Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am delighted to share my thoughts about
Battered and Buried by Lena Gregory today!
Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
by Lena Gregory
About Battered and Buried
Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Beyond the Page (March 19, 2024)
Paperback : 188 pages
ISBN-10 : 1960511580
ISBN-13 : 978-1960511584
Digital ASIN : B0CW18PPSQ
The best-laid plans may go awry, but the best-laid clues could frame a man for murder . . .
Never one to let a day off work go to waste, café owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence.
As even more incriminating evidence surfaces—including when the murder weapon itself is found hidden at the café—Gia knows she’s up against someone brutal enough to kill and devious enough to frame Cole for the deed. With the police ready to make an official arrest and wrap up what they consider an open-and-shut case, Gia turns for help to an old friend who’s not above breaking the law himself. Because if she can’t find the killer, Cole may go from serving up hot dishes to serving a life sentence . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We are back in Boggy Creek at Gia Morelli’s All-Day Breakfast Cafe after a short time away. She is delighted to have realized her dream of owning a successful cafe where people love to gather for “good food, a cozy atmosphere, and to stoke the Boggy Creek rumor mill”. Most of her customers are friendly and enjoy their time there but there is always someone that has to make a scene. Rusty Bragge was not happy with his food or the service and he seems to know her head cook, Cole. He finally leaves after making some threats but that wouldn’t be the last Gia saw of him.
On a well-deserved day off Gia and her friend Trevor head down the Ocklawaha River, drifting along in their kayaks. She has become accustomed to seeing the monkeys and the gators but she watches carefully for the deadly water moccasins. She gets a pleasant surprise when they notice Cole and Cybil on the shore. Then they notice Cole is standing over a dead body. The dead body of Rusty Bragge.
Clues on the body point to Cole and the altercation at the cafe doesn’t help. Gia knows Cole is no killer and even after the murder weapon is later found in the cafe, she is determined with a little help from her friends to prove his innocence. She plans to serve the real killer up on a silver platter for her fiance Captain Hunter Quinn and his partner Leo Dumont.
The core characters of this series are a tight-knit group of people and when one of their own is in trouble they quickly band together to help. Savannah and Gia always make me smile. They are there for each other no matter what. Their romantic relationships are strong. Hunt and Leo know Gia and Samantha are going to get involved in their cases and work hard to keep them safe. I love Alfie, his skills are amazing, and he is quick to do anything to help solve the case. All of Ms. Gregory’s characters are well-developed and continue to evolve as the series continues. She has created some wonderful pets for her characters too.
The author has written a fast-paced well-plotted mystery with several possible suspects and confounding clues. There was twist upon twist but I finally moved someone to the top of my own suspect list. That being said, I was surprised by how the showdown occurred and how fast the pages were turning. This is not the first time and I am sure it will not be the last that I found a book by Lena Gregory impossible to put down.
Battered and Buried is an excellent addition to this series. I am thrilled that this series has found a new home and that we will be able to continue to visit Boggy Creek and Gia and all her friends. I am very excited for their stories to continue.
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About Lena Gregory
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
Author Links
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Purchase Links –
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Also written by Lena Gregory
Great Escapes Praise for Battered and Buried
(An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
by Lena Gregory
I am GIDDY to be back at the All-Day Breakfast Cafe with Gia Savannah, Cole, Leo, Hunt, Alfie, Trevor, Cybil, Harley, Earl, Thor … and all the wonderful people that make up Gia’s inner circle. I have missed these characters and the cafe, and it was just such a delight to dive back in and feel right at home once more.
~Reading is my Superpower
I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy mystery. This author is one of my favorites and I cannot wait for her to write more.
~MJB Reviewers
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with yummy breakfast food, great characters, and a puzzling mystery, you’ll love Battered and Buried! I give it five big stars!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
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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.”