This series just gets better! This is the third book in the Poppy McAllister Mystery Series. This one brings the excitement of restaurant competition and tv shows. Poppy is helping out as part of team Maxine’s Bistro on the televised restaurant competition and ends up hosting the judges at her not yet fully opened B&B. Things get heated from the moment the kickoff event, Chef Meet and Greet, happens. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll leave you to find out what all went on by reading the book. I will say there is as much fun as action. This is a fast paced, fun read. I kept laughing way too hard. Everyone should have an Aunt Ginny in their lives. Figaro is also back and giving Miss New Jersey a time. I love that cat! As for the mystery, there were plenty of suspects, lots of reasons and yes, I had a hard time with who did it until the reveal came. I recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers, of course. I also recommend it to those who enjoy the food competition shows on tv, even if they don’t normally read cozy mystery books. This book was that much fun!
There are Paleo recipes that follow the story. I’m not exactly paleo. I’m more the kind that thinks if it smells good, looks good, tastes good it means it needs to be eaten type. These paleo recipes though..too die for! (Oh my! Did someone?!) The Paleo Black Forest French Toast was amazing though I did have to use plain whipped cream. I am dying to try the Lemon Crème Brûlée but am taking the authors advice on the blowtorch. Aunt Ginny’s Fig Jam is also very intriguing to me. There are more recipes than this and yes, some were from the competition. The French Toast just begged me to make it, (chocolate and cherries, I’m not strong enough to resist). I appreciate that the author took time to include the substitution of Coconut Oil, (not because I needed it but because I bought a big jar of it to help my dog. She is only 12 pounds so I need to use this oil as many ways as possible.). Check out the book and let me know if you make the recipes. ( )

Poppy McAllister's high school boyfriend, Tim, is entered in the Restaurant Week cooking contest and asked her to help out. When she arrives for the first day's cooking, she finds not only an ugly yellow apron supplied by the other female chef on the team, but that she has been drafted to be the dessert portion of the team. Just as competition seems ready to start, the MC finds out that the hotel where the judges were scheduled to stay has issues and that every place else in town is booked. Poppy offers the B&B which hasn't opened yet, and so the competition can start.

However, it doesn't seem that the little local contest is going to go smoothly. The first day, all the ingredients in the pantry are mislabeled and only by accident did Poppy notice and save her team. Equipment malfunctions, injuries occur, and when one of the distinguished judges keels over dead, it's time for Poppy to figure out who murdered the judge, especially since they are staying at her B&B. Is she housing a murderer?

I loved it! The mystery was fun, the characters tremendously enjoyable and the food sounded so good! ( )