Review and Giveaway: A Deadly Grind

A Deadly Grind (A Vintage Kitchen Mystery - Book 1) by Victoria Hamilton

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Publisher: Penguin USA

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: Paperback, 304pp.

ISBN-13: 978-0425248010

ISBN: 0425248011

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Victoria Hamilton  on the WEB: Webpage, Blog, Facebook

Excerpt from A Deadly Grind

Synopsis:

 A Hoosier to die for?

When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister, Rebecca, that the 19th-century yellow-brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s “junk”, she successfully outbids the other buyers and triumphantly takes home her Hoosier.

 

But that night on the summer porch where they’ve left the Hoosier to be cleaned up, a man is murdered, struck on the head with  the steel meat grinder that is part of the cabinet. Who is this stranger—and what was he doing on their porch? Does his death have anything to do with the Hoosier?

As the police struggle to determine the man’s identity, Jaymie can’t help doing a little digging on her own, accompanied by her three-legged Yorkie Poo, Hoppy. But in her bid to uncover the truth about the hidden secrets of the Hoosier, Jaymie may be the one who ends up going, going…gone! 

Thoughts:

Romance author Donna Lee Simpson tries her hand at cozy mysteries under the pen name Victoria Hamilton. A Deadly Grind is the first book in the new Vintage Kitchen mystery series and proves to be a very well written and entertaining book. With everything from vintage kitchen cabinetry to recipes, this book has a lot to offer the cozy fan and anyone who loves a good mystery!

When I was growing up my grandmother was always a huge collector. She had collections of many different things including vintage dishware. She also had a old style gas range and a wringer washer that I wish we had, had the forethought to keep. Victoria Hamilton's new book, A Deadly Grind, reminds me of a more nostalgic time when things were simple and our lives were less cluttered. Her writing is reminiscent of those days when my grandmother would show me different pieces in her kitchen collections. This book has a very authentic feel that readers are sure to pick up on. 

Hamilton provides readers with a great incentive in this book. The Hoosier cabinet provides a focal point for the plot and gets readers into the flow of the story. The main character Jaymie gets into a bidding war over the cabinet and finds one of the opposition who didn't win dead on her back porch in the morning. What could be so important about that cabinet? The motive obviously must have something to do with what may be inside the cabinet and Jaymie is on the case. 

I liked the way Hamilton introduces readers to story and the characters through the auction and then begins to build on that. She paints Jaymie as a collector at heart. With her "junk" practically taking over the house she shares with her sister, Rebecca. Jaymie collects cookware, cookbooks, and other cooking related things. She comes across as someone who has a great love for cooking and that makes a big difference in how this book is written. I loved the recipes provided at the end of the book. They enhance the story and give the reader a little extra bonus at the end. 

With plenty of suspects and an obvious motive, it doesn't take long for Jaymie to end up in hot water. With the help of her friends and her trusty sidekick, Hopalong. I loved the secondary characters who add a lot of comic relief to the story and move the plot forward. Hopalong was a hoot! Who would have thought of a three legged dog as a character of sorts. A nice touch!

This is book that will appeal to the collector in all of us. I think it's a good first effort and I'm looking forward to where Hamilton takes this series. The Michigan setting was well detailed and felt real. The townspeople and Jaymie's friends are the kind of characters that draw a reader back to a series. No grace was needed with this one, as Hamilton is a seasoned writer and knows the ins and outs of getting a series started without making the plot of the first book suffer. A great new series for cozy fans!

 A Deadly Grind is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Victoria Hamilton is a pseudonym for national bestselling author Donna Lee Simpson, who is also a collector of vintage cookware and recipes.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway of one copy of A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton.

~You must be a GFC follow or an E-mail subscriber to participate.

~U.S. addresses only.

~Deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST May 21st.

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