Scan barcode
kimdavishb's review
5.0
CLAWS OF DEATH is the first book in the Fatal Food Festival Mystery series by Cathy Wiley. This is one of those books wherein the protagonist, Jackie Norwood, is flawed yet comes across so engaging you can’t help but be grateful for the opportunity to get to know her. I cheered as she attempted to put her life back together and couldn’t wait to find out if she succeeds. Ms. Wiley creates a compelling backdrop with a Texan Crab Festival and a cooking contest featuring Jackie’s ex-boyfriend, Chef Benjy. She brings the festival to life, capturing the sights, sounds, smells, and especially the tastes of the event to life. The supporting characters are well-defined and bring their own strengths to the story. What I really enjoyed was the added humor, both in the banter between the characters (some of it admittedly sarcastic, but called for) and in Jackie’s internal dialog. It kept the story fresh and had me turning pages.
The mystery starts out quickly when Jackie’s nemesis, celebrity chef and co-judge Heather Curtis, dies after tasting crab soup served by Chef Benjy. Even though Jackie often wanted bad things to come Heather’s way, she didn’t orchestrate the murder, despite what local law enforcement officers might think. When their sights are set on Jackie’s brother and Chef Benjy, Jackie knows she’ll have to get to the bottom of the crime and clear their names. It was fun tagging along with Jackie as she investigates. She’s hampered by being a visitor to the town and not knowing everyone. Yet, she manages to suss out clues and put the pieces together. I was surprised at the reveal and didn’t have the killer on my radar. Ms. Wiley pulled all the threads of the clues together in one highly satisfactory conclusion and I look forward to the next book in the series!
The mystery starts out quickly when Jackie’s nemesis, celebrity chef and co-judge Heather Curtis, dies after tasting crab soup served by Chef Benjy. Even though Jackie often wanted bad things to come Heather’s way, she didn’t orchestrate the murder, despite what local law enforcement officers might think. When their sights are set on Jackie’s brother and Chef Benjy, Jackie knows she’ll have to get to the bottom of the crime and clear their names. It was fun tagging along with Jackie as she investigates. She’s hampered by being a visitor to the town and not knowing everyone. Yet, she manages to suss out clues and put the pieces together. I was surprised at the reveal and didn’t have the killer on my radar. Ms. Wiley pulled all the threads of the clues together in one highly satisfactory conclusion and I look forward to the next book in the series!
More...