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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
The Tell-Tale Tarte by Maya Corrigan is the fourth book in A Five-Ingredient Mystery series. Val Deniston is shocked when her grandfather, Don Myer comes home with a new look. She can tell that he up to something, but Granddad is claiming client confidentiality. Val is leaving the mall with her best friend, Bethany O’Shay when she sees a man resembling her grandfather collapse in the parking lot. The man, thankfully, is not her Granddad. The man does not survive, and he is dressed in Granddad’s new look (same haircut, glasses, hat, and clothes). What has Granddad gotten into this time? At dinner that evening with Gunnar, Val discovers the deceased is Emmett Flint. Emmett was an actor with the local theater group along with Gunnar. Gunnar, unfortunately, recently had an argument with the man and benefits from his death which puts him at the top of the suspect list. While catering a book club dinner, Val discovers Granddad’s new job. He was hired to impersonate Rick Usher. Was Emmett Flint hired to perform this task as well? Was the killer after Emmett, Granddad, or Rick Usher? Val soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery surrounding author, Rick Usher. To get closer to Usher, Val accepts a job as the families’ personal chef. Val needs to clear Gunnar’s name and keep her grandfather safe. When Val is not scouting for clues, she is working at the Cool Down Café, testing recipes for The Codger’s Cookbook (another one of Granddad’s projects), and exploring ways to get her contract on the café renewed. Will Val uncover the killer before he strikes again?
I found The Tell-Tale Tarte to be a slow starter. I had a hard time finishing this cozy mystery. The pace starting out slow and failed to improve. There is a repetition of information. I find it annoying to find the same details repeated over and over. I have not been able to warm up to Val and her grandfather (or any of the characters). I felt that the characters are lacking in depth. Val is a hard character to like. She does not exude warmth or friendliness. The grandfather’s antics just got on my nerves. Why does it have to be one zany thing after another? I do not mind a little bit of quirkiness, but Granddad is over-the-top. He expects Val to support him in his subterfuge (which she does). My rating for The Tell-Tale Tarte is 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was interesting, but uncomplicated and could be solved early in the story. The suspect pool is minute and the killer sticks out (might as well have been an arrow pointing at the individual). The subplot of Val’s café contract was too dominant in the book. The details about the contract and who would take over the space are mentioned frequently. The “romance” between Gunnar and Val does not feel real. It is like the author determined that there should be a romance in the book so she put it in. I just do not feel the connection or affection between them. I did enjoy the Poe references in the book. I am a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and his works (did a paper or two on him in college). There are recipes at the end of the book from the Codger.
I found The Tell-Tale Tarte to be a slow starter. I had a hard time finishing this cozy mystery. The pace starting out slow and failed to improve. There is a repetition of information. I find it annoying to find the same details repeated over and over. I have not been able to warm up to Val and her grandfather (or any of the characters). I felt that the characters are lacking in depth. Val is a hard character to like. She does not exude warmth or friendliness. The grandfather’s antics just got on my nerves. Why does it have to be one zany thing after another? I do not mind a little bit of quirkiness, but Granddad is over-the-top. He expects Val to support him in his subterfuge (which she does). My rating for The Tell-Tale Tarte is 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was interesting, but uncomplicated and could be solved early in the story. The suspect pool is minute and the killer sticks out (might as well have been an arrow pointing at the individual). The subplot of Val’s café contract was too dominant in the book. The details about the contract and who would take over the space are mentioned frequently. The “romance” between Gunnar and Val does not feel real. It is like the author determined that there should be a romance in the book so she put it in. I just do not feel the connection or affection between them. I did enjoy the Poe references in the book. I am a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and his works (did a paper or two on him in college). There are recipes at the end of the book from the Codger.
kimdavishb's review against another edition
5.0
THE TELL-TALE TARTE, the newest book in Maya Corrigan's Five-Ingredient Mystery series, has an imaginative, twisty-turvey plot that revolves around Edgar Allen Poe. From the title and raven on the adorable cover; to the character’s name, Rick Usher; to the creative Poe puns; the author pays homage to the master of mystery. While I don’t specifically remember if I’ve ever read any Poe (probably in high school) I did love the old movies based on his stories with Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi. Suitably suspenseful without the horror of being graphic. However, rest assured, Maya has written a clever cozy that will keep a reader entertained and guessing “whodunit” without stepping foot into the horror genre that Poe was known for.
The protagonist, Val Deniston, has a wonderful relationship with her roommate/granddad, Don Myer, aka the “Codger Cook.” I’ll have to admit, the Codger Cook kind of stole the show this time. The way he has roped Val into writing a cookbook for him to how he’s taken such huge pride in taking an online P.I. course then proceeds to get in trouble by sleuthing, Don is the kind of senior citizen I enjoy being entertained by. There is humorous dialog and entertaining quotes between the characters which provides light moments in between the murder mystery. The author also touches upon the horrors vets must cope with after experiencing both the psychological and physical traumas of being in war. The subject is a sober reminder of how much we should be grateful for.
Maya Corrigan also provides six five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book, all of which sound delicious! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try her signature Tarte Tatin recipe. The dessert turned out spectacular and her instructions were easy to follow.
I was provided an advanced copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The protagonist, Val Deniston, has a wonderful relationship with her roommate/granddad, Don Myer, aka the “Codger Cook.” I’ll have to admit, the Codger Cook kind of stole the show this time. The way he has roped Val into writing a cookbook for him to how he’s taken such huge pride in taking an online P.I. course then proceeds to get in trouble by sleuthing, Don is the kind of senior citizen I enjoy being entertained by. There is humorous dialog and entertaining quotes between the characters which provides light moments in between the murder mystery. The author also touches upon the horrors vets must cope with after experiencing both the psychological and physical traumas of being in war. The subject is a sober reminder of how much we should be grateful for.
Maya Corrigan also provides six five-ingredient recipes at the back of the book, all of which sound delicious! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try her signature Tarte Tatin recipe. The dessert turned out spectacular and her instructions were easy to follow.
I was provided an advanced copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
tracey_stewart's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn't awful. It wasn't great, either, but it was entertaining, and a basically easy read. It's the fourth in a cozy series, and it does a good job at it: I pretty much got the gist of what I needed to know about the characters and the setting and so on pretty painlessly (though there were some issues of painful infodump), and I don't think the previous books were overly spoiled for me if I ever want to go back to them. (Spoiler: I probably won't.)
The only thing I can really complain about, writing-wise, is the dialogue. People don't talk like this. I'm a weirdo who can't stop using the fifty-cent words in my arsenal (see?), used to getting the glazed look, and even I don't talk like this: "I can't imagine Granddad as docile as a Stepford wife." Or this: "'The next time you go out with Gunnar, wear something clingy and edgy in a bright color. It might add a spark to your stalled romance.'" (That one should be from an article in a bad women's magazine.)
What happens is that heroine Val runs a café in a fitness club, and her grandfather is trying to create a career as an investigator (a "problem solver"). One afternoon, shopping with her (fat) friend, Val sees a man collapse in a parking lot, and he looks just like how her grandfather looked that morning, after a rather drastic makeover. (I specify that her friend is fat, because it was strongly stressed in the telling. Did I say I only had that one thing to complain about in the writing? My mistake.) It turns out that there is some deception going on, with Grandpa and, apparently, at least one other man impersonating a local big-time author called Rick Usher, who, unsurprisingly given his name, has a Poe fixation that probably could have used a good dose of some counter-obsessional medication. The other man, of course, is that fellow who collapsed – and, in fact, died. Was he murdered? Of course he was. The police don't think so, but Val is certain, and before you can say "cozy mystery" she's going undercover-like into Usher's house to see what she can find out. The fact that under the circumstances it seems extremely unlikely that the people who make up the Usher ménage would even consider bringing in an outsider, no matter how tired they were of frozen dinners.
I probably shouldn't get as hung up as I do about things like the fact that this café Val runs inside a gym is supposed to offer logically healthy breakfasts and snacks and whatnot. And smoothies do get a mention – but, seriously, so do brownies, pecan muffins, cheddar cheese cookies, bread puddings, and a whole bunch of other baked goods that would instantaneously undo any good people might get out of their exercise. There are recipes at the back of the book, of course; I can't say I was overwhelmed with a desire to make any of them. I don't know; I was never convinced by Val as a professional cook, and it was never entirely believable that she did the cooking for the café.
Or like the weird whiffs of misogyny that came up here and there: "Val would have run or yelled for help instead of swinging back, as most women would." Really? The other one I made a note of is Granddad's expressed opinion, but it was still like cookie crumbs in the bed: annoying.
Or like the annoying repetitions of annoying things like "she dashed" (Val dashes about quite a bit) or "gobbled" (which might have only been used twice, but in my opinion that's two times too many) or Val pretending to tip a pretend hat in a peculiar little salute to her grandfather. I mean – try it. Go stand in front of a mirror and pretend to tip a hat which you're not actually wearing. Does it look like you're tipping a hat? Or does it just look like you're having a small seizure? Val does that at least twice, too.
The story was … fine; the rest of the writing I'm not complaining about was … fine… I sighed over the very close focus on Poe (a young man named Raven? Really? Help), but such is the way of the cozy. I only rather hope the rest of the books don't have Themes like this. The B-plot of Val trying to save her café in the face of the fitness club manager's plans to replace it with a clothing shop was not bad; I liked how she handled the opportunity to blackmail the manager. And I liked how the situation was resolved. The woman Val hires to help her is a refreshing change from the usual sort of character, with an interesting back story. I'm not sorry I read it; it entertained me while I was reading it (in between grumbles). I won't cross the street to avoid more in the series, but I also won't go out of my way to obtain them.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
The only thing I can really complain about, writing-wise, is the dialogue. People don't talk like this. I'm a weirdo who can't stop using the fifty-cent words in my arsenal (see?), used to getting the glazed look, and even I don't talk like this: "I can't imagine Granddad as docile as a Stepford wife." Or this: "'The next time you go out with Gunnar, wear something clingy and edgy in a bright color. It might add a spark to your stalled romance.'" (That one should be from an article in a bad women's magazine.)
What happens is that heroine Val runs a café in a fitness club, and her grandfather is trying to create a career as an investigator (a "problem solver"). One afternoon, shopping with her (fat) friend, Val sees a man collapse in a parking lot, and he looks just like how her grandfather looked that morning, after a rather drastic makeover. (I specify that her friend is fat, because it was strongly stressed in the telling. Did I say I only had that one thing to complain about in the writing? My mistake.) It turns out that there is some deception going on, with Grandpa and, apparently, at least one other man impersonating a local big-time author called Rick Usher, who, unsurprisingly given his name, has a Poe fixation that probably could have used a good dose of some counter-obsessional medication. The other man, of course, is that fellow who collapsed – and, in fact, died. Was he murdered? Of course he was. The police don't think so, but Val is certain, and before you can say "cozy mystery" she's going undercover-like into Usher's house to see what she can find out. The fact that under the circumstances it seems extremely unlikely that the people who make up the Usher ménage would even consider bringing in an outsider, no matter how tired they were of frozen dinners.
I probably shouldn't get as hung up as I do about things like the fact that this café Val runs inside a gym is supposed to offer logically healthy breakfasts and snacks and whatnot. And smoothies do get a mention – but, seriously, so do brownies, pecan muffins, cheddar cheese cookies, bread puddings, and a whole bunch of other baked goods that would instantaneously undo any good people might get out of their exercise. There are recipes at the back of the book, of course; I can't say I was overwhelmed with a desire to make any of them. I don't know; I was never convinced by Val as a professional cook, and it was never entirely believable that she did the cooking for the café.
Or like the weird whiffs of misogyny that came up here and there: "Val would have run or yelled for help instead of swinging back, as most women would." Really? The other one I made a note of is Granddad's expressed opinion, but it was still like cookie crumbs in the bed: annoying.
Or like the annoying repetitions of annoying things like "she dashed" (Val dashes about quite a bit) or "gobbled" (which might have only been used twice, but in my opinion that's two times too many) or Val pretending to tip a pretend hat in a peculiar little salute to her grandfather. I mean – try it. Go stand in front of a mirror and pretend to tip a hat which you're not actually wearing. Does it look like you're tipping a hat? Or does it just look like you're having a small seizure? Val does that at least twice, too.
The story was … fine; the rest of the writing I'm not complaining about was … fine… I sighed over the very close focus on Poe (a young man named Raven? Really? Help), but such is the way of the cozy. I only rather hope the rest of the books don't have Themes like this. The B-plot of Val trying to save her café in the face of the fitness club manager's plans to replace it with a clothing shop was not bad; I liked how she handled the opportunity to blackmail the manager. And I liked how the situation was resolved. The woman Val hires to help her is a refreshing change from the usual sort of character, with an interesting back story. I'm not sorry I read it; it entertained me while I was reading it (in between grumbles). I won't cross the street to avoid more in the series, but I also won't go out of my way to obtain them.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
rynflynn12's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lunifur's review against another edition
4.0
**I voluntarily read this ARC**
This was an interesting book. The Poe facts were a neat addition and helped make the story feel a little more real.
This was an interesting book. The Poe facts were a neat addition and helped make the story feel a little more real.
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review******
Another entry in my search for new (to me) cozy crime series and this was ok, but didn't really float my boat. I found the two lead characters very annoying at times and although the mystery wasn't bad I didn't manage to get past that annoyance always. It was the first in the series that I've read, so I was missing some back story, but that wasn't behind my irritation with the lead and her grandfather. Hey ho.
Another entry in my search for new (to me) cozy crime series and this was ok, but didn't really float my boat. I found the two lead characters very annoying at times and although the mystery wasn't bad I didn't manage to get past that annoyance always. It was the first in the series that I've read, so I was missing some back story, but that wasn't behind my irritation with the lead and her grandfather. Hey ho.
angrygreycatreads's review against another edition
4.0
In The Tell-Tale Tarte a local actor dies in the street in front of Val. She is shocked by the striking resemblance of the victim and her grandfather. The story involves a reclusive writer, a long-lost child, threats to Val’s cafe, and her grandfather’s new investigation business. Val is juggling many balls in this book and adds a private catering contract to the mix, in part to investigate the mystery. The ending felt a little rushed to me, but I did enjoy the development of Val’s grandfather’s character. It is great to see an older person being independent and spreading their wings in retirement. He now has a newspaper column, he’s a local celebrity, and an investigator. Fun, quick cozy mystery.
bugabusu's review against another edition
4.0
This Chesapeake girl really enjoys reading these stories. Maya Corrigan captures the region's characteristics so well in her Five Ingredient Mystery Series; the weather, the food, the history, and the people. How Val and her grandfather always end up having to work together to solve the mystery and the hijinks they get up to figure out the murderer really add to the fun of the story. This time around they get involved with an author who is recapturing Poe and in the process an actor gets killed. Of course Gunnar is a suspect and of course Bethany is involved in sneaking around in the dark. All in all another great addition to the series.
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