Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse
After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically, Marygene. Lately, mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.
But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering; it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing mama has her back.
Series; A Marygene Brown Mystery – Book #2
Author: Kate Young
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
The second book in the “A Marygene Brown Mystery” culinary paranormal series by Kate Young, Southen sass, and a Crispt Corpse, is a great read. Published by Kensington Books, this book and series will have readers hungry for more, and for dessert!
Marygene has inherited more than a little bit of psychic power. She is seeing and talking to the ghost of her mother and isn’t sure she likes it. She misses her mother, but talking to her is starting to make things awkward. People see her talking to herself, and they wonder if she has lost her mind. Finding one body after another isn’t helping. In this delicious culinary paranormal series, Marygene is the lead character, but readers will find themselves enjoying the other cast member just as much. Aunt Vi is a free spirit who may not be what people think she is. Marygenes BF, Yvonne, is the best friend a girl could have, but she has her problems to deal with. Other characters are equally exciting and believable.
I love a good culinary cozy, but when you add in the paranormal aspect, it gets my attention and keeps it. Kate Young is a writer who knows her characters and her subject matter. She writes with a real sense of what people think and feels under challenging circumstances. She also understands how food, dessert, in particular, can comfort people even in the worst of times. The southern setting of Georgia is a perfect fit for a series that has all the earmarks of having been written by an old fashioned southern girl.
The murder is unusual, as the victims were killed over twenty years ago, and their bodies happen to be found by Marygene. But her mama warned her that the dead would seek her out. Marygene hopes that the dead don’t do it all the time. The suspects are older people who have a lot of secrets, and this is what makes this culinary paranormal book so inviting. After all, everyone has secrets that we carry with us throughout our lives, and not all of them are good. Marygene has to uncover the secrets of those involved with the killing, including those of her father.
In the end, Marygene solves the crimes, confronts the killer and saves herself, her sister, and everyone else. Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is a genuinely enjoyable read that keeps readers guessing and turning the page. This is a culinary paranormal mystery that readers will want to gobble up with recipes in the back that will help them end their day with a beautiful meal idea. I am happy to recommend this book and series and look forward to the continuing adventures of Marygene.
Other culinary based cozies that readers enjoy are Julie Anne Lindsey’s “A Cider Shop Mystery” or Denise Swanson’s wonderful “Chef to-go Mysteries”.
About the Author:
Kate Young writes southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking.
Represented by: Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.
Contact Kate: kayoungbooks@att.net
Find Kate on Social Media:
Follow the Cozy Review on Bloglovin’
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply