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Down South Café Mystery #9
A Recipe for Death: A Down South Cafe Mystery
Competition can be murder!
When a flashy new food truck rolls into Winter Garden, Amy Flowers isn't thrilled, but she's not rattled either. The Down South Cafe has delicious food, loyal customers, and a reputation for comfort that no passing trend can shake. At least, that's what she thinks...until the food truck's proprietor drops dead after sampling pastries from the cafe.
With whispers spreading faster than sweet tea on a hot day, Amy suddenly finds her newly minted partnership with Scott and Jackie under threat. Determined to clear the cafe's name, Amy rallies her crew, and no one is more enthusiastic to help than Aunt Bess, who dives into undercover mode with her trademark flair.
As secrets simmer and suspects multiply, Amy must stir through a tangle of motives before the killer cooks up another deadly dish. In Winter Garden, solving a murder might just take a whole lot of heart...and a dash of Southern grit.
When a flashy new food truck rolls into Winter Garden, Amy Flowers isn't thrilled, but she's not rattled either. The Down South Cafe has delicious food, loyal customers, and a reputation for comfort that no passing trend can shake. At least, that's what she thinks...until the food truck's proprietor drops dead after sampling pastries from the cafe.
With whispers spreading faster than sweet tea on a hot day, Amy suddenly finds her newly minted partnership with Scott and Jackie under threat. Determined to clear the cafe's name, Amy rallies her crew, and no one is more enthusiastic to help than Aunt Bess, who dives into undercover mode with her trademark flair.
As secrets simmer and suspects multiply, Amy must stir through a tangle of motives before the killer cooks up another deadly dish. In Winter Garden, solving a murder might just take a whole lot of heart...and a dash of Southern grit.
- GenresCozy Mystery
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2026
About the author
Gayle Leeson
32 books502 followersGayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series.
The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn’t always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her.
Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is “a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!”
Says Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author, “One day I found myself happily reading . . . mysteries by Gayle Trent. If she can win me over . . . she’s got a great future.”
The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.
Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of the genre will take kindly to Marcy, her Irish wolfhound, Angus O’Ruff, and Tallulah Falls. This is a fast, pleasant read with prose full of pop culture references and, of course, sharp needlework puns.”
Pat Cooper of RT Book Reviews says, “If her debut here is any indication, Lee’s new series is going to be fun, spunky and educational. She smoothly interweaves plot with her character’s personality and charm, while dropping tantalizing hints of stitching projects and their history. Marcy Singer is young, fun, sharp and likable. Readers will be looking forward to her future adventures.” (RT Book Reviews nominated The Quick and the Thread for a 2010 Book Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category)
I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I'm having a blast writing this new series!
The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn’t always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her.
Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is “a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!”
Says Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author, “One day I found myself happily reading . . . mysteries by Gayle Trent. If she can win me over . . . she’s got a great future.”
The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.
Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of the genre will take kindly to Marcy, her Irish wolfhound, Angus O’Ruff, and Tallulah Falls. This is a fast, pleasant read with prose full of pop culture references and, of course, sharp needlework puns.”
Pat Cooper of RT Book Reviews says, “If her debut here is any indication, Lee’s new series is going to be fun, spunky and educational. She smoothly interweaves plot with her character’s personality and charm, while dropping tantalizing hints of stitching projects and their history. Marcy Singer is young, fun, sharp and likable. Readers will be looking forward to her future adventures.” (RT Book Reviews nominated The Quick and the Thread for a 2010 Book Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category)
I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I'm having a blast writing this new series!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 30, 2026
It was fun to get caught up with all our friends in Winter Garden and the Down South Cafe. Amy and Ryan are happily engaged. Jackie and Scott have joined Amy as partners in the cafe and are happy in their relationships. Mom is doing well, and Aunt Bess is her usual outrageous self. At the start of our adventure, the team learns that a new a new food truck has arrived in town. While the partners are a little nervous, Amy decides to introduce herself and welcome the newcomer to town! With a pleasant interaction Amy feels good, even better when the truck owner, Wood Bradford shows up at the Cafe the next morning and after sampling a few of Scott's treats asks if he can purchase some to sell in his truck as he offers no desserts. Things go well until Wood collapses in his truck and then later passes. When a friend of Wood's shows up the next day and declares that they poisoned him, the Cafe clears out, and Amy and the company feel they need to figure out what really happened. I thought this mystery was a little low-key, not really a lot of suspects, and not really a developed motive. While this is a pleasant read, it is definitely not the best of the series. #ARecipeforDeath #ADownSouthCafeMystery #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader
Review of advance copy received from Author
‘I’ve heard she has more issues than Southern Living.’
Things may have changed a little too fast for Amy now that she’s engaged to Ryan and Scott and Jackie accepted her partnership offers but that is the least of her problems when a food truck sets up business in Winter Garden and her customers disappear. When the food truck owner ends up dead, Amy puts on her sleuthing cap to save her business and family in a drama filled, page turning must read. I absolutely love how the author has incorporated the settings and characters from several of her series into one intertwined world that is at the top of my must read list at all times.
Things may have changed a little too fast for Amy now that she’s engaged to Ryan and Scott and Jackie accepted her partnership offers but that is the least of her problems when a food truck sets up business in Winter Garden and her customers disappear. When the food truck owner ends up dead, Amy puts on her sleuthing cap to save her business and family in a drama filled, page turning must read. I absolutely love how the author has incorporated the settings and characters from several of her series into one intertwined world that is at the top of my must read list at all times.
February 26, 2026
Love this series. Amy, the owner of the cafe is the amateur sleuth and is good at it. A food truck has moved into Winter Garden ran by wood Bradford, who ended up being the victim. He had bought some pastries from the cafe and a woman named Helen came into the cafe and announced he was poisoned from the pastries. Aunt Bess was in the Bathroom in the food truck at the time. After Helen made her announcement Amy was up and sleuthing to save the Cafe. Her Mom was helping with this one. Read to find out who done it. A VERY GOOD COZY READ.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another great Down South Café Mystery! Amy has a lot going on in this one. She has a wedding to plan and a café to save. There are lots of suspects and red herrings to work through to finally get at the truth. Easy read, good suspense and great sleuthing!
March 1, 2026
I love this series, but this installment didn't fully hold together for me. I had trouble remembering who was who and how they related to each other. The ending felt particularly rushed. I wanted more details.
February 28, 2026
A delicious cozy mystery with a cast of characters I immediately fell in love with! I'll be reading more books in this charming series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Amy took cousin Jackie & worker Scott in as partners in her cafe. Things are going OK and then a food truck comes to town and plops itself right in front of town hall and the police station. The owner named it "Better'n Yer Mama's" and the food is good. The owner is Wood Bradford. The diner is losing business. Jackie is upset. Amy said that she'll go down and introduce herself to the owner after they close and she does, inviting him to visit her cafe sometime. The next morning he shows up in her cafe. He asked to try 3 of her desserts. He loved them, had 2 boxed up to go and he finished one. Then he ordered 20 of each. He admitted he is not a baker so he decided he'd sell theirs, at a slight markup. He said he put a sign up saying where they came from. He paid for his order and left. They heard later that afternoon that Wood was dead. Now it gets really good. Join Amy and the gang while they try to find a murderer and clear their name. Lots of plot twists and humor, along with some scary stuff too!
I loved it, read it in one sitting. 5*+
I am an ARC reviewer.
I loved it, read it in one sitting. 5*+
I am an ARC reviewer.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews