Murder on the Page

Murder on the Page

Murder on the Page is the perfect recipe for people who love books and food.

• Series: A Literary Dining Mystery (Book One)

• Written by: Daryl Wood Gerber

• Published by: Kensington

• Release date: October 22, 2024

• Mystery type: Bookish culinary cozy mystery

Allie Catt is a caterer, personal chef, and literature buff in a North Carolina mountain community near Ashville. She creates custom teas and dinner parties for book lovers based on classic literature, such as Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca, and The Great Gatsby. When a friend gets accused of murder, Allie channels her favorite fictional detectives and cooks up a plan to solve a mystery.

I wanted to read Murder on the Page because I liked the twin hook (classic literature and dinner parties). It doesn't get much better than a bookish mystery with a crime-solving caterer and recipes at the end.

The author of Murder on the Page is Daryl Wood Gerber, who has authored dozens of other mysteries, including the excellent Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. I had high expectations for this series, so I was quite pleased to discover just how much fun Murder on the Page is.

The sleuth, Allie Catt has complex family relationships, a best friend with a life-changing relationship problem, a potential boyfriend, and a cute tuxedo cat. She also has an up-and-coming catering business.

Allie is really good at making delicious food and planning events. She is bookish by nature and incorporates her love of literature into her work. Her cat is even named Darcy in honor of one of the central characters in Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. This is just one of many book references in Murder on the Page.

Each chapter starts with a Pride and Prejudice quote. Allie and her best friend Tegan are both book lovers. A bookshop is a major location in the story. Food is also an important element. Allie is good at what she does and proud of her work.

The mystery is as well-planned as the rest of the novel, with clues sprinkled in all the right places. Allie’s drive and attention to detail make her a believable sleuth and help her solve the mystery.

The extras are also quite nice. The book has a fabulous collection of recipes for main dishes and desserts. There is also a map at the start and a list of characters so you can quickly look someone up if you need a reminder of who they are and what they do.

I really enjoyed Murder on the Page and look forward to seeing more mysteries in this fun new series.

Review disclosure: I received this advanced reader copy of Murder on the Page from Net Galley and Kensington Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

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