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A Mystery with Recipes #16
A Catered Book Club Murder
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are used to catering lip-smacking treats to an artsy group of book lovers—until fiction spills into reality . . .
If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.
When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .
If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.
When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2020
78 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Isis Crawford
28 books265 followersIsis 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
A pseudonym used by Barbara Block
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
August 11, 2021
This is a cozy mystery, and this is the 16th book in A Mystery with Recipes series. I found myself not caring about the characters of this book. The mystery part of this book was ok. Overall, I just found this book ok. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington) or author (Isis Crawford) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
January 8, 2021
I adore Bernie and Libby and have for a long time. However, I have found fault with books in this series from time-to-time. Unfortunately, the Catered Book Club Murder is no exception. The main characters were, as usual, sticking their nose where it didn’t belong, not being careful, and with Bernie, letting her ego take control. And that is the crux of the issue I have found throughout the series. Bernie’s ego is just too much to bear. Her belief in and subsequent reckless actions, that she is somehow better than, and more qualified than, an actual detective in conducting a murder investigation simply because she is the daughter of a retired cop, is grating and unrealistic. The food played little part in the story but should have been a prominent feature.
The mystery in this new book was easy to figure out but had enough action and red herrings to keep many readers interested. The suspects are very similar. Their motives are almost identical. This made it hard to like any of them or empathize with them. The actual killer was good but not exceptional. The motive, like with the other suspects, not original or unexpected. The police investigation seemed to be non-existent until the end of the book, and even then didn’t play a huge role.
In general, Catered Book Club Murder was a quick read, with moments of intrigue and heartfelt emotion but simply was not overly exciting. I still like Bernie and Libby, but after sixteen books, I guess I feel they should have grown and matured. It’s too bad that they seem to have stayed the same, even when faced with circumstances that should have changed them to be more cautious and less egotistical. I would like to have had more cooking and more about the food and desserts, and their father should have been more involved in the investigation. A little less breaking the law would be nice. If this series continues, I hope to see some changes with the main characters that will widen their world and make life more entertaining for them and the reader.
The mystery in this new book was easy to figure out but had enough action and red herrings to keep many readers interested. The suspects are very similar. Their motives are almost identical. This made it hard to like any of them or empathize with them. The actual killer was good but not exceptional. The motive, like with the other suspects, not original or unexpected. The police investigation seemed to be non-existent until the end of the book, and even then didn’t play a huge role.
In general, Catered Book Club Murder was a quick read, with moments of intrigue and heartfelt emotion but simply was not overly exciting. I still like Bernie and Libby, but after sixteen books, I guess I feel they should have grown and matured. It’s too bad that they seem to have stayed the same, even when faced with circumstances that should have changed them to be more cautious and less egotistical. I would like to have had more cooking and more about the food and desserts, and their father should have been more involved in the investigation. A little less breaking the law would be nice. If this series continues, I hope to see some changes with the main characters that will widen their world and make life more entertaining for them and the reader.
April 11, 2021
Margo is very predictable so they are all worried when she doesn’t show up for the book club. When they finally find her murdered they are on the case to figure out who did and why. They find lots of surprising things about Margo.
October 29, 2020
An entertaining mystery. Libby and , sisters, co-owners of a catering cafe, and semi-professional P.I.s (though they don't have licenses) are hired to find a member of a mystery book club who went missing on the day of a meeting. Libby and have a good banter that is usually entertaining and get involved in amusing antics but that are clearly illegal. Sometimes I found them a bit annoying.
It was a decent mystery overall. I thought the motivation for the people hiring the sisters was a bit dubious, particularly as things unfold and the reader discovers not everyone is exactly who or what they appear to be. I guessed who the culprit was about half way through but there were plenty of twists and turns that would keep even the most adept reader engaged.
It was a decent mystery overall. I thought the motivation for the people hiring the sisters was a bit dubious, particularly as things unfold and the reader discovers not everyone is exactly who or what they appear to be. I guessed who the culprit was about half way through but there were plenty of twists and turns that would keep even the most adept reader engaged.
January 20, 2021
This was a good read. Libby and Bernie were hired by the book club to find out what really happened to one of their members. We find out that a lot of these members had secrets. Which made it hard to know who really did it. Luckily the truth came out and everything is well for now.
April 7, 2025
3.5 stars. I enjoyed that Bernie and Libby were investigating on behalf of a book club, however, that meant a lot of characters and trying to keep them all straight. The mystery was good and I enjoyed solving it with them. I do like it when Marvin and Brandon are involved more. Recipes included at the end.
February 3, 2021
I can’t remember the last Isis Crawford book I read, but it has been a while. But I decided to give this book a shot because of the book club premise. Unfortunately, I guess I was too eager because I didn’t properly read what this book was about.
In the end, I just didn’t feel invested in the characters or the storyline. The main characters in particular just didn’t seem to fit my personality at all. I couldn’t relate to them and maybe that’s due to the age difference, but I felt like I was reading a book for a whole different demographic.
The mystery was okay, but also a little over the top in some places. I don’t mind regarding a few things, but this one seemed like too many things happened and didn’t fall into place in the end. I felt like the author was trying too hard to make this exciting and it just didn’t work out well.
That being said, I think I will pass on this series. It’s just not for me.
September 21, 2020
This book had me laughing out loud. Libby and Bernie always get themselves mixed up in murder investigations, and it’s always poor Libby who tries to do the right thing.
Libby and Bernie are hired to locate a member of the local book club, who seems to have disappeared without a trace.
It seems the book club members have a lot of secrets, some that they would do anything to keep from getting out.
I love the mouthwatering recipes in this book, and I’m glad that Libby and Bernie are starting to grow up. In some of the past books, they were very immature, and it’s nice to see that the author has taken them in another direction. I’m always excited to to read a book in this series.
Libby and Bernie are hired to locate a member of the local book club, who seems to have disappeared without a trace.
It seems the book club members have a lot of secrets, some that they would do anything to keep from getting out.
I love the mouthwatering recipes in this book, and I’m glad that Libby and Bernie are starting to grow up. In some of the past books, they were very immature, and it’s nice to see that the author has taken them in another direction. I’m always excited to to read a book in this series.
February 14, 2021
Bernie and Libby are hired by the members of a book club to investigate the death of one of their members. These sisters spend a lot of time being amateur PIs but they still manage to run their restaurant. Margo’s body was found in a swamp, drowned in her car. The police think it was an accident, but not everyone agrees. Of course, the sisters dive right in, snooping and stretching the law to the point of breaking it. The banter between the two is always entertaining, but the secondary characters in this story were less so. The mystery was not one of the best, since most of the suspects were of similar backgrounds.
March 30, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook (A fun mystery!!)
November 5, 2020
Libby and Bernie Simmons are sisters, bakers, caterers and sleuths. When one of their regular customers doesn't pick up a standing order and the book club members think she met with foul play - Libby and Bernie take the case.
I have enjoyed this series and one of my favorite things is that the murders usually occur around a holiday or gathering. This book features a book club which I liked and had the classic sisters discussions (arguments) the other books had, but inthis book they were little bit snarkier. I would have liked to have had their boyfriends and their Dad more involved in the case.
I received an ARC from NetGal!ley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I have enjoyed this series and one of my favorite things is that the murders usually occur around a holiday or gathering. This book features a book club which I liked and had the classic sisters discussions (arguments) the other books had, but inthis book they were little bit snarkier. I would have liked to have had their boyfriends and their Dad more involved in the case.
I received an ARC from NetGal!ley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
January 19, 2021
This story is about a missing person, missing artwork, a murder, and secrets. Each of the characters had something to hide. I was surprised by the killer, but I figured it out when they did. Also, there was a lot of food, which I look forward to reading about in each book. It tends to make me hungry, though.
October 27, 2020
When you get these sisters and their father together, not only will you eat well and be entertained, but murder will most likely need to be solved. This book has all of that and more. The mystery is well thought out, but the focus is always on the sisters and their relationship. It is one that is so well written, you want them to be real people. Every single book in this series keeps me laughing and wanting more. I can't wait for the next one!
January 15, 2021
This is the sixteenth book in a series by Isis Crawford and my first.
Catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are providing the goodies for one of their regular customers, Margo Hemsley, the leader of a mystery book reading club, but she fails to turn up to collect her delectable desserts. They go looking for Margo, but find her dead and so the sisters agree to help the other nine club members investigate, believing her to have been murdered, though the police appear to be treating the incident as a mere disappearance...
Although I am exceptionally late to the party in Isis Crawford's 'A Mystery with Recipes' series, I still found A Catered Book Club Murder an enthralling, fun read. I loved the parts of the story that were set in A Little Taste of Heaven, the sisters' catering business and some of their culinary creations sounded absolutely delicious! I would particularly like to try their Orange-Cardamom Morning Muffins.
The character development was excellent, the plotline was well done and I was turning the pages late into the night. A humourous, compelling story of mystery and mayhem with a light dusting of romance that has inspired me to read some of the other instalments.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are providing the goodies for one of their regular customers, Margo Hemsley, the leader of a mystery book reading club, but she fails to turn up to collect her delectable desserts. They go looking for Margo, but find her dead and so the sisters agree to help the other nine club members investigate, believing her to have been murdered, though the police appear to be treating the incident as a mere disappearance...
Although I am exceptionally late to the party in Isis Crawford's 'A Mystery with Recipes' series, I still found A Catered Book Club Murder an enthralling, fun read. I loved the parts of the story that were set in A Little Taste of Heaven, the sisters' catering business and some of their culinary creations sounded absolutely delicious! I would particularly like to try their Orange-Cardamom Morning Muffins.
The character development was excellent, the plotline was well done and I was turning the pages late into the night. A humourous, compelling story of mystery and mayhem with a light dusting of romance that has inspired me to read some of the other instalments.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 5, 2021
In this next book of the series the sisters think it's weird when regular Margo Hemsley doesn't come to pick her regular order but figure there has to be a reason why. When she doesn't make it to her book club meeting the others in the club get worried and pull the sisters into going to Margo's house to see what is going on. Bernie and Libby decide to help the ladies and they soon learn why Margo was a no show, they find her dead, murdered in her own home. The book club ladies ask the sisters to look into the death and they soon learn there was more to Margo than anyone knew. She was hiding more than one secret but the question is which one got her killed. They decide they must delve deeper to figure out the reason Margo was murdered and why. Follow along to find out if one of the book clubbers did the dirty deed or was it someone from her past?
February 3, 2021
It may not have helped that I had not read any other novels in this series, but this book was ok and not great to me. I love cozy mysteries, especially those involving books. This one had very little about the book club.
December 31, 2020
4.5 stars
This is the sixteenth book in the Mystery with Recipes series by Isis Crawford.
Bernie and her sister Libby are requested by a couple of Margo’s friends to look into her death. All signs seem to point back to her book club participants and then things just start to get interesting,
I really enjoyed how the red herrings were placed in this story. Just fun stuff. I think I have read a book or two in this series and it is totally worth digging into. Loved how tenacious Bernie was looking for the truth and having her dad by her side during the investigation was new and nice.
Overall quite a nice read. Definitely a series I would recommend.
If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This is the sixteenth book in the Mystery with Recipes series by Isis Crawford.
Bernie and her sister Libby are requested by a couple of Margo’s friends to look into her death. All signs seem to point back to her book club participants and then things just start to get interesting,
I really enjoyed how the red herrings were placed in this story. Just fun stuff. I think I have read a book or two in this series and it is totally worth digging into. Loved how tenacious Bernie was looking for the truth and having her dad by her side during the investigation was new and nice.
Overall quite a nice read. Definitely a series I would recommend.
If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
February 12, 2021
2.5 Stars
“The mystery was okay, but also a little over the top in some places. ”
~ Under the Covers
I can’t remember the last Isis Crawford book I read, but it has been a while. But I decided to give this book a shot because of the book club premise. Unfortunately, I guess I was too eager because I didn’t properly read what this book was about.
In the end, I just didn’t feel invested in the characters or the storyline. The main characters in particular just didn’t seem to fit my personality at all. I couldn’t relate to them and maybe that’s due to the age difference, but I felt like I was reading a book for a whole different demographic.
The mystery was okay, but also a little over the top in some places. I don’t mind regarding a few things, but this one seemed like too many things happened and didn’t fall into place in the end. I felt like the author was trying too hard to make this exciting and it just didn’t work out well.
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March 16, 2021
This is book 16 in the Mystery with Recipes series and can be read as a stand alone. Sisters Bernie and Libby are hired by the the local mystery book club to find their missing member. The girls are busy running the bakery full time but decide they can use the extra money for expansion. They find Margo dead and all clues are pointing to a member of the book club as the murderer. A good cozy and the recipes sound delicious. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 14, 2024
It's not often I read or listen to a book I really don't care for this might be one of the exceptions to my rule. I finished it because I started it but I really didn't like it and I like cozies and finding new authors is always good for me. This book even with the recipes (which sound amazing by the way) just didn't hit right might not have been the right time for me to try Ms. Crawford as an author not sure what it was but I don't think I'll give any more of her books a listen it has good elements art forgery, money, a hit man, food, a book club, just not for me right now.
November 8, 2020
I was excited to see a new book from Isis Crawford. The latest book combines by love of mysteries and bookclubs! It was fun to spend time with Bernie and Libby again and I definitely didn't see the end coming! I wish A Little Taste of Heaven was real, it's somewhere I would definitely be a regular at, but at least Crawford included some yummy recipes in the back of the book.
January 4, 2021
1/4/2021 Better than its predecessor in the series. Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
July 13, 2021
This book had me totally stumped on who the killer was. There were so many suspects, I was surprised the two sisters could figure out who it was. Full of twists and turns!
January 22, 2025
3.5 rounded to a 4
September 9, 2022
I enjoyed this book at the beginning, but it just seemed to drag out after awhile.
September 14, 2025
Enjoyable mystery tale that was fun to the very end! Lots of twists and turns.
February 22, 2021
Another adventure with Bernie and Libby. It has been a while since I've read one of these books. I always enjoy these books, and I have not read most of them in order. I've never had any problems understanding the plot of any of the storylines. The characters are entertaining, however, Bernie is sometimes just a little bit too reckless. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of suspects and twists and turns. I was completely surprised by the ending of this mystery.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.
October 8, 2020
Most of the characters are part of an insider crowd and seem lacking in depth to me. This is the first I have read in the series, but it seems more focused on food and recipes than on finding out who did what to the murder victim. I was disappointed. I do not think it stands alone well.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
August 2, 2022
I liked this book's physical size, font size, and cover. I didn't fully realize that it was number 16 in a series. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I might consider reading another. The sisters Libby and Bernie are likable, and I am curious about their history. I didn't love the ending, and that the "killer" was obvious. I pegged Crenshaw as the murderer the second Sean mentioned that he was "invisible". I also wondered about the recipes that were included at the end. They seemed kind of random, not really related to the story--however, I may have missed that detail. I didn't read the book deeply, I kind of rushed through it. I am at a point where I really want a five-star read but haven't found one. In any event, Margo's murder was solved. Throughout much of the book, it was hinted at that Margo was involved in Art forgery, but the motive was much simpler--money. It was a bit convenient in my opinion. I may try to read an earlier part of the series to get to know the characters bettter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2020
I just love good cozy mysteries and this book did not disappoint! It was such a great fun read! The characters were all enjoyable and the book plot was really good. If you love cozy mysteries I suggest you give this book a try. You will not be disappointed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews