Murder à la Mode

A Savannah Reid Mystery #10

by G.A. McKevett

Voluptuous P.I. Savannah Reid's culinary cravings come second only to her appetite for adventure. Of course, every girl needs a little down time, and Savannah adores curling up with a box of chocolates, a steaming Irish coffee, and an even steamier romance novel--preferably one with sexy Lance Roman on the cover. But when she meets her dream hunk in person, things take a decidedly nightmarish turn...

As a special birthday treat, Savannah's friends have arranged for her to compete for Lance's affections on a reality TV show called Man of My Dreams. She and four other women will be living in a medieval "castle" with Lance, trying to win his heart.

Unfortunately, the antics take a sinister turn when one of the show's producers, Tess Jarvis, turns up dead. It appears she was felled by a carton of Killer Fudge ice cream, but Savannah's convinced there's more to the story.

Turns out she's right. It seems no one liked Tess... not her unhappy husband, or the scheming contestants, or all the disgruntled employees she so heinously wronged. This show is quickly turning into the worst kind of soap opera--with some footage that'll never make it on the air...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Chick Lit, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Since publication of her first novel in 1986, Sonja Massie has authored over sixty published works, including the highly popular and critically acclaimed SAVANNAH REID MYSTERIES under the pseudonym G. A. McKevett.

Sonja's novels range from Irish historicals to contemporary thrillers. Her earthy humor and fast-paced plots delight her fans, while critics applaud her offbeat characterizations and incisive observations on human nature.

Irish by ancestry, Sonja has authored two non-fiction books on the history of Ireland: THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO IRISH HISTORY AND CULTURE and IRISH PRIDE: 101 REASONS TO BE PROUD YOU'RE IRISH. Both books impart detailed knowledge of the complex and controversial Irish story with a light hand and plenty of humor. Her Irish novels include: DREAM CARVER, CAROUSEL, DAUGHTER OF IRELAND and the bestselling FAR AND AWAY - the novelization of the Ron Howard movie starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

On nationwide tours, Sonja lectures to published and "pre-published" authors in her workshop, "The Novel Approach," a seminar which covers such topics as: story structure, characterization, plotting, pacing, and marketing manuscripts.

Sonja has taught numerous courses at university and adult continuing education facilities including: general fiction, historical research, and mystery writing. She was managing editor at "Single Living" magazine and has functioned as a manuscript doctor and storyline editor for major publishers. Earlier in her career, she was a prolific ghostwriter, authoring both fictional and non-fictional books for celebrities and professionals.

Having lived in Los Angeles, Toronto, and County Kerry, Ireland, she now resides in New York.

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this title. Probably partly as escapism as I was having a remarkably horrible weekend. But it was the prefect escapist fiction, that manages to make me laugh despite my sour mood.

I loved the sass of the Southern raised Savannah. I'm a sucker for the colorful characters that seem to always be a part of Southern fiction and it was nice to find that element in a Hollywood setting. The behind the scenes of a reality show was an amusing sort of setting too. Toss in the romantic tension and it was a very enjoyable read.

I'll definitely be looking into the rest of this series!

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I would like this book and when I first started it I thought I would have to put it away and take it off my kindle. Although I have issues with the dialogue at least it isn't filled with horrible language like another mystery I finished a couple of weeks ago.

This book is a parody, making fun of tv reality shows, and in some respects romance novels. What might seem to be over the top, isn't when you realize the author is really have some fun with the topic. The heroine is feisty, loves good food, is addicted to romance novels, and is not perfect. That is what makes her endearing, she has a love for her grandmother, remembers what she was taught by this woman.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Savannah Reid Mystery! I really enjoyed her sassyness and openess with who she is. Will read another. Easy read. Done in a day.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one. Savannah was involved in a reality TV show. I enjoyed the storyline and the additional characters. The mystery was good and moved along nicely.

[Teresa mcgaha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries are more for catching up with the characters than the actual mysteries at times. So just like catching up with friends some stories are better than other stories.

This was just so-so for me. The plot is John and Ryan get Savannah a spot on a reality show where you win the bachelor. I don't enjoy these shows so probably why I didn't like this story.

Also no appearances by Savannah's siblings which bring chaos, havoc and who knows what to her life. Only one small conversation with Granny didnt improve things much

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I almost didn't get this book, and then when I started reading it, I almost stopped.

I almost didn't get it because I thought it didn't quite sound like my thing, but then a review pointed out the plus figure of the heroine and I felt the need to be supportive (at least by reading it; it was a freebie). I almost put it down because of Savannah refering to herself as Mommy to her characters.

I'm glad I didn't.

The strange thing about this book is that it is overfilled with cliche characters. Yet, and this is the important bit, the cliche characters work. They are real; they may be cliche but they are not one diminsional. I like the fact that Savannah is in her 40s and isn't skinny. I like the fact that her close friend is skinny and the two are not in competition and treat each other as equals. The mystery was easy to solve, but the book was really fun to read. Nice, light, a good piece of non-insulting and very amusing (in a good way) fluff.

I really like Savannah. She is one of the best characters I've seen in a long time.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the dialogue and character development very unrealistic. Savannah keeps calling her love interest Lance Roman "big boy" (I know she's southern but who talks like that in reality?) and boldly flirting with him despite the fact that he supposedly makes her so weak in the knees she fears her legs literally giving out on her (if he really has that strong of an effect on her, how is she able to so confidently flirt with him?). I'm surprised this is so highly rated and frankly, I won't be finishing it - thankfully, it was just a freebie. I notice it's #10 in a series so maybe that is part of the problem - maybe the character development was established in the beginning of the series so jumping in at #10 isn't ideal.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have read G.A. McKevett before, it will not be the last. i enjoy her writing style. so fun!! i love a good cozy mystery. get to reading already what are you waiting for??! i did get these from my local library leaning program ...kindle reads. can i pick a favorite. i know that Murder at Mabel's Motel is a totally different series. so, if i pick from Savannah Reid series .. "A Few Drops of Bitters", is the one i will pick to my ultimate favorite from that series. but don't get me wrong. i enjoy the others as well. get to reading.
book 10: Murder a la mode (Savannah Reid Mystery Series) - G.A. McKevett
A Body To Die For (Savannah Reid Mystery Series) - G.A. McKevett
book 26: A Few Drops of Bitters (Savannah Reid Mystery Series) - G.A. McKevett
Murder at Mabel's Motel (Granny Reid Series) - G.A. McKevett
book 22: Every Body on Deck - G.A. McKevett

[Julie Trapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a birthday present, John has made it possible for Savannah to be a contestant on a reality show - "Man of My Dreams". The prize, aside from money and a tiara, is to have a date with Lance Roman, trashy romance novel cover boy. Who Savannah thinks is wonderful. The setting is a castle as from medieval times and the contestants wear period clothing. With bitchy fellow contestants, at least one affair going on, murder, 2 contestants severely injured, Savannah has her hands full. And, Lance seems to really, honestly, like/prefer Savannah over the other girls. John and Ryan are also in the show and Tammy has come after the murder to help solve the crime. It was a good story without all of the usual family/sister drama (except for a couple of phone calls).

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah finds out that the hunk on her romance novels is in a contest for the "woman of his dreams". Her friends Ryan and John get her on the show and she is so excited to meet Lance. The husband and wife team putting on the show seem to be always arguing and when Tess is killed, Savannah wants to help investigate.

This is a first time author for me and I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a very fun read and I liked the characters, I'll be looking for the books preceding so I can catch up.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Killer Fudge Ice Cream...what a way to go😉 So far for me its the most messed up book of the series. Dirk and Savannah are finally starting to realize their romantic 💑 feelings for each other and I couldn't be happier😊

[Deborah Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Savannah gets a chance to be on a reality tv show with the prize being a romance novel cover model. What could go wrong? I didn’t care for the reality show part of novel it was more of a farce than they actually are. This was my least favorite Savannah novel to date.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as I liked the rest of the series when I started many years ago. I don't know if it was this particular book or if my tastes have changed.

[D. Wickles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story of Savannah, her co-horts, a murder mystery and her crazy family.

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice escape!

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a series I will let pass.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series! Decided to start re-reading it after many years.

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

typical Savannah. Glad Dirk took a backseat here.

[Catherine Philhower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoying this series! Perfect light, cozy reads, which feels just right for these cold, dark months.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love G.A. McKevett's humor and "clean" prose. If only authors will use substitutes for foul language like her.

[Carol Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a murder mystery set on a reality show. The producer Tess is found murdered in the freezer in the basement of the castle where they are filming the show.

[Sharon Arrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun with a castle, Midieval costumes and a reality TV show. Not to mention a body in the freezer.

[Muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah I cannot believe that this was my first Savannah Reid book! I wish I picked up the series sooner, but alas there is only so much time and so many books to go through. I picked this one up as a loan on a whim and oh my gosh I loved it!

Savannah is a voluptuous ex cop who now owns her own Private Investigator agency and she is one awesome, fun and amazing character. I love how well rounded she is. I also love the fact that she is one of a few characters that I have read about that has curves and pretty damn proud of em.

When Savannah;s friends arrange for her to compete for the affection of Lance Roman (a guy on the cover of every one of her romance books) on a reality TV show, she didn't know what came with the package. Now stuck in a medieval castle, with four other woman compete for the man of her dreams – the last thing Savannah imagined was for the shows produce Tess Jarvis to show up dead.

First off all I loved the setting of the book. The geek in me totally enjoyed that it took place in a medieval castle. I could totally picture the entire scene and in my head this entire book played out like a movie. It was pretty exciting. I loved Savannah and her supporting cast, especially Dirk – who I am rooting for in the end!

Now it's up to Savannah with the little help of her friends to find the killer, while doing the best she can to survive the other contestants. It was fun and entertaining! I loved the conversation between all the characters, it was sassy and quick, that left me giggling most of the time. The author did a good job, I thought, in describing the castle. The characters were original and their different personalities really made the book a fun read. I really did have a hard time putting this one down. I must have finisehd it in a day. In the end, I couldn't help but fall in love with Savannah Reid and this series. I will be looking forward to picking up more books.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. I have to admit that cozies are not my favorite type of mysteries. I like my death a little more bloody and a lot more gruesome and dark than cozies tend to give me. I've said this before and I'll probably say it again, but cozies are fluff. They're entertaining, but I don't tend to seek them out. Yes, feel free to point out that the ones I head straight for usually involve a #NakedWerewolf chasing his destined mate so that they can have large quantities of sex while defeating bad guys. Now, that's quality entertainment!

But back to the murder at hand. I didn't dislike this book by any stretch of the imagination. It was just one of those that's fun and then easily put aside. Savannah isn't unlikable, by any means. I like a woman who OWNS her look and is comfortable in her body. I didn't so much care for her creepy-crawly fascination with Lance Roman, but it did add some highly amusing interludes to their rather odd little reality show.

I think the biggest stumbling block for me was that I expected more foodage in this book. Savannah likes to eat and she's constantly heading into the kitchen to rustle something up (as it turns out, the kitchen is a hotspot for gossip and other clues) but this isn't a foodie mystery. Like, the food was secondary. I don't know if I'm explaining that well, but I expected more and was a little disappointed with what we were given.

Fun if you're looking for a light read but nothing earth-shattering overall.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a long-time fan of this series, and this one was far from disappointing. Savannah Reid, a plus-sized 40-something private detective, loves her desserts and romance novels, especially the ones with model Lance Roman on the cover. When she gets a chance to compete for Lance's affection as part of a reality TV show, she takes it, fully confident she can win the competition and thereby pay down some bills.

The scene for the reality show is a medieval castle built by an eccentric millionaire. But things heat up almost immediately on the set when the hard-driven show producer and her husband get into a nasty fight. Not long thereafter, the producer is found murdered, and everyone is a suspect.

The producer's husband hires Savannah to ferret out the killer, but before she does, other contestants are injured, and cover model hunk Lance complicates things for Savannah by taking an interest in her. "Wait!" You say. "Isn't that what she most wants?" It is indeed, but she doesn't think of the consequences. You see, before she became a PI, Savannah was a cop. Her long-time partner on the force and she remained good friends, and he's not at all happy with the kiss-and-cuddle stuff in which Savannah and the model engage shortly after the murder.

This isn't a profound series whose characters will reshape your life philosophy. But they are reasonably well developed, and they're all more memorable than mere brain candy characters. This is a quick one-day read. I borrowed the Kindle version from the local library and had it back to that library in mere hours.

[Amelia in PDX · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of a series, but fortunately it's not dependent upon your reading the previous book in order to understand all of what's going on. Savannah Reid has left the police dept to work as a P.I. but still seems to be working with her old partner,who still is working for the police dept., on the same cases. She seems to manage on finding someone to pay her fees on whatever her partner is working on so they can still work together. Dirk and Savannah are both on the other side of 40+++ years and they care for each other, but things keep getting in the way, so they remain friends. Dirk tends to rub folks the wrong way and Savannah with her Southern accent, tends to get things out of folks that they refuse to tell Dirk.
A birthday present for Savannah has gone awry, and Dirk has been called in to this hideous "TV set" for a reality TV show that Savannah is the last minute stand in for another contestant in. The drawing card for her is the "hero" of the show (think the bachelor)is her favorite book cover hero, Lance. Any book that Lance is gracing the cover of Savannah has purchased. In the competition the stakes have become quite dangerous and deadly. Can Savannah & Dirk find the killer before the killer strikes again?

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of mystery books too. There is always a food in the title, but don't get them confused with other mysteries that use food in the title. This series is about Savannah Reid who is an ex-cop now private detective. She is from Georgia and she has a whole cackle of siblings and crazy relatives like Grannie Reid" (who would rather shoot you that spit at you). She lives in California now with her two black cats. She has some great friends who help her on cases and her crazy relatives are always showing up with their own problems and they need Savannah's help. She has an assistant named Tammy who looks like a Barbie, thin, blonde, and vegetarian. Savannah's on the plump side and loves her food, her friends love her southern cooking. She also has 2 gay guy friends who are extremely handsome, charming, and ex-FBI. All of these endearing characters make for very enjoyable mysteries.

[June Ahern · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've said in reviews about the Savannah Reid mystery series by G.A. McKevett, reading and eating go together as murder is solved. Truly, I gain weight munching my way through the pages laughing and solving the crime. This one is very funny since I relate to Savannah's police detective friend, Dirk's thoughts on romance novels with titles such as "Flickering Tongues of Flaming Passion" and brawny, handsome nearly unclothed males on the cover, with a lesser unclothed female bent low in his arms on the cover. Yes, Lance is one of those models and Savannah gets a chance to be his wench. It's a reality TV in the making show and takes place in a Gothic castle, creepy one. She has to compete with five other women. A fun, good mystery read, keeps you laughing at her reaction - emotional and physical - to the presence of Lance. Set up your cookies and ice cream or tea and cake, open the book and enjoy.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I was pleasantly surprised. Savannah Reid, a 40ish private detective whose figure gives a hint of her love for chocolates and dessert, is chosen to be a participant in a "reality show." The hook for the her participation is that the hunk who appears on the cover of her romance novels is going to be the "Man" in the reality show "Man of My Dreams". The setting for the show will be a medieval castle with all the atmosphere the participants can handle. Along with atmosphere, though, comes a murder and mayhem.

The novel has just little too much romance for my taste, but I enjoyed the book anyway. Savannah's character is feisty and witty and the other characters, though sometimes a little flat, are never truly boring. This book is funny! A great, light read that I'm glad I picked up. I will be reading others in the series.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Savannah Reid is gifted with a last-minute spot on a reality show with her dream hunk, all she can think of is the hunk and the diamond tiara that she can sell to pay bills with. Once at the medieval castle, where the show is being shot, things start to fall apart. Besides the cat fights between the contestants, there's a murder. If that weren't enough, 2 of the contestants are seriously hurt. Savannah, being a former cop & a PI is instantly put to work, trying to solve the crime, with her side-kicks, 2 gay former FBI agents, a perky associate and her former partner in the police department.

I got this as a freebie, from Amazon, but it's a cinch that I will have to get the rest, as this is a fun, read. There's lots of action, but it's light-hearted and funny.