Food Lovers' Village Mystery Books
FIRST IN THE NEW CULINARY MYSTERY SERIES!--WINNER OF THE AGATHA AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL The town of Jewel Bay, Montana—known as a Food Lovers' Village—is obsessed with homegrown and homemade Montana fare. So when Erin Murphy takes over her family’s century-old general store, she turns it into a boutique market filled with local delicacies. But Erin’s freshly booming business might go rotten when a former employee turns up dead… Murphy’s Mercantile, known as the Merc, has been a staple in Jewel Bay for over a hundred years. To celebrate their recent makeover as a gourmet food market, Erin has organized a town festival, Festa di Pasta, featuring the culinary goods of Jewel Bay’s finest—including her mother Fresca’s delicious Italian specialties. But Erin’s sweet success is soured when the shop’s former manager, Claudette, is found dead behind the Merc on the Festa’s opening night. With rival chef James Angelo stirring up rumors that Fresca’s sauce recipes were stolen from Claudette, Erin’s mother is under close scrutiny. Now Erin will have to hunt down some new suspects, or both her family and her store might wind up in hot water… INCLUDES FRESH, DELICIOUS RECIPES!
Gourmet food market owner Erin Murphy is determined to get her small Montana town's scrumptious local fare some national attention. But her scheme for culinary celebrity goes up in flames when Jewel Bay’s big break is interrupted by murder in the second Food Lovers’ Village mystery... Food Preneurs , one of the hottest cooking shows on TV, has decided to feature Jewel Bay, Montana in an upcoming episode, and everyone in town is preparing for their close-ups, including the crew at the Glacier Mercantile, aka the Merc. Not only is Erin busy remodeling her courtyard into a relaxing dining area, she’s organizing a steak-cooking competition between three of Jewel Bay’s hottest chefs to be featured on the program. But Erin’s plans get scorched when one of the contending cooks is found dead. With all the drama going on behind the scenes, it’s hard to figure out who didn’t have a motive to off the saucy contestant. Now, to keep the town’s reputation from crashing and burning on national television, Erin will have to grill some suspects to smoke out the killer... INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
As the national bestselling Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries continue, the merchants of Jewel Bay, Montana, try to heat up chilly winter business with a new film festival. But their plans are sent reeling when a dangerous killer dims the lights on a local vendor... In an attempt to woo tourists to Jewel Bay and cheer up the townies, Erin Murphy, manager of the specialty local foods market known as the Merc, is organizing the First Annual Food Lovers’ Film Festival, filled with classic foodie flicks and local twists on favorite movie treats. But when her partner in planning, painter Christine Vandeberg, is found dead only days before the curtain rises, Erin suspects someone is attempting to stop the films from rolling. To make matters worse, Nick—Erin’s brother and Christine’s beau—has top billing on the suspect list. Convinced her brother is innocent and determined that the show must go on, Erin has to find who’s really to blame before Nick gets arrested or the festival gets shut down. But the closer she gets to the killer, the more likely it becomes that she’ll be the next person cut from the program... INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
Murder Strikes a Sour Note Erin Murphy, manager of Glacier Mercantile (aka the Merc), is tuning up for Jewel Bay's annual Jazz Festival. Between keeping the Merc's shelves stocked with Montana's tastiest local fare and hosting the festival's kick-off concert, Erin has her hands full. Discord erupts when jazz guitarist Gerry Martin plummets to his death from the rocks above the Jewel River. The one-time international sensation had fallen out of sync with festival organizers, students, and performers. Was his death an accident―or did someone even the score? Erin investigates despite the warning signs not to get involved. And when the killer attacks, she orchestrates her efforts into one last crescendo, hoping to avoid a deadly finale. Praise for the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries: "A pleasing read with a thoughtful heroine, a plethora of red herrings, and some foodie tips."― Kirkus Reviews "A lighthearted and amusing story with the added bonus of several yummy recipes."― Mystery Scene " Treble at the Jam Fest has all the necessary elements to satisfy cozy mystery lovers: likeable, believable characters, a fast-moving plot, and a logical ending. Great fun!"― Suspense Magazine "A delicious mystery as richly constructed as the layers of a buttery pastry. Wine, enchiladas, and song make for a gourmet treat in the coziest town in Montana!"―Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries "Leslie is a fellow foodie who loves a good mystery and it shows in this delightful tale!"―Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries "Music, food, scenery and a cast of appealing characters weave together in perfect harmony in Leslie Budewitz's latest book."―Sheila Connolly, author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries
"Budewitz's finely drawn characters, sharp ear for dialogue, and well-paced puzzle make Jewel Bay a destination for every cozy fan."― Kirkus Reviews "Clean-as-a-whistle dialogue, endearing characters, and a solid plot make this cozy a winner." ―Publishers Weekly "Cozy readers will relish the small-town,Christmastime frame accompanying details of frenzied wedding planning and running a family food business. And, of course, recipes, too."― Booklist Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit―and herself―alive till Christmas? In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy's Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin. When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he's been robbed, fingers point to Merrily―until she's found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer―and keep herself in one piece―in time for a special Christmas Eve? Includes delicious recipes! Praise for the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries: "A lighthearted and amusing story with the added bonus of several yummy recipes."― Mystery Scene " Treble at the Jam Fest has all the necessary elements to satisfy cozy mystery lovers: likeable, believable characters, a fast-moving plot, and a logical ending. Great fun!"― Suspense Magazine "A pleasing read with a thoughtful heroine, a plethora of red herrings, and some foodie tips."― Kirkus Reviews "A delicious mystery as richly constructed as the layers of a buttery pastry. Wine, enchiladas, and song make for a gourmet treat in the coziest town in Montana!"―Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries "Leslie is a fellow foodie who loves a good mystery and it shows in this delightful tale!"―Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries "Music, food, scenery, and a cast of appealing characters weave together in perfect harmony in Leslie Budewitz's latest book."―Sheila Connolly, author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries
In her Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, Agatha Award-winning author Leslie Budewitz introduces us to Jewel Bay, a tight-knit Montana community that thrives on tourism and farm-to-table fare. Featuring Erin Murphy, beloved proprietor of the Merc—a century-old general store converted into a local foods market—each book brings us closer to the folks who call Jewel Bay home, and the cunning culprits in their midst. In this delicious new collection of five short stories and one novella, she takes us further into the heart of Jewel Bay—from the playhouse to the Merc, from funerals to food festivals—with equal parts humor, suspense, and compassion, and no shortage of murder to spice up the menu . . . In Carried to the Grave , a long-hidden family secret refuses to be put to rest. Jewel Bay’s community food festival serves up the perfect opportunity for a devious killer with an appetite for murder in Pot Luck. In The Christmas Stranger , a small gesture by a mysterious man turns out to change lives . . . and much more. A romantic getaway to a secluded beach town in Mexico provides a deadly remedy for a couple’s trouble at home in A Death in Yelapa. As the local playhouse opens for the season, it’s curtains for a stage manager with a secret in Put on a Dying Face. And in An Unholy Death , when Kate and Paddy Murphy open Murphy’s Mercantile in 1910, they know making a go of it in rough-and-tumble Montana will be hard work, but for a local preacher, it’s murder. Praise for the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries: “A lighthearted and amusing story with the added bonus of several yummy recipes.” — Mystery Scene “ Treble at the Jam Fest has all the necessary elements to satisfy cozy mystery lovers: likeable, believable characters, a fast-moving plot, and a logical ending. Great fun!” — Suspense Magazine “A pleasing read with a thoughtful heroine, a plethora of red herrings, and some foodie tips.” — Kirkus Reviews “A delicious mystery as richly constructed as the layers of a buttery pastry. Wine, enchiladas, and song make for a gourmet treat in the coziest town in Montana!” —Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries “Leslie is a fellow foodie who loves a good mystery and it shows in this delightful tale!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries “Music, food, scenery, and a cast of appealing characters weave together in perfect harmony in Leslie Budewitz’s Treble at the Jam Fest .” —Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries “Small-town charm and big-time chills. Jewel Bay, Montana, is a food lover’s paradise.” —Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author About the Author: Three-time Agatha Award-winning author Leslie Budewitz is passionate about food, great mysteries, and her native Montana, the setting for her national-bestselling Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. She also writes the Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. As Alicia Beckman, she’s the author of stand-alone suspense, beginning with Bitterroot Lake (2021). Visit her online at www.LeslieBudewitz.com, where you can find maps of the village and surrounding area, recipes, and more.
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, we’re bringing out stand-alone editions of readers’ favorites from Carried to the Grave and Other Stories . Our second selection, after An Unholy Death , is the holiday short story “The Christmas Stranger.” Amid the holiday rush of keeping the shelves stocked and filling orders for the Merc, the grocery her family has run for more than a century, proprietor Erin Murphy treasures the way her tight-knit community of Jewel Bay seems to grow even closer during the Christmas season. And this year, when she slows down to do a simple favor for a mysterious stranger, he shows his thanks with a small, quiet gesture—a gift that changes lives, and so much more . . . Praise for the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries: “A lighthearted and amusing story with the added bonus of several yummy recipes.” — Mystery Scene “ Treble at the Jam Fest has all the necessary elements to satisfy cozy mystery lovers: likeable, believable characters, a fast-moving plot, and a logical ending. Great fun!” — Suspense Magazine “A pleasing read with a thoughtful heroine, a plethora of red herrings, and some foodie tips.” — Kirkus Reviews “A delicious mystery as richly constructed as the layers of a buttery pastry. Wine, enchiladas, and song make for a gourmet treat in the coziest town in Montana!” —Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries “Leslie is a fellow foodie who loves a good mystery and it shows in this delightful tale!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries “Music, food, scenery, and a cast of appealing characters weave together in perfect harmony in Leslie Budewitz’s Treble at the Jam Fest .” —Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Orchard Mysteries and the County Cork Mysteries “Small-town charm and big-time chills. Jewel Bay, Montana, is a food lover’s paradise.” —Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author About the Author: Three-time Agatha Award-winning author Leslie Budewitz is passionate about food, great mysteries, and her native Montana, the setting for her national-bestselling Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. She also writes the Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. As Alicia Beckman, she’s the author of stand-alone suspense set in Montana and the Northwest. Visit her online at www.LeslieBudewitz.com, where you can find maps of the village and surrounding area, recipes, and more.