Book Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole by Rebecca Adler (Taste of Texas Mystery #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Eclectic yet fun characters, good mystery

Cons: Needed a bit more polish at times

The Bottom Line:

Country singer killed

Josie must clear her best friend

Fun characters, plot

Face Plant in the Guacamole

One of the advantages of living in California is the good Mexican food.  After all, we were first settle by Mexico when the Europeans started taking over the continent.  And while the Taste of Texas Mysteries are obviously set in Texas, the main character works in her family’s TexMex restaurant, and the scenes there get my mouth watering for some truly good Mexican food.  The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole is no exception.

While Josie Callahan has returned to the small town of Broken Boot in very west Texas and is working again at her family’s restaurant, she is still dreaming of becoming an investigative reporter.  Along those lines, she is reporting part time for the local paper.  However, everyone’s focus right now is on the Homestead Days Festival, which will hopefully bring a few tourists and their money to the small town.

The weekend kicks off with a concert by up and coming country star Jeff Clark.  He also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Josie’s best friend Patti Perez.  The two seem to be reconnecting during the concert; in fact, Josie leaves Patti there before the evening is over.

The next morning, Josie is hoping to connect with Jeff for an interview for the local paper.  She’s surprised to learn that he spent the night at Patti’s home.  Rushing over there trying interview him before her deadline, she is shocked to find him face down in some guacamole.  No, he isn’t having the world’s worst hang over, he was beaten to death.  Of course, Patti becomes the chief suspect, but Josie knows her best friend is innocent.  Can Josie clear her name?

Before we move on, I do need to address the bad.  The book just needed a little more polish.  There were a few times that things happened that made me go back and reread the last few paragraphs to make sure I hadn’t missed something.  Just a few lines here and there would have made things less confusing for the reader.  While it is irritating, it wasn’t pervasive enough to ruin the book and is absolutely not a reason to skip the book.

Because the plot is interesting.  I actually found the scene where Josie found the body quite fun, and the climax was something that could only happen in Texas.  Frankly, I loved it as well.  In between, we had plenty of clues, red herrings, and complications to keep us guessing until the end.

And the characters are a lot of fun.  This series has one of the most eclectic sets of supporting characters in a cozy mystery, and I really like them.  While they may not be your ordinary characters, they are all relatable and real in their own way.  We also have a strong group of suspects that keeps growing until we reach the end of the book.

Of course, we get some delicious sounding recipes.  They range from guacamole, naturally, to cheese enchiladas, and chocolate chip pecan cookies.  Yum!

While a little extra polish would be nice, what is here is still well worth reading.  The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole is a fun cozy that will keep you turning pages until you reach the end.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Thursday, November 10th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 11/10.  You will have until midnight on 11/15 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 11/16.