A Catered Mother's Day

A Mystery with Recipes #11

by Isis Crawford

It's Mother's Day in sleepy Longley, New York, and this year, catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons help a friend--who happens to be an overworked and underappreciated mom--go to extreme lengths to teach her family a lesson. But when a prank turns deadly, the Simmons sisters will have to cook up a plan to clear their pal's name. . .

Bernie's college roommate Ellen Hadley is burning the candle at both ends. She's grown a successful business baking treats for dogs and cats, and she's a dutiful wife and mother who somehow manages to fit all the cooking and cleaning into her busy schedule. But after her children forget her birthday and her husband forgets their anniversary, her expectations for a memorable Mother's Day are understandably modest.

When Bernie jokingly suggests Ellen fake her own kidnapping to set her family straight, she never imagined her friend would actually go through with it. But when Ellen's husband follows her phony ransom note to an out-of-the-way hotel, he finds the police taking her into custody after she discovers a dead body in her room. Ellen swears she doesn't know the victim, but as police investigate her half-baked plans, they turn up more questions than answers.

Bernie can't help but feel guilty for helping her friend concoct a recipe for disaster, so she and her sister Libby enlist the help of Ellen's kids, and together, they must race to find the true culprit--before Mother's Day is postponed indefinitely. . .

Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Holiday, Food

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Isis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.

A pseudonym used by Barbara Block

Reviews

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook

These books are hit or miss and this one was a miss for me. A little too much bickering between the sisters and the friend they’re helping is very whiny. Cringe worthy whiny.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another crazy adventure with the Simmons sisters and their dad, retired police officer Sean. I always get a kick out of how he gets sucked into whatever case they're working on. I had to giggle at the thought of him sitting there with a cat they'd brought from a dead woman's house. The sisters are funny, kind, bicker with each other a little like all siblings do, but in the end, they always keep their promise and solve their case. Especially when it comes to keeping a promise to a little boy like in this case. There was quite an impressive body pile, and I hadn't guessed who the killer was at all, well I thought I had, then the sudden twist at the end. There are some yummy-sounding recipes at the end of the book and a preview chapter of A Catered Tea Party.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Ellen had been my college roommate, I would have requested a room change. She is whiny and weak and a doormat and would rather complain than take action. And when she finally does take action it's a stupid action and everything goes wrong from the get go. Her best friend Bernie comes to her rescue but she she ditches Bernie, too. Nevertheless, Bernie and her sister, Libby, who run a restaurant and catering business, take on the mystery of exactly who was the dead man in the hotel room and who killed him. But despite the pleas from Ellen's children, I would have let Ellen deal with it all on her own. Maybe it was the reader, but Ellen's "it's not my fault" attitude and rank stupidity, although everyone gets that award, made this book painful to hear. Thankfully it was short.

[Linda Selbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this book at all. I did finish it because I wanted to see how it ended. I think the two main characters, Bernie and Libby, are not well developed at all. In fact I found myself really not liking them. they were rude and pushy. Maybe if I'd read the first book in the series I'd know more about them and enjoy this book, but I doubt it. No background is given on any of the characters in fact. Why do the ladies love with their dad? What gives them the power to act as detectives? How old are they, what do they look like, do they have boyfriends. ...

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Catered Mother's Day is book eleven in the A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford. Ellen Hadley was sick of her children and husband not remembering her birthday and wedding anniversary decided with the help of her friends to fake her kidnapping. However, the laugh was on Elle Hadley when she was found with a dead body and charged with murder. Her friends Bernie and Libby felt guilty and decided to investigate themselves to clear Ellen's name. The readers of A Catered Mother's Day will continue to follow Bernie and Libby's investigation to find the real killer.

A Catered Mother's Day is the first book I have read of Isis Crawford, and the book engaged with the plot and the characters from the beginning. Isis Crawford idea of adding recipes at the end of A Catered Mother's Day was a fantastic idea, and one of the methods brought back memories of family dinners. I love Isis Crawford portrayal of her characters and the way they reacted with each other thought out A Catered Mother's Day. I had trouble to stop laughing at some of the antics the characters get up to in A Catered Mother's Day. A Catered Mother's Day was well written and researched by Isis Crawford.

A Catered Mother's Day highlights the importance of communicating to your family when you are upset not organise a prank to get their attention because pranks do not always go the way you want. Also, the readers will learn about running a small catering business from home.

I recommend this book.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another good read in this series. Yet again I was surprised by who did it. I thought it was nice that Ellen's kids were trying to help. I just wish that I liked their parents more. Thankfully the truth came out and everything worked out in the end.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story idea was fun. It just wasn’t well written, and there wasn’t enough information to figure out who the murder was.

[Katherine Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty bad. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is because the beginning wasn’t too bad. It just got dumber and dumber. And, what in the world did it have to do with Mother’s Day? I felt like I was reading a story written by a young child.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one involves a bad decision, Mother's Day, a dog bakery, an old friend, and theft. I liked that this took place near Mother's Day. It isn't a holiday that's in many books. I liked that Libby and Bernie talked to someone their mother knew. It was nice to share that with someone that isn't their dad. The dog bakery is weird, though. I didn't like the owners of the dog bakery. Ellen was frustrating and made a lot of bad decisions. Lisa was almost as bad. The ending was bittersweet. I felt bad for one of the characters.

[Dez Nemec · Rating 3 out of 5]

While these book are generally entertaining, Ellen was just the worst. Good grief, what grown woman thinks staging their own kidnapping to get their family's attention is a good idea? And then she refuses to talk to Bernie and Libby after asking them to help her, and when she does, she lies. I kinda wanted them to arrest her just because she was such a loathsome character...

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute Halmark channel style mystery. Good for a light diversion, but not really my thing.

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a catering cozy mystery. When Bernie's friend Ellen is accused of murdering someone while she plans her kidnapping scheme. Bernie wants to help find out who did.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother's Day Libby and Bernie are working on making items for Mother's Day for fathers and children to bring home to their wives and mothers. In the midst of all this, Ellen, Bernie's oldest friend, decides that even though Bernie was joking, she was going to pretend to be kidnapped and then calls Bernie terrified and wanting her help. When Libby and Bernie show up at the motel where she had hidden, there is a dead body on the bed of her room and she wants them to do something. While they argue with each other, Ellen listening through the door of the bathroom takes off. Then the police show up while they are chasing her and she is in more trouble and so are Bernie and Libby. The sons of Ellen show up and ask her to help their mother and find out who really did murder the man found in the bed of the room Ellen was staying in. 
 
This story was better, but I don't know if it was because I was listening to the audio, as well as reading it, or if it was just better because it was later than the first in the series. I have been reading the books out of order. 
 
I have also been reading the books when listening to the audio isn't able to happen (noisy places or libraries) and listening to the audio when reading is not an option (driving the car or knitting or crocheting). I find that this helps me get through more books and my daughters have been enjoying some of the books I have been "reading" because they are usually in the car with me when I am playing the audio. 
 
 

[Debbie Maskus]

I have enjoyed this mystery series in the past, but the format reeks of the same story, just using a different holiday and food. The two sisters always become involved in a murder and then enlist the assistance of their retired, policeman father. The chase to find the killer sandwiches between creating delicious food. The author kindly adds recipes at the end of the book, but not for the food mentioned in the story. Bernie and Libby never seem to sleep, and after starting their day very early in the morning. I guess all the sugar keeps the two sisters high throughout the day. Maybe, I am too critical of the book. This is a warm, cozy mystery abundant in the mention of food.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Catered Mother's Day by Isis Crawford is the 11th book in a Mystery with Recipes series. Bernie's friend Ellen is feeling underapreciated and Bernie jokingly suggests a staged kidnapping, which unfortunately then sees Ellen coming across a dead body in her motel room. An interesting mystery but rather slow paced. Bernie and Libby were on their own for most of the investigation with little seen of their usual assistants and they seemed to bungle through, constantly bickering and making silly choices. Even those they were trying to help were more of a hindrance. Although the food descriptions throughout the book were mouth watering, the recipes provided at the end sounded disappointing.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy when i discovered Isis Crawford! Don't you just love her name??

Anyway, again, i loved this book. The sisters are too funny for words...but, is i had to pick one word, it would be HILARIOUS!

And the recipes aren't too shabby...

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book because Mother's Day is coming up. But it had nothing to do with Mothers Day! It's really only mentioned in maybe one chapter. Despite that, it was a pretty good read.
It still annoys me that the author doesn't say how old the characters are or what they look like.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun to read this on Mother's Day while spending time with my daughter. The connection to Mother's Day is spare in this case, however, I enjoyed it with its winning combination of a murder and plenty of recipes. I've read some other books in this series and this time I thought I had it. Quick turn surprise at the end. I was wrong, but close.

Bernie and Libby, our bakery owning, catering and investigators are having a busy morning serving the fathers and kids of suburban New York on Mother's Day morning. But they are also trying to help a friend who believes she is not appreciated as a wife and mother. Bernie's suggestion leads to a faked kidnapping.

But wait, who is that murdered in Ellen's bed at the seedy Riverview Motel? And who did it? Ellen? How can the sister's clear their friend's name. Read it.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a Mother's Day cozy mystery and found this - not knowing it was Book #11!

It was ok, plus new author to me so new backlist to look into. I may read Book 1, we shall see.

I say that not because I was lost, it was not hard to follow but the book being #11 makes sense now because while I was reading, I was all, I feel like I'm supposed to know character so & so already and yet, they hadn't been introduced until just then.

It was really hard to like Bernie. I was definitely side-eyeing some of the things she did and said. Especially to her sister. I am curious enough to read Book #1 to see how their relationship is. I know they get along but I feel like Libby is a doormat for her.

The food descriptions were good, that's why I gave it 3 stars, lol.

[Connie T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grabbed this book because it met a reading challenge (flowers on the cover) and the premise intrigued me. Unfortunately, that's all it had going for it. This was the first book I've read in this series. Usually when an author's writes a series, they give a bit of background information in case you missed the first book. Not so here. There was no explanation about the sisters being investigators, relationships between various characters wasn't fully explained, characters popped up without being introduced, and overall, there was very little character development. The sisters bickered constantly and Ellen was a spineless whiner. It's amazing that these women had successful businesses. I only finished the book to see how it ended.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really good. Albeit littered with some people who were having crisis. A woman decided to pretend she was kidnapped so her husband's n kids would pay attention to her. But, it didn't work out that way. She found a dead body instead. So the girls get to work solving who it is n how he got in her motel bed. One problem was that they never went back n showed how her kids n husband reacted when she was off the hook.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen feels neglected, she never gets remembered for any holiday including birthdays. She is hoping for a memorable Mother's Day, but when she decides to fake her own kidnapping, everything goes wrong. First a body is in her hotel room, whom she says she didn't know, things don't seem right to her friend Bernie. So Bernie and her sister get involved looking into what happened and Ellen's sons bring all their money to hire Bernie to clear their mother.

[Karen Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "A Catered Mother's Day" by Isis Crawford is #11 of the A Mystery with Recipes series. The crafty characters, New York state setting, and clever ending will promote laughter from readers. This tale will entice readers to search for more stories by this author. copy right 2015 373 LP pages recipes from book

[Jewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read - easy but enjoyable. I didn't think too much of the recipes but at least they are at the end and don't interrupt the story like some authors do. The characters are fun and the boys are a real trip

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery. However I didn't like the whiny character. It's funny how in most mysteries there is always someone who doesn't listen and just does what they want. Makes me want to yell at them. But then again it is a mystery.

[Soc Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Sheldon's Poor Man's Pulled Pork
Frank Mt Pleasant's Tuna Fish Casserole
Arthur Ninno's Ziti with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Roger Markell's Venison Stew
Barbara Beckos's Frittata with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series that I have read and I enjoy the series. My daughter has been giving them to me on the holidays that they are about. I think you would be fine with not reading them in order. I wonder which holiday one my daughter will send next?

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this one but Sean, Marvin and Brandon had very small parts and I didn't like that. The mystery was good and I was entertained throughout by Bernie and Libby's sleuthing. As always the food they make sounded great. Recipes were included at the end.

[Max "Mr Divabetic" Szadek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book. I just didn't find the initial crime scene to be very realistic.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 10 pages in and it was so ridiculous, I didn't even continue.