by Melinda Wells
I read this book because the author entered my Burn Notice giveaway on Ramblings and, in her entry email, talked about why she enjoys the show. I can’t remember if she specifically mentioned her book or if it was just in her signature block. Either way, her email intrigued me and I decided I’d give her book a shot. And I liked it. A lot. In the book, Della Carmichael has just landed a new cable cooking show on the Better Living channel. This doesn’t make Mimi Bond, whose show Della’s is replacing, very happy. So, when Mimi dies after taste testing Della’s very first on-air dish of mousse, Della and crime reporter Nicholas’ D’Marino are determined to solve the crime. Melinda Wells does a great job of setting up this cast of quirky characters that you want to get to know better and her twists and turns to the mystery will keep you turning pages right up until the very last one. A tend to judge a book by how well I can remember the characters after I’ve read several other books and Melinda’s characters passed the test admirably. I’ve read several other series, most of them with several books overall, and Della and her friends still stand out. I’m eager for the next book in this series.
