Claws of Death cover art

Claws of Death

Fatal Food Festival Mysteries, Book 1

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

About this listen

Join Jackie Norwood, a down-and-out celebrity chef, as she judges the first gig on her comeback quest—a Texas Crab Festival cooking contest.

This new venture takes an unexpected twist when she discovers that her archnemesis, Heather Curtis, is her co-judge. As if that weren’t enough to stir the pot, one of the competitors is Chef Benjy Hayes, Jackie’s long-lost ex-boyfriend.

Disaster strikes as Heather takes a fatal taste of Benjy’s dish. Determined to clear Benjy's name—and her own—Jackie relies on her wits and the unique skills of her friends and family. The kitchen timer is ticking as Jackie races to bring the killer to justice before her own goose is cooked.

Don’t miss the first installment of this cozy culinary mystery series, where a spicy blend of murder, rivalry, and second chances will have you salivating for the next serving. Get ready for Claws of Death, and embark on a culinary adventure you won't soon forget.

©2023 Cathy Stegmaier (P)2023 Cathy Wiley Cosy Culinary Adventures Detective Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction
All stars
Most relevant

Listener received this title free

There are a lot of culinary cozy mysteries out there but this one is so well done, I think I have got to say it is up there as one of my favourites. I loved it. The story was nicely balanced with just a little bit of talk about food, a touch of romance drama and of course mystery. I liked the fact that the main character has her flaws and is trying to make a comeback, it makes her very human and likeable. The other characters were also fun and I hope we see more of some of them as the series progresses, especially Skylar and her unusual insights which made for a very interesting character. I enjoyed the whole guessing game with the mystery, over the actual intended target as well as who the killer was. It played out well with lots of suspects, motives and clues. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the series.
Jackie as a recovering alcoholic can only get small town festival jobs as a celebrity judge cook but she knows if she is to make a come back she has to start small and prove herself once again. Her first job is at a crab festival, the problem is her ex boyfriend is in the contest and her arch nemesis is also on the judging panel. When the rival judge dies after tasting the soup, the police are called in and the finger gets pointed at Jackie. Rather than hit the bottle, Jackie and her brother decide they would do better to solve the murder themselves. The judge wasn't well liked and the suspect like might be long but first they have to work out who the killer was trying to kill. Heather? Jackie herself or the third judge? Or even the festival? Can Jackie figure it out before she possibly becomes another victim.
I liked the narrator. She really made the characters come alive in my mind, making them easy to picture.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntary left this review.

Passes the taste test

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.