Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Southern Discomfort by Caroline Fardig - #review #giveaway



Southern hospitality meets deadly deception in the start of a charming new mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive novels.

Quinn Bellandini loves her life in Savannah, Georgia, where she runs her grandfather’s B&B with her sister, Delilah. From baking fresh scones and serving up grits every morning to ensuring the guests see the best of their historic city, Quinn can’t imagine doing anything else—even if it means dealing with nuisances like the occasional malfunctioning commode. But when Quinn drops by the local restaurant owned by her friend Drew Green, and stumbles upon a murder, her whole world comes crashing down.


Drew’s brother was always a little surly, but Quinn can’t imagine that someone disliked the prickly chef enough to kill him. The police, on the other hand, don’t believe that Quinn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before her guests can even digest the next morning’s gourmet breakfast, Quinn learns that she and Drew are suspects.

Drew thinks they should do some investigating of their own. Quinn is pretty sure she’s better suited to playing hostess than amateur sleuth. But with Delilah as her cynical sidekick, Quinn starts looking for the real killer—before she gets put away faster than you can say “sugar.”


Don’t miss Caroline Fardig’s thrilling Java Jive mysteries, which can be read together or separately:


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MY REVIEW

I love stories about the (American) South.  I love the punny titles of cozy mystery stories.  And I love a stronger-than-she-thinks heroine.  A writer that combines all of these with finesse is Caroline Fardig. 

In Murder Over Mochas, the latest installment of the "Java Jive Mysteries", we met Juliet.  Now in Southern Discomfort, first installment of the "Southern B&B Mysteries", we meet Quinn, co-manager of her family's B&B (with her sister Delilah), and reluctant amateur investigator.  But then, eing a suspect in a murder investigation can bring out your self-protective side.

"Southern hospitality" is a well-known term, and Quinn and Delilah take their responsibilities as hosts seriously.  Their guests are well-fed, well-entertained and informed, and offered every comfort.  So, yes, the thought of the Southern Comfort liqueur passed through my thoughts early on.  And so I appreciated the play on words dis/comfort in the title.  The guests had comfort.  Quinn ... well, not so much.

Jason, Drew's brother and chef, probably had the least comfort of all.  He was not an easy man to know; when someone is that ill-temperred, I would say they can't really enjoy life...they exist, but don't really live.  His porcupine personality often rubbed people the wrong way, and apparently one person (the murderer) more than the rest.

Southern Discomfort is as full of great twists and turns as it is possible suspects, ensuring an enjoyable read and a superb start to a new cozy series.  And no historic southern city (or, indeed, cozy with this title) would be complete without a ghost or two - be they past or present.


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MEET THE AUTHOR



CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.


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Click on the banner above to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of this title, as well as guest posts and interviews!  You can also find out how to become a blog host for future book tours while you are there.

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

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This book helps me fulfill the following 2018 reading challenges:

52 Books in 52 Weeks - Original



1 comment:

  1. This sounds fun. I haven't read any books like this one before. Thanks for the introduction. :)
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete