Series: Alaskan Diner Mystery, #1
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: ★★★★

A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all – her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie’s ideas – leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it’s too late.

MOUSSE AND MURDER is an enjoyable start to a new cozy mystery series set in Elkview, Alaska. Charlie Cooke runs the Bear Claw Diner in this tiny tourist town. After a spat between Charlie and her chef Oliver, Oliver is found murdered on the outskirts of town. That doesn’t bode well for Charlie, so she and her friends offer to help with the investigation.

I was intrigued by the unique Alaskan setting, and the author did a fantastic job describing life in and around Elkview. I felt like I was there! The mystery itself was interesting and well-plotted. Several possible suspects came to light as Charlie and friends learned more about Oliver’s secret past.

I loved Charlie, Elkview, and its residents, and I’m looking forward to continuing with this series.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.