Murder on the Red Carpet

Red Carpet Catering Mysteries #1

by Shawn Reilly Simmons

The last thing Arlena Madison and Penelope Sutherland expect to find while searching for their runaway dog is a beautiful young girl buried in the snow on the side of the road. When the police discover that the murdered girl was obsessed with Arlena, an up-and-coming actress, questions arise about possible connections between the victim and the legendary Madison family. Arlena has just been cast as the lead actress in iconic film director Salvatore Marco’s next movie. If she can prove herself as a serious actress, it might just be her ticket out of the cut-rate horror movie world.

Penelope has just gotten her big break, too. Her company, Red Carpet Catering, has booked its first real job on the Marco movie, cooking every meal during filming. She can’t believe her luck, working with the famous director and also with her best friend. But when serious accidents begin threatening the lives of the cast and crew, the whole production is in danger of being shut down.

Detective Joseph Baglioni, a childhood friend of Penelope’s, tracks the killer who lurks among the stars. His search leads him into the world of celebrity stalkers, aggressive paparazzi, crazed fans, and Hollywood deal makers, all with agendas of their own. In a desperate race to catch a killer, he discovers that past mistakes don’t always stay buried and the lies people tell have the power to undo them.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Suspense

266 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2014

About the author

Shawn Reilly Simmons is the author of The Red Carpet Catering Mysteries featuring Penelope Sutherland, an on-set movie caterer, and of several short stories appearing in various anthologies including "The Prodigy" which appears in the CWA Anthology Mystery Tour, and "Burnt Orange" in Passport to Murder, the 2017 Bouchercon Anthology.

Her short story "The Last Word" which appears in Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story published in 2019.

Shawn was born in Indiana, grew up in Florida, and began her professional career in New York City as a sales executive after graduating from the University of Maryland with a BA in English. Since then Shawn has worked as a book store manager, fiction editor, convention organizer, wine rep and movie set caterer. She serves on the Board of Malice Domestic, is a member of the Dames of Detection, and an editor & co-publisher at Level Best Books.

Shawn is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers' Association in the UK.

Cooking behind the scenes on movie sets perfectly combined two of her great loves, movies and food, and provides the inspiration for the Red Carpet Catering series.

The Red Carpet Catering Mysteries:

Murder on a Silver Platter #1
Murder on the Half Shell #2
Murder on a Designer Diet #3
Murder is the Main Course #4
Murder on the Rocks #5
Murder With All the Trimmings #6
Murder on the Chopping Block #7

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope Sutherland is beginning to build her catering company, and landing the job catering the movie her best friend Arlena is starring is in a plum gig indeed. That is until a dead body is found outside the house where the two women live and accidents keep happening to on the set that appear to make Arlena the target. What is going on?

I love movies as well as mysteries, so this combination of the two was right up my alley. It’s a very fun book as well. The pacing was a bit off, but never for very long at a time, and the mystery led up to a great solution. The characters are strong and human, not the over the top characters we can get somethings when movie stars are involved. I’m definitely looking forward to the next in the series.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What it's all about...

This book is about Penelope and her movie catering company...Red Carpet Catering. This is the first book in the series...although I accidentally read the second book first. Penelope has the ability to get enmeshed in the lives of the people and events around her. In this one she is in New Jersey catering her first movie. Her bestie...Arlena...is the main actress on this movie. While searching for their dog Zazoo in a sudden snowstorm...Penelope literally trips and falls onto the dead body of a young girl. Who is she? Why is she near Arlena's house? And within days it seems as though someone is trying to get rid of Arlena. Several attempts are made on her life. Does this dead young girl have any relationship to Arlena? Arlena's movie star father has had quite a few relationships with quite a few women over the years...with the result of those relationships being quite a few children.

Why I wanted to read it...

I just finished the other book this author wrote with the same characters...different movie...and I loved it! This book has that same nice fast pace. I also like this author's writing style. I am also excited that she has a new book...in this same series...coming out in June.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

Penelope is a lively character. She is a perfectionist and a list maker. I loved the foodie parts and I loved her Nancy Drew like personality. I loved her budding relationship with Joey The Detective. The murder of the young girl as well as the attempts to get rid of Arlena are intriguing as well as believable. I really did not want to stop reading this book.

Why you might want to read it, too...

Readers who love a great cozy mystery will really enjoy this book. Foodies will love this book, too. I liked the relationships. I liked the plot. I liked the real ness of this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this little cozy mystery and the characters involved! I think it's one of my new favs to come out of Henery Press. Of course, I get excited about anything that has to do with celebrity. This was my first book by this author and I just loved the writing and the characters. I see that there are more coming on the horizon and I can't wait to read them.

I definitely recommend this first installment. It was short, sweet, fun and very entertaining. Shawn Reilly Simmons has given us new characters that I see only getting better in the future!

Thanks to Henery Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I had such an enjoyable and entertaining time reading this one!

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

The catering business combined with the cozy mystery genre make me think this would be a fun read. Too bad it fell a bit flat for me. The catering business was something I did like, it was interesting to get a view of how that worked and I liked that the main character was a chef and business owner. I also thought the movie filming setting was interesting as I know very little of that it was interesting to get a glimpse of that work. I also thought it was fun with how the main character actually was more of a side character if that makes sense, her best friend was the one who played in the movie and where the killer was after and she was more on the sidelines, which I liked and made for an interesting perspective.

So someone get's killed close by where the main character and her best friend live. The main character finds the body and wants to know who killed her. Then her best friend seems to keep getting in accidents and they suspect it's not really an accident maybe. There are a few clues the main character picks up and she helps solve the mystery a bit, but I wasn't really a fan of how the mystery was handled. It felt like it stayed a bit on the sidelines and the actual resolution to the mystery felt a bit lame. The reasonings where a bit far fetched and it made me a bit sad a girl was killed because of that, it just felt silly. I had guessed correctly who the murderer was and thought it was kinda obvious with how that person acted.

I liked the characters well enough, but didn't really care for them. I did like how the main character was a chef and owned her catering business. I didn't really care for her best friend. There is a big cast of side characters, but they all stayed a bit flat. I never felt like I really could connect with them or cared about them. So that made it hard to fully enjoy this book.

There is a bit of a romance, but it doesn't really pick up until the end of the book and I think it will be more important then. There was a hint of a love triangle, but it was obvious who the main character was interested in. So I wasn't really sure why the other guy was necessary and I felt a bit sorry for him. There are some actions of characters and scenes that felt just a bit off, a bit unrealistic or weird. same with the romance there's this scene she kisses someone and someone else notices it and then they never talk about it anymore.

Also something worth mentioning is that this book was pretty different from most cozy mysteries I read, most of those have a small town setting. This one didn't really focus on the setting, but more on the jobs of the characters and their relationships. It was an interesting approach, although I would've liked to get more of a feel for the setting and it lacked that cozy and comfortable feel as it was set in a big city instead.

To summarize: This book didn't fully work for me. I liked the catering business and movie filming part of the story and learning more about those two topics. The mystery fel a bit flat to me, there wasn't much focus on the mystery and I guessed early on who the murderer was. I didn't really care or connect with the characters, which made it a bit more difficult to get into the story. there's a hint of romance, which probably will be developed more in the next book. I thought it would go into love triangle direction for a bit, but by the end of the book I was pretty sure it wouldn't go there. The setting isn't a small town like most cozy mysteries, but a bigger city. I would've liked to get a bit more of a feel for the setting, but it was interesting to have a mystery book set there. It did lack the cozy and comfortable feel a bit. It's more a 2.5 stars, but rounded it up as I didn't really dislike it, but more that I didn't really care or get into the story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it very much!

The story was very good! Penelope is just starting a new business, and her new friend Arlena is trying to help her out. She tells Penny that she can come and live with her in her big house in Glendale, NJ, Penny can start her business with Arlena's help and not have to pay rent. She will be working on the movie that Arlena is working on so they will have the same schedules.

It looks like everything will be working out for both of them. Everything seems to be going ok until a dead body is found on their front lawn in the snow. Once the body is identified things start to fall apart.

The book is very good and keeps everyone's attention until the killer is identified at the end of the book. I would recommend the book to all my friends and family. It is well worth your time to read it.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging murder mystery with interesting, complex characters. The main character is a caterer who is providing the food for a movie shoot. Her best friend is the lead actress. There is of course, murder and mayhem involved. The writing is fun, quirky and engaging. The character development between the lead character and her love interest is well done and believable. This book has several of my favorite things at the forefront: movies, murder, and food prep. Although I had a few quibbles with some details, as a first novel this is a great read. I look forward to the next installment in the series!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book Red Carpet Catering and personal cook Penelope Sutherland for a movie starlet, Arlena stumbles over a dead body near their home. Events spiral out of control and accidents on the set continue to bother the movie set. The dead girl resembles Arlena. I found this book hard to put down. The changes that occurred made figuring the answer difficult. It surprised me.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from HENERY PRESS through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review the book. The opinIons are my own.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not always easy to give a 5 star review. I am usually known to give 4 stars and it takes a whole lot for me to actually hit the fifth star.
As soon as I read the first few lines in this story, I knew it was destined to receive all 5 stars.
Penelope is such a likeable character, she is strong, independent and loyal. She happens to be the personal chef to film star Arlena, as well as having her own catering business.
Lucky for Penelope, she is working as caterer on the new set of Arlena's movie.
When Zazoo, Arlena's dog runs off during a storm, Penelope begins to search for him and stumbles across a body in the road.
Thinking it must have been an accident, Penelope tries to shake the gruesome image from her head and focus on the job.
When attempts are made on Arlena's life, Penelope begins to try to put the puzzle pieces together. Her reconnection to her childhood friend brings just the right amount of romance to the story.
I am thrilled that I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
I will definitely be reading more books in this series.

The author has done a great job of writing this story and her style of writing makes this an intriguing story.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep snow in New Jersey is almost enough to obscure the body of a teen girl. Chasing her runaway dog, a caterer comes across the body.
Our protagonist provides what sounds like great food to a film set. Baked salmon, salad plates, roast lamb with rosemary and garlic roast potatoes.... Getting stopped at four in the morning by a policewoman determined to prove that she's driving to work drunk doesn't help, while the publicity attached to filming, and catastrophes like a star actress being run over, don't help.

The writing is at times very realistic and absorbing. We see the work behind the glamour. And we try to figure out why the dead girl sent away for a DNA test and who killed her.
I spotted one of my pet peeves, 'she discretely removed her gun' when this should read discreetly.
I was sent an e-ARC by Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book right off the bat. We find that Arlena and Penelope are friends, but even more than that, Penelope is Arlena's personal Chef who runs her own business as well catering to movie sets. Typically the ones that Arlena works on primarily. When the power goes out one night, and Arlena's dog gets out, what happens? Who ends up coming into, or is that back into Penelope's life? Who are Sam and Max? Things get really interesting as more information about Holly Anderson comes to light. What incidents have happened on the set of Arlena's new movie that she's the principal actress in? Who is behind all that is going on? Why are they doing it? Who are they trying to hurt? What happens? You're going to need to read this really interesting book and find out what happens. It was a real treat to read (pun intended), considering one of the primary players is a Chef. Enjoy it! I did. Cannot wait to read more!

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Sutherland is the personal chef and best friend of Arlena Madison. Arlena is an up-and-coming actress who, up until this point, has always starred in B-movies, but is being given her first big break. She and Arlena share a house in Glendale, New Jersey. On this night, during what may turn out to be a blizzard, Arlena's dog Zazoo has escaped, running out into the snow. Both women go out to search for him, in the hopes they can find him before he freezes to death. After a short time Arlena heads back toward the house in the hopes he may be returning, and Penelope continues on. Soon after, Penelope sees a motionless white furry object half-buried, and is afraid it might be the little dog. Moving forward, she calls his name, and when he doesn't respond, she reaches for him and falls into the snow...but it's not Zazoo...it's a hat, and it belongs to the dead girl lying next to her.

When Detective Joseph Baglioni arrives to investigate, Penelope recognizes him as an old friend from grade school. However, with a dead body at the forefront, there's no time to reminisce about the past. After determining neither of the women recognized the girl, the police leave them to try and get some sleep, and they figure this will be the end of them hearing about the death...but it is not to be.

Once they discover the identity of the dead girl, Holly Anderson, they discover that she has an amazing resemblance to Arlena, but neither woman knows her. It also happens that Arlena's father, a famous actor, has had several wives (not to mention girlfriends) and children who live in different states. While he readily supports all of them, he too maintains he's never heard of nor seen her before, nor does he recognize the name. And when it is discovered the girl was murdered right outside Arlena's home, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to the death than meets the eye.

Then a series of circumstances arise: Arlena's half-brother Max arrives, and finds out about the 'accidents' which have suddenly befallen Arlena, and alerts her father, Randall Madison, who appears almost on the heels of Max.

What ensues is a captivating mystery surrounding the film industry. We meet Penelope Sutherland, a strong, intelligent woman who is beginning to get her Red Carpet Catering company in full swing and doesn't shirk work to investigate a murder. Her friend Arlena Madison is somewhat more fragile; being an actress who is trying to be taken seriously in a business not known for sensitivity, she shows us she has morals (she won't appear topless) and does her best to keep going regardless of what is occurring around her. In fact, the only flaw I found with Arlena was the fact that she was too perfect, as described by Penelope (perfect hair, body, feet, face, etc.). I've seen actresses without makeup or camera touch ups, and none of them have been that perfect. But indeed, this could be only Penelope's perception of Arlena anyway.

For you romantics, there was a bit of a love triangle toward the middle of the book, but nothing that was unbelievable nor distracting to the story. In fact, it only showed Penelope reasoning things out in her mind and making a decision that was right for her at the time. I found Arlena's father Randall to be a hoot, he seemed like such a friendly and happy-go-lucky person who still took his responsibilities seriously, and he's someone I would like to know (on a platonic basis, of course - he does have a way with the ladies).

I also found it interesting that there was an intrigue afoot within the murder. More than meets the eye, as it were. Without giving too much away, I will venture to say this: don't assume that all the questions lead up to one answer.

Ms. Simmons has given us quite a good beginning to a new series; she manages to create characters that are both believable and likable, while weaving in small tidbits of movie-making and what is involved in catering food to a movie crew. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review but this in no way influenced my decision.

http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016...

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Some series can be read out of order as a one-off. Others will confuse you completely if you read them in any way but chronological order. I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing books that were written after this one but this is the first time I picked up the inaugural story. It is still a series that could be read stand-alone but I must admit knowing the backstory gives an added appreciation of the characters.
If being a chef to the stars on movie sets wasn't enough, being the best friend, personal chef and room-mate of a big star provides lots of opportunity for adventures..
Penelope runs Red Carpet Catering and when she finds a teenage girl dead in a snowdrift outside of the home she shares with her best friend, things go from bad to worse as attempts on the star's life nearly shut down the movie set. The one good thing is reconnecting with a childhood friend, a local copy. True course of true love and criminal investigations never runs smoothly and there are lots of ups and downs before the mysteries are solved and murderer revealed.
I like that Penelope helps but does not try to solve the crimes thereby putting herself and everyone around her in danger. She is smart and savvy and grounded. The other characters including the Hollywood stars come across as real as well, albeit some of them have some major idiosyncrasies. One recurring theme in this book is that actions have consequences that were never considered when decision were made. There is always a price to pay.
Now that I have caught up with the origin story, I am looking forward to future tales even more. I give this four purrs and two paws up.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penelope Sutherland and her Red Carpet Catering company are doing the meals for a new film. When she goes outside to hunt for Arlena's missing dog she discovers a dead body in a snowdrift. When major accidents start happening on the set it seems Arlena is the next target and Penelope must find out who's sabotaging the movie before they both end up dead. The food they serve sounds delicious and hopefully the book will have a few recipes. I enjoyed the story and liked how Ms. Simmons weaved the food and movie industry into a nice cozy mystery with lots of drama and clues to follow. Will look for more of her books, this was the first in the Red Carpet Catering series.

[HENERY PRESS PUBLISHING]

“Loved this book! The characters are well-drawn and it’s cleverly plotted. Totally engrossing…I felt as though I was actually on a movie set. The author is well-versed in her setting and she is able to keep the reader in suspense. I can't wait for the second book in the series.” – Marianna Heusler, Edgar-Nominated Author

[Niyati Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing book! I could not stop reading it! It was so well written!

I feel bad I didn't take the others when they were up on NetGalley. Pen seems like the best character ever and I want to read her adventures even further.

Absolutely enjoyed this one. This is a light and well written cozy.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

[Bette Stanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on a Silver Platter, aka Murder on the Red Carpet, by Shawn Reilly Simmons is a wonderfully planned out cozy mystery. It centers around Arlena and Penelope. Arlena is an aspiring actress who has just gotten her big break. Penelope runs a catering business for movie sets. They happen to be roommates and best friends.

All is going well until Zazoo, Arlena’s pampered pup, runs away one snowy night. In the search, Penelope stumbles across the body of a young girl buried in the snow in front of their house. Things become stranger from there.

The characters are relatable, fun, and real. The story moves quickly with just enough twists and turns to keep things more than interesting. Since this is the first book in the series, I’m not sure if they can be read out of order. I get the feeling that this is one of those series that will build on prior books. However, if they are read out of order you won’t be totally lost, you just may not have the complete backstory. This is a series I’ll be reading more of!

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new series - Red Carpet Catering Mysteries! The characters are normal, likeable, & interesting - a great combination. The plot and storyline are awesome and easy to follow as it all unfolds. There are several things going on at once and a twist to keep things interesting. The story moves along at a perfect pace and I was hooked from page 1. It is exactly what I like in a cozy mystery- good characters with some common sense, good mystery, but not scary and a little romance. Penelope is a chef working and living with actress Arlana. The dog escapes in a snow storm and while out looking, Penelope finds a dead body of a girl. Detective Joseph (Joey) Baglioni arrives to investigate. Penelope and Joey were friends in school. Then bad things start happening on the movie set where Penelope and Arlana both work. And the mystery takes off. Awesome new series and welll worth reading! Exactly the kind of cozy mystery I enjoy!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a young girl is found murdered outside of actress Arlena Madison’s home, then someone starts attacking Arlena also, friend and personal chef Penelope Sutherland tries to figure out who has it in for her friend.
It turns out that Holly Anderson might have been one of her famous father’s many children.
This is an enjoyable story with developed characters and a bit of humor added in as well.
My only issue with the story was the similarity of two of the characters names which caused me to need to backtrack several times.

[Melisende · Rating 2 out of 5]

Murder on a movie set? Not the first and most assuredly not the last. In this cosy mystery, Penelope Sutherland and her Red Carpet Catering company are on the set of a film starring her best friend Arlena. However, when Arlena becomes a victim of a number of "accidents" and then poison and production is shut down, Penelope takes things personally and decides to take things into her own hands. An afternoon's escapism and the first in a series.

[Wendy H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the The Red Carpet Catering Mysteries. This one introduces the series and is the perfect example of a cozy mystery. It has suspense, characters you’ll love, romance in the shape of a hit detective and a murderer I genuinely didn’t see coming. This is the second I have read in this series and I will certainly be reading the remainder. Simmons is master of the genre, evident in every word of this book.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in the A Red Carpet Catering Mystery series. Penelope runs a catering business. She's got a new job as the on-set caterer for a movie. All is good until a dead body is discovered outside her house. As more things happen, Penelope has to find the killer to prove her innocence. A light and enjoyable cozy mystery.

[K-BRC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catering Series opener: catering the filming of her best friend’s new show has big problems when a body turns up on doorstep and the star is poisoned. Caterer as a detective was a cute option like a Joanne Fluke tale.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set around a movie set in New Jersey. The main character,Penelope Sutherland, is the catering chef and friend of the lead actress. There is a murder but it takes second place to the accidents that are happening to the lead actress. The story was an entertaining read.

[Kate McDougall Sackler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute cozy mystery where, refreshingly, the main character doesn’t solve the mystery on the side. I liked how the author is also a movie set caterer just like Penelope.
2024 nursery rhyme reading challenge-platter
BWOT challenge - S

[Denyse Loeb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow pacing, repeating information, and a writing style that didn't engage me had me giving up on this one early.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

An amusing read. The plot was extremely predictable and the writing was not exciting. But, something to read.

[Kathy Kennerley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun. The characters were a nice mix; the story line played out well.

[Janis Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Henery Press for a free ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review.

Gosh, what is there to say about this book? I had a REAL love hate relationship with it, I can tell you that!

I liked the tone of the cosy crime that it set out to be. The pace was good, the characters mostly engaging and that side of it – it was great.

But I just can’t get over the whole crab dip incident. Throughout the book we are warned of one of the main characters seafood/ shellfish allergy (it kept chopping and changing between the two). But, right near the start of the book, the woman hired to be that character’s chef (our main protagonist) and someone who knew all about the allergy tells her about CRAB DIP in the fridge… Uh, okay? You can get shellfish free crab dip these days? And please don’t say it was to warn the person with the severe allergy so she wouldn’t eat it – it was her house. If it was such a bad allergy, those items would be nowhere NEAR the house. Trust me on this… allergies and intolerances rule mine and my family’s life. The whole crab dip incident just really put me off enjoying the book.

Yes it could be first series jitters, but seriously, where was the editor/ proof reader on that one? As it was an ARC I really do hope that and the other typos and spelling mistakes were tidied up… but that one was a real clanger to me.

All the same, I did enjoy it mostly and got to the end of it wondering if there were more books in the series… so it wasn’t all bad.

Would I recommend this book to others?
Maybe. It really did have its moments and a lot of it was fun and entertaining reading. It just got me off on the wrong foot and I couldn’t settle in and enjoy it as much after that and so can’t say for sure whether I truly would suggest it.

Would I buy this book for myself?
No. Yes I saw potential in most of it, and yes I would consider looking for the next book in the series to see if it got any better… but not enough to race out and buy it. Maybe if I saw it in the library and didn’t have a mountain high TBR pile – maybe then I would borrow it. Maybe not.

In summary: It had all the right things to potentially make it a great little cosy crime mystery. It just needed a proof reader to clean up that mess at the beginning that put me off enjoying the rest of the book as much as I wanted to. I will say, this series has potential… but I can’t see myself racing out to confirm it.