Engagingly Dead: A Ella's Extraordinary Eats Mystery

by Michele Scott

Ella McBane’s biggest mistake? Thinking life would be easy once her daughters have all grown up and moved out… until her eldest daughter is accused of murder. Every woman wants their adult children to be happy, healthy, and loved. Maybe that’s why Ella takes on her daughter Savannah’s request to cater her engagement party. With no formal culinary training but a ton of cooking experience, Ella struggles to not upset her future in-laws who aren’t exactly accustomed to old-fashioned home cooking. Everything seems to be going well… until Ella trips over a dead body at the celebration. Fingers swiftly point at Savannah, and the evidence is overwhelming. But Ella knows Savannah wouldn’t hurt a fly, and jumps into action to clear her daughter’s name. Little does she know that her actions will drag her into the dangerous world of organized crime. With her ex-husband eyeing her like a prize, a sexy former flame looking to rekindle their past, and trouble lurking around every corner, Ella might regret slowing down to face everything chasing her… especially with time running out. Engagingly Dead expertly combines romance, intrigue, humor, culinary temptations (and plenty of fun 80s and 90s references!) to make a dizzyingly thrilling ride in Michele Scott’s latest read.

Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2022

About the author

Michele Scott is an American author and the CEO/owner of equestrian sports medicine company Professional’s Choice, Inc. She has written over forty novels in various genres including thrillers, mysteries, young adult mysteries, fantasy, and women’s fiction. Her thriller Daddy’s Home from her Holly Jennings’ series written under her pen name of AK Alexander has sold over one million copies and was the #1 bestselling book in the UK Amazon. Her thriller Mommy, May I? and was number 2 on the Amazon list.

Subsequently, Daddy’s Home hit #4 in the US Amazon store (over all books). She was a featured author in Jeff Bezos letter to the shareholders and one of fifteen authors invited to the reveal of Kindle Fire. Amazon also produced a short documentary about her and her writing story and featured her in a book on bestselling Amazon writers. Daddy’s Home was also a top ten bestseller on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Michele’s bestselling mystery series (The Wine Lover’s Mysteries) has gone into multiple printings and has been optioned by a Los Angeles based producer and production company.

Michele is a lifelong equestrian, having horses since she was five-years-old. If you don’t find her at her desk writing, you’re sure to find her at the barn!

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Divorced empty nester Ella McBane is trying to fill her time. Her family and friends convince her to put her cooking talents to good use and open a catering business, Ella’s Extraordinary Eats. Against her future mothers-in-law’s wishes, Ella’s oldest daughter Savannah asks her to cater her engagement party formally celebrating her upcoming wedding to wealthy shipping heir, Mason Jarrod.

The event is well in hand, with no major issues and Ella can finally take a deep breath and join the party. She takes a little sidetrack through the garden to unwind a bit only to trip over the dead body of Mason Jarrod’s ex-girlfriend. The police move quickly and arrest Savannah.

Ella vows to leave no stone unturned to find the real killer with her best friend Noelle on board to help in any way she can.

Ella is also having to deal with her ex-husband that has moved into the cottage behind her house and trying to get back in her good graces. But when Ella’s mind is on romance she is thinking about another old love that has reached out to reconnect.

She’ll have plenty of time to worry about her love life when the right person is behind bars and her daughter is out enjoying her life again.

Because I have read this author’s other cozy mysteries I purchased thinking this was a cozy mystery. It does have some cozy elements but it is so much more.

Ella McBane is a character I can identify with and get behind. When all your children are grown a mother needs to find something to keep her life moving forward. Thanks to a very pushy friend Ella is pushed into that something rather than making the decision on her own. Her friend Noelle is a force and she doesn’t back down. She also swears like a sailor. And she is the perfect best friend for Ella. Her ex-husband Jay also thinks a catering business is a great idea. But he has problems of his own. He has moved into Ella’s art cottage after a huge fight with his girlfriend, the woman he left Ella to be with. Ella also has three independent daughters. Savannah is finishing law school and about to be married. Hailey works for one of the top wineries in Napa Valley. Erin is away at Rice University studying to be a forensic scientist. Michele Scott has created very strong female characters and I love that. The banter between Jay and Noelle is hilarious.

The story is a real whirlwind of one family behaving badly and another taking on whatever is being thrown at them. Ella’s quest to save her daughter has no bounds so she has a real mystery to solve and there is twist after twist as she reveals secrets and digs deeper to serve up the real killer. She has a fantastic friend that helps her get the information she can’t get on her own that helps other clues fall into place. She also butts into her ex’s life to find out what is really going on and get him out of her house. All this while trying to get her business off the ground.

Ms. Scott has penned a wonderful multilayered story with true-to-life characters and takes her readers on a wild ride.

Engagingly Dead kept me on my toes and at times on the edge of my seat. Entertaining, and suspenseful, layered with a lot of humor this book was almost impossible to put down.. I hope another book with these characters is in the works because I want to see what happens next in their lives.

*Book Contains Explicit Language

[TheGood ByeGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, the story was really well thought out & the characters were believable, Jay was an eejit, Noelle was fun.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars

Engagingly Dead follows Ella as she, post divorce and her last child leaving the nest, embarks on some "what's next for Ella" homework from her therapist. What's next turns out to be opening her own business, taking on her eldest daughter's future in-laws - oh, and solving a murder.

Initially I would've described this book as a cosy mystery, however, there were some dark subject matters that came to light, towards the end of the story, that belies that description. It also undid some of the carefully created story aspects as well.

If you have a smart, switched on young lady who's about to become a lawyer - wouldn't she twig (early enough NOT to be engaged to marry them) that her other half might be a bit dodgy? Or at least that his family is... either she's not as smart as she's painted, or we're expected to believe that she's been blinded by love to some VERY dark aspects of her future husband's history.

Ella was an enjoyable character although I felt like she was a little bit too much "together" - she was at peace with her husband cheating on her and leaving her for a younger woman. That's ok, a lot of women make peace with that and move on. But then he turns up back on her doorstep and starts living with her again... just no. It just didn't gel for me, as a reader, and the fact that she didn't immediately tell him where to go (to a hotel - seeing as he's apparently loaded) made me think she's a bit of a push over.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. Some of the revelations were a little predictable but it was a (mostly) light read with a happy ending. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I would like to thank Goodreads and the author Michele Scott, as I won this copy of the book Engagingly Dead: Ella McBane Mystery. I love to read series and was very excited to check this one out. So glad I did, because I enjoyed the book very much! Not exactly a "cosy" mystery but quite amusing and interesting. I've already ordered the next installment, and looking forward to more Ella.

Nearing 50, Ella needs to make changes in her life. Kids are gone, ex hubby won't leave and too much time on her hands leads her shrink to challenge her with finding her purpose. Many adventures lie ahead as she get involved in a new occupation and helping her older daughter solve a shocking life situation. The plot is quite compelling and I couldn't put it down.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella McBane is an empty nester and divorced. Time to figure out how to move on in her new life.

Savannah and Mason are getting closer to their wedding. Luncheons and parties taking place.
Ella has started her own business with a slight push from her best friend Noelle and her ex husband.
When Savannah gets arrested for the murder of Mason’s ex girlfriend, Ella decides to do her own sleuthing.
What Ella is not expecting is to find herself tangled up in organized crime.
Twists and turns as Ella gets herself into a deep hole looking to free her daughter from jail.
Will definitely keep you turning the pages and on the edge of your seat.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be a cozy mystery, but it's a bit more than that because of all the family issues intertwined with the murder mystery. A divorced couple and their friends investigate a murder which one of their daughters has been arrested for. The mother has just started a catering business now that she is an empty nester which adds some fun food related conversations. There are quite a few interesting characters and a lot of interesting plot twists. I'll try another of this apparently prolific author's works.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off as a 3 for me but once it picked up about 40-50% it definitely took off I love a good story about a mother who tries to find herself after a divorce and all her children are grown and out the house she stumbles (literally) on a dead body and BOOM the craziness starts it was a slow read but stated above give it some time and quite a lot happens that will keep you interested there are a few typos in the book but you can still understand where the writer is coming from it’s nothing drastic if you haven’t read this I’d definitely give it a try!

[Mariana Farmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent story, however…

Would have been nice to read through without the constant mental editing I was doing of all the clear as day errors peppered throughout the book. It’s like the author just submitted the document without having someone proofread/ edit or even just reading it over herself. If it wasn’t for Dipshit and Medusa I don’t know that I would have gotten to the finish line.

[Sirheem Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was entertaining. Nothing too deep plot wise but a good mystery. I would recommend this to someone looking for an easy read that has twists and turns. I will prob read more of this series bc it was a good mystery, just nothing out of the ordinary.

[Chelsea Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is great, I love the mix of humor, nostalgia and just being so relatable! Looking forward to the next one. Read on kindle and I will say though, the editor needs to re-run through this, there were several typos I couldn’t believe nobody caught.

[Breony Cradock · Rating 5 out of 5]

hooked line an sinker

I absolutely loved reading this book it’s different from what I normally read but it’s amazing and couldn’t recommend it more I’m very keen and interested to keep reading this mystery series

[David Yancey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engagingly Dead was fun. I absolutely love Ella and Noelle, aka Medusa.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Okay then. What does figuring Ella out mean?"

It means this divorced mother of three grown daughters needs to find out who she is in this new life.

While Savannah and Mason get ready for their wedding, Ella sort of gets pushed into starting her own business almost with no say in the matter from her BFF and her ex husband. Et viola; Ella's Extraordinary Eats is born. But why is Savannah's soon to be MIL so determined to ruin her before she's even started?
.
After Savannah is arrested for murder, Ella and BFF Noelle start "sleuthing" and boy do they run into the seedier side of the world these days, as they stumble upon what has become the "issue de jour" for many mystery writers. However, leave it to Michelle Scott to put it in a different light.

This was not an easy book to read, but I love the characters and hope this is the first of many in the series. Highly Recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it]