Publishers Weekly
04/23/2018
At the start of this entertaining series launch from the pseudonymous Kidd (who also writes as Lea Wait), Quarry Island, Maine, native Anna Winslow learns that she has a half-sister, Izzie Jordan, a recent culinary school graduate. Anna and Izzie meet in Portland, where they hit it off almost at once. Anna’s joy at finding an unknown relative is soon tempered by the news of the drowning of her brother-in-law, Carl. When Carl’s death is deemed a homicide and her lobsterman husband, Burt, becomes the prime suspect, Anna enlists Izzie’s help in clearing Burt’s name. Izzie—who also scopes out real estate for a new restaurant on the island—proves her worth, both as a sister and as a fellow sleuth, as the pair uncover hidden secrets in the small, close-knit working-class community. Kidd clearly knows coastal Maine and the details that make the inhabitants and the landscape unique. Though the reader might wish that Anna participated in more of the action, she and Izzie prove to be a formidable force, one that will easily sustain a series. Agent: John Talbott, Talbot Fortune Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for Death and a Pot of Chowder:
“Entertaining...[Anna] and Izzie prove to be a formidable force.”
—Publishers Weekly
"This is an excellent character-driven homespun story. For Wait’s fans as well as enthusiasts of Sarah Graves’s Maine-set books and other island-themed mysteries."
—Library Journal
“A simply riveting mystery from beginning to end by a master of the genre...Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.”
—Midwest Book Review
“I enjoyed the deft plotting and the cast of characters, especially Anna and Izzie, a formidable team I look forward to knowing better in future books.”
—Suspense Magazine
"A wicked good mystery brimming with family secrets, authentic characters, a rustic Maine island setting, and plenty of good food. You can practically smell the salt air and taste the lobster rolls."
—B.B. Haywood, New York Times bestselling author
“Delicious...Authentically set in Maine, Kidd has served up a delectable mystery!”
—Daryl Wood Gerber, nationally bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook mysteries and the French Bistro mysteries
"Death and a Pot of Chowder is a savory summer delight. Cornelia Kidd has dished up a murderous treat in this page-turning mystery."
—Nancy J. Parra, national bestselling author
“Readers are going to devour Cornelia Kidd’s delicious debut mystery with enthusiasm and a reluctance to put it down...A five-star hit!
—Edith Maxwell, bestselling author of the Quaker Midwife mysteries, the Local Foods mysteries, and the Country Store mysteries
"Compelling...I couldn’t put it down.”
—Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake mysteries
“Life and death on Quarry Island, Maine are welcoming and terrifying...Kidd serves up a compelling mystery along with a taste of life on Quarry Island. I couldn’t put it down!”
—Linda Wiken, bestselling author of the Dinner Club mysteries
Library Journal
06/01/2018
Anna Winslow thinks there are no secrets on Quarry Island, ME, but she's in for a few surprises. Like discovering a younger half sister from her father's second marriage. On the day she drives to Portland to meet Izzie for the first time, her brother-in-law Carl disappears from his lobster boat. Anna's husband, Burt, asks her to come home, and later that evening, Carl's body is found. But he didn't drown. Carl was shot and Burt had been heard arguing with his brother. Anna needs her newly found sister more than ever as they team up to find a killer on the island. Maine author Lea Wait (Thread the Halls), writing as Cornelia Kidd, introduces a small island community with hidden dynamics. VERDICT Although the ending won't surprise avid mystery readers, this is an excellent character-driven homespun story. For Wait's fans as well as enthusiasts of Sarah Graves's Maine-set books and other island-themed mysteries.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
