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katreader's review
4.0
TWO BITES TOO MANY by Debra H. Goldstein
The Second Sarah Blair Mystery
Maybelle is on the warpath and grabs Sarah Blair to set the bank president straight. While Sarah wonders why her mother doesn't take her twin sister Emily, since it was Emily's loan that was denied, she knows its easier to go along. But Maybelle isn't the only one angry at Lance as they discover another man whose loan was denied threatening him. But when Lance is found dead, the acting Chief of Police only has Maybelle in his sights. Will Sarah Blair be able to help her mom while organizing the town's first YipYeow Day? Will she be able to make Emily see the dangers of agreeing to work for Thomas Howell and whip his floundering hotel restaurant into shape? Or will she find herself in trouble once again?
There's a lot going on in the second Sarah Blair mystery. Emily and Marcus are without a restaurant and are anxiously awaiting the necessary permits. The rezoning of Main Street is still up for debate, a pet celebration is being organized, Emily seems to be helping the competition, and the bank president is murdered. Just another day in Wheaton, Alabama. Despite all this seemingly disparate activity, the book flows seamlessly. It's like real life; multiple events are going on simultaneously and, like good mysteries, everything is eventually tied together.
I love how this book highlights animals, from the rich Siamese RahRah to the seemingly homeless Fluffy. I especially loved Fluffy's transformation. I enjoyed seeing the town get together to help their animal shelter by organizing a YipYeow Day, even if some humans had ulterior motives.
TWO BITES TO MANY is an intricately plotted mystery with a compelling storyline. Richly developed characters and lots of future possibilities, positive, negative, and complicated, make me eager to read the next Sarah Blair Mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Second Sarah Blair Mystery
Maybelle is on the warpath and grabs Sarah Blair to set the bank president straight. While Sarah wonders why her mother doesn't take her twin sister Emily, since it was Emily's loan that was denied, she knows its easier to go along. But Maybelle isn't the only one angry at Lance as they discover another man whose loan was denied threatening him. But when Lance is found dead, the acting Chief of Police only has Maybelle in his sights. Will Sarah Blair be able to help her mom while organizing the town's first YipYeow Day? Will she be able to make Emily see the dangers of agreeing to work for Thomas Howell and whip his floundering hotel restaurant into shape? Or will she find herself in trouble once again?
There's a lot going on in the second Sarah Blair mystery. Emily and Marcus are without a restaurant and are anxiously awaiting the necessary permits. The rezoning of Main Street is still up for debate, a pet celebration is being organized, Emily seems to be helping the competition, and the bank president is murdered. Just another day in Wheaton, Alabama. Despite all this seemingly disparate activity, the book flows seamlessly. It's like real life; multiple events are going on simultaneously and, like good mysteries, everything is eventually tied together.
I love how this book highlights animals, from the rich Siamese RahRah to the seemingly homeless Fluffy. I especially loved Fluffy's transformation. I enjoyed seeing the town get together to help their animal shelter by organizing a YipYeow Day, even if some humans had ulterior motives.
TWO BITES TO MANY is an intricately plotted mystery with a compelling storyline. Richly developed characters and lots of future possibilities, positive, negative, and complicated, make me eager to read the next Sarah Blair Mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
hugbandit7's review
5.0
This book kept me engaged while trying to figure out who had enough motive to kill Lance.
This is the second book in this series and it is just and thrilling as the first. It seems that Sarah has adjusted to her role as RahRah's caretaker while life continues as normal and she finds herself in the middle of deciphering a crime that has put her mother in the hot seat. There are also some issues regarding her sister Emily that take an interesting turn.
As with the first book, I enjoyed getting to know a few more town residents and picturing more of the town through the author's descriptions while trying to figure out who the killer could be this time. While there are a few characters I wouldn't mind it being, I feel like they are going to be permanent to the storyline. There are many possibilities and the author does a good job throwing in multiple suspects and motives. While this killer was one character I had suspicions about, I didn't know for certain until the end.
The relationship between Sarah and Emily is a typical sibling and twin relationship. There are highs and lows but you can tell that they care what happens to each other. Their mother is quite a character, but I feel like it adds more dimension to the story.
Overall we give this book 5 paws up and look forward to the next installment.
This is the second book in this series and it is just and thrilling as the first. It seems that Sarah has adjusted to her role as RahRah's caretaker while life continues as normal and she finds herself in the middle of deciphering a crime that has put her mother in the hot seat. There are also some issues regarding her sister Emily that take an interesting turn.
As with the first book, I enjoyed getting to know a few more town residents and picturing more of the town through the author's descriptions while trying to figure out who the killer could be this time. While there are a few characters I wouldn't mind it being, I feel like they are going to be permanent to the storyline. There are many possibilities and the author does a good job throwing in multiple suspects and motives. While this killer was one character I had suspicions about, I didn't know for certain until the end.
The relationship between Sarah and Emily is a typical sibling and twin relationship. There are highs and lows but you can tell that they care what happens to each other. Their mother is quite a character, but I feel like it adds more dimension to the story.
Overall we give this book 5 paws up and look forward to the next installment.
karen_the_baroness's review
5.0
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is a superb story with mystery, scandal, lies, corruption, and family dynamics.
Just when Sarah thinks things are going good, everything goes crazy. Sarah is finding herself, and her confidence is getting better. She has a good job, lives in a lovely house, and has the best guy, her cat RahRah to keep her company. What more could she want? The one thing she knows for sure is she doesn't want to cook. She has a great sense of humor and dedication to the local animal shelter. We could be friends.
The mystery was good. My mom and I debated over this one a lot, in the end, she figured it out before me. I like the way the town got involved in the fundraiser for the animal shelter and made it a success. However, I love all of the red herrings and the way that Sarah eliminated them.
The big question is which guy will Sarah date, Harlan her boss or Cliff the cute carpenter? I look forward to the next book to see.
My rating for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is five stars. I think the mystery is excellent; the setting is adorable; the characters are well developed with fantastic backstories. I highly recommend this one to all cozy cat lovers.
Prize: (1) Print copy of Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein (U.S. Only)
Will Sarah clear her mom before the Police Chief arrests her?
Sarah our Sleuth
Just when Sarah thinks things are going good, everything goes crazy. Sarah is finding herself, and her confidence is getting better. She has a good job, lives in a lovely house, and has the best guy, her cat RahRah to keep her company. What more could she want? The one thing she knows for sure is she doesn't want to cook. She has a great sense of humor and dedication to the local animal shelter. We could be friends.
The Mystery
The mystery was good. My mom and I debated over this one a lot, in the end, she figured it out before me. I like the way the town got involved in the fundraiser for the animal shelter and made it a success. However, I love all of the red herrings and the way that Sarah eliminated them.
The big question is which guy will Sarah date, Harlan her boss or Cliff the cute carpenter? I look forward to the next book to see.
5 Stars for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein
My rating for Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein is five stars. I think the mystery is excellent; the setting is adorable; the characters are well developed with fantastic backstories. I highly recommend this one to all cozy cat lovers.
First Book in the Series
Giveaway
Prize: (1) Print copy of Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein (U.S. Only)
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This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
bookwrm526's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
booknallnight's review
4.0
Emily & Marcus (owners of Southwind Pub), as well as many other businesses, are trying to rebuild after the crazy events of the Food Expo (see Book 1
maggietoussaint55's review
5.0
The murder of a banker upsets the city council balance of power, slows progress on financing and permitting new businesses, and causes serious problems for intrepid Sarah Blair. To make matters worse, her mother is the prime suspect and her twin sister can’t move forward with her business plans. Not one to sit idly by, Sarah dons her sleuthing cap and starts asking questions.
A delightful follow-up to Goldstein’s One Taste Too Many. Sarah Blair is a sleuth I’ll root for time and again.
Muddy Rose Reviews
A delightful follow-up to Goldstein’s One Taste Too Many. Sarah Blair is a sleuth I’ll root for time and again.
Muddy Rose Reviews
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book better than the first one.
There's a lot of character development, the plot flows without any problems and the mystery kept me guessing.
It's an entertaining and engrossing read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
There's a lot of character development, the plot flows without any problems and the mystery kept me guessing.
It's an entertaining and engrossing read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
dollycas's review
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sarah Blair doesn’t have to work but she enjoys her job at the law firm and is happy living in the carriage house with her cat RahRah. Her sister Emily along with Marcus have big plans for not just one restaurant but two! The one lost to a fire and one in the “big house” that Sarah inherited. When the bank turns down their loan request her the girl’s mother Maybelle drags Sarah to the bank to hash it out with the president of the bank. Apparently Sarah’s healthy bank account will remind the man who is dealing with. Promising he’ll look over the paperwork, Sarah heads to a meeting but Maybelle has other plans. She waits a short time and then returns to the president’s office where instead of getting the answer she wanted she finds the man dead. She then finds herself the police’s prime suspect.
Sarah is surprised by how quickly people believe her mother is a murderer. Emily has her hands full working at a local hotel until she can get her restaurants open. Sarah is busy with a fundraiser too but knows she needs to help lawyer Harlan do everything she can to keep Maybelle out of jail.
___________
There is a lot happening in Wheaton, Alabama and Sarah Blair seems to be caught up in all of it. She can do many things now that she has received her inheritance but for right now she is content working for Harlan, helping her sister and staying involved with things around town, like the fundraiser. She and Emily are best friends, the yin to the other’s yang. Maybelle knows just how to push their buttons, but we see a different side of her this time. Emily is very driven and Sarah is still finding her way. The core characters are evolving at a realistic pace. We learn more about Sarah’s neighbor George this time and because of that, we meet some new characters. Employees of the bank are also introduced. The author does an excellent job giving us characters to root for and those that could be villains/suspects. RahRah again stole my heart.
I did enjoy the way Ms. Goldstein sets the scene. The bank, the hotel, the carriage house and everything in between were all described so well. I could easily envision each place.
The mystery was murky for me but I latched onto the killer pretty early on. I just didn’t know the details of their motive until it was all laid out for me. There were several red herrings though that could have diverted my thinking but I held strong. Mini mysteries that eventually tied together to the murder were very interesting and pressed me to realize I was on the right track. The ending was pretty exciting.
Debra H. Goldstein has again given readers a fun and entertaining mystery filled with characters I wish I could know in person. Comfortable cozies, both books in this series so far have been Perfect Escapes. Once I started reading they were virtually impossible to put down. Two Bites Too Many has whet my appetite for book #3. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Sarah Blair doesn’t have to work but she enjoys her job at the law firm and is happy living in the carriage house with her cat RahRah. Her sister Emily along with Marcus have big plans for not just one restaurant but two! The one lost to a fire and one in the “big house” that Sarah inherited. When the bank turns down their loan request her the girl’s mother Maybelle drags Sarah to the bank to hash it out with the president of the bank. Apparently Sarah’s healthy bank account will remind the man who is dealing with. Promising he’ll look over the paperwork, Sarah heads to a meeting but Maybelle has other plans. She waits a short time and then returns to the president’s office where instead of getting the answer she wanted she finds the man dead. She then finds herself the police’s prime suspect.
Sarah is surprised by how quickly people believe her mother is a murderer. Emily has her hands full working at a local hotel until she can get her restaurants open. Sarah is busy with a fundraiser too but knows she needs to help lawyer Harlan do everything she can to keep Maybelle out of jail.
___________
There is a lot happening in Wheaton, Alabama and Sarah Blair seems to be caught up in all of it. She can do many things now that she has received her inheritance but for right now she is content working for Harlan, helping her sister and staying involved with things around town, like the fundraiser. She and Emily are best friends, the yin to the other’s yang. Maybelle knows just how to push their buttons, but we see a different side of her this time. Emily is very driven and Sarah is still finding her way. The core characters are evolving at a realistic pace. We learn more about Sarah’s neighbor George this time and because of that, we meet some new characters. Employees of the bank are also introduced. The author does an excellent job giving us characters to root for and those that could be villains/suspects. RahRah again stole my heart.
I did enjoy the way Ms. Goldstein sets the scene. The bank, the hotel, the carriage house and everything in between were all described so well. I could easily envision each place.
The mystery was murky for me but I latched onto the killer pretty early on. I just didn’t know the details of their motive until it was all laid out for me. There were several red herrings though that could have diverted my thinking but I held strong. Mini mysteries that eventually tied together to the murder were very interesting and pressed me to realize I was on the right track. The ending was pretty exciting.
Debra H. Goldstein has again given readers a fun and entertaining mystery filled with characters I wish I could know in person. Comfortable cozies, both books in this series so far have been Perfect Escapes. Once I started reading they were virtually impossible to put down. Two Bites Too Many has whet my appetite for book #3. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
theatricalreader's review
4.0
Two Bites Too Many was such a joy to read. Small town? Check. Main character has a cozy house? Check. Cute pet? Check
This is the second book to the series but I was able to follow along and understand what happened in the previous book.
I will admit it took me a bit to get into the book BUT I will say I received this book in the middle of a reading slump but I once the slump was over, I DEVOURED it.
I really enjoyed Sarah Blair as a whole, she is very loyal and determined to to prove her mothers innocence when she is the main suspect in the murder of the president of the town bank. While I had my suspicions on who was the culprit, I was still questioning whodunnit and Debra H. Goldstein really kept me on my toes. The characters were fleshed out well and Sarah’s relationship with her twin felt so real and I also really felt her slight frustrations with her decisions.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I hope to go back to read the first book soon.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the second book to the series but I was able to follow along and understand what happened in the previous book.
I will admit it took me a bit to get into the book BUT I will say I received this book in the middle of a reading slump but I once the slump was over, I DEVOURED it.
I really enjoyed Sarah Blair as a whole, she is very loyal and determined to to prove her mothers innocence when she is the main suspect in the murder of the president of the town bank. While I had my suspicions on who was the culprit, I was still questioning whodunnit and Debra H. Goldstein really kept me on my toes. The characters were fleshed out well and Sarah’s relationship with her twin felt so real and I also really felt her slight frustrations with her decisions.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I hope to go back to read the first book soon.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.