Review & Giveaway: If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance by Paige Shelton

Paperback 304 pages
Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780425251614)
edition language: English
series: Gram’s Country Cooking School Mystery #2

From the publisher:

At Gram’s Country Cooking School in Broken Rope, Missouri, Isabelle “Betts” Winston and her grandmother share the secrets of delicious home-style recipes. But there’s one secret they keep from their classes—their ability to talk to ghosts from the town’s colorful past… Betts and Gram agree to help their friend Jake at Broken Rope’s Historical Society by accommodating some foodie tourists for the night and occupying them with cooking lessons. It couldn’t be worse timing when the pair encounter the ax-wielding ghost of Sally Swarthmore, one of Broken Rope’s legendary murderers, who pleads with Betts to help find her diary--a diary that could prove that Sally was really a victim, not a villain. But they soon have a modern-day murder on their hands when one of the tourists turns up dead with a noose around his neck and two other tourists are nowhere to be found. Now Betts needs to put the cooking classes on the back burner to untangle two knotty mysteries and rope in a cold-blooded killer.

My thoughts: Another fun installment of Gram's cooking school from Paige Shelton. I read the first in the series and really liked it. Actually, it kind of surprised me because I didn't used to like ghosts in cozies but Paige's first book in this series, If Fried Chicken Could Fly, changed my mind. The ghost, Sally, in If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance is a real character. I liked her story and the fact that she wanted to know the truth of  the accusations made against her. Sally's story is loosely based on the legend of Lizzie Borden.

Another aspect of the story that appealed to me was the Missouri "old western town" setting complete with fake sheriff, shoot-out reenactments and historical museums. The addition of a "haunted house" soon to be demolished was a nice addition to the story. This is a well rounded cozy with present day mysteries , a romance thread along with a mystery from many years before. Several potato dish recipes are included at the end. I liked it! 3.5***

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Through the generosity of Berkley, I have one copy for giveaway, open to US only and the deadline to enter is October 17 th at 5 PM (est). If no e mail address is included in comment, I will assume you DO NOT want to be entered in the giveaway.

Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Valid only if posted at least 2 days before deadline. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!