Murder on the Menu by Zanna Mackenzie

Murder on the Menu
by Zanna Mackenzie

A fun combination of mystery, romance and scandal!
~Laura’s Interests

Murder on the Menu was a charming, light-hearted mystery with a fun heroine and witty dialogue.
~Moonlight Rendezvous

This was a really fun read! Lizzie and Jack make a good team and their interactions can be hilarious at times.
~Book Babble

If you enjoy a cozy mystery with a celebrity murder, a little romance, lots of suspects, a challenging plot, likeable characters, set in a pretty English village — then you’re going to love Murder on the Menu.
~CAROLE’S BOOK CORNER

I enjoyed this book and getting to know Jack, Lizzie and the other people in town. Definitely a great book for those who love british cozy mysteries!
~Community Bookstop

I was entranced by Lizzie from the start.
~Jane Reads

Murder On The Menu:
A Romantic Comedy Culinary Cozy Mystery
(A Celebrity Mystery Book 1)
File Size: 1093 KB
Print Length: 266 pages
Publication Date: September 24, 2015
ASIN: B015T6EYEW

Synopsis

After Lizzie’s new boss, celebrity chef Armand, is stabbed in his own kitchen, Lizzie finds herself at the top of the suspect list.

Determined to clear her name she’s forced to enlist the services of her new neighbour, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency (CCIA) special agent Jack Mathis, who’s been suspended from his duties for reasons unknown.

Can Lizzie save herself from getting arrested and manage to resist her special agent sidekick’s considerable charms and gorgeous smile? Will they solve the culinary murder mystery or will she end up in a prison cell?

ZannaM

About The Author –

I write romantic comedy mysteries and when I’m not writing I can be found gardening (trying to grow tomatoes in the British climate is a major challenge!) walking the dogs or reading.

I’m a former therapist, a fan of the great outdoors – especially Scotland, the Lake District and Derbyshire’s Peak district – and also something of a dreamer!

Home is a village on the Derbyshire / Leicestershire border in the UK with my husband, our 4 Labrador dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.

At every opportunity I can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel I’m working on and I love it when the characters in my work in progress novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!

My website: www.zannamackenzie.co.uk

I Read What You Write’s Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself and the project we are seeing today?

I’d be delighted to. My name is Zanna Mackenzie and I live in a village on the Derbyshire/ Leicestershire border in the Midlands in the UK with my husband, 4 dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read!

I write romantic comedy mysteries and love it when the characters in my novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot.
My hobbies include gardening, walking the dogs, weather watching and reading.
The book I’m sharing news about today is book 1 in my Celebrity Mystery series and is called Murder On The Menu. Here’s a bit more about the book:
After Lizzie’s new boss, celebrity chef Armand, is stabbed in his own kitchen, Lizzie finds herself at the top of the suspect list.

Determined to clear her name she’s forced to enlist the services of her new neighbor, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency (CCIA) special agent Jack Mathis, who’s been suspended from his duties for reasons unknown.

Can Lizzie save herself from getting arrested and manage to resist her special agent sidekick’s considerable charms and gorgeous smile? Will they solve the culinary murder mystery or will she end up in a prison cell?

1. What advice do you have for new authors, like me?
I would say it’s essential to connect with potential readers and other authors in your genre as early as possible, preferably right at the start of your writing career. I had no idea about things like online platforms via blogs/websites and social media and when I was offered contracts with my two publishers I had to hit the ground running with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc. I think I’m still playing catch up with this side of things!

2. Do you hear from your readers much?
I’m just starting to. I’ve only recently set up a mailing list and I tend to send out a newsletter to subscribers about once a month with news of special offers and new releases. To be honest, I’m amazed and delighted that people email me back and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed my books. I feel honored people not only take the time out of their busy days to read my novels but also to contact me and thank me for writing them.

3. Who is your favorite character in the book you are sharing with us today?
I would say that Lizzie Carter is my favorite character in the book. She has a lot going on in her life. Lizzie left behind her old life in the big city after a few very unfortunate incidents turned her world upside down. Her new life couldn’t be more different from her old one and she’s battling to get to grips with it. These days her home is a ramshackle smallholding in the middle of nowhere, she’s single again and struggling to make ends meet financially. Despite all of the challenges life has thrown at her, Lizzie is determined to get things back on track. I like the way she’s managed to keep her sense of humor and is still trying to help others even though she’s got so many issues in her own life.

4. What do you think makes a good story?
An intriguing plot which keeps you guessing and characters you can relate to and really care about.

5. What is an underrated book, series or author that you think everyone should read?
If I think about the definition of something being underrated in terms of the books /author not being famous then I’d say the American author Caroline Fardig and all of her romantic comedy mystery books – the Java Jive Mysteries and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries. I’ve read them all and absolutely love them. I’d definitely recommend them.

6. If you could be friends with a character in one of your stories who would it be and what kinds of things would you do together?
I think I’d probably choose Lizzie again from Murder On The Menu. I’ve always wanted to live on a smallholding so I’d love to meet up with Lizzie and help her feed the chickens, pick some home grown fruit and vegetables and then head out with her to deliver the fresh produce orders to the Cumbrian hotels, cafes and restaurants – all while savoring the stunning Lake District scenery! The Lakes is one of my favorite places in the UK. Afterwards, we could head back to the farm and have a go at baking some yummy cakes. Lizzie inherited her Aunt Molly’s old recipe book and is trying to teach herself to bake – with mixed results so far! Much like Lizzie, I enjoy baking but I’m not very good at it!

7. Who do your stories appeal to?
Anyone who enjoys a light mystery with plenty of romance and comedy mixed in.
8. Apart from writing and reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?
My husband Doug and I have four dogs (one of which has just had 9 puppies!) so that keeps us pretty busy. I love getting out into the countryside for long walks. I’m also a keen gardener and am currently revamping our rather small garden to try and incorporate a vegetable patch so I can grow some tomatoes, cucumbers and salad leaves. I also love reading and watching romantic movies.

9. How do you write your books?
I get an idea for a plot and then layer things up from there, making lots of notes by hand in a pretty notebook, rather than on the computer. Then I’ll create life stories for each main character, from education and family through to relationships, appearance, clothing, star signs, what kind of car they drive etc. After that, I’ll do a more detailed plot, working through the various bits that need to happen and the impact of each plot point. Once all of those things are in place, then I can finally start the writing itself!

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