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Food Lovers' Village Mystery #1
Death Al Dente
The town of Jewel Bay, Montana—known as a Food Lovers' Village—is obsessed with homegrown and homemade Montana fare. So when Erin Murphy takes over her family’s century-old general store, she turns it into a boutique market filled with local delicacies. But Erin’s freshly booming business might go rotten when a former employee turns up dead…
Murphy’s Mercantile, known as the Merc, has been a staple in Jewel Bay for over a hundred years. To celebrate their recent makeover as a gourmet food market, Erin has organized a town festival, Festa di Pasta, featuring the culinary goods of Jewel Bay’s finest—including her mother Fresca’s delicious Italian specialties.
But Erin’s sweet success is soured when the shop’s former manager, Claudette, is found dead behind the Merc on the Festa’s opening night. With rival chef James Angelo stirring up rumors that Fresca’s sauce recipes were stolen from Claudette, Erin’s mother is under close scrutiny. Now Erin will have to hunt down some new suspects, or both her family and her store might wind up in hot water…
Murphy’s Mercantile, known as the Merc, has been a staple in Jewel Bay for over a hundred years. To celebrate their recent makeover as a gourmet food market, Erin has organized a town festival, Festa di Pasta, featuring the culinary goods of Jewel Bay’s finest—including her mother Fresca’s delicious Italian specialties.
But Erin’s sweet success is soured when the shop’s former manager, Claudette, is found dead behind the Merc on the Festa’s opening night. With rival chef James Angelo stirring up rumors that Fresca’s sauce recipes were stolen from Claudette, Erin’s mother is under close scrutiny. Now Erin will have to hunt down some new suspects, or both her family and her store might wind up in hot water…
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
142 people are currently reading
2154 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Budewitz
33 books787 followers*Also publishes as Alicia Beckman*
Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.
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What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place, and since it’s constantly changing, I’ll never be done!
In LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is shocked when vandals destroy the greenhouse at her friend Liz Giacometti’s lavender farm. But then Liz is killed, and Pepper digs in to solve the crimes. As her questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?
Writing about Seattle and its surroundings never gets old. Plus it's an excuse to keep up with places I love, and to make regular research trips. And by research, you know I mean eat!
ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES imagines the life and heart of Mary Fields (1832-1914), a real-life woman born into slavery who spent her last 30 years in Montana, where she found freedom and community, and her own place in the West, bringing solace and justice to those in need. The collection brings together three stories originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and a new novella, “A Bitter Wind,” set in 1897 and 1914, in which Mary helps a young picture bride solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death, his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness, and her own future. The title story won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; others were finalists for awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Western Writers of America. The collection is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards.
I’m also the author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. DEATH A DENTE, first in the series, won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First novel. My guide for writers, BOOKS, CROOKS & COUNSELORS: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure, drawing on my long career as a lawyer, won the 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction.
I’m a past president of Sisters in Crime and former regional and national board member of Mystery Writers of America. I love to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. My husband and I live in northwest Montana.
For regular updates, please visit my website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, and click on the newsletter tab to sign up for emails crammed with book news, peeks inside the writing life, and more, along with two free short stories.
Readers are my favorite people. Drop me a line at Leslie at LeslieBudewitz.com. Join me at my website, LeslieBudewitz.com, or on Facebook at Leslie Budewitz & Alicia Beckman.
Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.
–
What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place, and since it’s constantly changing, I’ll never be done!
In LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is shocked when vandals destroy the greenhouse at her friend Liz Giacometti’s lavender farm. But then Liz is killed, and Pepper digs in to solve the crimes. As her questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?
Writing about Seattle and its surroundings never gets old. Plus it's an excuse to keep up with places I love, and to make regular research trips. And by research, you know I mean eat!
ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES imagines the life and heart of Mary Fields (1832-1914), a real-life woman born into slavery who spent her last 30 years in Montana, where she found freedom and community, and her own place in the West, bringing solace and justice to those in need. The collection brings together three stories originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and a new novella, “A Bitter Wind,” set in 1897 and 1914, in which Mary helps a young picture bride solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death, his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness, and her own future. The title story won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; others were finalists for awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Western Writers of America. The collection is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards.
I’m also the author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. DEATH A DENTE, first in the series, won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First novel. My guide for writers, BOOKS, CROOKS & COUNSELORS: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure, drawing on my long career as a lawyer, won the 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction.
I’m a past president of Sisters in Crime and former regional and national board member of Mystery Writers of America. I love to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. My husband and I live in northwest Montana.
For regular updates, please visit my website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, and click on the newsletter tab to sign up for emails crammed with book news, peeks inside the writing life, and more, along with two free short stories.
Readers are my favorite people. Drop me a line at Leslie at LeslieBudewitz.com. Join me at my website, LeslieBudewitz.com, or on Facebook at Leslie Budewitz & Alicia Beckman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
July 15, 2020
When Erin Murphy returns home from Seattle to Jewel Bay, Montana, to take over the family business, she can't begin to anticipate the obstacles that stand in the way of her potential success.
The business is the Glacier Mercantile, known locally as "The Merc," and it was established a hundred years earlier by Erin's great-grandfather. Recently the store has been run by Erin's mother, Fresca, but Mom has appealed to Erin to come home and take over. Erin is ready and anxious to do so, but the first problem she encounters is her mother who, in spite of asking Erin to take over the business, has some trouble letting go of the command and control function.
Jewel Bay, loosely modeled after Bigfork, Montana, is known as a food lovers' village and Erin wants to reinvent the Merc into an artisan market for local and regional foods. Mom, though, wants to keep stacking boxes of gooey, huckleberry-filled chocolates, loaded with chemicals, preservatives and God-know-what-else, right by the register as a featured draw. She has difficulty accepting the fact that this sort of thing doesn't exactly mesh with Erin's new marketing plan.
Erin is determined to make a success of the store and of her vision for it. As a means to that end, she has convinced the Chamber of Commerce and a number of other local businesses to sponsor a new festival--Festa di Pasta--to kick off the summer season in Jewel Bay, which does a huge tourist business in the summer months.
The festival is poised to be a huge success until on the opening night, one of the Merc's former employees is found stabbed to death. Rumors abound that there was bad blood between the murdered employee and Erin's mother, and before the festival is even over, Fresca emerges as a prime suspect.
Worried that her mother has been targeted unjustly, Erin begins her own investigation of the events that occurred on the day of the murder. In the process, she turns up a jealous rival chef, a spurned wife, a really bad Elvis impersonator, and a host of other quirky characters who seem to populate small towns like Jewel Bay. Along the way, Erin must struggle to keep her business on an even keel and may even find herself a target of violence as she attempts to sniff out a killer and restore a sense of peace and calm to her family and to the village of Jewel Bay.
This is a book that will appeal to large numbers of people who enjoy an entertaining and well-written cozy mystery. In Jewel Bay, Budewitz has created a particularly well-drawn setting that would entice loads of visitors, and she has populated it with a cast of memorable characters, led by Erin Murphy who serves as a very appealing protagonist.
My only complaint about the book is that it probably caused me to gain about five pounds. It seems like every other page contains a reference to some mouth-watering gourmet treat, and reading it I was up and down every fifteen minutes, raiding the cupboards or the refrigerator. Tomorrow I may have to run all the way to Jewel Bay and back to burn off the calories.
The business is the Glacier Mercantile, known locally as "The Merc," and it was established a hundred years earlier by Erin's great-grandfather. Recently the store has been run by Erin's mother, Fresca, but Mom has appealed to Erin to come home and take over. Erin is ready and anxious to do so, but the first problem she encounters is her mother who, in spite of asking Erin to take over the business, has some trouble letting go of the command and control function.
Jewel Bay, loosely modeled after Bigfork, Montana, is known as a food lovers' village and Erin wants to reinvent the Merc into an artisan market for local and regional foods. Mom, though, wants to keep stacking boxes of gooey, huckleberry-filled chocolates, loaded with chemicals, preservatives and God-know-what-else, right by the register as a featured draw. She has difficulty accepting the fact that this sort of thing doesn't exactly mesh with Erin's new marketing plan.
Erin is determined to make a success of the store and of her vision for it. As a means to that end, she has convinced the Chamber of Commerce and a number of other local businesses to sponsor a new festival--Festa di Pasta--to kick off the summer season in Jewel Bay, which does a huge tourist business in the summer months.
The festival is poised to be a huge success until on the opening night, one of the Merc's former employees is found stabbed to death. Rumors abound that there was bad blood between the murdered employee and Erin's mother, and before the festival is even over, Fresca emerges as a prime suspect.
Worried that her mother has been targeted unjustly, Erin begins her own investigation of the events that occurred on the day of the murder. In the process, she turns up a jealous rival chef, a spurned wife, a really bad Elvis impersonator, and a host of other quirky characters who seem to populate small towns like Jewel Bay. Along the way, Erin must struggle to keep her business on an even keel and may even find herself a target of violence as she attempts to sniff out a killer and restore a sense of peace and calm to her family and to the village of Jewel Bay.
This is a book that will appeal to large numbers of people who enjoy an entertaining and well-written cozy mystery. In Jewel Bay, Budewitz has created a particularly well-drawn setting that would entice loads of visitors, and she has populated it with a cast of memorable characters, led by Erin Murphy who serves as a very appealing protagonist.
My only complaint about the book is that it probably caused me to gain about five pounds. It seems like every other page contains a reference to some mouth-watering gourmet treat, and reading it I was up and down every fifteen minutes, raiding the cupboards or the refrigerator. Tomorrow I may have to run all the way to Jewel Bay and back to burn off the calories.
September 28, 2021
Death Al Dente is the first book in the Food Lovers' Village Mystery series written by Leslie Budewitz. I've caught up reading her the author's other series, Spice Shop Mysteries, and I've read her stand-alone novel written under a pseudonym, but this was my foray into this collection. It's also the first book I've read that takes place in Montana (I think) and has interested me in visiting the state.
Beginning a new series is usually quite fun. It's the only real chance where almost anyone could be the killer in a cozy mystery. Once you get to know the supporting characters, you can generally remove a few suspects from the list. In this one, after Erin finds a former employee dead in the back alley, everyone's a suspect: her mother, her neighbors, other employees, shop owners, townies, newcomers, teenagers, grandmothers, etc. I found myself jumping around a few times with my decision, ultimately settling on a partially correct answer. When the story comes to a conclusion, we have a bunch of possibilities that open for the series to blossom, and I will definitely continue with the remainder of the books.
Erin and her mother run a specialty shop that wants to showcase Montana tastes... but she and her mother differ in how to market the store as they reinvent themselves. I enjoy their relationship and am very curious about Erin's father's car accident. We know it was a hit-and-run, and it's clear they never found the driver... that means it's the plot of a future mystery. I look forward to that book a lot. Plus, there are two potential suitors for Erin, and while I don't usually get hung up on who the amateur sleuth is dating, it's fun to know there will be clever and romantic scenes to help shape the characters with more depth and personality.
There are five more in the series thus far, and I intend to read them in the next few months so that I am caught up before 2022 arrives with the latest release. Great kickoff, Ms. Budewitz!
Beginning a new series is usually quite fun. It's the only real chance where almost anyone could be the killer in a cozy mystery. Once you get to know the supporting characters, you can generally remove a few suspects from the list. In this one, after Erin finds a former employee dead in the back alley, everyone's a suspect: her mother, her neighbors, other employees, shop owners, townies, newcomers, teenagers, grandmothers, etc. I found myself jumping around a few times with my decision, ultimately settling on a partially correct answer. When the story comes to a conclusion, we have a bunch of possibilities that open for the series to blossom, and I will definitely continue with the remainder of the books.
Erin and her mother run a specialty shop that wants to showcase Montana tastes... but she and her mother differ in how to market the store as they reinvent themselves. I enjoy their relationship and am very curious about Erin's father's car accident. We know it was a hit-and-run, and it's clear they never found the driver... that means it's the plot of a future mystery. I look forward to that book a lot. Plus, there are two potential suitors for Erin, and while I don't usually get hung up on who the amateur sleuth is dating, it's fun to know there will be clever and romantic scenes to help shape the characters with more depth and personality.
There are five more in the series thus far, and I intend to read them in the next few months so that I am caught up before 2022 arrives with the latest release. Great kickoff, Ms. Budewitz!
March 22, 2021
This was a reread...yep still good! lol.
Im going to be interviewing Leslie Budewitz this Sunday the 28th @ 2pm es time, and wanted the series fresh in my mind.
https://youtu.be/_Aq5lT2JB2k
Im going to be interviewing Leslie Budewitz this Sunday the 28th @ 2pm es time, and wanted the series fresh in my mind.
https://youtu.be/_Aq5lT2JB2k
June 7, 2018
Enjoyable start to the Food Lovers' Village Mystery series. Plus one point for not having a hunky cop boyfriend. Minus one half for a possible triangle. Looking forward to book 2.
January 17, 2016
There was a good premise here and it started out ok, but a mess of plots and confusing prose left me scratching my head.
I think one of the biggest issues was that it often felt like paragraphs didn't belong together or just skipped from one subject to the next with no real reason. Similarly, there were regional sayings so specific I needed some sort of backstory to them. I mean "jell-o up"? I couldn't tell if it was just something I didn't know or an author invention.
The vacillating between calling her mother by "mom" and her first name was jarring and annoying.
I also didn't entirely understand why Erin didn't trust Kim. There was no blatant abuse of her power or incompetence that you often find with police in mysteries like this and so Erin's "investigation" felt odd and unnecessary, almost vindictive because of the rift between them.
Not enough good to outweigh the bad here, unfortunately.
I think one of the biggest issues was that it often felt like paragraphs didn't belong together or just skipped from one subject to the next with no real reason. Similarly, there were regional sayings so specific I needed some sort of backstory to them. I mean "jell-o up"? I couldn't tell if it was just something I didn't know or an author invention.
The vacillating between calling her mother by "mom" and her first name was jarring and annoying.
I also didn't entirely understand why Erin didn't trust Kim. There was no blatant abuse of her power or incompetence that you often find with police in mysteries like this and so Erin's "investigation" felt odd and unnecessary, almost vindictive because of the rift between them.
Not enough good to outweigh the bad here, unfortunately.
May 25, 2016
Really 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 4.
An okay start to a series, Death Al Dente was an Agatha Winner for Best First Book in 2013 and I honestly can say that I expected a bit more. This wasn't a bad book in any way, however it was simply average for a first book and it started off slow.
The MC, Erin, started off sounding extremely stuck-up. She seemed to criticize many things and thought that her store's products were the only way to go. However, in the last 2/3 of this book she took 20 steps forward and I found that I really liked her. The other characters were great, I didn't really have a problem with them; however they lacked the "wow factor" for me.
The mystery was also okay. I didn't find the killer that surprising, but the mystery was plotted well. The book also started slow, but once I reach that halfway mark it accelerated quickly, and I was eating it up. Jewel Bay sounds like a wonderful place to live; Ms. Budewitz did a stellar job of describing the setting and making me want to move there!
Overall the first half of the book was a solid 3 stars, but the last half was 4 stars which leads me to my rating of 3.5 stars. Not my favorite book, but I've heard wonderful things about this author's work, so maybe it was my mood that made this a simply okay book. Because of the things I've heard, I definitely will read the next one!
An okay start to a series, Death Al Dente was an Agatha Winner for Best First Book in 2013 and I honestly can say that I expected a bit more. This wasn't a bad book in any way, however it was simply average for a first book and it started off slow.
The MC, Erin, started off sounding extremely stuck-up. She seemed to criticize many things and thought that her store's products were the only way to go. However, in the last 2/3 of this book she took 20 steps forward and I found that I really liked her. The other characters were great, I didn't really have a problem with them; however they lacked the "wow factor" for me.
The mystery was also okay. I didn't find the killer that surprising, but the mystery was plotted well. The book also started slow, but once I reach that halfway mark it accelerated quickly, and I was eating it up. Jewel Bay sounds like a wonderful place to live; Ms. Budewitz did a stellar job of describing the setting and making me want to move there!
Overall the first half of the book was a solid 3 stars, but the last half was 4 stars which leads me to my rating of 3.5 stars. Not my favorite book, but I've heard wonderful things about this author's work, so maybe it was my mood that made this a simply okay book. Because of the things I've heard, I definitely will read the next one!
August 20, 2017
I normally enjoy food related cozies. But with Death al Dente there was too much talk of food that I just could not get into this one.
April 26, 2018
Things I liked about this cozy:
**It is set in Montana. Montana seems like a neat place. Cold and snowy and such, but neat.
**It has a food theme. Yes, lots of cozies have a food theme, but this one is based in local foods, homemade foods and trying to get back to nature and eat locally sourced foods. ALL very cool things.
**The family is Italian. ;-)
**One of the characters is a herbalist. Also very cool.
**The MC doesn't come home because she is divorced, her spouse was cheating, the boyfriend left her etc etc etc. She came home because her parent genuinely needed her.
**I had guessed one person, but not the why, and the second mystery was totally a WHAT THE HECK moment for me.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about this cozy:
**The MC. Yep, that is a problem. I get that. She is annoying. And she says the stupidest things. Both to herself [she talks to her self WAY more than I do and that has got to be some kind of record] and in her slang vernacular. I was annoyed many time while reading just because of how she phrased things and such.
**The MC is a massive snoop. M A S S I V E. And has absolutely no qualms about invading someone's privacy at all. THAT was bothersome.
**The MC let dumb things really bug her until she totally blew up at people. Yes, I get that a lot of people IRL are like that, but really? If the girl squeezing her diet coke can is bugging you, JUST FREAKING TELL HER!!! Geesh.
**The people in the town are not really nice people. They are the "let me hug you whilst stabbing you in the back" kind of people. Maybe Montana is NOT the place to go? LOL [I am not serious; I am sure there are many wonderful people in Montana].
Overall, it was an okay book. Not great, not horrible. Just okay. I am reading the second one because I own it AND it has an audiobook available, but unless the second one is better, I will not be reading any more of this series. Which is sad because I love the premise of the series, just not the execution of it.
**It is set in Montana. Montana seems like a neat place. Cold and snowy and such, but neat.
**It has a food theme. Yes, lots of cozies have a food theme, but this one is based in local foods, homemade foods and trying to get back to nature and eat locally sourced foods. ALL very cool things.
**The family is Italian. ;-)
**One of the characters is a herbalist. Also very cool.
**The MC doesn't come home because she is divorced, her spouse was cheating, the boyfriend left her etc etc etc. She came home because her parent genuinely needed her.
**I had guessed one person, but not the why, and the second mystery was totally a WHAT THE HECK moment for me.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about this cozy:
**The MC. Yep, that is a problem. I get that. She is annoying. And she says the stupidest things. Both to herself [she talks to her self WAY more than I do and that has got to be some kind of record] and in her slang vernacular. I was annoyed many time while reading just because of how she phrased things and such.
**The MC is a massive snoop. M A S S I V E. And has absolutely no qualms about invading someone's privacy at all. THAT was bothersome.
**The MC let dumb things really bug her until she totally blew up at people. Yes, I get that a lot of people IRL are like that, but really? If the girl squeezing her diet coke can is bugging you, JUST FREAKING TELL HER!!! Geesh.
**The people in the town are not really nice people. They are the "let me hug you whilst stabbing you in the back" kind of people. Maybe Montana is NOT the place to go? LOL [I am not serious; I am sure there are many wonderful people in Montana].
Overall, it was an okay book. Not great, not horrible. Just okay. I am reading the second one because I own it AND it has an audiobook available, but unless the second one is better, I will not be reading any more of this series. Which is sad because I love the premise of the series, just not the execution of it.
November 16, 2020
"Who put these huckleberry chocolates on the front counter?"
Erin Murphy has come home to Jewel Bay, Montana to help run her family's business, Murphy's Mercantile. The Merc has been in the family for over a hundred years and Erin wants to help make it more profitable. She has organized the Festa di Pasta to help all of the town's food vendors. Erin must clear her mother's name when a former employee is found dead behind the Merc on the opening night of the festival.
This was an interesting beginning to the series. My favorite thing was all the food. There are several really good recipes in the back of the book to feed my curiosity. One of my least favorite things was the main character. I found her hard to like and extremely meddlesome.
The mystery was well plotted but I discovered the suspect early on in the book. It took a bit to realize the reason. I started this book twice before I was able to get through it.
I really loved the setting of Jewel Bay. I would definitely visit and Food Lover's Village. The bakery would be my constant hangout.
There were a few twists and turns to the revelation of the murderer but not as many as I expected. Perhaps the next book will provide a little more substance to the plot.
Overall, this was a good book to read on a Sunday afternoon snuggled up with a few cats.
#readforkimberly
Erin Murphy has come home to Jewel Bay, Montana to help run her family's business, Murphy's Mercantile. The Merc has been in the family for over a hundred years and Erin wants to help make it more profitable. She has organized the Festa di Pasta to help all of the town's food vendors. Erin must clear her mother's name when a former employee is found dead behind the Merc on the opening night of the festival.
This was an interesting beginning to the series. My favorite thing was all the food. There are several really good recipes in the back of the book to feed my curiosity. One of my least favorite things was the main character. I found her hard to like and extremely meddlesome.
The mystery was well plotted but I discovered the suspect early on in the book. It took a bit to realize the reason. I started this book twice before I was able to get through it.
I really loved the setting of Jewel Bay. I would definitely visit and Food Lover's Village. The bakery would be my constant hangout.
There were a few twists and turns to the revelation of the murderer but not as many as I expected. Perhaps the next book will provide a little more substance to the plot.
Overall, this was a good book to read on a Sunday afternoon snuggled up with a few cats.
#readforkimberly
August 3, 2020
Very enjoyable first book in the series. I enjoyed the small Montana town setting and the characters were all very likeable. The mystery was good although I did easily pick up on the clue identifying the murderer but not on the motive. Looking forward to reading more in the series. #readforkimberly
November 12, 2018
2.5 stars
September 5, 2013
Erin Murphy has come home to Jewel Bay to manage the family general store and revitalize it by providing what the community wants, products made in Montana. She even convinces the town to add a festival to start the summer season, Festa di Pasta. She chairs the committee and organizes the first evening’s party featuring the culinary goods of Jewel Bay’s finest—including her mother Fresca’s delicious Italian specialties.
The party takes an awful turn when a woman is found dead behind the store just outside a gate where the party is being held. The woman, Claudette, is a former employee of Fresca’s, who left town recently with a married man. Rumors start to fly. Fingers are pointed. People start to take sides. Erin’s friend Kim is the officer in charge of the investigation. Erin can’t believe Kim actually thinks Fresca is the prime suspect.
Erin decides to do a little investigating of her own. She better be careful or she could be the killer’s next target…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Glacier Mercantile (The Merc) sounds like a perfect small town store going through some growing pains as Fresca still wants to do things her way and Erin is trying to modernize both the store itself and the bookkeeping. Change is always hard. A murder certainly adds some unneeded pressure to the situation.
I have to say Erin is a wonderful protagonist. She has layers that are just starting to be revealed. She couldn’t wait to leave Jewel Bay behind a few years ago but working side by side with her mom is just the place she needs to be now. She is excited about the opportunity to use what she learned as a buyer for a huge grocery chain to make The Merc and the other shops in Jewel Bay a place were locals and tourists will want to shop.
The author has surrounded her with an eclectic group of supporting characters. Fresca’s recipes will make your mouth drool!! Erin’s friend Kim is in a bind trying to stay impartial. I think she is going to have that problem a lot because with cozy mysteries you know the next book is going to put Erin in the middle of another crime. Tracy works at The Merc and sure loves her Diet Pepsi and she keeps a can right on the counter next to the register. Diet Pepsi is not a home grown product so it drives Erin crazy. I can’t wait to get to know her better. Several other Jewel Bay residents were introduced to us readers as well.
Budewitz has also written a great mystery. There were clever twists that keep me engaged. It is hard to to delve deep into a whodunit and lay the proper foundation for stories going forward but this author has pulled it off. I can’t wait to shop again at The Merc!!
The party takes an awful turn when a woman is found dead behind the store just outside a gate where the party is being held. The woman, Claudette, is a former employee of Fresca’s, who left town recently with a married man. Rumors start to fly. Fingers are pointed. People start to take sides. Erin’s friend Kim is the officer in charge of the investigation. Erin can’t believe Kim actually thinks Fresca is the prime suspect.
Erin decides to do a little investigating of her own. She better be careful or she could be the killer’s next target…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Glacier Mercantile (The Merc) sounds like a perfect small town store going through some growing pains as Fresca still wants to do things her way and Erin is trying to modernize both the store itself and the bookkeeping. Change is always hard. A murder certainly adds some unneeded pressure to the situation.
I have to say Erin is a wonderful protagonist. She has layers that are just starting to be revealed. She couldn’t wait to leave Jewel Bay behind a few years ago but working side by side with her mom is just the place she needs to be now. She is excited about the opportunity to use what she learned as a buyer for a huge grocery chain to make The Merc and the other shops in Jewel Bay a place were locals and tourists will want to shop.
The author has surrounded her with an eclectic group of supporting characters. Fresca’s recipes will make your mouth drool!! Erin’s friend Kim is in a bind trying to stay impartial. I think she is going to have that problem a lot because with cozy mysteries you know the next book is going to put Erin in the middle of another crime. Tracy works at The Merc and sure loves her Diet Pepsi and she keeps a can right on the counter next to the register. Diet Pepsi is not a home grown product so it drives Erin crazy. I can’t wait to get to know her better. Several other Jewel Bay residents were introduced to us readers as well.
Budewitz has also written a great mystery. There were clever twists that keep me engaged. It is hard to to delve deep into a whodunit and lay the proper foundation for stories going forward but this author has pulled it off. I can’t wait to shop again at The Merc!!
September 8, 2019
Fairly good murder mystery. I was drawn in by the promising title Death Al Dente. There are many references to cooking and cuisine but the murder part was a little tame. I enjoyed the book and I may read the next one in the series.
May 10, 2017
I am already a big fan of the Spice Shop Mystery series by Leslie Budewitz and had been looking forward to reading this series as well. I love having a Nook as B&N offers up introductions to series at a reasonable price and this one popped up not too long ago. I snapped it up. And pretty much immediately began reading it.
It takes place in a new-to-me cozy setting, Montana. Most of the cozies I read tend to lean towards the east coast. I think it's cool that this town is called Food Lovers' Village and it's not in the nominal setting of Connecticut or Maine or Vermont. It's in a town that could easily be a town full of bars and barbecue or steak joints. But it's a neat town that's not too kitschy. I would love to visit this place. Heck, I could live here and get to know the residents and become friends with Erin. I like her a lot and that's key to my cozy enjoyment and definitely key in me coming back for more in the series.
Definitely recommend.
It takes place in a new-to-me cozy setting, Montana. Most of the cozies I read tend to lean towards the east coast. I think it's cool that this town is called Food Lovers' Village and it's not in the nominal setting of Connecticut or Maine or Vermont. It's in a town that could easily be a town full of bars and barbecue or steak joints. But it's a neat town that's not too kitschy. I would love to visit this place. Heck, I could live here and get to know the residents and become friends with Erin. I like her a lot and that's key to my cozy enjoyment and definitely key in me coming back for more in the series.
Definitely recommend.
August 27, 2013
Death al Dente is the first book in what I hope to be a very long series. It takes place in a state that I don't remember any other cozy mystery having taken place....Montana. It also doesn't offer a romance between a police officer and the main character. That's what makes it good to me. Also, the fact that there are so many suspects to two different crimes. Living in a small town can cause many rumors and the rumors going around are about Erin's mother and her. What happens next may bring Erin's best high school friend and her back together or it could totally tear that fragile friendship apart. If you are looking for a new first book in a series, may I suggest this one? Can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. Well done Leslie Budewitz. :)
September 1, 2013
What a great read from a debut mysterista. A foodie cozy set in a Montana village, it introduces us to a quirky set of cast characters, including protagonist Erin, her mother Fresca, bar owner Ned, and others. The plot keeps you moving along, the food descriptions make you hungry, and the personalities enchant. It's not one of the too-cute cozies, thank goodness. I'm already looking forward to the next installment!
May 29, 2022
It took me a long time to read this as I've been really busy, but also it didn't catch my attention like most cozy mysteries do. Erin bugged me a bit with what she was doing and saying.
April 10, 2019
I'm giving the story 3 stars, but really I feel like giving it 2. The narrator was god awful! Who talks like a robot, for real???!
March 8, 2016
Deliverance could not come soon enough. Death Al Dente is a competently written book, but not a particularly well written one. The heroine, Erin, seems to be busy trying to solve a murder to save her business - a common plot point - but most of the time all we are fed with are her quite boring thoughts and speculation. She never makes any strong inquiries and in a way the fruit of her puny labors falls in her lap. I wanted to abandon this book, and I know now that my flair for a good grasp of what lies ahead is to be trusted. At least it was understandable and though boring, the book is never abjectly awful. One more thing; the lack of face to face climax, when avoided in a cozy, is always welcome. Except for here, where the story cried for action. Oh well, maybe I don't know what I want.
June 9, 2017
Fun, light mystery set in Montana (refreshing). The food village setting is quite well done and believable. I've spent a bit of time in Montana as I live just north of it and all.
Here's what you really need to know about a cozy mystery - the characters are well developed. The mystery is believable and fun to read. I'd recommend this series.
Here's what you really need to know about a cozy mystery - the characters are well developed. The mystery is believable and fun to read. I'd recommend this series.
May 22, 2014
It was nice to have read a mystery set in Montana. Not sure I've seen any of those before!
October 7, 2020
Good start to the series. The subplots were woven together nicely.
October 27, 2020
Enjoyable, with some good recipes, but not really anything new.
January 15, 2018
I "read" this via Audible. Nicely narrated by Rebecca Mitchell, Death al Dente is the first book in Leslie Budewitz' Food Lovers' Village series. Set in Jewel Bay, Montana, Erin Murphy has returned home to run her family's store, the Merc, when her mother's friend and former employee, Claudette, is found dead the first evening of the inaugural Festa di Pasta, and Erin must investigate to clear her mother's name. Clear, concise mystery, and very well-written, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book, which I'm downloading even as I type this! 5 stars!
July 4, 2018
This one was a little hard to follow at times, but the author tied things up nicely at the end.
I was a little surprised that the main character didn't have an authority figure boyfriend, but rather the police officer was a high school friend.
Overall a decent read and I will likely continue with the series.
I was a little surprised that the main character didn't have an authority figure boyfriend, but rather the police officer was a high school friend.
Overall a decent read and I will likely continue with the series.
September 25, 2017
In Death al Dente, the first of Leslie Budewitz's Food Lovers' Village Mystery series, Erin Murphy returns to her hometown of Jewel Bay, Montana, to run Murphy's Mercantile for her mother, Fresca Murphy, which has belonged to Erin's family for over a century. She focuses on trying to revive "The Merc" by promoting locally grown and prepared food. As things start to get off the ground, Erin organizes the Festa di Pasta to celebrate the particular cooking of local chefs and restaurants. But then, just as the festival is set to take place, along comes the couple who created the greatest scandal in Jewel Bay in a long time.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
July 6, 2025
I enjoyed this cozy mystery and I plan to continue this series.
I like the characters and the setting of the story.
I like the characters and the setting of the story.
February 13, 2019
Erin Murphy returned home to run the family mercantile with her mother Fresca. People accuse Fresca of stealing Claudette's recipes, and when Claudette turns up murdered, Erin's one-time friend employed now as the town detective suspects Fresca of the crime. The mystery did not hold together well. The narrative seemed scattered. Shallow characterization contributed to a disconnect with the story. I struggled with the decision to keep reading or abandon it. I decided to see if it improved. I think it came together enough at the end, but readers still wonder how it got there. I doubt I'll read any more of the series.
April 14, 2019
I adore this book. I am a big fan of Leslie Budewitz. She comes up with cozy food sleuths in a new way. A food lover’s village? I want to be there every day!
The setting was done very well. You get the feel of the place and the various shops, the activity, the smells, the season. Jewel Bay sounds like a great place to visit. Festivals year round? How fun can that be. It will give us lots to learn about, and lots of fun settings to fall into.
The dialogue is very snappy, funny, and yet there were times I felt like there wasn’t enough. There were passages with lots of exposition and descriptions, IMHO, where I think a few lines of dialogue would have help. But that’s me. I like lots of dialogue. And there were some monologues where things that had happened were described to someone else. I’ve heard people don’t like that, because it’s a rehash. However, there’s one good thing about it. You might see something in the rehash you didn’t see when it when it was happening.
The characters are great. I like the different types of people, the way they talked and acted. There was nothing cookie cutter in this place (sorry for the pun). Erin has a fight on her hands, taking a shop into the next century. But she appears to be a spitfire, who’s even willing to fight with her own mother to get her way. Fresca is a hoot. And kind of a stick in the mud, just like many older folks. I like stories with generations spread out. It shows real life. The main cast is fun. Finally a cop who isn’t a love interest. It’s about time! And the names are distinctive enough that you can’t get them mixed up. And there was no one in the story just to fill a hole, everyone had a purpose.
The pace and plot are great. There’s plenty of twists and turns, but there’s time to breath as well. Leslie is known for all kinds of red herrings, and this does not disappoint. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and my mind changing all the time on who the killer was. As it was the first one in the series, not too much subplotting, but who knows what is going to happen in the future?
And FYI, you can’t go wrong with any of Leslie’s recipes she offers.
The setting was done very well. You get the feel of the place and the various shops, the activity, the smells, the season. Jewel Bay sounds like a great place to visit. Festivals year round? How fun can that be. It will give us lots to learn about, and lots of fun settings to fall into.
The dialogue is very snappy, funny, and yet there were times I felt like there wasn’t enough. There were passages with lots of exposition and descriptions, IMHO, where I think a few lines of dialogue would have help. But that’s me. I like lots of dialogue. And there were some monologues where things that had happened were described to someone else. I’ve heard people don’t like that, because it’s a rehash. However, there’s one good thing about it. You might see something in the rehash you didn’t see when it when it was happening.
The characters are great. I like the different types of people, the way they talked and acted. There was nothing cookie cutter in this place (sorry for the pun). Erin has a fight on her hands, taking a shop into the next century. But she appears to be a spitfire, who’s even willing to fight with her own mother to get her way. Fresca is a hoot. And kind of a stick in the mud, just like many older folks. I like stories with generations spread out. It shows real life. The main cast is fun. Finally a cop who isn’t a love interest. It’s about time! And the names are distinctive enough that you can’t get them mixed up. And there was no one in the story just to fill a hole, everyone had a purpose.
The pace and plot are great. There’s plenty of twists and turns, but there’s time to breath as well. Leslie is known for all kinds of red herrings, and this does not disappoint. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and my mind changing all the time on who the killer was. As it was the first one in the series, not too much subplotting, but who knows what is going to happen in the future?
And FYI, you can’t go wrong with any of Leslie’s recipes she offers.
September 3, 2013
Really loved this "cozy" mystery by new writer Leslie Budewitz. The story grabs you from page one, as Montana native Erin Murphy returns home to help her mother run the family store, "The Merc". Leslie pulls you in with the conflict between mother and daughter (maybe 'relationship' is a better word than 'conflict')and keeps your interest as she describes in colorful detail the denizens of the small town. The first body drops at the summer festival that Erin has dreamed up as an opening salvo to tourist season, and it's the former manager of the Merc.
Leslie drops plenty of clues as Erin sleuths around poking into the private lives of townfolk she has not seen in years. I enjoyed all the twists and red herrings, and rooted for Erin to clear her family name.
What I appreciated the most about Death al Dente, was that everything made sense and wrapped up at the end. Not that I like a simplistic plot, but so many best selling authors throw in sub-plots that go nowhere, unsympathetic characters (whose idea is it to spend a novel with someone you would like to smack in the face?), gratuitous sex (I know, sex sells), stupid law enforcement officers, car chases and shoot outs, just to fill pages and add tension.
Leslie does the under appreciated: She crafts a believable mystery with out high drama and a constant cast of psychopaths and mind-numbing violence.
I can't wait for the next cozy.
Great job Leslie!
Leslie drops plenty of clues as Erin sleuths around poking into the private lives of townfolk she has not seen in years. I enjoyed all the twists and red herrings, and rooted for Erin to clear her family name.
What I appreciated the most about Death al Dente, was that everything made sense and wrapped up at the end. Not that I like a simplistic plot, but so many best selling authors throw in sub-plots that go nowhere, unsympathetic characters (whose idea is it to spend a novel with someone you would like to smack in the face?), gratuitous sex (I know, sex sells), stupid law enforcement officers, car chases and shoot outs, just to fill pages and add tension.
Leslie does the under appreciated: She crafts a believable mystery with out high drama and a constant cast of psychopaths and mind-numbing violence.
I can't wait for the next cozy.
Great job Leslie!
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