Well Read, Then Dead (Read Em and Eat Mystery)

Great story. Easy to read. Three books in the series. I am planning on getting the third book. Arrived on time.

One of my top three favorite new mystery series of 2014!I have never read the first book of a series and the first published book for an author and been this blown away.Any time a book grabs me on the first page and won’t let go, I know I am in for some of the best reading time I have ever spent. WELL READ, THEN DEAD, did that and more. I so enjoyed the book, I found myself smiling while reading and the real world around me fading away.The characters and settings mix wonderfully and draw the reader in. It was a delight to get to know Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget “Bridgy” Mayfield—owners of the bookstore café, Read ’Em and Eat. They are two of the most enjoyable characters I have read this year. And wait until you meet Aunt Ophie! She’ll have you laughing out loud. There are shelves lined with books, delicious menu items, such as Old Man and the Sea Chowder, Miss Marple Scones and honest to goodness, Green Eggs and Ham, tables named after famous authors, and book groups like the Books Before Breakfast club. Beyond a doubt, if I had a real life Read ’Em and Eat near me, I would spend so much of my time there you’d think I was on the payroll!What about the mystery element of the book? Perfect! Even after reading the back cover blur, I forgot who the victim was until I started reading the book. I cried when I read she was dead, because in just the short time I had been reading, I knew that woman would be someone I would love to spend a lot of time with. With the suspects that kept popping up, it became harder to guess who the murder was. I was in suspense the entire time and more emotionally invested than I have been in a story in ages. And with a twist that I didn’t see coming, it’s no wonder when I closed this book I just sat there and said “Wow”.This book is a must read for all cozy fans and the perfect book to gift someone if you would like to introduce them to cozies mystery.

“Well Read, Then Dead (Read Em and Eat Mystery Book 1)” is the first book in the “Read Em and Eat” cozy mystery series by Terrie Farley Moran who won the Agatha Award for Best New Novel in the cozy mystery subgenre in 2015 for this book.Best friends Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget “Bridgy” Mayfield moved from Brooklyn, New York to Fort Meyers Beach, Florida to co-own a café/bookstore called “Read Em and Eat,” which is known for its delicious food and colorful patrons. In addition, Sassy and Bridgy host numerous book club meetings at the café. When Miguel the café chef breaks his leg, Bridgy’s Aunt Ophelia comes to pitch in with her southern cooking, not like what Miguel cooked. Cousins Miss Augusta Maddox and Miss Delia Batson, fourth generation Floridians are regulars to the café’s book clubs and always sit at the Emily Dickinson table. Then, one of the sweet elderly cousins is murdered and Sassy must help find out who was the killer and why was the cousin killed. While trying to solve the murder Sassy runs into numerous red herrings, in addition, there is a mystery about sunken treasure on islands near their location and who owns them. Old secrets are revealed with surprises on the murdered person’s past and of course there is the cat Paws.I loved the names of the various tables in the café as well as the books on the shelves for readers to purchase. There were numerous references to other books and authors throughout the book that you might like to read. This is a quick and relaxing read. The menu items names are marvelous: “Old Man and the Sea Chowder”, “Miss Marple Scones”, “Swiss Family Robinson Cheeseburger” “Robert Frost Apple and Blueberry Tartlets”, and “Green Eggs and Ham”. I wished I lived near this bookstore/café, because I would be there every day.Please read this book if you are a cozy mysteries fan; you will enjoy it. There is even a bonus of getting Aunt Ophelia’s Buttermilk Pie recipe. Yummy! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, “Caught Read-Handed”.

Every year I say I’m not going to start any new series and every year I find one I know I’ll read all the way through. That is the case this year and with Well Read Then Dead.This series features best friends who move from New York to Florida and start a diner/book store. If they added a coffee shop, I’d beg to be there with them. Anyway, back to the book. These girls support various book clubs and of course as you would expect, a multitude of personalities attend these clubs. When one of the elderly women in the group is murdered, they are asked by her cousin to find the killer. What happens next is a revelation that this elderly lady could own some very valuable land and those trying to make a lot of money will do nothing to keep their dream from coming true. The big question is, Who is the mysterious man who used to carry a skull in his bag, and what does he have to do with the dead? I love the way Terrie wrote this book. She made the characters and location believable and you could feel the warm Florida breezes blowing as you read. So I have gone back on my pledge to not start another new series in 2015, and have added this one to my growing list of favorite authors and series.

Fun read!

Not sure how I feel about this story. The main character is a nice enough characters, but she has a problem with saying NO to people which leads to a lot of trouble. It’s a trope that I’m not keen on, but with the other elements in this story I’ll give it a pass. What I enjoyed the mist was the literary themed cafe that served meals inspired by famous authors, and the book club that I would join in a heartbeat if I could.The mystery was pretty good. Augusta was quite the drama queen, although Aunt Ophie could have given her a run for her money. I get the feeling that there may be a future romance with Frank, but for the most part he is a rather grumpy hard a$$ and that annoyed the crud out of me.May pick up other books in he series.3 stars ⭐️

Not a bad mystery book. A light easy read.

These Cozy Mysteries are just marvellous - and different!

A good start.