Publication Date: 11/05/2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 042525237X
ISBN-13: 978-0425252376
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Victoria Hamilton on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads
Books in the series:
A Deadly Grind (2012), Bowled Over (2013), Freezer I'll Shoot (2013)
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Freezer I'll Shoot, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.
Synopsis:
ICE COLD
Trying to escape her overbearing mother, vintage kitchenware enthusiast and soon-to-be columnist Jaymie Leighton retreats to her family’s cottage on Heartbreak Island. While there she hopes to write an article about the Ice House restaurant, owned by good friends and neighbors, siblings Ruby and Garnet Redmond. Once an actual icehouse, the restaurant is charmingly decorated with antique tools of the trade, including a collection of ice picks.
One night, while working on her article, Jaymie overhears an argument and, ever the sleuth, sets out to explore. But when she stumbles upon a dead body her blood runs cold. It’s Urban Dobrinskie, whose feud with the Redmonds is no secret, and he’s got an ice pick through his heart. Now Jaymie’s got to sharpen her sleuthing skills to chip away at the mystery and prove her neighbors’ innocence—before someone else gets picked off…
Thoughts:
The third book in the Vintage Kitchen series by Victoria Hamilton is Freezer I'll Shoot. Fans of the series love the vintage cooking utensils and recipes that Hamilton includes in the series, as well as, the first rate mysteries. Hamilton has a way with words that is descriptive, yet simple. Her mysteries aren't easy to figure out and she doesn't give it all away too quickly. Freezer I'll Shoot lands Jaymie Leighton, the main character in the middle of another murder case and readers will be frantic to help her figure out who put an ice pick through the heart of one of the townspeople.
There is so much to like about this series. The theme behind the series, of vintage cooking and recipes is a favorite of mine. I like the old style cooking techniques and bakeware that Hamilton describes, just about as much as the mysteries she creates. She imparts a lot of knowledge to the reader in each book about how things were done in the old days and makes them wish they were there. I know that I wish I could cook like my grandmother did and this series reminds me of that and will probably make a lot of readers nostalgic.
The mystery in this one was of particular interest to me. The name of a local restaurant is The Ice House because it was once the location of the town ice house and still has all the ice picks and utensils. Finding a murder victim with an ice pick in his chest logically leads the police to the Redmonds, owners of the restaurant and neighbors of Jaymie's. I liked all of the information on why ice houses existed and what they were used for. It was easy to see that Hamilton did her research on this and it was informative, as well as, entertaining.
Urban Dorbrinski is the victim in this installment of the series and he has a lot of enemies, due to a very overactive temper. His wife and child have dealt with his rage for years and his recent altercation with Garnet Redmond leads several people to believe Garnet committed the murder. Especially since the body was found in between Jaymie's house and the Redmond home. But there's a whole lot more going on here than is first apparent. I liked the fact that I thought I had it all figured out and it turns out I was pretty far off base with this one. I love it when that happens. It's always such a surprise to figure out I was wrong.
Jaymie is a great character that really holds it all together in this book. She is inquisitive and full of surprises. She loves cooking about as much as she loves sleuthing. I think Hamilton does a great job with her. She has some issues in her personal life to be sure and that adds a human element to the story. Her mother and the mother of her boyfriend are at odds. Her relationship with Daniel isn't exactly perfect and the local law enforcement agency has quite a detective in Zach. But where does Jaymie's heart really life... not sure yet, but I'm interested enough to keep reading this series to find out!
Freezer I'll Shoot is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
She now happily writes about vintage kitchen collecting, muffin baking and dead bodies for Berkley Prime Crime in the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries and Merry Muffin Mystery series. Besides writing about murder and mayhem, and blogging at Killer Characters, Victoria collects vintage kitchen wares and old cookbooks, as well as teapots and teacups. Visit Victoria at: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com to read an excerpt and for online availability of her books!
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Freezer I'll Shoot by Victoria Hamilton.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 3rd.
1. Please leave a comment describing a vintage kitchen tool you may have or have heard of.
2. Please fill out the FORM.
27 comments:
An old butter churner.
Thanks for the chance to win!
The first one that comes to my mind is an apple peeler. Thank you for the giveaway
My grandmother actually had and used an old meat grinder, she would grind her own sausage with it, and it was good !
I have an old potato peeler that my grandmother used to use. I used it to peel potatos for Thanksgiving dinner when I was a little girl and we all went to Grandma's house. When she passed I asked my uncle for it.
My mom had a meat grinder that you attach to the edge of the table.
I have a beautiful set of mixing bowls that belonged to my grandmother.
I have an old metal meat tenderizer....looks scary!
I have a egg beater that used belong to my grandmother. I saw the one described as an antique on Ebay!
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Butter churn. Would love to sell it. Glass jar with wooden paddles. Nice, but I have too much stuff on display!
I had a hand-turned egg beater back in the 60s. Thank goodness for electric hand mixers!
I have an old egg beater.
We actually have several that have already been listed: apple peeler, meat grinder, potato peeler. We've also got an old metal potato slicer that we use all the time. Thanks for the chance to win.
The only things that I can think of, we have an old butter churn, old milk can and an old metal meat tenderizer.
Thank you for the chance to win this giveaway.
Barbara Thompson
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
Also, I am an email subscriber!!
Barbara Thompson
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
I did have a vintage cookie maker. I still use a collander.
What do you consider vintage? There are comments about old egg beaters from the 60s. I don't think that's old at all. Most of my kitchen stuff I bought in the 60s. So if that's vintage, my whole kitchen is. I do have an antique icebox from the early 1900s. But that's not a kitchen tool.
I don't know if it's vintage, but a sieve, I think most of the 'younger' generation, including my daughters, lol, don't even know what it is.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I recently used my grandmother's Guarian Service Ware to make caramel
I have an antique potato masher, as well as an old flour sifter, and an antique juicer.
I have an old biscuit cutter that belonged to my grandmother, that was handed down from her mother.
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
I have an old, ceramic orange juice squeezer. It's the kind you have to use by hand!
My mom had a old meat grinder. I'm sure I used it a few times.
I have an apple mill which is old and special. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
Have a metal meat tenderizer, potato masher from the 50s, and grandmother's aluminum cheese slicer from 40/50s.
I still have a set of ceramic measuring cups I bought with green stamps in the early 1970! GREEN STAMPS—yep, that's vintage!
skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net
don't have any
I don't have any, but I'd love to have an old hand mixer.
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