An Entertaining Cozy
Dollycas's Thoughts
Robbie Jordan is excited to return to Santa Barbara for her 10th-year class reunion. She is looking forward to catching up with her old friends but it also brings back memories of her mom who passed away 2 years ago. Shortly after she arrives she hears a rumor that her mother, an environmental activist, may not have died of natural causes. A fellow activist then dies of a brain aneurysm, just like her mom. Robbie just has to find the truth so she enlists the help of a couple of high school friends and her mother's best friend to get the answers she needs. This is not her first investigation but it may be her last.
After six books Maddie Day takes her protagonist on a trip. This can be good and bad. Readers are accustomed to the core characters and the lifestyle of South Lick, Indiana so the new characters we are introduced to have to get us to warm up to them quickly because unless they visit Pans 'N Pancakes in a future book this may be the last we see of them. I will say Ms. Day did a fine job of fleshing out these new characters. I really enjoyed the senior characters, Luisa, the mother of the owner of the B&B where Robbie is staying, and Liz, her mother's best friend.
The main mystery plot was interesting. I mean if someone told you that your mom may have been murdered, wouldn't you want to investigate? Robbie took some really questionable risks that had me shaking my head though. I had two suspects high on my list so the reveal wasn't too surprising, I just needed a few more details. The subplots all flowed naturally alongside of the mystery.
Like the rest of this series, a main focus is the food. This time instead of the usual breakfast fare we are treated to several Mexican dishes served, and yes, recipes are included at the end of the story. From Mexican Chocolate Almond Cakes to Flaky Chicken Empanadas and Nachos, of course. There was an Avocado Huevos Rancheros served at the Nacho Average Cafe that may soon be served at Robbie's Pans 'N Pancakes.
New characters and an intriguing mystery made Nacho Average Murder a very entertaining read. I do hope some of the characters we met visit Robbie in Indiana.
