The Big Chili

Undercover Dish Mystery Series, Book 1

Lilah Drake's Covered Dish business discreetly provides the residents of Pine Haven, Illinois, with delicious, fresh-cooked meals they can claim they cooked themselves. But when one of her clandestine concoctions is used to poison a local woman, Lilah finds herself in a pot-load of trouble....

After dreaming for years of owning her own catering company, Lilah has made a start into the food world through her Covered Dish business, covertly cooking for her neighbors who don't have the time or skill to do so themselves, and allowing them to claim her culinary creations as their own. While her clientele is strong, their continued happiness depends on no one finding out who's really behind the apron.

So when someone drops dead at a church Bingo night moments after eating chili that Lilah made for a client, the anonymous chef finds herself getting stirred into a cauldron of secrets, lies, and murder-and going toe to toe with a very determined and very attractive detective. To keep her clients coming back and her business under wraps, Lilah will have to chop down the list of suspects fast, because this spicy killer has acquired a taste for homicide....

©2015 Julia Buckley (P)2021 Tantor

Very enjoyable debut cozy.

Likable characters, set in Illinois where I’m at so very relatable totally enjoyed this book

It kept you guessing...

It was a good book. A bit racy at the end. But overall a food mystery and coming of age story.

Refreshing family love and support

I have read all the comments relating to why readers enjoyed this book, and how they connect with the mystery of solving the murders, but I was drawn in for another reason..
It was refreshing to find a author that wrote of the strength of a loving family, living in this era of divorces, drugs etc. has shown that we still do have caring, responsible families that help each other and contribute to friends and communities.
Most of the stories I have available start out with a divorced person that has all kinds of problems, children to support etc. looking for the next relationship. Boring but real in this modern day.
All in all, the author wrote a very interesting and well written story and I really liked the narrator. Buy this book and see if you can figure out who the villain is.
I am on to the next adventure.

Keeps moving so keeps me listening

This author has been refreshing to listen to. First series was a total class act.
This one treaded on thin ice a couple of times in terms of pandering sex and politics but was still good and left me wanting to listen to the second book.

Narrator

The narrator was good but I don’t think she’s the right voice for the character. It was hard to get past.