Published: November 2, 2021

Berkeley Books

I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Amy Pershing is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith. In her previous career she was the Managing Director and Global Head of Employee Communications at the Bank of New York Mellon. A few years ago (with the final college tuition bill paid!), she waved goodbye to Wall Street in order to write full time. A Side of Murder is her first novel.

“Not my circus. Not my monkey.”

Sam had settled since her move back to the Cape and has found herself belonging to the little town she now calls home. Her relationship with Jason is going strong, albeit slowly. Her friends are still the best; Diogi is just as stubborn, twice as large, and even more adorable. Things seem to be coming up, Sam. Her parents are coming for Christmas, she has the perfect menu picked out, and she is more than ready to celebrate until she discovers something that will throw her little town into a tailspin.

UGH. It was so worth the wait for book two, and I’m ready for book three. This book was so charming and original. I loved getting reacquainted with everyone from the first book and getting to know Sam’s parents.

The descriptions throughout this novel are top-notch. You will feel the breeze and taste the delicacies being discussed. Amy has the most incredible talent for literally bringing a scene to life.

I love that Sam is so perfectly imperfect, but that she owns it. She knows she’s slightly aware, very tall, funny, and a darn good cook. There is such a charming purity around her, but she is also sassy and tends to not fully think before she speaks or acts, which is how she finds herself in most situations.

I am still obsessed with Diogi and love that he was such a prominent character. Dogs just make everything better, and the love between Sam and Diogi will warm your heart so incredibly.

I enjoyed that each character had their own storyline that assisted the overall plot and gave a lot of dimension to the uniqueness of each personality.

I love that this series is so unlike anything else I have read and that it is a perfect mix of comedy, mystery, and suspense. This was such a delightfully charming book, and I did not see the twist coming.

I thought I had figured out “whodunnit,” but boy was I wrong! A charming read filled with beautiful souls, hilarity, shenanigans, and tasty eats.