Welcome to Magnolia Bluff, Georgia—where the tea is sweet, the biscuits are buttery, and murder is on the menu.
When beloved diner owner Gracie Jenkins is found dead beside a pot of buttered grits, the sheriff calls it an accident. But four feisty women from the Books & Biscuits Club aren’t buyin’ it. Between gossip, book club nights, and a few too many casseroles, June Mae and her friends uncover secrets stickier than peach preserves—and soon realize someone in town would kill to keep them quiet.
Kiss My Grits, It’s Murder is a laugh-out-loud Southern cozy mystery filled with charm, friendship, and a dash of danger. Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, Ellery Adams, and all things sweet tea and small town.
I loved the idea, but it wasn't done well. There were so many butter/biscuit/Southern cliches that it was distracting. The computer-generated audio version was absolutely terrible. I have a hard time supporting authors who use AI for their work. It was bad enough that I will not continue the series.
At first, I was thrilled with the wonderful southernisms in this book. “That woman’s secret ingredient has always been gossip. She couldn’t serve a plate without seasoning it with a rumor.” "My cousin’s neighbor’s uncle was there." Delicious.
But it didn't take too long for them to slow down the story, making it difficult to read. They started popping up in every other sentence, and many of them didn't even make sense. "The smell of cornbread filled June Mae Hatcher's kitchen like forgiveness." "And in this town, honey's spelled g-r-i-t-s." Huh?
And then there were lines like "Something about those three words—ask Don—gnawed." Halfway through the book, the protagonist's husband shows up. He's never mentioned before then, even though most of the plot happens in their house at all hours. In fact, we really don't know anything about June Mae Hatcher or any of the rest of the characters at all. Other than the fact that they can't complete a sentence without adding justice, crime, butter, or biscuits to the end.
Pleasant read with strong Southern issues. The four friends find themselves horrified at the death of a local business woman. They always believe it's murder, but the sheriff calls it accidental and threatens them as they find connections with several local people. The denouement is a little dissatisfying.