Lemon Tart

A Culinary Mystery #1

by Josi S. Kilpack

Award- winning author Josi S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary cozies that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado turned amateur detective Sadie Hoffmiller tries to solve the murder of her beautiful young neighbor, a single mother who was mysteriously lured from her home while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is the woman's missing two year-old child. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects including her! For an added treat, original mouth- watering recipes for Sadie's Lemon Tart, Homemade Alfredo Sauce, Carrot Cookies, Brownies, and Granny's Gingerbread Bundt Cake are sprinkled throughout the book.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Book Club, Lds Fiction, Lds, Mystery Thriller

361 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2009

About the author

I wrote my first book while on bed rest with my third child in 1998 and haven't stopped. My most recent books have been Historical Romance through the Proper Romance line with Shadow Mountain Publishing.

I currently live in Willard, Utah with my husband, and children.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I had the knack for writing a concise, informative review of books. I love reading those where they set down a brief overview of the plot and then praise, or pan, the book. I somehow can't really do that.

I had high hopes for this book. It was so highly rated by so many readers. The writing was much better than I expected and it really held my interest throughout the book. Even though there were no surprises and I had the culprit figured out for a long time.

The reason I didn't rate this book higher was that I just couldn't stand the main character. Much is made of her being 56 years old. She doesn't exhibit 56 year old behavior. And it isn't a case of her being a young 56 year old. More like a totally immature 56 year old. Her character is so unbelievable to me. She whines and complains about someone swearing - and then justifies her own lying. Lying is a much worse behavior than swearing. Her sneaking around, being deceitful with the police and generally superior attitude just really got to me.

Food does not solve every problem, nor does it always wipe out one's rude behavior. Sadie seems to think that all she has to do is make something for someone to eat and all is forgiven. Usually people learn from their mistakes, or unpleasant behaviors. But Sadie just keeps doing them - and wipes her conscience clean by baking something. It's just bothersome to me.

I also want to interject: I'm surprised that this was published by Deseret Book.

I might try one of Mrs. Kilpack's earlier books to see if I can find something there to redeem this one. But then again, there is so much out there to read...

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute cozy mystery with some recipes thrown in.

At first, I thought it would be a predictable throwaway, but it actually had some twists and turns along the way.

Although some of the characters were annoying and could be considered standard fare (I’ve “read” them or “seen” them somewhere before), it might be fun to read her returning character adventures again.

(This is supposed to be the first in her culinary mystery series.)

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not horrible but what a rip off of Diane Mott Davidson. Seriously. How is this not bordering on plagiarism? Let's see: 1) Set in Colorado, check. Couldn't you even come up with your own state? 2) 50ish main character who likes to cook, check. 3) Recipes included, check. 4) Boyfriend is a police detective, check. 5) Involved in the community, check. The difference is, I like Goldy from the DMM books. I can't stand Sadie Hoffmiller, the main character of this book. She is super annoying. Who seriously interferes with a police investigation? And really, in the midst of a murder and life-and-death situations, would you honestly think, "Oh Ron said one curse word. That is a strike against him." Give me a break. And while walking across the street with a plate of cookies in her hand, she stops to text her daughter and says it takes an inordinate amount of time to text with one hand. Why couldn't she take 10 more steps to her house and put the cookies down and then text? Wouldn't that have been faster?! My breaking point was, spoiler, when she is running away, mere yards away from the killer, and she stops to put on her seatbelt and says, "Safety first!" Really?! You are worried about being in a car accident when a MURDERER with a gun is after you?! The big saving grace is the recipes. They are great -- at least the lemon tart was - the rest look worth trying. It is a nice safe clean mystery but a little too goody goody for me.

[Josi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series. When Sadie's neighbor is found murdered while a lemon tart bakes in her oven, Sadie finds herself both a suspect as well as suspicious of the other people around her. She takes the case, determined to find the killer and her neighbors son who is missing. This was a fun book to write and I hope readers enjoy it as much as I do.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been eyeing this Culinary Mystery series for quite a while and hadn't read any yet. I own several of them in paperback but they were random ones in the middle of the series. If you've followed my reviews or know me, then you know that I MUST read things in order. I just don't like skipping around and not knowing everything from beginning to end. Everything is laid out in a specific order for a reason and I just enjoy watching it unfold as the author plans it. So let me just say that I finally dove in and am starting the series. I have a subscription to a site for audio and ebooks and this series is on there. So, here starts me listening to all of these culinary mysteries.

I usually listen a lot when I'm driving places, cleaning, cooking, working...basically anytime I can squeeze in a few minutes. So I need books that are ok for my family to listen to as well. This was definitely one that they all were hooked on listening to.

I will say that there were a couple times that I rolled my eyes over the main character, Sadie. Ha! She was a fun character but sometimes a little too sweet or too good. Not that that's bad. Because I'm probably very similar to her but the way it was written into the book, it definitely caused several laughs and a few eye rolls.

The mystery suspense was well written. I honestly changed my mind many, many times for who I thought was the bad guy. Can I just say, that usually doesn't happen to me. I'm pretty good at picking out who it is right away. But nope, Josi Kilpack sure tricked me on this one! Kudos to her! I'm definitely looking forward to more adventures with Sadie and Detective Cunningham, oh yeah!

Content: It is a murder mystery so there is murder. Not overly graphic but some detail, enough to give the reader the basic idea of what happened. A character has an affair so a little talk about that but no detail. Moments of suspense and peril. And safety first. ;-) (that might be one of my eye roll moments-hee hee)!

I listened to a copy on Deseret Bookshelf. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could give it 2 and half stars as I didn't hate this book, but it seemed too contrived and the main character Sadie, did come off as self righteous. Making food for others does not excuse or dismiss rude behavior. Also she was way to nosy. I felt we were celebrating a character who actually built her house in such a way as to be able to spy on everyone in her cuol-de-sac and hated a tree that made it impossible to spy on her next door neighbor. Really, would I want to live next door to this person? No way. Plus don't get me started on her total disregard for the law and being secretive with the police, but could not forgive others for also having secrets of their own. Also, the police in this story came across as totally inept when a 56 year old substitute teacher was finding out more than they could.

Okay maybe this really is 2 stars.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a G-rated cozy mystery but I spent the whole time wanting to strangle the heroine myself.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Despite the goofy description on the backcover, which left me with really low expectations for this book, the book was not nearly as cheesy as I thought it would be. It held my interest and I read it in 2 days. It was not entirely predicatable as nearly all Mormon fiction is. Although I thought the ending was a little over the top and I just didn't buy it when everything was tied together with a nice big bow. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it for a fun, easy read.

[Kiersten · Rating 1 out of 5]

The less-than-talented LDS Author strikes again. The writing is poor, the story simplistic, and the heroin annoying. Did I miss anything? I gave it one star (instead of none) because it did include some recipes that might be worth trying. Although just like this Lemon Tart book, they may just leave me feeling sour.

[Stacie Amelotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this series on my TBR pile forever. I’m glad I finally got the chance to start it. “Lemon Tart” was a fun read. I enjoy that the main character, Sadie, deviates from the norm. I’m glad she is in her 50’s and sorting out the next chapter of her life. I can easily relate to her and her family. The author’s description of Sadie’s character being written to portray “Paula Deen (cooking show host) meets Angela Lansbury,” made me laugh. The mystery had lots of twists and turns and kept you guessing until the last minute. I look forward to seeing where relationships evolve from here. The recipes are an added bonus.

[KayLynn Zollinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan. But let me expand. I actually enjoyed the writing style and thought the actual content was pretty good. However, the main character was (in my opinion) a snobby, self-righteous, nosy, bitchy, busy body. I couldn't relate to her at all and I thought she was actually just a rude, petty person. She really needs a reality check. And maybe she gets one in later books, but I can't donate time to find out. There are plenty of books to read with characters I actually like and enjoy.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy mystery is just that--Cozy! Main character and amateur sleuth/busy-body neighbor Sadi Hoffmiller is a delight. At 50-something, Sadie is a single widowed mother who is in a steady relationship once again. She is the rock of her neighborhood and every neighbor has trusted her with keys to their homes. When a tragic murder takes place, Sadie is the first to discover the circumstances. Trouble is, she knows more about each neighbor than the police could possibly discover on their own. Sadie is funny, quirky, and just the person to get her neighborhood back to normal. With a little romance and a lot of yummy baking, you'll have fun trying to guess "who-done-it" until the last couple of chapters. After reading this I baked some peanut butter bars--nothing as fancy as lemon tart or cinnamon-ginger cookies--but now I have a few new recipes to try.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed this mystery. I can see it growing and getting better as the series goes on. Sadie Hoffmiller is the ideal neighbor and homemaker who finds herself getting involved with solving the murder of her friend and neighbor Anne, as well as the disappearance of Annes son. Parts of the story were very over the top dramatic while other things seemed to be too rushed. However, I loved Sadie and her daughter as well as a few of the other background characters. I can’t wait to see what Sadie gets herself involved with next.

[NaDell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally jumped onboard the culinary mystery series by Josi Kilpack and wondering why I waited so long (really it's because I have so many other books I want to read and starting a series takes away from those, but I found it on hoopla which our public library uses for people to read digital books and had to read it.) It was excellent! Kept me guessing and trying to puzzle out what had happened throughout the whole book and it was tense and suspenseful, but without being graphic, gory, or full of profanity. Loved it and want to read all of the rest of the series now (which is why I was trying to hold myself back...I knew this would happen!) ;)

[Brooke R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5. If you are going for light and fun, a vacation style read this is it!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was cute and detective- like, the characters weren’t very interesting and the main character was a bit frustrating. However, there are a bunch of sequels to this book which Im curious about. It was cute though and a quick “summer read” as they say. And it did keep me guessing almost all the way to the end. I’m still glad I read it.

[Michelle Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books in this series but I am impressed and think this is pretty darn awesome for a first book in the series. Maybe the best one! Read most of it in 1 day, its that good. Funny, clever, likable characters, a good mystery that keeps you guessing with each clue. And recipes are just the cream on top! Now onto English trifle!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought the idea here sounded unique and possibly fun, but I was hugely disappointed in its execution. This is a mystery intended for adults, but it reads more like a teen soap -- very wishy-washy writing (and wishy-washy characters) with a lot of melodrama. There was NO tension at all (really bad for a mystery novel) other than very contrived tension deliberately (and obviously) meant to misdirect the reader. It was so obvious, in fact, that I never believed a single "suspect" the author tried to veer us toward. The "bad guy," in the end, made no sense. You don't want to point to a villain too obviously, but the other worst thing you can do in a mystery is to give us a villain who isn't in ANY way foreshadowed in the book. Nothing pointed to this person AT ALL and made the previous innocent suspects seem even more contrived.

The dialogue was almost entirely meaningless small-talk that got us nowhere. As is often the problem with Mormon authors (particularly female Mormon authors, not to over-generalize), Kilpack is so afraid of using even a "damn" or a "hell" in her writing that it becomes an obstacle. When people use "heck" in reference to the physical place known as "Hell" it just sounds silly. "Dang" and "darn" just don't sound right in certain instances, and especially coming from characters who are probably NOT Mormons and therefore wouldn't have problems using the usual terms.

The college-aged daughter of our protagonist was more mature than the protagonist herself. She seemed so hopelessly naive for a 56-year-old woman -- especially one who likes to gossip so much and always knows everything about her neighbors. She spent way too much time harping on her own appearance, constantly going back to bemoaning her less-than-pristine hair on the day of the murder of her own friend. A little perspective, come ON.

Random background and details got thrown in that didn't matter even the slightest bit. I'm all for throwing in details to flesh out a story, but let them at least be relevant to the matter at hand. I will say I was glad that religious convictions weren't brought into the story too obviously, but at the same time, we have to have at least some knowledge of the religious background of the main character if she's going to suddenly start talking to God at the end of the book. The way she reacts to things have a lot to do with her belief system, but it's never mentioned in the book at all. And it wouldn't be assumed by every reader.

I was extremely under-impressed.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josi Kilpack sent me this book back in February to read, and sadly I am a total slacker and just barely finished it. IN TWO DAYS, I finished it.

I really enjoyed Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery. It was an exciting, quick read! There are actual recipes littered throughout the book, and I found myself craving brownies as she talked about brownies and Fettuccine when she talked about Fettuccine! (thank heavens I actually had some leftover Costco Fettuccine on hand!)

I cannot even begin to tell you how refreshing it was to read a book that is clean. There were no swear words, and no sex scenes. However, the lack of those two elements did not make this a boring, cheesy read.

On the contrary, there were affairs, illegitimate children and murder for Googles sake. Josie just handled the subject matter in a tasteful way. That to me speaks of the raw talent that is Josie Kilpack's writing. She did not have to rely on the lowest common denominator--sex and swearing-- to move her plot along because her words, writing and story carried itself without them.

While Josi's book is being sold in LDS bookstores (ie: Deseret Book), there is not one mention of religion in this book. I appreciated her ability to write a great story, and leave the religion on the shelf.

At the center of the story is the busy-bodied main character Sadie. She takes the art of homemaking to an all-new, hyper level. She perfects recipes, eats a small portion and then proudly delivers her culinary masterpieces to her neighbors. All in the name of "gathering information".

I really thought I had the entire plot figured out and was completely thrown when it nose-dived in the total opposite direction. I really like books that allow me think I have it all figured out, only to show me in the last few chapters that I'm not as smart as I think I am.

[Ali Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Josi Kilpack's Lemon Tart. It was a fun and fast read, totally enjoyable from start to finish.

Kilpack managed to bring to life a whole cast of colorful characters and even while the main character was a goody-two-shoes busybody, she managed to make me really like her and route for her the whole way. I'm excited there's a new culinary mystery in the works featuring Sadie Hoffmiller, because she's just awesome.

Lemon Tart tells the story of a murdered young mother, a missing baby, an adulterous man, a pair of completely opposite detectives and Sadie Hoffmiller, the neighborhood's resident baker AND busybody. With so many balls up in the air, I wondered hos Kilpack was going to put it all back together again, but she did and it was amazing.

The only reason why I didn't give the book five stars is because it was a LIGHT read. I reserve my fifth star for those books that really make me THINK and change me somehow. But sometimes, you just need a great book that you can sit down with and not worry about it churning up your soul, ya know?

Lemon Tart is just such a book. Grab a blankie, curl up by the fire and crack open Lemon Tart for an evening of fun and relaxation. And don't forget your favorite treat! Lemon Tart will have you drooling and maybe throwing off your blankie so you can go bake up one of it's handful of included recipes. They sound delish!

[Suzanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this one as a freebie and thought it sounded like a fun series to try. I haven't read a good mystery in awhile but now having finished the book, I cannot classify this one as good or anywhere near that. I just had so many issues with the characters and the writing. I only gave it two stars and not one because there were some fun recipes included that actually sounded really good.

My biggest complaint is the main character. She was so annoying and her ability to reason was nonexistent. She's supposed to be 56 but she sounds and acts much younger. She says something about giving up her Seinfeld DVD collection and that just didn't click for me as a 56 year old. I also couldn't get over how idiotic she was. Seriously, she jumps in a car and slams the door on the bad guy's hand, crushing it. She even feels sorry for doing that and apologizes-- forget the fact that this guy was a MURDERER and she was running for her life. Then, to get away from this guy, she first stops to buckle her seat belt for "safety first." And then she's too dumb to tell someone where she's located when she literally has the opportunity right in her hand but then she's all the sudden smart enough to create a trip wire with her shoelaces.

That's just the beginning of my grievances but the point is that I don't think I could pick up another one in this series ever again.

[Chrystie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

I liked this story, and the writing wasn't too bad. The plot was pretty interesting and kept my attention, and I thought it was fun that there were recipes included. The mystery was fun and I liked the book overall.

The only reason this book didn't get 4 stars from me is that I just didn't like the main character, Sadie, all that much. Sadie is a retired former teacher in her mid-50s who has been a widow for twenty years and raised two adopted kids on her own, and she loves to cook. She is also a complete busybody and was into everybody's business all the time, and was a teeny bit self-righteous. I guess the book would be pretty boring if she didn't snoop around on her own and interfere with the police, but the way she went about it made me dislike her a little. It was hilarious to me that she would get so upset when someone swore or had bad manners such as mumbling, but then she would turn around and lie to EVERYONE and even break into other people's houses (yes, plural). She figured that whatever lies she told or whatever else she did to people, she could bake them some cookies later and all would be forgiven. Those must be some amazing cookies!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

New cozy mystery discovery!

Found out about the series just as the last book (book 12) was released this December. A little research led me to book 1 and that this series has a huge following, good ratings, and that a lot fans are sad to see Sadie go.

Sadie Hoffmiller is my first heroine nearing senior citizen's age (56). Maybe this genre is more for that generation (oh no!) or a lot can relate as she very helpful, so likable, inquisitive and a cool mom. She even has my dream property, a cul-de-sac lot! Her manner of investigating is methodical and not annoying and at her age, she refuses to be a damsel in distress. Since I began with the end in mind, I plan to tackle this series a few months apart, if I could resist. :)

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that a lot of authors stick to the same genre---for example, can one imagine Stephen King writing a fluffy romance novel? I've read all of Josi Kilpack's novels and they all seem to fall under the contemporary LDS romance/current issues category. However, this one is a mystery and I was very pleasantly surprised at how good it was! I loved the characters and the storyline and it was an added bonus that some recipes were included in the book. I love a mystery that I cannot solve, and maybe other readers can solve this one, but I couldn't. I'm glad Kilpack branched out to try a new style of writing--I think she may have found a new genre.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do mystery authors ever imagine you could make a murder mystery interesting when you are writing about a lemon tart?? If you don't mind a character that is arrogant, superficial, immature, passive-aggressive and judgmental then you will probably love this book. I found her to be unbearable and far too realistic. Of course I can't, and won't, be too judgmental as this is a cozy mystery and I knew that going in... and I am not a fan. another book to fulfill a challenge. I have read cozies that had good characters and this wasn't one of them. Nice picture of a lemon tart on the cover though.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lemon Tart was a fun read. The main character had me giggling at times as well as one of her neighbors. They both reminded me of people I know! The mystery was good, if a bit predictable. I have to say, Sadie is one tough 56 year old! I am going to try the lemon tart recipe that’s included in the book sometime. My mouth was watering for it through most of the book.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character was a little over the top, and such a busy-body I told my husband half way through, I almost wish they'd think it was her and throw her in jail so she'll stay out of their lives! That said, the ending was good and different, and I hope to try some recipes included. Cute idea - completely fluffy book

[Kira · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: I am not wasting any more time on this book. I hate the main character, Sadie, so much that I could slap her in real life. Her holier than thou attitude, interfering with police business like she knows better, her nosy nature, and judgmental ways have made it so that I just can't finish this book. There are several other mysteries that I can read that don't feature the world's worst MC.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proud of myself for doing a little branching from YA fantasy. This was a great read. Fast and fun. I was guessing until the end even though I had guesses of my own. All the recipes sound yummy. Sadie is funny, smart, and it's her way or the high way. I like that :).

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good book. This is probably my favorite book out of the series. The book moves quickly, and you don't want to put it down. The only thing is the author totally copied this story line from a another author