A dash of death

Michelle Hillen Klump

eBook - 2022

A Houston reporter-turned-mixologist mixes it up with murder in this series debut from Michelle Hillen Klump, superbly catering to fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Lee Hollis. Bad news for Samantha Warren: The plucky Houston, Texas, reporter lost her job and her fiancé in rapid succession. But Sam has a way of making lemonade out of the bitterest of lemons. At a meeting of the local historical-homes council, she serves up the homemade bitters that she made as gifts for her wedding party. She intends to use that as her "in" to become an in-demand party mixologist. But the party's over for one of the council members, who keels over dead soon after he sips the bereft bride's bitter brew. It turns out that the victim, Mark..., was poisoned-his drink spiked with oleander. Since Sam mixed the drink that Mark imbibed right before his demise, she finds herself at the front of the suspect line. Now, she'll have to use all of her reporter's wisdom and wiles to clear her name. Who could have wanted Mark dead? His wife, Gabby? His girlfriend, Darcy? Someone who wanted his seat on the council? Or another citizen of this sweet Texas town that holds some seedy secrets? Job hunting, building her mixology business, and fending off late-night phone calls from her nearly betrothed don't leave much time for sleuthing. But if Sam can't "pour" over the clues to find the killer, it may soon be last call for her.

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Subjects
Published
[United States] : Crooked Lane Books 2022.
Language
English
Corporate Author
hoopla digital
Main Author
Michelle Hillen Klump (author)
Corporate Author
hoopla digital (-)
Online Access
Instantly available on hoopla.
Cover image
Physical Description
1 online resource
Format
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
ISBN
9781643859385
Access
AVAILABLE FOR USE ONLY BY IOWA CITY AND RESIDENTS OF THE CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS OF JOHNSON COUNTY, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, HILLS, AND LONE TREE (IA).
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A purveyor of artisanal bitters gets tangled up in murder. As cozy heroines continue to get kicked to the curb by callous significant others, their alternative careers get more and more niche. Samantha Warren, seeing her wedding canceled by her fiance's cold feet, finds herself in possession of 300 tiny bottles of homemade bitters originally destined for her guests' swag bags. With the help of her friends Marisa Lopez and Beth Myerson, Sam wangles an invitation from Bob Randall, of the Houston Historic Commission, to be one of the guest servers at the Highlands Historic Home Tour. Hoping that this gig will help her dispose of her unwanted stash and build goodwill for her hobby/new profession--not as a chef, not even as a vintner, but as a bitters maker--Sam is completely unprepared when Mark Brantwell, one of her samplers, dies inauspiciously after one drink. To add insult to injury, Brantwell's estranged wife, Gabby, files for damages not only against the Historic Commission, but against Sam individually. David Dwyer, a lawyer recommended by her ex-fiance, assures her that the suit will be dismissed quickly, but when it isn't, Sam decides that she'd better crack the case herself. Klump whips up all the standard ingredients--plucky heroine, nasty ex, supportive pals, intriguing new guy, dangerous killer--into a brew not nearly as novel as one of Sam's herb-infused concoctions. New product, same story. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.