Sconed to Death
by Lynn Cahoon
It’s hard not to want to be Cat Latimer. Who wouldn’t enjoy living in a small Colorado college town far enough from Denver to avoid the big city traffic but close enough for occasional trips for shopping and dining? Oh, to completely own a large Victorian house where you can write in a third floor turret and host periodic writers’ retreats! What satisfaction in sharing your business with your best friend who manages the household and cooks gourmet foods for you on a daily basis. She also feeds breakfast to the retreat guests while keeping the retreat stocked with drinks and homemade goodies. The only thing better would be to reconnect with your handsome, very nice, high school heartthrob who can landscape, perform handyman jobs, and chauffeur guests to the airport. Cat has it all!
In this engaging mystery, Cat’s guests are a group of cozy mystery writers from Chicago. They thoroughly enjoy their week at the retreat with an additional day devoted to cooking lessons by resident chef Shauna who is also writing a cookbook. I think I gained ten pounds just reading about all the delicious cookies they consumed.
The murder of a famous Denver chef is the central focus of Lynn Cahoon’s Sconed to Death. What is he even doing in little Aspen Hills and who would want to kill him? Despite Uncle Pete’s warning to stay out of the investigation, Cat finds herself asking questions and using her online research skills to assess motives and alibis. Look out for a dramatic surprise ending to this page turner that’s sure to appeal to mystery lovers and especially cozy aficionados.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Cat Latimer Mystery Series, but works quite well as a standalone as Lynn Cahoon has a talent for bringing the reader up to date without boring.
2. Includes a recipe for Cranberry Scones.
Publication: May 28, 2019—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“So, cozy mysteries? What are those?” Seth had finished the paper and pushed it into the center of the table as he finished his breakfast. “Low on gore, low on sex, high on fun.”
The trees were just starting to drop leaves and the crunch of dried leaves under her feet made her think about all things autumn. Chilly nights with a bonfire. Hot chocolate in the evening by the fire. More time to read. All these memories made her happy.
She took a big bite of the pasta. This was one of her favorite dishes that Shauna made, and yet, today, it tasted like sawdust. She kept her head down and willed away the tears.
education pathways 
A good review different from the regular reviews. Like her very much.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Betty. I am a big fan of Lynn Cahoon as well.
LikeLike
I liked this book too.. Not as much as you… But it was good. Great review 😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Shalini. I’m glad you liked it if not to the same extent. That’s OK. I really could picture myself in a 3rd floor turret with few responsibilities. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sawdust! Ha… good review. I enjoyed this book too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Lynn Cahoon has a way with both plots and words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How have I never read a Lynn Cahoon cozy before? This series sounds adorable— and I love the self-awareness of having cozy authors characters. Fantastic review! Definitely looking into this series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cahoon has several good series. So you don’t go into this series with the wrong idea, let me share that the group of writers at this particular retreat was composed of cozy mystery writers, but this was actually the first group specializing in that genre. Cat has hosted other types of writers at her retreats giving more freedom to Lynn Cahoon in writing this series–and more interest for the reader.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s such a great concept for a cozy. Thank you for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I ended up reading excerpts from Cahoon’s Tourist Trap, Cat Latimer, and Farm-to-Fork series, and I couldn’t decide which one to start with. So I’m now the proud owner of the first book from each. Can’t wait to dive into these!
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a delightful dilemma—enjoy!
LikeLike
This one sounds like fun! I love that the recipe is included!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. Although I am not a reader who reads the end of a book first, I do sneak a peak at recipes if included.😋
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope this gets through to you. I didn’t know how else to try to reach you. For several weeks I have been unable to comment on your blog. I get a message that says your domain name has expired. I see the posts, however. WordPress says they have tried to reach you. Good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh! I actually emailed WP again this morning. I checked multiple times with WP to be sure that allowing my .org domain to expire and become a .wordpress site wouldn’t interrupt any of my posts, followers, etc. It’s been a disaster. I can’t even “preview” my own post drafts. WP often has some very annoying habits that are out of our control but now I completely understand the countless number of bloggers who regularly post about their frustrations. This started because WP hiked their price by nearly $30 for one year of the .org domain. It’s so frustrating. Thank you so much for letting me know.💗 This explains why my posts in the last couple weeks have tanked in the number of views. I hope WP responds with real suggestions vs. their auto-response they send me with the exact same information every time 😞. I fear this is their way of forcing bloggers to keep paying once they did in previous years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I figured it was something like that. I have not had a problem with WordPress, but I certainly see posts of frustration from time to time on other blogs. It seems that it works fine…until it doesn’t. Then it is really tough to get whatever the problem is fixed. It’s just the kind of thing that most of us do not want to dedicate that kind of time to. Once you are invested in a blog–posts and followers–it becomes very difficult to leave.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful review Linda. I love the quotes you chose for this one, they really pique interest. I have read all the books in this series and it is one of my favourites. Yes to live in a huge house and have a turret room, I would love that, although I would probably read in it rather than write.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person