Showing posts with label Leslie Karst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leslie Karst. Show all posts

Friday, April 3, 2026

Murder, Local Style (An Orchid Isle Mystery) by Leslie Karst ~ Cozy Mystery

 

Murder, Local Style (An Orchid Isle Mystery) by Leslie Karst

About Murder, Local Style:

 

Murder, Local Style (An Orchid Isle Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Setting - Hawaii

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House

Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2026

Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages

Hardcover ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448316588

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448316588

Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448316571

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FVLW3ZL8

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Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious poisoning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i. A dinner to die for! It’s been an eventful transition, but retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen are finally settling into life on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Val’s even joined the neighborhood orchid society to make some new friends. So when she’s asked to step in to cater their latest social event, as the newbie of the group she can’t exactly say no. But what should have been a straightforward gig is soon a dining disaster when the food from the event poisons and kills the society president. As Val herself becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, she’s determined to uncover the truth. Who would want to kill the mild-mannered president of the orchid society? Turns out the list is longer than a celebrity chef's tasting menu. Apparently some of the residents did not "love thy neighbor." Can she reveal the killer’s identity before they strike again? This mouthwatering cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Ellen Byron, Jennifer J Chow, Lucy Burdette, and Raquel V Reyes, and includes a selection of delicious Hawaiian recipes to cook at home.

About Leslie Karst:

Leslie Karst is the Lefty and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle mysteries Waters of Destruction and Molten Death, of the Sally Solari mystery series, and of the IBPA Ben Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School, then returned to school to study the culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie splits her time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California, spending her days writing, cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock.

Author Links:


Chicks on the Case https://chicksonthecase.com/



Purchase Links:

Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 30 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

March 30 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

March 31 - Read Your Writes Book Reviews – RECIPE

April 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 3 – Sarandipity's – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 3 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Because I said so – REVIEW

April 5 – Elizabeth McKenna - Blog – SPOTLIGHT

April 6 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

April 8 – Ruff Drafts - SPOTLIGHT

April 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

April 9 – Angel's Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 11 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW

April 11 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Waters of Destruction (An Orchid Isle Mystery) by Leslie Karst ~ #CozyMystery #LeslieKarst


Waters of Destruction (An Orchid Isle Mystery)
by Leslie Karst

About Waters of Destruction:

Waters of Destruction (An Orchid Isle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Hawaii
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House; Main edition (April 1, 2025)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448312183
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448312184
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DKXTRTX5


Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious drowning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.

After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new neighborhood and playing with their new little dog, Pua. But while they’ve made good friends with local restaurant manager Sachiko and her partner Isaac, they can’t help but feel a little lonely.

So when Sachiko begs Val to fill in for a member of her bar team who’s gone AWOL, Val dusts off her cocktail shaker and happily agrees. It’s a great chance to meet more people – and learn the local gossip.

Such as about Hank, the missing bartender, who vanished after a team-building retreat at a local beauty spot a week ago, and hasn’t been seen since. Until, that is, his body turns up at the bottom of the waterfall, and the police seem very interested in where Sachiko was at the time of his death.

Sachiko couldn’t have killed him . . . could she? Val dives into the murky waters of the case, determined to find out.

This mouth-watering cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Ellen Byron, Jennifer J Chow, Lucy Burdette and Raquel V Reyes, and includes a selection of delicious Hawaiian recipes to cook at home.

About Leslie Karst:


Leslie Karst is the author of the Orchid Isle mysteries Waters of Destruction and Molten Death, of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series, and of the IBPA Ben Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School, then returned to school to study the culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie splits her time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California, spending her days writing, cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock.

Author Links:


Chicks on the Case: https://chicksonthecase.com/

Mystery Lovers Kitchen: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/




Purchase Links:


TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

March 24 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 27 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 28 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 29 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

March 30 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW


April 2 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

April 4 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

April 6 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, RECIPE

April 6 – Celticladys Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 7 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT



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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
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Wednesday, August 2, 2023

New Book Release ~ A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery) by Leslie Karst ~ @LeslieKarst #CozyMystery #C0nt3st

 

A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery) by Leslie Karst

About A Sense for Murder:

 

A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

6th in Series

Setting - California

Severn House (August 1, 2023)

Hardcover: ‎ 224 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1448309050

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1448309054

Digital ASIN: ‎ B0BXPY61Q1

Chef Sally Solari has - to her own bewilderment - built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps tripping over dead bodies. But getting mixed up in the curious case of a cookbook killer threatens to be the final chapter in not just her investigating career . . . but her life.

It's the height of the tourist season in Santa Cruz, California, and Sally Solari has her hands full, both juggling crowds of hungry diners at her French-Polynesian restaurant Gauguin, as well as appeasing her father, who's distressed at the number of homeless people camped out in front of Solari's, the family's Italian seafood restaurant out on the historic fisherman's wharf.

Nevertheless, when Sally gets the opportunity to volunteer at a farm-to-table dinner taking place at the hip new restaurant and culinary bookshop Pages and Plums, she seizes the chance. Not only is it a fundraiser for an organization aiding the homeless and seniors, but up for auction at the event is a signed boxset of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Sally's hero, the renowned chef Julia Child.

But then the Pages and Plums dining room manager turns up dead - the locked cabinet containing the precious books now empty - and the irrepressible Sally once again finds herself up to her neck in a criminal investigation. She may have a sense for murder, but can Sally outwit a devious killer with a taste for French cooking before the villain makes mincemeat of her, too?

A Sense for Murder is a fast-paced, super fun culinary cozy mystery that will have your brain working and your mouth watering. And if you haven't met sleuthing chef Sally yet, it's safe to jump right in.

Read an Excerpt:

If not for the clatter of my bicycle bouncing down the wooden planks of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, I felt certain that every tourist I whizzed past would have been startled by the loud rumblings emanating from my empty stomach.

I’d set off on my morning ride with only a cup of coffee for sustenance, and the effects of the initial caffeine buzz had now been replaced by a severe case of low blood sugar. As a result (notwithstanding the million-dollar view of the historic fisherman’s wharf stretching out from the sparkling beach and the iconic roller coaster rising up behind), the only thing on my mind at that moment was the prospect of biting into one of my father’s famous ricotta-and-mascarpone-filled cannoli.

I spotted Dad’s tall, stocky figure standing in front of Solari’s Restaurant as soon as I rounded the bend near the end of the wharf. He was turned toward me, waving, so I waved back, then quickly grabbed hold of my handlebars as I hit a nasty bump in the road. Once closer, however, I realized he wasn’t waving at me. He hadn’t even noticed my arrival. Rather, he was shouting and gesticulating at a form sprawled on the sidewalk at the corner of the building.

‘Why the hell do you insist on camping out here?’ I heard him yell as I approached. ‘You and your kind are driving away my business!’

Wheeling up to the front entrance, I clipped out of my pedals and leaned my red-and-white road bike against the restaurant’s whitewashed wood siding. Through the neon Budweiser and Amstel Light signs hanging in the window above, I could see a table of early lunchers chowing down on plates of crab salads and linguine.

‘Hey, Dad. What’s going on?’

‘Sally.’ He turned to me with a frown. ‘I didn’t hear you ride up.’

‘Probably because you were making quite a bit of racket yourself.’

The person at his feet – a thin, gray-haired man wrapped in a dark green sleeping bag – pushed himself to an upright position and regarded the two of us with dull eyes. A fat seagull pecked at a discarded French fry not three feet from where he sat.

Dad returned the man’s gaze with an angry stare. ‘I’ve been trying for five full minutes to get this guy to move his sorry ass away from my restaurant, but he pretends like he doesn’t even hear me. Maybe I should just call the cops on you,’ he said to the cocooned man, ‘and let them deal with it.’

‘Maybe if you tried treating him like a human being, your powers of persuasion would be a little more effective,’ I responded. ‘I mean, really: “you and your kind”?’ But my father merely shook his head and turned to walk back inside Solari’s, clearly now annoyed not only with the guy in the sleeping bag but also his only daughter. 

About Leslie Karst:

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California, and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links:


Purchase Links:


TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

July 25 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 26 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 29 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 - Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 1 - Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 1 - Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
August 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
August 2 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

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Friday, August 5, 2022

Book Spotlight ~ The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery) by Leslie Karst @LeslieKarst #CozyMystery


The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery) by Leslie Karst

About The Fragrance of Death:

 

The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Setting - California

Severn House; Main edition (August 2, 2022)

Hardcover: ‎ 224 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1448309034

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1448309030

Digital ASIN: ‎ B09V878YNB

Restaurateur Sally Solari has a nose for trouble, but when her sense of smell goes missing, it's not just her career on the line . . . it's her life. 

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she's noticed her nonna's friends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to her woes, a sinus infection has knocked out her sense of smell, making cooking on the hot line difficult, indeed. Nevertheless, Sally is determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her work. 

But then her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and her powers of investigation are called into action once more. Could Neil have been killed by the local restaurant owner who took his winning spot at the competition? Or maybe by one of his siblings, who were desperate to sell the family farm to a real estate developer? 

Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows - including the dapper Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it's not only her restaurant and tentative new relationship that are on the line - it's her life . . 

The Fragrance of Death is a non-stop fun cozy mystery that will keep your mind buzzing and your mouth watering, and contains a selection of delicious recipes to cook at home.

About Leslie Karst:

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari culinary mystery series. The daughter of a law professor and a potter, she waited tables and sang in a new wave rock band before deciding she was ready for “real” job and ending up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts.

Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, singing alto in her local community chorus, and of course writing. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links:


Purchase Links:


TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

July 28 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 29 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
July 30 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 - FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 - Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 31 - I Read What You Write - REVIEW
August 1 - Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 - Novels Alive – RECIPE POST
August 2 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 2 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 2 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Island Confidential - REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 4 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
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