Dropped Dead in Cherry Hills

Kat Harper's visit to Jessie's Diner ends abruptly when the man at the next table drops dead. She soon discovers the victim is none other than Aaron Moskowitz, a caustic food critic known for thrashing restaurants he doesn't like. And now, thanks to a severe nut allergy, Aaron has penned his last roast.

Nobody suspects foul play until a wannabe crime reporter and some disturbing evidence convinces them otherwise. And when a tenacious orange stray cat sneaks into Jessie's and locates Aaron's missing EpiPen in the kitchen, the eponymous restaurant owner quickly becomes the center of the police investigation.

Kat doesn't truly believe her friend is guilty, but what will it take to prove Jessie's innocence? Identifying the real killer would be a good start. But that won't be as easy as it seems, not when everyone who dealt with Aaron has nothing but bad things to say about him.

Regardless, that won't stop Kat from her quest to uncover the truth. The amateur sleuth had better tread carefully though. When the killer gets wind of her investigation, it isn't long before Kat finds herself on the fast track to joining Aaron at the morgue.

All of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery books can be enjoyed as standalones but will be better appreciated as part of the series. The books are light, fun cozy mysteries featuring an animal-loving female amateur sleuth, lovable and not-so-lovable quirky characters, and a page-turning mystery that needs solving. None of the books include cliffhangers, bad language, or graphic scenes.