A Dash of Death by Michelle Hillen Klump

Samantha could never stop beating herself for being responsible for the old lady’s murder. Two years after being out of prison, the young woman murdered an old lady. Years ago, Samantha had found a young woman wrongly accused of committing a crime and played a major role in proving her innocence. It was supposed to be her wedding day but thanks to her ex, Greg, who got cold feet at the last minute, she’s now going to spend her night catering to the guests at the council meeting. The story begins with Samantha getting ready for the council meeting. Orange peels, vanilla, cherry, a dash of spiciness in the form of chili and pepper tincture, goodness! Sounds like a mouth-watering concoction. I am a teetotaler and I have never tried a drink before but reading this story made me want to try one. My oh my, don’t get me started on all the bitters mentioned in the book. I really loved the way Samantha uses her reporter skills to gather clues.

What a fantastic cozy series debut! A perfect combination of character introduction, series plot introduction and a mystery to keep one guessing till the end. Set in Houston, Texas, the series features a reporter-turned-mixologist Samantha who is slowing ‘recovering’ from the basket of lemons life threw at her. Samantha was already to a rough start since her breakup with her fiancé and now, being accused of murder was definitely not what she needed…Ī Dash of Death is the first book in Michelle Hillen Klump’s Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. And, as a cherry on top, Mark’s estranged wife Gabby files a lawsuit against Samantha and the council for killing her husband. She becomes the main suspect in Mark’s murder. The next day, Samantha wakes up to the news that Mark is dead. Samantha had used phlox flowers for garnish (and to add a dash of tang and spice to the drink.) So, who replaced phlox with the poisonous oleander? Was this supposed to be Mark’s drink? When the meeting wraps up, Samantha’s friend finds a cocktail glass containing oleander flowers in the bathroom. Mark, a local builder and a member of the historical-homes council falls ill during the meeting.

The same 300 bottles of bitters she had made as giveaway presents for her wedding… Samantha spends what was supposed to be her wedding night at a meeting of the local historical-homes council where she’s asked to serve homemade bitters to the guests. Samantha Warren lost her job as a reporter for the Gazette and her fiancé Greg in rapid succession.

A Dash of Death by Michelle Hillen Klump