Talia Marby is nervous about the upcoming cooking contest coming to town, but the reward money plus the urging of her friend, Crystal Galardi, motivate her to participate. Talia is the owner and proprietor of Fry Me a Sliver, a local Wrensdale eatery specializing in fried foods, and she hopes her recipe for miniature deep-fried apple pies will be a hit with the judges. Unfortunately, not everyone in the competition seems happy and Talia notices some animosity surrounding one contestant, Norma Ferguson. Shortly after the competition, Norma is found dead, and all the signs are pointing to one of the contestants. Talia has been warned to stay out of the police investigation, but how can she resist when the lives of those she loves are at stake?

A FRYING SHAME is the third book in the Deep Fried Mystery series, but readers new to the series can easily jump right in and enjoy the storyline. Linda Reilly provides readers with sufficient character development and back story, so it isn't necessary to read the first two books although I suspect you'll want to after finishing this fun and engaging book.

I love Talia and her loyalty to her friends! Talia knows her friend is innocent and she's willing to do whatever investigating is necessary to prove so- even when it means defying local law enforcement. As in the prior book, OUT OF THE DYING PAN, Martha appeals to me even more than Talia. Martha is somewhat grumpy, but her love for those around her makes me want to hear her back story.

And oh the scrumptious recipes described in A FRYING SHAME! I'm not typically a fan of deep fried foods but who can resist miniature deep-fried apple pies? Or deep- fried mac and cheese squares? In fact, my only complaint about A FRYING SHAME is that we weren't provided even more of the yummy sounding recipes as I want to savor Harry's tangy tamale casserole, Norma's flaky-top chicken casserole, and Dylan McPhee's cinnamon swirl brownies! If you love a solid cozy mystery coupled with some delectable recipes and engaging characters, then look no further than A FRYING SHAME!

Book Summary

A cooking contest becomes a fry to the finish in the new Deep Fried Mystery from the author of Out of the Dying Pan.

Fry another day.

The town of Wrensdale is abuzz with excitement when Steeltop Foods sponsors a cooking contest to promote its new product, the Flavor Dial. With a $25,000 prize at stake, all the contestants are on edge, including Talia Marby, owner of Fry Me A Sliver. She hopes her mini deep-fried apple pies will win her the money to pay off the renovations on her restaurant. But when Norma Ferguson wins with her flaky-top chicken stew, the tensions dial up even more.

After Norma is found dead at her cooking station, the police suspect a losing contestant got a little too hot under the collar. Now it’s crunch time as Talia works to catch the killer and clear her name before another cook gets burned.

Includes delicious recipes!

Read an Excerpt