Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Muffalettas and Murder: Small Town Girl Mysteries by Jann Franklin! Today we are featuring a review of the first book in this new cozy mystery series. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Rafflecopter Giveaway for one signed paperback copy of Muffalettas and Murder with swag (U.S. only). 

Muffalettas and Murder: Small Town Girl Mysteries
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Louisiana
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rougarou Press (January 30, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 238 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8987739402
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BPQYJQ3T

About the Book:

Evangeline Delafose is finding Graisseville, Louisiana just as she remembered—boring and uneventful. Until her brother Nate asks her to help solve a murder.

Follow Ev as she navigates clues, dead bodies, and quirky small-town residents to solve a mystery. And of course, show her little brother that she’s still got it.

If you like cozy mysteries with twists and turns, deep South settings, and a hint of romance, you’ll love this series! Let’s not forget quirky yet charming characters who remind you of family—sometimes you want to hug them, and sometimes you want to disown them. Enjoy small town Graisseville with Ev as she solves crime with help from her family and friends. This is a clean faith based read with no profanity, sex, or graphic violence.

This book is the first of the Small-Town Girl Mystery Series.

My Review:

Muffalettas and Murder: Small Town Girl Mysteries by Jann Franklin is a lot of fun! Clocking in at just a little over 200 pages, the first in this new cozy mystery series packs a lot in. Set in a small town (and I mean SMALL town – about 200 folks!) this mystery is full of engaging characters, a solid mystery and great humor. 

Our main character is Ev, a middle-aged widow who has moved back home to be closer to family. Ev’s husband had been a police detective before he passed away, and Ev wrote several detective mystery books with her husband as the inspiration. Grieving her husband, Ev has no interest in writing. Her college aged kids are supportive and help her make the decision to move.

The small town southern setting is so much fun – everyone knows everyone’s business, but not in a malicious way. It’s clear they care deeply about Ev. Ev’s brother is also a detective, and he brings her a cold case, hoping to see if that might interest her. This ignites a spark in Ev, and she’s determined to resolve this case. She partners with one of my new favorite characters in fiction – Shorty. He is hilarious and the banter between Ev and Shorty is entertaining. 

Wonderfully written and developed main and side characters, and I enjoyed reading along as Ev and Shorty pieced together the many clues.  What a great start to a new series!

About the Author:

Jann Franklin is a faith-based cozy mystery writer living in Grand Cane, Louisiana with slightly less than three hundred other people. Many of her stories are based on the tales she hears from residents.

She and her husband John enjoy Sundays at Grand Cane Baptist Church, dinner with family and friends, and watching the lightning bugs in their backyard. Their kids come to visit, when they aren’t too busy living their big-city lives.

Author Links: Webpage –  Blog – Facebook –  Instagram –  Goodreads 

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

• May 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
• May 17 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
• May 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
• May 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
• May 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
• May 21 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW  
• May 22 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• May 23 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
• May 24 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• May 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• May 26 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• May 26 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
• May 27 – FUONLYKNEW – RECIPE
• May 27 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
• May 28 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• May 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
• May 29 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
• May 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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