Title: Mousse and Murder (Alaskan Diner Mystery #1)
Author: Elizabeth Logan
Published on: 5th May 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Charlie Cooke returns to her hometown Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner. Charlie had a love-life crisis and a move to Elkview seems like the best plan to reconnect with her roots.
Charlie wants to introduce fresh flavours to the Bear Claw Diner menu but chef Oliver says NO. Nada! Non! Can’t do! After a tiff with Charlie, Oliver walks out of the diner and is found dead the next day. Oopsie doo! The State Trooper Cody Graham runs the show single-handed and Charlie decides to be his deputy.
Do you solemnly swear to uphold the laws of Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the State of Alaska, so help you God?
Yes, sire!
Mousse and Murder is the debut in a brand new cozy series set in Alaska. A murder, loads of food (Moose meatloaf, anyone? How about Bear Claw?), weirdo characters and a cat named Eggs Benedict. The feline is the star of the show, all right! Meow!
The characters are pretty cool. Charlie is funny, quirky, short-tempered, excellent sleuth and a cat lover. In short, she’s like me. Please, don’t clap. *blushes*
I really liked Charlie (this has got nothing to do with the fact that we are similar in many ways). Chris is the local reporter; Charlie and Chris decide to join hands and solve the case – I mean, help the trooper in solving the case. Their curiosity ends up with both being held at gunpoint. Oh well, not to worry, they are shooed away before the bullets go flying. No harm done.
Annie is Charlie’s best friend and is currently smitten by ze Parisian named Pierre. Oui! Well, I did mention Eggs Benedict – no, not ze dish. Thiz egzz benezict is ze cat. Benny is such a cutie pie! Este gato es muy inteligente. Benny is more of a techno-geek-cat.
Coming to the mystery, there were a lot of red herrings. We start with why Oliver was murdered; Charlie comes across some clues that shocks the antlers out of a moose. Charlie and Chris make quite a dashing sleuthing pair and I cannot wait to see what’s next in store for them. I hope to see some sparks fly between the two. *wink wink*
A certain clue revealed at the end of the story leads Charlie to the murderer. I identified the killer before Charlie did. But this did not stop me from enjoying what came next. 😀 I really liked Benny’s role in the story, especially at the end.
Likeable characters, drool-worthy dishes (cherry cheesecake mousse and bear claw), quirky story-line and a murder mystery that keeps you guessing, Mousse and Murder was an entertaining and enjoyable read.
Second Opinions: Toni and Bookish Hooker
Featured Image Credits: Goodreads
I received an ARC from Edelweiss+ and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
The Book Decoder 
It sure is an honest and unbiased opinion.