Virtual Book Tour & Book Review & #Giveaway: Recipe for Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery) by Marla A. White

Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Recipe for Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery) by Marla A. White! Today we are featuring a review of book two in this series that is perfect for fans of the sweetness of Jenn McKinlay and the snark of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card. ENTER HERE! ⬅️

Recipe for Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Pine Cove, a fictional version of Idyllwild, tiny town on top of a Southern California mountain
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wild Rose Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 17, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509265759
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509265756
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509265763
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GTRJ24MV

About the Book:

Mel O’Rourke traded her LAPD badge for the quiet life, running a bed-and-breakfast in tiny, quirky Pine Cove.

But when Jackson Thibodeaux, the charming café owner who broke her heart, stumbles back into town, her tranquil second act is toast. While attending a culinary academy in New Orleans, Jackson found the body of a classmate. The police rule it a suicide, but Mel’s instincts—and Jackson’s near miss with a bullet—scream murder.

Between a cooking school full of shady suspects, a reformed cat burglar for a sidekick, and a complicated love triangle involving the deputy sheriff, Mel has her hands full.

My Review:

This was a great follow up book in an enjoyable series! I enjoyed the mystery and found it a unique storytelling technique to have a murder take place somewhere else. Watching Mel and the gang investigate from afar was interesting, and then when the mystery came home, I was turning the pages quickly! There are red herrings and lots of clues to piece together, and I did not guess that ending! The big reveal is well done. There’s a little romance sprinkled in and a bit of a love triangle, but at the heart this is a mystery.

What I enjoy most are the characters and the dialogue between them all. Mel’s grandma is a hoot (reader, know thyself – Mel’s grandma can have a mouth on her!) and I enjoyed any time she was on the scene.

Once again, I would very much like to schedule a visit to Pine Cove (minus the murder) and visit with Mel and her friends.

About the Author:

Marla White kills people for a living—on paper, at least.

An award-winning mystery and suspense author with roots in Hollywood, Marla White made a striking debut with Cause for Elimination, earning recognition from Killer Nashville, the RONE Awards, Reader’s Favorite, and a second-place finish with the Orange County Romance Writers in Romantic Suspense.

Originally from Oklahoma, Marla carved her path through multiple states before landing in Los Angeles, where she built a career in television development and now teaches screenwriting at UCLA Extension—including the fine art of script coverage and story analysis.

When she’s not plotting her next murder (fictional, we promise), she can be found in her garden, on a hiking trail, cheering for the LA Kings, or field-testing craft cocktails in the name of

Author Links:

Purchase Links:

Amazon – Barnes&Noble – Apple Books – GoodReads – AllAuthor – Books2Read – Book Bub

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

June 10 – Jody’s Bookish Haven– SPOTLIGHT
June 11 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 12 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen– SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews– SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
June 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 18 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
June 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 19 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 22 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

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