Relish in Death: A Traveling Food Truck with Dog Cozy Mystery

by Maisy Marple, Tessa Waverly

Her hot dogs are to die for... but someone in this seaside town already has!

When food truck owner Delilah Frank rolls into picturesque Seaside Harbor, Maine with her Jack Russell terrier Pickle, she's expecting a week of serving gourmet hot dogs at the local seafood festival. What she gets instead is a piping hot serving of murder!

After restaurant owner Gordon Pike is found dead at the top of the town's historic lighthouse, suspicion quickly falls on newcomer Delilah. With her food truck business at stake and the local police chief eyeing her as a convenient suspect, Delilah must clear her name before she becomes the next victim.

Armed with her culinary creativity (and a special "Murdered by Mustard" hot dog that becomes the talk of the festival), Delilah and her four-legged sidekick begin sniffing out clues. But as they dig deeper, they uncover simmering tensions beneath Seaside Harbor's charming facade—blackmail, embezzlement, and long-buried secrets that someone would kill to keep hidden.

From the town's gossipy historian to the crusty sea captain fighting to protect his family's lighthouse legacy, everyone has something to hide in this coastal community. And as Delilah gets closer to the truth, the killer is ready to add another recipe to their criminal Eliminating Delilah!

Will our intrepid hot dog vendor and her clever canine companion expose the murderer before they become the next items on the menu? Find out in this deliciously fun first installment of the Delilah's Dogs Mystery series—where the toppings are tasty and the secrets are deadly!

Genres: Mystery

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2025

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah Frank, with her dog Pickle by her side, drives to Seaside Harbor in Maine for the local seafood festival. Her plan is to sell gourmet hot dogs in her food truck, then travel on to the next stop on her festival list. Of course, plans don’t always go the way you want, and this is no exception.

The local restaurant owners are not that happy about outsiders invading their territory. When one of the owners is found dead, the police immediately turn to Delilah as their main suspect. It’s obvious they want to pin this one on an outsider, but Delilah maintains her innocence. Since the police won’t help her, she investigates on her own (with a little help from her Jack Russell Terrier Pickle).

I enjoyed this first book in a new cozy mystery series. The characters are a quirky group to say the least and are well portrayed. The setting is painted to perfection, and I felt as if I was actually in Maine.

It’s a fast-paced mystery that kept me guessing until the end. My one issue is that the last two chapters contained two different endings to the story. It really didn’t change the outcome but it through me off.

I will definitely be reading more of this series. Delilah and Pickle make a great amateur sleuth team.





This one is from my own e-book collection. I received it as a freebie. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series. The main character Delilah. Delilah owns a food truck and she sells hot dogs at different locations. She is in Seaside Harbor and ends up in the middle of a murder and it starts to look like she might be charged because the local cop like it being an outsider. She starts to ask question and the answers are starting to go together. She thinks she might know who did it and she tries to set a trap. Will it be enough or fall short again ?

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book, because I'm in Maine on vacation. I expected a little more Maine atmosphere than a constant mention of a lighthouse, occasional mentionof a not-so-crusty sailor, and well, there wasn't really anything else.

I understand that cozy mysteries are about amateur detectives, but does it have to be mentioned so much?

That said I did enjoy it.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really!

I liked it! I liked Delilah and Pickle! ❤️ The mystery was good, lots of red herrings thrown to throw you off the scent, lol.

I hope to continue on! I like reading about Delilah's special edition hot dogs! 🌭

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sleuth is Delilah, who runs a food truck selling hot dogs with her dog. The dog's name is Pickle, of course! A good mystery with lots of red herrings and several suspects, the victim was not a nice man and had plenty of enemies. Well-written with great characters.

[Alice Hazelbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haute dogs!

A visit to a Maine seaside town has Delilia, her dog Pickle and her rolling Haute Dog stand discovering more than she bargained for. Creative accounting, blackmail, even a murder keeps her busy when she’s not serving up interesting hot dog creations! Read and enjoy!

[Pat Lazeren]

Love the book!