Death Over Easy

Death Over Easy by Maddie Day is the fifth novel in A Country Store Mystery series. Robbie Jordan owns Pans 'N Pancakes in South Lick, Indiana. Robbie currently has her father and his wife visiting from Italy and they are staying in her newly refinished B&B rooms over her restaurant. It is June and time for the Brown County Bluegrass Festival that is being held in nearby Beanblossom. It will mean extra business for her restaurant plus some of the musicians are staying in her B&B. Robbie enjoys an evening at the festival despite Pia Bianchi causing some disharmony. The next morning Lt. Buck Bird stops by for breakfast and mentions that Pia was found dead at the Beanblossom covered bridge that morning. She was strangled with banjo strings (ouch). When Sue Berry ends up at the top of the suspect list, Robbie swings into action. Pia managed to antagonize a notable number of people giving Robbie a suspect list longer than an operetta. Robbie will need to compose the clues into a harmonious tune to pick out the cut-throat killer.

Death Over Easy is nicely written and has a steady pace which makes for a satisfying reading experience. I like the characters in the story. Robbie is a smart, strong woman who has started a new business as well as doing construction on the upstairs rooms to expand her business. It is sweet that Robbie is finally getting to know her father, Roberto Fracasso. I wish his wife, Maria spoke better English, so we could get to know her as well. The town of South Lick is quaint small town with friendly residents. The author has created a cozy environment. It is like visiting old friends when I pick up a new A Country Store Mystery. It is neat how each book features a different theme or event and I enjoy the various vintage kitchen tools mentioned. There are many pleasing cozy moments throughout the story as Robbie cooks, attends the festival, spends time with her kitten, and interacts with her friends, co-workers, boyfriend and family. The mystery was straightforward with some misdirection, a handful of suspects, a search through the woods, and a twist at the end. I like that the local police work with Robbie and are not portrayed as dullards. While Death Over Easy can be read alone, you would be missing some of the background on Robbie Jordan. I recommend reading A Country Store Mystery series in order. There are recipes at the end for a couple of the dishes featured in the story. Death Over Easy is a charming cozy mystery that will have you eager for the next A Country Store Mystery.