Cookbook Nook Mysteries

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Poaching is Puzzling

Book 12 now available!

In the cutthroat world of crossword solvers, Jenna Hart will have to decipher some puzzling clues to catch a killer…

The annual crossword puzzle contest has drawn contestants from near and far to Crystal Cove, and Jenna watches in amazement as puzzle-themed books fly off the shelves at the Cookbook Nook. Her aunt Vera is putting up a sizable cash prize, and no one is more surprised than Jenna to discover there’s bad blood between Vera and the prominent puzzle constructor who’s acting as master of ceremonies. And when the puzzle guru has his throat slit while he’s out hiking, the police instantly peg Aunt Vera as the culprit.

Jenna can’t stand by and watch her aunt take the fall. It’s been clear since the victim arrived that he had contentious relationships with a number of the contestants—even going so far as to steal puzzles from some of them and claim them as his own—and Jenna’s certain one of them is the killer. Trading puzzle solving for crime solving, she sorts through the convoluted clues and cryptic suspects, hoping to nab the guilty party before they decide she’s a problem they’ll solve with another murder . . .

Includes mouthwatering recipes!

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Simmering with Resentment

Book 11

The Agatha Award–winning author of Wining and Dying returns to the Cookbook Nook, where a killer’s explosive vengeance may lead to Jenna Hart’s happily never after…

With Bride’s Dream Expo in town, it’s all things wedding in Crystal Cove, including at the Cookbook Nook, where owner Jenna Hart is preparing for her own wedding in just a few short weeks. But there’s a dark cloud hanging over the festive mood by the name of Sarita Strachline, a woman Jenna helped convict of arson who is now out of jail and bent on revenge. And when Jenna and Rhett’s intimate prenuptial dinner is rocked by an explosion that nearly takes Rhett’s life, Jenna can’t help but think Sarita is to blame.

Desperate to prove Sarita’s guilt but consumed by worries over Rhett’s condition, Jenna reluctantly lays her case out for the police and leaves the investigation in their methodical hands. Still, she can’t help piecing together the clues, and as the evidence begins to mount, Jenna realizes that revenge may be a dish best served cold, but she can cook up a scheme of her own to bring the culprit to justice—she just has to hope it doesn’t blow up in her face…

Includes mouthwatering recipes!

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Wining and Dying

Book 10

The Agatha Award–winning author of Shredding the Evidence returns to the Cookbook Nook, where it will take a stroke of genius for Jenna Hart to solve the murder of a local artist…

Crystal Cove is buzzing with the launch of its fifth annual Art and Wine Festival, when local wineries are paired with local artists to show off their latest creations. Jenna’s thrilled to be showing one of her own amateur paintings at the fair, but her excitement quickly fades when an up-and-coming artist is murdered. What’s more, all the evidence points to a good friend of Jenna’s as the culprit, and she’ll have to use all her wits to prove his innocence before he paints himself into a corner.

Certain that her friend is being framed, Jenna tries to blend in as she starts digging into an array of colorful suspects, including a tech guru with a penchant for stalking women, the mayor’s wayward son, and an older art instructor who might have been closer to the victim than anyone would have guessed. Jenna will have to wine and dine her way through all the clues before she can see the full picture and put the real killer behind bars—all the while avoiding her own brush with death…

Includes tasty recipes!

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Shredding the Evidence

Book 9

The Agatha Award–winning author of Sifting Through Clues returns to the Cookbook Nook, where a combative food reporter gets her just desserts…

The denizens of Crystal Cove are salivating over the upcoming Food Bowl Week, when local chefs offer some of their best and most imaginative creations in bite-size portions all over town. Bookstore proprietor Jenna Hart is hungry to sample as many of the delicacies as she can, but when she stumbles onto the dead body of a local food reporter and learns that her best friend’s husband is the primary suspect, she’ll have to summon the appetite for a side dish of sleuthing to prove his innocence.

Jenna knows the ambitious and aggressive reporter, who was strangled at a fitness center with her shredded restaurant reviews scattered around her, left behind a long list of potential suspects. As she begins piecing together the scant clues, she uncovers illicit ties between the victim and a local newspaper owner, a spurned would-be lover, and a host of disgruntled restaurant owners not a bit torn up by the critical reporter’s demise. And with a solution so close she can almost taste it, Jenna turns up the heat on the culprit, realizing too late that she’s the next course on the murderer’s menu…

Includes tasty recipes!

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Sifting Through Clues

Book 8

The Agatha Award–winning author of Wreath Between the Lines returns to the Cookbook Nook, where culinary mysteries are giving everyone food for thought…

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked.

Includes tasty recipes!

Every time I read a book in this endearing series, it just warms the cockles of my heart.
—Dru’s Book Musings
I urge you to plan accordingly because had I been able to keep my eyes open, I would have finished the book in one sitting . . .
—Escape with Dollycas
Warning: reading this book while hungry may be hazardous to your health.
—Reading is my Superpower
Sifting Through Clues is a character-driven mystery that highlights books and food with a dash of murder in a cozy Californian community.
—Cozy up with Kathy
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Wreath Between the Lines

Book 7

The Agatha Award–winning author of Pressing the Issue returns to the Cookbook Nook, where Jenna Hart is busy decking the halls and ducking a killer…

The holidays are Jenna Hart’s favorite time of year, but just as she’s decorating the Cookbook Nook for all the festive events, her imperious older sister makes a surprise visit, anxious that her husband’s been more naughty than nice. To make matters worse, her father’s good friend Jake shows up on her doorstep with a frantic report that his friend has been murdered—trussed with Christmas lights and impaled with a tree star.

Worried that Jake was the intended victim, Jenna makes a list of suspects and checks it twice. Swapping her Santa’s hat for a sleuthing cap, she gets busy investigating Jake’s long-lost sister, his Grinch of a neighbor, and a stamp collector who covets Jake’s most treasured piece. When Jake himself is poisoned and nearly dies, Jenna knows she’ll have to do whatever it takes to corner the culprit before it’s lights out for Jake…

Grab some hot chocolate, sing a few Christmas carols, and celebrate with this thoroughly fun and sentimental mystery.
Kings River Life
A wonderful holiday read! Make yourself comfortable with a cup of hot chocolate or cider, sit back, put on your sleuthing cap, and enjoy this fun holiday trip to Crystal Cove.
—Escape with Dollycas
If you are looking for Christmas spirit mixed with some murder and mayhem, look no further than Wreath Between the Lines. Grab a mug of peppermint hot chocolate, curl up next to your Christmas tree, and savor . . .
—Carstairs Considers
There were so many plot twists, each one was like opening another gift. And trust me, that made for a lot of unwrapping. But the author unraveled the tangled ribbon of clues and deceptions and delivered a reveal that I never would have guessed!
—Lisa K’s Book Thoughts
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Pressing the Issue

Book 6

In Crystal Cove the annual Renaissance Fair serves up a helping of crafty courtiers, damsels in distress, and medieval murder…

As the annual Renaissance Fair comes to Crystal Cove, Jenna Hart’s Cookbook Nook is packed with tasty treats and all things medieval, while her pal Bailey is ready to swoon over her upcoming nuptials at a local vineyard. But when the two friends discover the body of the vineyard’s owner bludgeoned by a wine press, all their merriment fades, along with their hopes for a vintage year.

Which churlish varlet did the deed? Was it the victim’s errant brother, who stood to inherit the vineyards? Or the owner’s crestfallen ex-girlfriend? Mayhap it was the newly arrived lusty wench, or her jealous husband. Fie on them all! Verily, Jenna can’t rest until justice is served, and she vows to track down the killer. But can she sniff out the truth before the villainous culprit strikes again?

An enjoyable read and I enjoyed the secondary arcs where romance was in the air with several beloved characters. I hope there are more books forthcoming in this delightfully charming series.
—Dru’s Book Musings
A fabulously well plotted mystery, I was so engrossed in the story, following along with, Jenna trying to figure the who and the why, that I lost all track of time and didn’t look up until I had finished the last page.
—Lisa Ks Book Thoughts
Ms. Gerber always seems to know how to mix the right ingredients that will create a well-written and entertaining mystery and Pressing The Issue is a shining example of this.
—Moonlight Rendezvous
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Grilling the Subject

Book 5

Where there’s smoke…

As the Wild West Extravaganza rides into Crystal Cove, California, Cookbook Nook store owner Jenna Hart is ready to indulge her appetite for grilled and barbecued treats and maybe even try the Texas skip. But when the body of one of her father’s neighbors is found the next morning smoldering in a bonfire, the rodeo revelry is extinguished.

Sylvia Gump had acquired plenty of enemies with her practice of illegally encroaching on her neighbors’ properties—including Jenna’s dad, who was off fishing by himself and has no alibi for the murder. Now it’s up to Cary Hart’s dutiful daughter to clear his name before the real killer turns up the heat and rakes someone else over the coals…

A mouthwatering mystery.
—Bestselling Author Jenn McKinlay
A juicy plot and a tasty twist.
—Bestselling Author Kate Carlisle
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Fudging the Books

Book 4

Pirate Week is sweeping through Crystal Cove and keeping Jenna Hart and her bookstore, the Cookbook Nook, plenty busy. But she’s not too swamped to also host the local Chocolate Cookbook Club’s meeting—especially because the guest of honor is her friend, candy maker and cookbook author Coco Chastain.

Jenna whips up a delicious event amidst the rowdy festivities, but the mood is soon broken by robberies, simmering tempers, and a dead body—Coco’s editor, Alison. The suspects turn out to be more plentiful than a pot full of gold doubloons, so to prove Coco isn’t responsible for the dastardly deed, Jenna will have to stir up some clues and figure out who’s the real sticky-fingered killer…

Gerber’s at the top of her game with Fudging the Books.
—Lesa Holstine
With perfect settings like Crystal Cove, and the Cookbook Nook and its café, it was wonderful to become lost between the covers of this delightful mystery.
—Lisa’s Book Thoughts
Combining chocolate and pirates—what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing. I had a blast with this book from start to finish.
—Mark B, Carstairs Considers
You will find yourself reading long into the night to see what happens next.
—Griperang’s Bookmarks Blogspot
I love Daryl’s books. She is always amazing me with her recipes and characters. She doesn’t disappoint with book 4 in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series.
—Bab’s Book Bistro
I have to say first of all that I love The Cookbook Nook Series. It is among my favorites. Also author Daryl Wood Gerber is one of the finest cozy writers around, regardless of genre, she rocks!
—Open Book Society
When I pick up a book by Daryl/Avery I know I am in for a fantastic treat and should plan accordingly. She delivers her best story yet in Fudging the Books.
—Escape With Dollycas
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Stirring the Plot

Book 3

Halloween in Crystal Cove, California, is a big deal, involving a spooky soiree where the Winsome Witches, a fund-raising group, gather to open up their purse strings and trade superstitions. But party magicians, fortune-tellers, and herbalists are only the beginning of this recipe for disaster…

Jenna Hart has packed The Cookbook Nook chock-full of everything from ghostly texts to witchy potions in anticipation of the annual fund-raiser luncheon. But there’s one unexpected addition to the menu: murder. When the Head Priestess of the Winsome Witches is found dead under mysterious circumstances, there’s no logical answer and plenty of blame to go around. With her aunt, Vera, unable to call on her ability to foresee the future, Jenna will have to use more than just sleight of hand and a few magic tricks to conjure up the truth…

You really can’t go wrong with a cozy by this author whether she is writing as Daryl Wood Gerber or Avery Aames. All her stories are completely captivating and very entertaining.
—Escape With Dollycas
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Inherit the Word

Book 2

When tempers get too hot to handle, someone’s bound to get grilled.

Jenna Hart moved back to Crystal Cove, California, with the intention to relax and help her aunt, Vera, run the local culinary bookshop and cafe. But it’s hard to follow a simple recipe for relaxation when murder gets thrown in the mix. The Cookbook Nook is set to host the town’s upcoming Grill Fest, a tasty tradition, which pits local amateur chefs against one another. The expression “too many cooks” proves all too true when the eight-time champ is found murdered in the alley behind the cafe. Jenna has to douse the flames before the wrong person gets burned.

Readers will relish the extensive cookbook suggestions, the cooking primer, and the whole foodie phenomenon. Gerber’s perky tone with a multigenerational cast makes this series a good match.
Library Journal
Inherit the Word is delicious fun, and I’m ready for another helping any time.
Suspense Magazine
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Final Sentence

Book 1

In need of a change, Jenna Hart leaves the high-pressure world of advertising to help her aunt Vera open a culinary bookshop and café. Back with her family in Crystal Cove, California, Jenna seems to have all the right ingredients for a fresh start—until someone adds a dash of murder.

As a marketing expert, Jenna wants to make sure the grand opening of the Cookbook Nook draws a crowd, and no one is better at getting attention than her old college roommate, celebrity chef Desiree Divine. But when Desiree arrives in quiet Crystal Cove to do a cookbook signing, the diva stirs up more trouble than business… especially when she turns up dead.

Known for stealing husbands and burning bridges, Desiree left behind plenty of suspects—including Jenna. Though the celebrity’s life always appeared to be an open book, Jenna will have to read between the lines in order to clear her name, and catch a killer before another body is served cold.

Daryl succeeded in writing a wonderfully crafted whodunit that quickly became a page turner thanks to a great setting, a feel-good atmosphere, engaging dialogue and an eclectically quirky cast of characters.
—DruAnn Love