Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer! Today we are featuring a review of the first book in this cozy mystery series. At the Castañeda Hotel you’ll find romance, gourmet dining, bootleggers, and murder! Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Giveaway for a copy of Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer, with bookmarks. ENTER HERE! ⬅️

Fried Chicken Castañeda
Historical Culinary Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Las Vegas, New Mexico, in June 1929
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 6, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1963832051
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1963832051
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1963832242
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DZC47WJQ

 About the Book:

Bored with her conventional middle-class life, Prudence Bates escapes Cleveland by heading west to qualify as a Courier for the Southwestern Indian Detours. On the California Limited she meets Jerry Begay, a charming Navajo school teacher. They feel an instant rapport, but he’s headed for Gallup, so it’s but a brief encounter.

In Las Vegas, New Mexico Prudence is befriended by Castañeda Hotel Harvey Girls Martha and Anne and desk clerk Clara. They take Prudence under their wing and invite her along to dances and the local hot springs.

Four days later, Martha’s brother, Tom, is found murdered. Was it because of his bootlegging activities? Or his amorous relationship with Liz Kearney, daughter of the richest man in the area and rumored mob boss? And was that really Jerry Begay whom Prudence saw meeting with Tom in secret the day before he was killed?

Following in the footsteps of her favorite fictional detectives, Tommy and Tuppence, Prudence is determined to solve the murder. But one wrong step and she may end up in the sights of the bootleggers.

My Review:

This was such a fun adventure that I read in one sitting! I adore historical mysteries and when I saw this one featured a librarian I knew I was in. And I’m so glad I picked this up. 

Prudence is such a great character – determined and unafraid to adventure out on her own which seemed especially brave given the 1929 time period. I love how she knows no stranger and is a quick friend-maker. This quality makes her the perfect sleuth. 

The setting is vividly written, and I could easily picture the sights and sounds of the Southwest. Taking them in through Prudence’s eyes made me feel as though I was right there with her. I did not know about the Harvey Girls until earlier this year when I picked up a book featuring this program, and it was so much fun to learn even more about a part of history totally new to me. The research that went into this story was detailed and woven in seamlessly. I never felt like I was reading a dry history book. 

I did not solve the mystery ahead of time and there is a scene towards the end that had me sitting straight up, gasping. Excellent pacing made this a fast-paced read. 

I do hope we see more of Prudence soon. 

About the Author:

After 20 years as a librarian and 20 as a professor of library science and library historian, Suzanne Stauffer has moved on to a third career as a mystery novelist. She currently lives in Albuquerque with her Australian husband and brown and white spotted rat terrier dogter, Treme. Her debut novel,  Fried Chicken Castañeda (Artemesia Publishing, May 2025), won the CIPA EVVY Bronze Medal in Mystery/Crime/Detection and the New Mexico Book Award for Cozy Mystery.

Author Links: Blog ~ Facebook ~ Substack Newsletter Amuse-Bouche  
Purchase Links: Publisher ~ Amazon  ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

• March 2 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• March 2 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
• March 3 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
• March 4 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• March 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• March 5 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• March 5 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
• March 6 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
• March 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
• March 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
• March 8 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• March 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
• March 10 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
• March 11 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• March 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, RECIPE  
• March 13 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
• March 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
• March 14 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
• March 15 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
• March 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here

#GreatEscapesVirtualBookTour #VirtualBookTour #BookReview #Giveaway #FriedChickenCastañeda #SuzanneStauffer #historicalcozymystery