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Review: Muffalettas and Murders - Small Town Girl Mysteries #1

Muffalettas and Murder book cover on blue background

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read Muffalettas and Murder from the Small Town Girl Mysteries series by Jann Franklin. Not only was it fun to try to solve a mystery, but I sure got hungrier and hungrier as the book progressed!

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

Evangeline Delafose is finding Graisseville, Louisiana just as she remembered—boring and uneventful. Until her brother Nate asks her to help solve a murder.

Follow Ev as she navigates clues, dead bodies, and quirky small-town residents to solve a mystery. And of course, show her little brother that she's still got it.

If you like cozy mysteries with twists and turns, deep South settings, and a hint of romance, you’ll love this series! Let’s not forget quirky yet charming characters who remind you of family—sometimes you want to hug them, and sometimes you want to disown them. Enjoy small town Graisseville with Ev as she solves crime with help from her family and friends. This is a clean faith based read with no profanity, sex, or graphic violence.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery with spirited characters and a plot that kept me guessing until the end. I thought the immersion into Cajun culture, food, and language were all fascinating and that Evangeline Delafose was one spunky author turned detective. It's apparent just how much people care for her as a widow, as the town of Graisseville welcomes her back in their quirky ways. Her inner thoughts made for lighthearted humour, especially regarding Shorty, her own private investigator. Now, he would be an interesting character to get to know; it would be quite the journey to go inside his mind!

Told in first person, readers definitely feel like they are along for the ride. The twists and turns create an engaging adventure as readers attempt to solve the murder and piece the clues together. Christian faith is brought up at various points, and it's clear that Evangeline follows the Lord. I liked that this had an influence on Shorty and how, in turn, he changes his behaviour for the better and starts to come around to the things of God. This mystery is fun and plays out like a scene from Miss Marple, with lots of Cajun flavour thrown into the mix.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

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