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Fortune Cookie by Josi S. KilpackMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (review)
Genre: Culinary Mystery
Book Description: Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list. With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago. Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder. The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.
My thoughts: Josi Kilpack has written another wonderful book in the Culinary Mystery Series. It astounds me how cleverly this book is written. She is able to take several characters and situations and unexpectedly tie them all together into a story that is credible and feels realistic.
This is not the first book featuring Sadie Hoffmiller. She is a fun character. She is full of spunk and carries a natural curiosity that tends to get her in trouble. Her fiance, Pete, is a grounding force for her. They are a great team, but in this story the past comes to the front of their minds as deceased spouses cause some friction weeks before their wedding.
The majority of the story takes place in China Town, San Francisco. I loved reading about the Chinese Culture in modern America. Sadie learns that she has a nephew who is half Chinese. Her sister dies under suspicious circumstances and Sadie goes to take care of her sisters belongings and try to make a connection with her nephew. This is not an easy task, Sadie's sister was not a nice lady and her son paid the price and carries emotional scars. Sadie carries an emotional burden, her sister walked out of her life when she was young and she hadn't reached out to her nephew. It's a tough relationship to read about and you can't help feel compassion for everyone involved.
There are several characters who had a motive and means to kill Sadie's sister, Wendy. As I stated above, she wasn't nice or lovable. It could be said that she went out of her way to push people away.
It is very interesting to read Sadie's efforts to learn more about her sister and why she died the way she did. I found myself thinking several times that I had it all figured out, then the next chapter more was revealed that had me second guessing what I thought to be the resolution.
If you love clean mystery and like trying new recipes, this is a great book to pick up. You don't need to start at book one, each story has it's own plot line. It's easy to pick up on family and friend relations in the book, Josi Kilpack does a wonderful job at seamlessly bringing them into the book and letting you know where they fit in.
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| Culinary Mystery Series |
Author Josi S. KilpackJosi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
I am so glad you liked it as well :). Food and Mystery...ummm....awesome!!!!
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