidnapping as a prank to get back at her family, things go very wrong. The phony ransom note directed her husband to come to a local motel, but when he gets there, Ellen’s being arrested for murdering the man whose body is in her room. She insists she doesn’t even know him—but her staged abduction doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the police. Now Bernie and Libby will have to cook up a plan to clear their pal’s name…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
A Catered Tea Party
Book 12 · Sep 2016 ·
3.0star
A billionaire is felled at a fundraiser: “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal
Everyone in Longely, New York is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the quaint little town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way.
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering an elaborate tea party for an opening night gala fundraiser. But just when it seems the Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder.
As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
Everyone in Longely, New York is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the quaint little town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way.
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering an elaborate tea party for an opening night gala fundraiser. But just when it seems the Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder.
As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
A Catered Costume Party
Book 13 · Aug 2017 ·
3.0star
A man is found hanging at a Halloween party, and two sleuthing sisters must unmask a killer: “Charming.”—Publishers Weekly
When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder.
Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder.
Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit…
Includes original recipes for you to try!
“Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
A Catered Cat Wedding
Book 14 · Sep 2018 ·
0.0star
An “amusing” mystery filled with “lively characters, irresistible food descriptions, and witty dialogue” (Publishers Weekly).
Susie Katz is known as the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, and goes out of her way to earn the title, right down to her cat T-shirts and porcelain Hello Kitties. She’s a fanatic for anything feline. Humans, not so much.
So when she decides to put up a tent on her property and hold an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, she makes sure to include a few two-legged guests—primarily to raise some hackles. All her favorite enemies will be there: her bird-loving neighbor, a rival cat breeder, a local animal rights activist, and the niece and nephew who stand to inherit her considerable fortune…if she doesn’t spend it all on cat tchotchkes first. Susie can’t wait for them all to watch as Boris and Natasha slink up the aisle in their very expensive diamond-studded collars, before everyone starts digging in to the poached salmon and caviar provided for the occasion by catering sisters Bernie and Libby.
But chaos erupts when a wedding gift is unwrapped and a mischief of mice jump out of the box—followed by the disappearance of all the pampered partygoers. Just a few hours later, Susie is stabbed in the back while searching for her missing kitties near the now-empty tent—and it’s up to the Simmons sisters to sniff out the killer.
Includes original recipes for you to try!
Susie Katz is known as the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, and goes out of her way to earn the title, right down to her cat T-shirts and porcelain Hello Kitties. She’s a fanatic for anything feline. Humans, not so much.
So when she decides to put up a tent on her property and hold an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, she makes sure to include a few two-legged guests—primarily to raise some hackles. All her favorite enemies will be there: her bird-loving neighbor, a rival cat breeder, a local animal rights activist, and the niece and nephew who stand to inherit her considerable fortune…if she doesn’t spend it all on cat tchotchkes first. Susie can’t wait for them all to watch as Boris and Natasha slink up the aisle in their very expensive diamond-studded collars, before everyone starts digging in to the poached salmon and caviar provided for the occasion by catering sisters Bernie and Libby.
But chaos erupts when a wedding gift is unwrapped and a mischief of mice jump out of the box—followed by the disappearance of all the pampered partygoers. Just a few hours later, Susie is stabbed in the back while searching for her missing kitties near the now-empty tent—and it’s up to the Simmons sisters to sniff out the killer.
Includes original recipes for you to try!
A Catered New Year’s Eve
Book 15 · Oct 2019 ·
5.0star
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited with a distant relative who wants them to cater a New Year’s Eve event—and help find a guilty party . . .
It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact and tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner—both of which were ruled accidental.
Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, but when the night arrives, a guest drops dead. In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
“Fast paced and lively, this mystery will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.”
—Booklist
It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact and tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner—both of which were ruled accidental.
Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, but when the night arrives, a guest drops dead. In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
“Fast paced and lively, this mystery will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.”
—Booklist
A Catered Book Club Murder
Book 16 · Dec 2020 ·
3.0star
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are used to catering lip-smacking treats to an artsy group of book lovers—until fiction spills into reality . . .
If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.
When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .
If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.
When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .
A Catered Doggie Wedding
Book 17 · Jun 2022 ·
4.0star
When Bernie and Libby Simmons, sisters and co-owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, are hired to cater a posh pooch party, they wind up stepping into a fresh murder investigation!
At A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby Simmons cater all sorts of affairs, from book clubs to bridal showers and everything in between. So when their counterman, Googie, asks them to cater a doggie wedding for his girlfriend Jenni’s eight-month-old golden retrievers, they jump on the opportunity. The reception, which will also serve as a grand opening for Jennie’s new doggie daycare center, is no small affair. Bertha and Ernie—the bride and groom—will be celebrating with more than a hundred guests, including the puppers’ pals and their people.
But all weddings, even shaggy shindigs, come with some drama. Not everyone in town is excited about the upcoming pup-tuials—or Jenni’s business. Someone is sending threatening messages to Bernie, Libby, and others in town, warning them to cancel the festivities. But when folks start dying under curious circumstances, Bernie and Libby know it’s up to them to untangle the leads and find the murderer before anyone else bites it.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
At A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby Simmons cater all sorts of affairs, from book clubs to bridal showers and everything in between. So when their counterman, Googie, asks them to cater a doggie wedding for his girlfriend Jenni’s eight-month-old golden retrievers, they jump on the opportunity. The reception, which will also serve as a grand opening for Jennie’s new doggie daycare center, is no small affair. Bertha and Ernie—the bride and groom—will be celebrating with more than a hundred guests, including the puppers’ pals and their people.
But all weddings, even shaggy shindigs, come with some drama. Not everyone in town is excited about the upcoming pup-tuials—or Jenni’s business. Someone is sending threatening messages to Bernie, Libby, and others in town, warning them to cancel the festivities. But when folks start dying under curious circumstances, Bernie and Libby know it’s up to them to untangle the leads and find the murderer before anyone else bites it.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
A Catered Quilting Bee
Book 17 · Feb 2024 ·
0.0star
Sisters and caterers Bernie and Libby Simmons, owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, return for another culinary cozy with catering, dogs, and murder.
Quilts, quiet, and delicious food. That’s exactly what Bernie and Libby expect as they build the menu for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle’s first-ever exhibition hosted at the local library. The eclectic ladies of the group couldn’t appear more harmlessly wholesome if they tried, especially mild-mannered kindergarten teacher Cecilia Larson, who hired A Little of Taste of Heaven to cater the event. So it’s a complete shock when disturbing news drops about member Ellen Fisher, found hanging from a plant hook in her otherwise pristine sewing room . . .
All are very quick to deem the tragic death a suicide. All except for Cecilia. She believes something else happened to her best friend—who was busy adding the finishing stitches on her greatest work yet in hopes of displaying it at the exhibition—and looks to Bernie and Libby to expose the truth . . . and the killer. As Ellen’s patchy past comes into focus along with a mysterious connection to a missing seven-hundred-year-old quilt fragment, can the sisters unravel the victim’s final thread before another turns up dead?
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
Quilts, quiet, and delicious food. That’s exactly what Bernie and Libby expect as they build the menu for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle’s first-ever exhibition hosted at the local library. The eclectic ladies of the group couldn’t appear more harmlessly wholesome if they tried, especially mild-mannered kindergarten teacher Cecilia Larson, who hired A Little of Taste of Heaven to cater the event. So it’s a complete shock when disturbing news drops about member Ellen Fisher, found hanging from a plant hook in her otherwise pristine sewing room . . .
All are very quick to deem the tragic death a suicide. All except for Cecilia. She believes something else happened to her best friend—who was busy adding the finishing stitches on her greatest work yet in hopes of displaying it at the exhibition—and looks to Bernie and Libby to expose the truth . . . and the killer. As Ellen’s patchy past comes into focus along with a mysterious connection to a missing seven-hundred-year-old quilt fragment, can the sisters unravel the victim’s final thread before another turns up dead?
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!