Marinating in Murder

The Culinary Capers group is set to have their monthly dinner meeting, but it's an outdoor picnic instead even though it is fall in Vermont. In Marinating in Murder by Linda Wiken, the friends are waiting for Allison so they can load their coolers into her SUV. (Published by Kensington Books.)

When she does, they are shocked to find the body of her not-so-ex-husband James. But more shocking is that he was married to another woman at the same time as he was married to Allison.  J.J. Tanner cannot resist the opportunity to investigate.

The situation becomes complicated when the second wife, Jessica, shows up and accuses Allison of murdering her husband, who she knows as Jeffrey. As J.J. digs deeper, she finds James/Jeffrey lead a secretive life and neither wife knew many details about his life.

While J.J. investigates, she meets Jessica's brother Brad who wants to help find the killer, but also seems interested in seeing her socially. She's torn by
this as she is still hoping to develop a relationship with the handsome PI Ty Devine, but J.J. figures she can investigate and enjoy an occasional dinner with Brad.

The more she digs, the fewer details J.J. is able to find about James/Jeffrey. She locates a group of hockey players who recognize him as someone from the fringe of their group, but no one claims any real knowledge of him.

In addition to her investigation, J.J. is dealing with a Bridezilla in job at Make It Happen. In J.J.'s mind event planning can be more difficult than a murder investigation.  Her investigation leads her into some unusual places and puts her in danger, but, as also, J.J.'s resourcefulness saves the day.

This series is a favorite of mine because of the Culinary Capers rotating dinner. This is something I have always wanted to organize. Maybe this will be the year.

A Dinner Club Mystery

Author Linda Wiken has introduced a dinner concept I am wholeheartedly trying to replicate. In Toasting Up Trouble, event planner J.J. Tanner and her friends get together once a month to enjoy a dinner prepared by all of them with a menu from a specially-chosen cookbook. I want to do this with my friends! I'm trying to work out how to pull it off. Love the idea.

Back to the book, J.J. is in the midst of planning a 21st birthday party for the daughter of a wealthy resident and learns her caterer has backed out at the last minute. Scurrying to find a new one, J.J. finds hotshot chef Antonio Marcotti, a troublesome businessman, with a reputation for being mercurial. JJ meets with the chef to discuss the menu and specifically tells him to take one appetizer off the menu because it is out of her budget. At the end of the birthday party evening, J.J. discovers the appetizer was included and she and the chef get into a shouting match.

The next morning J.J. arrives back at the party site to find the police on hand and Marcotti stabbed to death. Naturally the loud argument between J.J. and Marcotti was heard by others, so she is a suspect.There are a host of other suspects: another restaurant owner from the same village in Italian who has been feuding with Marcotti for 25 years, a decorator friend of JJ.'s who was stiffed by him, the cheated on wife, a corrupt councilman, the young mistress and even the PI hired to find the killer.

I found J.J. a little too bold and abrupt with the people she suspected. There were times when she dangerously put herself in jeopardy to ask questions the police should be asking. I also was mystified by the duplicity uncovered in her office and how it was so mildly handled. I guess I am more vindictive!

All in all I look forward to other books in this series. If you are interested in other books written by Linda Wiken as Erika Chase, click here. For books by Linda Wiken, click here. For books as Erika Chase, click here.