On the Chopping Block by Jenny Kales

Item: On the Chopping Block
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted July 3, 2023 by karenbaron in #AutumnReadsWithTheBaroness, #BookishRecipe, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

On the Chopping Block

by Jenny Kales

Series: Callie's Kitchen Mysteries #1
Series Rating:

Published by Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing on September 24, 2021
Setting: Crystal Bay, Wisconsin
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 270
Format: Kindle, Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Slayed by Souvlaki , A Stew to a Kill, Spiced and Iced, Secrets and Pies

Running a Greek kitchen can be murder. First in a new cozy mystery series with recipes!

Calliope “Callie” Costas, Greek-American owner of Callie’s Kitchen in picturesque Crystal Bay, Wisconsin, is finally having some business success after a painful divorce. With her school-aged daughter thriving and her trusty Yorkie Koukla by her side, a new romance with a handsome bistro owner seems like the icing on the cake.

That is, until her new boyfriend is found dead...and she’s implicated as the prime suspect, putting her business into jeopardy. Soon, Callie’s situation is more delicate than her Greek egg-lemon soup. In addition to a tasteless killer, an expat detective with a devastating British accent has an eagle eye on Callie’s every move.

Can Callie help clear her name, save her beloved business and find the real culprit before she’s the next item on the killer’s murderous menu?

On the Chopping Block by Jenny Kales had me stumped from the minute Callie found her new boyfriend deceased at his house.

Will Callie find the real killer?

Calliope “Callie” Costas

Calliope Costas, who likes to be called Callie, runs her own business called Callie’s Kitchen, and she loves her shop as it brings in money that she desperately needs as a single mom. She needs the money for her child’s doctor bills and just to be able to live without asking her father for help. Callie was born and raised in Crystal Bay, Wisconsin, and loves the fact that she is raising her daughter in her hometown as well. Her ex-husband is still a big part of their daughter’s life. Callie is a strong woman who has just been led astray by the victim, putting her business in danger of failing.

I like Callie as a character and that she does something she loves without sacrificing her wants for her dad’s sake. Callie has always wanted to run her own business, and she is, but her dad would like her to return to the family’s restaurant, where it’s safe. Safe means that it’s a well-known establishment, so it already has a customer base, unlike Callie’s Kitchen.

The Victim

We start with Callie running late to her date with the victim and finding him dead instead of being busy in his kitchen cooking their dinner. Callie thought she knew her boyfriend from the small amount of time that they had been dating. The amount of time was three months, so not that long at all. Callie is in the crosshairs of a police detective as their main suspect since many clues have been leading back to her. That isn’t good when she has her ten-year-old daughter to think about. Callie decided that she would help the police by investigating herself, and along the way, poor Callie found out that the guy she knew wasn’t really who she thought he was.

I have to say that I was impressed with how Ms. Kales decided on her victim and how he isn’t who many people thought he was. Having a victim with a different persona that he put on in front of the residents to say other people was awesome to read. I did feel sorry for Callie, as it seemed like she was just being used. Ms. Kales did have me believing two of her red herrings. I never would have thought it was who did it until the confession.

Five Stars

I am rating On the Chopping Block by Jenny Kales five stars and a recommendation to everyone. Ms. Kales is a fantastic author; I can’t wait to read more of her books. I know I have the next two to read, and then I will be caught up in this series.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the recipes at the back of this book. They are Loukoumades, Callie’s Greek Chicken Stew aka Kota Kapama, George’s Spanakopita (Greek Spinach-Cheese Pie), Mini Greek Yogurt Coffee Cakes with Streusel Topping, My Big (Low) Fat Greek Salad, and Creme Brulee Cupcakes. You can find these littered throughout the story, and I love reading about them, even if it makes me hungry just thinking about how good they must taste. Of course, that means that you should have something to eat while reading.

Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries

This series is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of On the Chopping Block by Jenny Kales.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

About Jenny Kales

Jenny Kales is the author of The Callie’s Kitchen Mystery Series, featuring Greek-American Calliope Costas, feisty food business owner and amateur sleuth, who lives in a scenic Wisconsin town with colorful characters — and a high murder rate! Each book contains several delicious recipes, both Greek and American. Callie’s latest adventure, SLAYED BY SOUVLAKI is the 5^th Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series and was released in October 2021.

Jenny is an avid reader, cook and baker and she’s addicted to reading and British TV mysteries. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband and is the mom of two daughters and one cute but demanding Yorkshire terrier. She’s hard at work on additional writing projects including more Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries and a new series releasing in 2022.

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