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The Diner of the Dead #3

Sinister Strawberry Waffle

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Sometimes when you go digging… You find more than you bargained for. Just when it seems that things have finally quieted down for diner owner Sonja Reed, a threatening note is slipped under her door, which spurs a series of spine-tingling events. A simple landscaping project at the diner goes terribly awry. A local businessman is murdered, and amateur sleuth Sonja finds herself in the midst of her most perplexing and dangerous mystery yet. Will she figure out whodunit? Or will her business and life fall to ruin at the hands of some very mysterious forces? Find out in this fast-paced Paranormal Cozy Mystery!

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2016

33 people are currently reading
107 people want to read

About the author

Carolyn Q. Hunter

66 books54 followers

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5 stars
112 (59%)
4 stars
48 (25%)
3 stars
21 (11%)
2 stars
3 (1%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Sabine.
602 reviews90 followers
June 17, 2017
The 3rd book in this series is my favourite so far. It was fast paced and kept my interest. Now I just need a few more suspects in each mystery to make it a bit more difficult to spot the murderer. I like the hint of romance coming up between Sonja and the Sheriff.
Profile Image for Dawn.
570 reviews12 followers
August 9, 2016
Sonya is hopeful for life to return to normal starting with working on the landscaping around the restaurant. This plan gets slightly derailed when a threatening note is slid under her door. She soon learns the landscaper has received a threatening phone message. What or who could be behind these threats? It isn’t long before Sonya is pushed by a spirit to unravel a crime long forgotten by the town. Sonya also agrees to a date with an unlikely suitor.

This series continues to pull the reader into its web. The main character maintains long term friendships while developing new relationships. The plot moves at a steady pace. I look forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Bonnie Dale Keck.
4,677 reviews58 followers
March 24, 2017
Kindle Unlimited, takes forever to get the actual story started, and not even because setting up needed backdrop information, just sluggishly slow and boring, full of one dimensional cardboard characters and plots.All the detail seems to be saved for the parts that matter the least to the actual story. Unbelievable situations and gotten in to by cardboard characters with equally unbelievable although you saw it coming a mile away 'solutions' along with ridiculously fake 'relationship' tensions.

By the way, when you have a baby as a character, at least decide and stick to whether it's a boy or a girl, and not change it in various sentences from her to him. Also useless made up drama, it adds nothing to a story, except my distaste for it. Blah blah blah, akin to the sound of the adults in a snoopy video. By the way again, few other points; plastic does not melt 'on contact' when thrown even in to a fireplace, the person in the photo is not the person in the photo uh huh, cheap cameraman is also besides the point unless meant cheap camera and it's not much of a point, Why would a place in a book series titled diner of the dead be decorated in 50's style, and gouda waffles uh yuck and I like smoked gouda but it would not go good in a waffle and even worse in crepe type and would be pretty bland and even more bland as a crumbled topping as unlike the description claims it is neither savory nor sweet but smoky, along with more blah blah useless filler crap, and someone can't make a crepe in a regular waffle iron anyway one uses a crepe maker which the writer would know if she had done any actual research for a restaurant which supposedly serves waffles and seemingly some type of crepes. Somebody waiting tables would not be messing with garbage even if bagged up, and on and on, though 10 mind yet painfully numbing useless 'books' all the cookie cutter ridiculously pathetically the same.

Would like to extend my congratulation to the 'writer' of this mess, as before now have never given a 1 to well whatever genre this mess is supposed to have been, saving the 1's for very bad sci-fi romances that are bad excuses for printing crap.For a 'writer' who supposedly has not only a degree but a BA in English, so not able to tell that nor the supposed creative writing credentials claimed, and which obviously did not include anything on how to research anything at all.How can someone who has been away from the town for years still be involved or linked in just about every possible way to every possible case, and how many cases could there even reasonably be in that small of a town.

Listing a Never Read this Crap list of the 10 'books' in The Diner of the Dead Series
The Wicked Waffle: Book 1 - Battered and Buttered Waffle: Book 2 Sinister Strawberry Waffle: Book 3 - The Wayward Waffle: Book 4 - Pumpkin Pie Waffle: Book - Turkey and Terror: Book 6 - Creepy Christmas Waffle: Book 7- Birthday Cake Waffle: Book 8 - Spooky Sweetheart Waffle: Book 9 - Eerie Irish Waffle Book 10
3,092 reviews13 followers
April 18, 2024
Somebody doesn't want Sonja Reed to landscape the area around her diner.
She, and the landscaping company, have both been threatened.
“Sinister Strawberry Waffle”, third in the 'Diner of the Dead' series, has the same problem as the others - it's too short, there is little or no character development, and the paranormal element is very hit and miss.
It's far from a bad read, it's just completely unremarkable – I'll have forgotten it tomorrow.
2 Stars.
Profile Image for Dawn.
399 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2018
This book was a variation of the contained murder mysteries, but instead of all of the book is limited to one scene, we only have the murder being segregated. The reason behind the murder was interesting but a classic story of greed. I found that the murderer was a little obvious early on, but I feel like I say that all the time.

Profile Image for Nicole Krause.
50 reviews2 followers
March 21, 2018
Cute series

The idea behind the books is a good one and the stories are short and fun, but there always seems to be things missing in the telling. It gets a little hard to overlook some of the procedural mistakes, but it’s not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
Profile Image for Anita Burkett.
Author 5 books70 followers
May 22, 2018
It was a little spooky . :) It had me wondering what was going on in the beginning. lol
Profile Image for Kristen.
1,264 reviews16 followers
October 7, 2018
This was better than the first two in the series. It was longer and therefore didn't feel so rushed. They're still fairly light mysteries,but perfect for my late-night insomnia.
Profile Image for Virginia Carol Lewis.
1 review
October 22, 2022
Loved It!

The author had me until the very end! And now I’m moving straight into the next book in the series…
1,444 reviews11 followers
October 10, 2016
Good book

I enjoyed reading this book. When I first began to read this series I was not into the characters but the more I read the more I liked. I even went back and read the first one again.
Profile Image for Lauren D..
176 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2016
OMG I LOVED BOOK 3!!!!! I loved it so much that I am going to say it write it again. I LOVED BOOK 3!!!

In book 3 we find Sonja trying to fix up the diner a little more but surprisingly she is being threatened and someone does not want her to landscape around the diner. You might find that odd but what's really odd is the fact that the landscaper is being threatened as well. What is Sonja to do? Is she going to let someone "bully" her into not making the diner more modern? Of course not but when a ghost pays Sonja a visit and then the landscaper ends up dead, Sonja has no choice but to solve this murder before anybody else gets hurt.

As I was reading this book, I came to realize that towards the end of Chapter 3 reminded me of the movie The Sixth Sense when Hayley Joel Osment was laying in the bed, wrapped up in a blanket. I won't give anymore away in case you want to watch the movie/read the book but OMG this book was amazing. There's more...The food description, OMG I am in LOVE. I seriously want to open a diner. Yes Sonja can cook but as the saying goes, "she gets it from her mama." I mean I could seriously live in Haunted Falls and never leave. You have the Strawberry waffles but there is another one known as the Cristo Waffle. It's a play on the Monte Cristo Sandwich but instead of bread you're using a more savory waffle.

Carolyn Q. Hunter, your series is having me jump at every nose I hear but also hungry at the same time. I am just blow away by how you leave us wanting more at the end of every book and for this to be your 3rd book it blows me away. I was never into paranormal books before but now I can not shy away from them. You just give us a little bit of scare without going over the top. I can not wait for book 4. Honestly I can see you coming up with a cookbook in the future, that is how awesome the recipes sound in this series.
Profile Image for Karen Wright.
605 reviews4 followers
July 6, 2016
The best yet in the series! I couldn't put it down! Sonja and the Waffle are back and things are just getting creepier. Ally and her mom keep thinking that she and Sherriff Thompson have something going and get a let down when she explains that once again, it's just business. She has been threatened to cancel a new landscaping contract in order to spruce up the Waffle. The landscaper has been threatened as well but the problems are just about to start. Sonja thinks another ghost is trying to get her attention when it keeps unlocking the door after closing. Only she escapes and finds the landscaper dead outside of the diner. She accidentally also stumbles on an old missing person case of a beauty queen and thinks it may have something to do with the recent murder. She once again is the target of the murderer and may not be able to stop sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. This was a really good story and fast paced. Reading about the food at the diner always makes me hungry and this time was no exception. I couldn't help but think while I was reading this how much has gone on in the small town in such a short time and I am really getting attached to the characters with each book I finish. This is one of my favorite series to read and I have a feeling it's only going to get more interesting.
Profile Image for Penny Marks.
363 reviews13 followers
July 9, 2016
Another great fast paced read that I couldn't put down. This series has me hooked! Each of these books are full of mystery,suspense,and of course murder. This one has even more awaiting you, secrets long buried, frightening nightmares for Sonja, and the spirit world ready to lend a hand. Loved this book!
Sonja has decided it is time to give the outside of the diner a facelift. She has asked a local company Merrill, Macklin's Landscaping and more to take care of all the weeds and dead grass. Then something strange happens and both Sonja and Bill Merrill are given warnings to not do the job and to hire someone else? Weird??? Little do both of them know that someone wants to keep not only the grass dead but one or both of them! Lots of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat in the small town where things go bump in the night.
I am looking forward to book four.
Profile Image for Kristine .
1,803 reviews12 followers
July 9, 2016
This is book 3 in The Diner of the Dead series, it's fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Sonja is wanting to fix up the landscaping around the diner so she hires local company to complete the job. Sonja and the local landscaper both receive messages warning them away from the job, this starts off a chain of events that leads to a series of unfortunate events.

This is a fast paced story that keep you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of suspense and an solved disappearance from years before. I enjoy watching the characters grow and evolve in this series. I can't wait to read what happens next!

I received a copy of this manuscript from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Pat Plummer.
133 reviews
July 7, 2016
Wanting #4

This third installment of the Diner of the Dead series was marvelous. The talent of the author to draw such h a vivid picture true is great. The in and outs of the mortals and spirits involved were well done and kept me asking "Is it real?" Sonya and her mother continue their somewhat strained relationship until Sonya realizes that, no matter the age, a girl. Needs her Mom and Mom needs her little girl. One lesson learned is the grass is not always greener, and another, "Frank-ly my dear...
Please let #4 come soon. I see I HOP visits in the next few days.
Profile Image for Geneva.
676 reviews8 followers
July 16, 2016
Carolyn has again given us some fine reading, although short, it was a very interesting story. In Sinister Strawberry Waffle, (Book 3) of the Haunted Falls series, looks like Sonja and her mom may become friends, after all. Is there a romance brewing between Sonja and the sheriff?
Even though I new who the murderer was early on, still love to read about the goings on of this cute little town.
Excited about #4.

Thanks Carolyn for such great reading.
Profile Image for Star ☔️.
503 reviews
July 13, 2016
This book is spookylicious! The thrills and chills are ramping up in book 3 of The Diner of the Dead Series. Dead bodies are popping up, Sonja's receiving threats, and hauntings are ensuing. This is a really fun paranormal/culinary series! The publisher provided me with a complimentary ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Anne G. Kasaba.
1,924 reviews9 followers
July 7, 2016
Hauntingly good cozy

Sonja simply wants to run her diner with her friends. She seems to be able to sense spirits that need help getting justice and her sleuthing gene won't rest until they do. Add to that a Sheriff who may just want more than a friendship and you have some fun read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
2,820 reviews20 followers
July 7, 2016
Great read

I just love this series. It draws me in from the very first pages. I was stumped by who the killer was in this one and what their motive was. The ending left me wanting more. Can't wait until book #4.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion, and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
Profile Image for Kathy Kirkland.
163 reviews12 followers
July 13, 2016
Another tasty addition to this delightful cozy mystery series in Haunted Falls!
Fast paced and guaranteed to make you drool over the thought of all those waffles in the middle of night!
Read them in order or not. Each book is a stand alone cozy mystery. But, I'll venture a guess that you'll be hooked into reading them all and be chomping at the bit waiting for another one!!
Profile Image for Teri.
661 reviews5 followers
July 21, 2016
I loved this series. I was very upset I didn't have a longer wait in the doctors office to read more but came home and finished it. Love Sonja and really hope her and Frank end up together they seem like a good match. I can't wait to find out who is haunting the cafe too. Very ready for the next book to come out!
41 reviews
July 21, 2016
An amazing new author

Summer Prescott publishing does it again. Carolyn Hunter is a very good writer, she keeps your interest peaked and wanting more. This is a paranormal cozy that will have you wanting more and hearing ghosts!!! Don't be afraid, they won't hurt you they just need some help ;)
11 reviews
July 7, 2016
Awesome

This is an enjoyable series. I can't stop reading once I start. The book has unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
363 reviews2 followers
July 21, 2016
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review**

Such an addicting series, yet somehow, this time, I figured out the murder before there was even a murder. Yeah, I know, it doesn't make sense to me, either. But that didn't take away from how enjoyable the book was.
816 reviews4 followers
November 4, 2016
I loved this book. It's a fast fun read with lots of twists and turns. Sonya can't seem to stay out of murder investigations, no matter how hard she tries. Maybe there are other reasons she keeps getting involved.
Profile Image for Robin Mallory.
33 reviews20 followers
July 28, 2016
I am in love with these characters and the paranormal features are thrilling.
Profile Image for Lynne Moody.
452 reviews152 followers
July 17, 2016
Awesome read

Loved all the fun and quirky characters that keep me interested with ever turn . The storyline is a great read for all cozy reader's :)
210 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2016
Very good read

I enjoyed this story very much. I hope to read more about Frank and Sonja and how they are starting to work together as close friends in solving murders.
46 reviews1 follower
August 12, 2016
Great book

Looking forward to your next book in this series. Hope it's coming out very soon, like in the next couple of months
302 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2016
Nicely written

I thought the plot was good, the new characters good and the ghost was cute. Ala in all a good fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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