I enjoyed this book, even though it's kind of hard to believe anyone would eat that much popcorn.
Kernel of Truth is the first in the Popcorn Shop Mystery series. Rebecca Anderson has divorced her celebrity chef husband Antoine Belanger and returned to her hometown of Grand Lake, Ohio. Utilizing her degree from the Culinary institute of America she has purchased and old main street storefront, renovated and opened POPS, a gourmet Popcorn shop.
Rebecca and her sister Haley lost their parents at an early age, leaving Haley as the older sister to be the head of the household. Devastated at the loss of her parents, Rebecca turned into a hellraiser running away straight after graduation and then returning home after her divorce with her tail between her legs has done nothing to improve her reputation with the townsfolk.
Cordelia "Coco" Bittles is the elderly woman who owns the chocolate shop next door to POPS, Coco's Cocoas. Coco had taken Rebecca under her wing as a teenager, teaching her the ins and outs of working in the kitchen and had been the one to encourage Rebecca to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Having returned home the two had made plans to sell their individual shops and open a new joint business.
When one morning Coco is found bludgeoned to death in her shop, Rebecca becomes a suspect. Coco's niece Jessica had been one of the "mean girls" in high school, and still considered Rebecca a rival, especially for her aunt's attention. Learning that her aunt had loaned Rebecca the funds to open her shop gives Jessica even more reason to spread the rumors that Jessica is she was lying about the two going into business together and even tries to say that Rebecca had been trying to steal Coco's prized fudge recipe.
Fortunately, Rebecca's sister Haley is married to Rebecca's best friend growing up, now known as Sheriff Dan Cooper. Dan's college roommate Garrett Mills has become a lawyer and moved to town. With Haley, Dan and their son Evan living in the main house of the family home, Rebecca and her apricot poodle Sprocket have moved into the granny flat over the garage. The foursome spends a lot of time together and they all set out to find Coco's killer and salvage Rebecca's reputation.
Plenty of suspects rear their heads including the two homeless men that frequent the back alley, Jasper and Tom, and the town mayor Allen Thompson is even acting suspicious. When neighboring shop owner Barbara is attacked in Granny's Nooks and Crannies, it starts to seem as though someone has it out for the women shopkeepers. With the help of her friend Annie, who owns flower shop Blooms, Rebecca is determined to prove she is innocent and has changed her wild ways.
A fun, fast paced storyline with great characters, a loveable dog and a hint of romance. A terrific debut to the series and I'm looking forward to the next, Pop goes the Murder.
Rebecca and her sister Haley lost their parents at an early age, leaving Haley as the older sister to be the head of the household. Devastated at the loss of her parents, Rebecca turned into a hellraiser running away straight after graduation and then returning home after her divorce with her tail between her legs has done nothing to improve her reputation with the townsfolk.
Cordelia "Coco" Bittles is the elderly woman who owns the chocolate shop next door to POPS, Coco's Cocoas. Coco had taken Rebecca under her wing as a teenager, teaching her the ins and outs of working in the kitchen and had been the one to encourage Rebecca to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Having returned home the two had made plans to sell their individual shops and open a new joint business.
When one morning Coco is found bludgeoned to death in her shop, Rebecca becomes a suspect. Coco's niece Jessica had been one of the "mean girls" in high school, and still considered Rebecca a rival, especially for her aunt's attention. Learning that her aunt had loaned Rebecca the funds to open her shop gives Jessica even more reason to spread the rumors that Jessica is she was lying about the two going into business together and even tries to say that Rebecca had been trying to steal Coco's prized fudge recipe.
Fortunately, Rebecca's sister Haley is married to Rebecca's best friend growing up, now known as Sheriff Dan Cooper. Dan's college roommate Garrett Mills has become a lawyer and moved to town. With Haley, Dan and their son Evan living in the main house of the family home, Rebecca and her apricot poodle Sprocket have moved into the granny flat over the garage. The foursome spends a lot of time together and they all set out to find Coco's killer and salvage Rebecca's reputation.
Plenty of suspects rear their heads including the two homeless men that frequent the back alley, Jasper and Tom, and the town mayor Allen Thompson is even acting suspicious. When neighboring shop owner Barbara is attacked in Granny's Nooks and Crannies, it starts to seem as though someone has it out for the women shopkeepers. With the help of her friend Annie, who owns flower shop Blooms, Rebecca is determined to prove she is innocent and has changed her wild ways.
A fun, fast paced storyline with great characters, a loveable dog and a hint of romance. A terrific debut to the series and I'm looking forward to the next, Pop goes the Murder.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Warning pop some popcorn before you start reading this story. You are going to want to be munching as you read.
POPS is the newest shop in Grand Lake, right next to Coco's Cocoas. In fact Coco and Rebecca have found they work pretty well together and are planning a new venture. That is until Coco is found dead in her shop. Robbery gone wrong, Rebecca doesn't think so. She starts popping up all over town trying to prove it was murder and will bag the killer herself if she has to.
What a great idea for a mystery series. A Popcorn Shop with a peppy protagonist and a poodle named Sprocket, yes a poodle.
Kristi Abbott is off to a fantastic start. I was sad that our victim was Coco though, she seemed like a grand lady. Everyone loved her and her fudge, who would want her dead? Surprisingly there are plenty of suspects if Sheriff Cooper would open his eyes. He is Rebecca's best friend and he is married to her sister, he can't seriously think she had anything to do with the murder?
I liked all of these characters, Rebecca really pops off the page. She has escaped a bad marriage and is putting herself first for a change. I love the way she stands up to her ex. She has been friends with Dan forever and is thrilled he married her sister. She lives on their property and they have dinner together often. It is hard when he has to keep the case confidential and Rebecca keeps butting in where she shouldn't. This family dynamic pulls us right into the story.
The mystery is very believable too and well written. A little predictable but the "why" was something that was not what I thought at all. There were several twists that made me think maybe I was wrong along the way. There is a surprising secret revealed when Rebecca rushes into a situation that was so not what she thought at all that put me back on the main track.
The story has just the start of a romance and I was happy that it is starting slow. I think Rebecca needs some time for just herself.
Bottom line, this is a charming start to what I hope becomes a long running series. The theme is unique and the characters are fresh and I hope to pop in for another visit very soon.
Warning pop some popcorn before you start reading this story. You are going to want to be munching as you read.
POPS is the newest shop in Grand Lake, right next to Coco's Cocoas. In fact Coco and Rebecca have found they work pretty well together and are planning a new venture. That is until Coco is found dead in her shop. Robbery gone wrong, Rebecca doesn't think so. She starts popping up all over town trying to prove it was murder and will bag the killer herself if she has to.
What a great idea for a mystery series. A Popcorn Shop with a peppy protagonist and a poodle named Sprocket, yes a poodle.
Kristi Abbott is off to a fantastic start. I was sad that our victim was Coco though, she seemed like a grand lady. Everyone loved her and her fudge, who would want her dead? Surprisingly there are plenty of suspects if Sheriff Cooper would open his eyes. He is Rebecca's best friend and he is married to her sister, he can't seriously think she had anything to do with the murder?
I liked all of these characters, Rebecca really pops off the page. She has escaped a bad marriage and is putting herself first for a change. I love the way she stands up to her ex. She has been friends with Dan forever and is thrilled he married her sister. She lives on their property and they have dinner together often. It is hard when he has to keep the case confidential and Rebecca keeps butting in where she shouldn't. This family dynamic pulls us right into the story.
The mystery is very believable too and well written. A little predictable but the "why" was something that was not what I thought at all. There were several twists that made me think maybe I was wrong along the way. There is a surprising secret revealed when Rebecca rushes into a situation that was so not what she thought at all that put me back on the main track.
The story has just the start of a romance and I was happy that it is starting slow. I think Rebecca needs some time for just herself.
Bottom line, this is a charming start to what I hope becomes a long running series. The theme is unique and the characters are fresh and I hope to pop in for another visit very soon.
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Not happy when a book should be and is listed as cozy and is full of lousy language. If you are looking for clean reading this is not the right series. Loved the dog.
There are so many cozy mystery series, vying for the readers time. I do think this one is worth reading. This is set in Ohio. It has the same outline most cozies use. The Main Character= MC is A female who returns home to her small town, and starts a business. Someone is murdered and the business is in danger of going under. Some of the clues lead the investigating Police officer to suspect MC. The Police force usually has a close connection or love connect to the MC. This time the Police Officer is married to the MC's sister.
I really wasnt sure who the killer was right away, I kept waiting for some other twist. I really did enjoy this book and finished it in one day. It was worth reading and the popcorn fudge was fun. The mystery was fun, the dog, the nephew were all fun. The evil town arch nemesis did her dirty job of being a thorn in the side of the MC. Overall this book was even better than some mysteries.
I really wasnt sure who the killer was right away, I kept waiting for some other twist. I really did enjoy this book and finished it in one day. It was worth reading and the popcorn fudge was fun. The mystery was fun, the dog, the nephew were all fun. The evil town arch nemesis did her dirty job of being a thorn in the side of the MC. Overall this book was even better than some mysteries.
Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott is the first book in the all new Popcorn Shop Mystery series. Rebecca Anderson has returned to her hometown (after her divorce) of Grand Lake, Ohio (with her poodle, Sprocket) to open a POPS! A store specializing in popcorn treats (popcorn bars, caramel cashew popcorn balls, etc.). Rebecca was encouraged by her mentor, Cordelia "Coco" Bittles (of Coco's Cocoas). Rebecca is making a batch of a caramel when she hears Jessica James (Coco's niece) screaming next door at Coco's Cocoas. Rebecca runs next door to find her dear friend, Coco dead on the floor of her office. Who would hurt Coco and why? Rebecca sets out to find who killed Coco (her dear friend, mentor, and mother figure). Rebecca will have her hands full when her ex-husband, Antoine Belanger decides he wants her back. Antoine is not one to fade into the background. Rebecca has several suspects including the mayor who keeps lurking around in the alley behind the shops. Will Rebecca be able to find the killer?
I found Kernel of Truth to be a cute story. The descriptions of the popcorn treats were delightful and I liked the antics of Sprocket. The mystery was extremely simple. I figured out the killer right away. However, Kernel of Truth has some lively characters and the potential for a good series. I give Kernel of Truth 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Popcorn Shop Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of Kernel of Truth from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.
I found Kernel of Truth to be a cute story. The descriptions of the popcorn treats were delightful and I liked the antics of Sprocket. The mystery was extremely simple. I figured out the killer right away. However, Kernel of Truth has some lively characters and the potential for a good series. I give Kernel of Truth 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Popcorn Shop Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of Kernel of Truth from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.
