Assault and Pepper by Tamara Myers
Pensylvania Dutch Mystery Series: Book # 13
A tasty mystery-with a side of killer chili.
(Includes six chili recipes)
Magdalena Yoder and her Mennonite congregation gather for the annual chili cook-off, only to have beloved Reverend Schrock fall face-first into his bowl. For his widow's sake, Magdalena begins to look into the victim's death, soon discovering that Schrock wasn't all that well liked by his flock.
Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series: Book # 1
(Includes recipes)
Catering a wake is not Goldy’s idea of fun. Yet the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast including Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. And her culinary efforts seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered...until her ex-father-in-law gynecologist Fritz Korman is struck down and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu.
Now, with the Department of Health impounding her leftovers, her ex-husband proclaiming her guilt, and her business about to be shut down, Goldy knows she can’t wait for the police to serve up the answers. She’ll soon uncover more than one family skeleton and a veritable stew of unpalatable secrets–the kind that could make Goldy the main course in an unsavory killer’s next murder!
Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series: Book #2
(Includes recipes)
The Caterer--Meet Goldy Bear: a bright, opinionated, wildly inventive caterer whose personal life has become a recipe for disaster. She's got an abusive ex-husband who's into making tasteless threats, a rash of mounting bills that are taking a huge bite out of her budget, and two enticing men knocking on her door.
The Dish--Now determined to take control of her life, Goldy moves her business and her son to ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club, where she accepts a job as a live-in cook. But just as she's beginning to think she's got it made--catering decadent dinners and posh society picnics and enjoying the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink, and Tom Shulz, her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop--the dishy doctor inexplicably drives his BMW into an oncoming bus.
The Unsavory Killer--Convinced that Philip's bizarre death was no accident, Goldy decides to do a little investigating of her own. But sifting through the unpalatable secrets of the dead doc's life will toss her into a case seasoned with unexpected danger and even more unexpected revelations--the kind that could get a caterer and the son she loves. . .killed.
All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .
Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life---children, careers, bills, chores---even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own---for everything that matters to his family.
At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.
Claire Barclay has returned to the home in Scotland where she spent her teenage years, affording her the chance to spend time with her much-loved stepfather, Leo, her only living parent. But recognizing that Leo’s health is jeopardized, Claire extends her stay, becoming more and more frustrated as his own grown children seem more concerned about preserving their financial assets than their father's health.
Meanwhile, Claire is desperately trying to avoid Jonas, the old flame who broke her heart many years ago. In the intervening years, he has become Leo’s neighbor and trusted confidant. Soon he's asking Claire to trust him again, on a matter which will profoundly affect Leo. Can she forget the past and put her faith in someone who once hurt her so deeply?
