Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Item: Grilled 4 Murder
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted March 7, 2023 by BaronessMom in #SummerReadsWithTheBaroness, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

Grilled 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Series: Sophie Kimball Mystery #10
Series Rating:

Published by Beyond the Page Publishing on November 8, 2022
Setting: Sun City West, Arizona
Genres: Cozy Animal Mystery
Pages: 199
Format: Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Molded 4 Murder , Dressed Up 4 Murder, Broadcast 4 Murder, Railroaded 4 Murder, Saddled Up 4 Murder, Strike Out 4 Murder, Revved Up 4 Murder

With a high-stakes barbecue contest coming to town, Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s friends will get raked over the coals when one of the contestants is murdered . . .
Sun City West is abuzz with the news that the Food Network is sponsoring a local barbecue cook-off and that Phee’s friends from the pinochle club are in the finals. But the mood soon darkens when the county planning committee announces a plan to situate a new garbage transfer station on the town’s edge. With tempers flaring and rumors of corruption swirling, it comes as little surprise when the committee’s chair, who happens to be a finalist in the cook-off, is found murdered.
When Phee’s friends are named as the most likely suspects, she knows the accusation stinks to high heaven. As she navigates a world of politics and payoffs, she discovers there are any number of community members, along with the committee itself, who had a reason to want the chair dead¬. With the barbecue contest in full swing and celebrity chefs on hand to judge, Phee will have to sniff out the clues, no matter how noxious, to catch a killer . . .

Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is a rib-smacking mystery with that comedy bit that only J.C. Eaton delivers.

Will Phee determine who killed Cosmo before Herb and Paul end up in the Fourth Street Jail?

We start with Streetman finding himself a kitten. Harriet is beside herself, but she is in for the long haul since Streetman claimed it. Whatever makes Streetman happy.

A few things are happening as usual in the Sun City West world. It has been announced that a company would like to put a garbage transfer station in Sun City West, very near Harriet’s house. You know the book club ladies will not let that happen and wage an all-out war against the planning committee. So, when Cosmo, the head of that planning committee, is found dead after a confrontation with Herb and Paul, the deputies decide our pinnacle-playing, Herb, and the angler, Paul, must be behind it.

However, we also have a BBQ Rib competition sponsored by the Food Network with a large prize package and the opportunity to be featured on the Food Network. Herb’s team is in the semifinals, and so are Cosmo and his team. These aren’t the only things going on. Williams Investigations have a theft ring they are trying to catch in another of the Phoenix gated communities.

Streetman’s Antics

This 8-pound Chiweenie has got to be one of the world’s most spoiled but cutest canines. Now that he has a sidekick, the “Streetman’s Cat,” or Essie as she is now known, they are so cute together. I don’t know what Streetman will do when Essie is bigger than him. Really is the chiweenie to blame, or is Harriet?

“By the way, I thought I’d seen everything until your aunt Ina walked into your wedding ceremony wearing that bizarre paisley caftan with the long ropy train. Best part was when your mother’s dog attacked it. Wouldn’t let go the rope.”

Aargh, don’t remind me.”

“And the dog dance at the conclusion. Whoa. That was a first. Quite a wedding ceremony. Never expected anything like it in my life.”

“What part? My aunt’s attire or the dog? And by the way, that was one of her more subtle outfits.”

Augusta widened her eyes. “I meant the dog.”

“I think the staff at the Peoria City Hall are still in shock. My mother just had to bring him in her tote bag along with a recording of that ‘Pizzicato Moonbeam’ song the dog likes. At least she drove him home before the reception.”

Marshall and Phee got married in between books. I can only imagine the scene that played with Streetman at their wedding ceremony. At least they were allowed a Streetman-free honeymoon.

Five Stars

I love this wacky world that J.C. Eaton has created. Harriet and those book club ladies are crazy and funny and truly keep me entertained. I am amazed that Phee’s eyeballs don’t roll out of her head some days—Phee has a powerful will to not get deeper into her mother’s craziness. My rating for Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is five stars. I highly recommend it to all cozy mystery fans.

The Sophie Kimball Mystery Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.

Until the next time,

About J.C. Eaton

J.C. Eaton is the pen name for the collaborative writing team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp. Together they juggle three unique series of cozy mysteries, all with quirky characters and a zillion twists and turns. Learn more on their website – https://www.jceatonmysteries.com

From analytical Sophie “Phee” Kimball to impulsive Norrie Ellington and sassy Marcie Rayner, they’ve got a sleuth for all tastes!

While Ann is a seasoned author in her own right, having eight published YA time travel mysteries to her credit, James, a former winery tasting room manager, has focused on non-fiction with informative blurbs on the wine industry. This unlikely author duo found common ground when they moved to Arizona and realized that the community they were living in was the perfect background for murder mysteries.

Ann admits that she’s definitely “the detail person” while James is more comfortable with plotline and the big ideas. Running the dialogue is their favorite pastime in this venture.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: