A Literary Dining Mystery: Book 2
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
In a beautiful mountain community near Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients’ favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success—if a murderer isn’t a killjoy . . .
If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie’s business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await . . .
Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie’s best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan’s prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie’s tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it’s the cat’s meow.
Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she’s summoned to his estate for a meeting—and finds him dead.
Once again Allie’s landed in the middle of a crime scene. Worse, one of her earrings is later discovered near the body. And when police learn she was upset about the mall, she’s suspect #1. Allie’s blossoming sleuthing skills once cleared Tegan’s name, but can she save herself—before a killer writes her a not-so-great Gatsbyesque ending . . .
Allie Catt’s literary-themed dinner parties are a smash, and the latest, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, with Art Deco and Jazz as the focus, is sure to be a hit in Author Daryl Wood Gerber’s Murder by the Millions, the second book in the Literary Dining Mystery series.
Storylines that include reading, books, and food are among my favorites, and this one had all of them. The story moved at a good pace, the writing was excellent, and the dialogue between the characters was realistic.
I enjoyed the quotes at the top of each chapter from The Great Gatsby, and they set the tone for each chapter.
I loved the name Ally Catt, our main protagonist. That was such a clever name. I liked her as a character because she was authentic and relatable. The author used several unusual names throughout the book, which was a fun element.
The mystery was well-plotted and well-conceived, and the story kept me engaged throughout.
The Roaring Twenties try to make a comeback, but a murder may derail those plans in Murder by the Millions.
Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle.
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Lori, thanks for the lovely review. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story. ~ Daryl
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