Thanks to the Cozy Mystery Review Crew and author Daryl Wood Gerber for a copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is #9 in the series, but the first one I've read, and I was able to easily pick it right up. So if you have the opportunity to read this, just jump in.

Jenna Hart, co-owner of the Cookbook Nook book store and Nook restaurant, narrates this small town murder mystery. After she discovers the murder victim, she believes she must help solve the murder because her best friend's husband is a major suspect and she feels the police are barking up the wrong tree. The author throws in a few other suspicious characters that help to make the mystery fun to solve along with Jenna. To add to the plot, the fictional town of Crystal Cove (near the real towns of Carmel and Monterey on the California coast) is hosting a week-long foodie event. Lots of delicious food descriptions made me want to attend. Another plus for this book was that the police chief and mayor were women. Also, the characters were a variety of ages from young mothers to 30-something fitness pros, mid-life chefs and restaurant owners to seniors who were starting a new relationship. Gerber made a successful effort to avoid stereotypes.

One thing I was thankful for as a first time visitor to this series was the "cast of characters" listed at the beginning of the book - it included the characters, who they were and their relationships with each other. A map of the town would have been helpful, too. Food plays a large part in this cozy, so I appreciated the many delicious-looking recipes at the conclusion. ( )

Daryl Wood Gerber once again captures the essence of the Cookbook Nook Mystery series in Shredding the Evidence, which is food. In this volume, a week long Food Bowl event is happening in Crystal Cove, and all the events and food descriptions made me wish Crystal Cove was a real town. And then there’s the recipes at the end of the book, all of which look fairly easy to make, and they all sound so tempting.

And we couldn’t have a cozy without a murder. This one was very unique in the murder weapon, and Gerber provided lots of clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I thought I knew the killer early on, although I wasn’t completely sure what the motive would be. But Gerber kept tempting me with two other very strong options, so I did question myself a couple of times. I will say the murderer and motive was nothing new and I’ve been seeing a trend in cozies lately that have been giving the readers this type of killer. I want to say more about it, but I don’t want to give anything away.

We once again get to visit our character friends and see what is happening in their lives. Jenna is starting to make plans for her wedding, which is so much fun, since this series started with her being a widow. And as always, Aunt Vera is my favorite, although we see a lot more of Bailey and Tito in this book since Tito is accused of murder, and Bailey will stop at nothing, including very aggressively questioning suspects.

Another solid addition to the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. ( )

Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber has Jenna Hart preparing the shop for Food Bowl Week in Crystal Cove, California. Local restaurants are offering their best and most creative dishes including Intine, Rhett’s new French bistro. Kylie O, the food critic for the Crystal Cove Courier, is determined to cover all the Food Bowl events on her own much to Tito Martinez’s frustration. When Kylie is found dead on a Pilates machine, Tito ends up the prime suspect. Bailey needs Jenna prove Tito’s innocence before her husband ends up a cook at the local prison. Shredding the Evidence is the ninth A Cookbook Nook Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend each book in this charming series. I always enjoy visiting Crystal Cove with its darling shops and friendly (well, most of them of are) residents. I have liked watching Jenna, Cary Hart, Aunt Vera, Bailey and the other develop as characters. It is lovely to see Aunt Vera in a romance, Bailey enjoying her new baby girl, Jenna and Rhett planning their wedding and Cinnamon expecting a baby. The annual Food Bowl Week means an influx of tourists to sample the delectable food and purchase gifts which includes cookbooks plus related items from the Cookbook Nook. Kylie Obendorfer (you can see why she preferred Kylie O) is murdered and there are a variety of people who would have liked to see her dead. As a food critic, Kylie did not hold back. She was equally as rude in her private life. Unfortunately, Tito had a public argument with Kylie the day before her death. Bailey has no intention of letting her husband linger on Cinnamon’s suspect list. I liked the misdirection as well as the method of murder. I was caught by surprise when Cinnamon did something completely unexpected that left Jenna equally flabbergasted (for a moment). There were a couple of side storylines in Shredding the Evidence. Aunt Vera’s romance has upset her romantic partners children, Eugene Tinsdale is thinking of selling the Crystal Cove Courier, Rhett is overwhelmed at his new restaurant, redecorating is happening at Jenna and Rhett’s new home plus they are planning their wedding. I just love Tigger, Jenn’s cat, and his adorable antics. I like how the shredding theme was incorporated into the book in clever ways. The food descriptions will have your mouth watering and, luckily, there are recipes at the end of the book for some of the food dishes mentioned. Shredding the Evidence is a fun cozy mystery with delectable delights, a cute cat, wedding woes, a horrifying homicide, a beloved baby, relationship tribulations, and throngs of tourists. ( )

Food Bowl Week comes to Crystal Cove and along with it the demise of an unpopular food critic. But was she killed for a bad review or because she was unpopular? Jenna Hart has been sampling as many food specialties as she can stab with a fork but she loses her appetite when she discovers the food reporter dead surrounded by her reviews shredded to pieces. If her best friend's husband was the prime suspect Jenna would have just let it go, but feeling she needs to help her friend, she bites into the investigation to find the real killer.

The mystery was absorbing and the characters very engaging. Love the series! Keep them coming! ( )