Charred by G.P. Gottlieb: Review

Teddyrose@1

2 years ago

Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery by G.P. Gottlieb

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (February 21, 2023)
Category: Cozy Mystery, Culinary Mystery
Tour Dates: February 1-28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065672
Available in Print and ebook,320 pages

Description Charred by G.P. Gottlieb

Alene Baron is dealing with frustrated employees, closed schools, and a homeless man who harasses customers outside the door of her café.

Then, two dead bodies turn up in the burned remains of buildings owned by the husband of Alene’s best friend and pastry chef, Ruthie. Both bodies are wearing jackets that once belonged to Ruthie and crumbled in the pockets are the café’s distinctive wrappers. At the same time, Alene’s uncle, a convicted felon, has resurfaced after disappearing for 22 years. It’s all too much for the owner of the Whipped and Sipped Café.

Review Charred by G.P. Gottlieb

Guest Review by Mark

‘Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery,’ by G.P. Gottlieb is a thrill ride from page one all the way to the amazing recipes that are shared at the end!

I loved the mystery in this book, and watching how it all played out really gave me a satisfying reading experience. I loved the cast of characters in this one. From Alene, the funny, kind, feisty heroine, to Kofi, the tall, kind friend whose girlfriend Kacey wants nothing more than to protect him.

My favorite character was probably Alene’s father, Cal, who lives with her and takes care of her children while they are off school due to the pandemic. Cal’s main concern throughout the novel is the reappearance of his brother, Finn who went missing after robbing a bank years earlier.

Although Finn served his time in prison, he disappeared shortly after his release, leaving his wife and their son to pick up the pieces without him. Now he has suddenly begun texting Cal and neither Alene, nor her father know what to think of this development. Additionally, there is the matter of the dead body that Kofi finds in a burned building.

Alene’s boyfriend, Frank is a cop, and he begins investigating the case without knowing that Kofi is involved, which adds another layer to the stress that Alene is facing. And when another body is soon found, things begin to ramp up for the Whipped and Sipped crew, and for Alene, specifically.

I loved the tension in the plot of this book, I found it just perfect for a cozy mystery. Gottlieb has a knack for pacing, that became obvious very early on in reading ‘Charred.’ All in all, I’d say that this novel is, much like one of the culinary delights at the Whipped and Sipped Cafe, a truly delicious treat that begs to be savored. I give it 5 delicious stars.

Side note, as a guest reviewer of Teddy’s and knowing that she has been a vegan for over 30 years, I must point our that not only is the fictitious Whipped and Sipped Café, in the book, vegan but the recipes in the back of the book are vegan as well.

About G. P. Gottlieb

G.P. Gottlieb has been a musician, a teacher, and an administrator, but she’s happiest when she’s writing recipe-laced murder mysteries. GP Gottlieb has always experimented in the kitchen and created her own delicious vegan cookies and cakes. She is also an interviewer for the New Books in Literature podcast channel.

Gottlieb is the mother of three grown children and lives with her husband in Chicago.

Website: https://gpgottlieb.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gottliebgp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorgottlieb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whippedsipped/