A Murder Most Fowl: A Food Truck Mystery
by Carmela Dutra
About A Murder Most Fowl
A Murder Most Fowl: A Food Truck Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : September 9, 2025
Print length : 336 pages
Hardcover ISBN-13 : 979-8892423175
Paperback ISBN-13 : 979-8892423182
Digital ISBN-13 : 979-8892423199
A food truck run by twins serves up a clucking good murder in this cozy debut mystery, perfect for fans of Lucy Burdette and Joanne Fluke.
When their late aunt Dolly passes away, twins Beth and Seth Lloyd inherit a chicken themed food truck. Despite the challenges, the siblings rise to the occasion, even going as far as signing up their truck Kluckin’ Good to compete on a top cooking show and ruffle a few feathers for some good publicity. But the competition goes from heated to lethal when a contestant is found dead.
With the elimination competition becoming far too literal, Beth and Seth will need all the help they can get to get out of the frying pan without landing in the fire. With their loyal assistant–and Beth’s best friend–Rylie by their side, they’ll have to follow the bread crumbs to untangle a very twisted case before either one of them is put on the chopping block.
This humorous series debut with a mouthwatering mystery will charm readers and keep them guessing right until the not-so-bitter end.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Twins Beth and Seth Lloyd have inherited their Aunt Dolly’s Kluckin’ Good food truck. Their aunt taught them from a very young age the secrets of making the perfect chicken wings. Beth runs the food truck with her assistant Rylie. Seth has been a silent partner until now. All three will need to work together as contestants in The Food Truck Showdown, competing against seven other teams.
When the teams gather for the first elimination meeting, one chef is notably missing. Soon, a scream rings out, and the assistant producer announces, Benji Mayhew, the owner of The Dog House food truck, has been eliminated due to the fact that “he’s dead”. Beth has a contentious history with the man, one that recently landed her in a jail cell, so she knows she will be high on the list of suspects.
The Kluckin’ Good team will have to pull it together and find the killer who struck down the hot dog man, because it certainly wasn’t a chicken!
I love watching The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network. In fact, I was watching it while reading this book. The crazy challenges and the monetary competitions keep those food truck chefs on their toes. I love that on television, they travel to different states. Due to the murder, the contestants in the story are unable to travel too far, and their home base is not a stellar location, but it works well as a place to set a mystery.
Beth is the older twin born on leap day, while Seth was born on the first. He tries to use the technicality that he is actually 7 years older than her, with more actual birthdays. I really enjoyed their banter. Based on my expertise in having four children, it felt like they were true sibling quarrels, debates, and humorous events. Their friend Rylie is the one who brought the Food Truck Showdown to the twins’ attention. She isn’t much of a cook, but has no problem dressing in a chicken costume to bring in customers and take orders. This group of core characters is joined by a quirky cast of food truck owners and their crews, the food network staff, and the local police. All the characters were introduced well and grew throughout the story.
The murder mystery blends with the food truck competition seamlessly. Neither goes smoothly, though. While trying to keep up with the crazy challenges and sell, sell, sell, Beth, Seth, and Kylie are working hard to clear Beth’s name. Beth and Rylie earned themselves the nicknames of Lucy and Ethel from the police detectives because no matter how many times they were told to stay out of the case, they were always found somewhere they shouldn’t be. They worked hard to follow each clue and twist and turn. Beth makes some keen observations, and Detective Kane sees that her help may be worthwhile. I enjoyed being hot on the trail with Beth and on the edge of my seat when the case came to a head.
A Murder Most Fowl has set this series off to a Kluckin’ Good start! A fun read, with entertaining characters, a ton of humor, and just a touch of romance, it checked all my cozy mystery boxes. Be sure to check out the recipes included in the back of the book. You will be craving chicken wings and mac and cheese poppers.
I am pleased to see that book two, Hot Wings and Homicide, will be released on May 12, 2026. I have saved the date on my calendar. I can’t wait.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About Carmela Dutra
Hailing from the Bay Area of California, Carmela Dutra cherishes her family, rainy days, and making others laugh.
After years of working on her award-winning indie children’s picture books, she transitioned into crafting cozy mysteries filled with emotion, humor, and heart.
When she’s not penning her latest tale, Carmela enjoys sketching, sipping copious amounts of coffee, and over-cuddling her allergy-inducing cats and dog. She shares her life with her best friend and husband, raising two dinosaur-obsessed sons. A lover of alternative rock, Carmela often writes to its rhythm and finds comfort in rewatching The Big Bang Theory and M*A*S*H.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
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