Monday, June 5, 2017

New Release -- The Great Chili Kill-Off by Livia J. Washburn

The chili in Texas is red-hot . . . and so is murder!

Phyllis, Sam, Carolyn, and Eve head for West Texas to compete in a Fourth of July chili cookoff. Thousands of people have descended on a sleepy little ghost town, turning it into a boomtown for chili mavens, gamblers, musicians, and media. Raucous excitement fills the air, but so does chili when a sabotaged propane cooker explodes, killing the much-hated current champion. The victim leaves behind a tangled trail of sleeping with other men’s wives, cheating at cards – and maybe at chili cooking – and deadly anger.  With Sam a possible suspect in the murder, emotions run hot as a bowl of Texas red as Phyllis has to untangle these threads in order to put her finger on the killer!


Livia J. Washburn's beloved Fresh Baked Mystery series is back with another novel full of tasty recipes, dastardly doings, and brilliant sleuthing by Phyllis Newsom and her friends. THE GREAT CHILI KILL-OFF is a delicious dish of murder and detection.

EXCERPT:

     “Are you sure this is the right way?” Carolyn asked. “This road doesn’t look like it leads anywhere.”
     “Isn’t this the way a lot of horror movies start out?” Eve added.
     “This is the way the GPS said to go,” Sam told them.
     “Yes,” Carolyn replied, “but you said you didn’t trust the thing!”
     Sam smiled and said, “Don’t worry, we’re headin’ the right way. I studied the map real good before we ever started. At least this road’s paved . . . sort of. There are plenty out here that aren’t.”
     The smaller road wound through low, rocky hills. In places the route was cut through bluffs and ridges, so that rough walls loomed on both sides of the vehicle. They rattled over a couple of old plank bridges spanning deep, dry washes. Phyllis thought the landscape looked a lot like that in the Western movies Sam loved so much.
     The sun was still hanging just above the mountains to the west when the pickup went through a saddle in some rolling hills and the road dropped down a long slope into a broad valley.
     “There it is,” Sam said. “Cactus Bluff.”
     “Oh, my,” Phyllis said.


     

15 comments:

  1. I can't wait to get a chance to read this, Livia! Super cover, as always!

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    1. As busy as you stay, I expect it'll take a while. Thanks Cheryl.

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  2. I know this is going to be a wonderful story and the cover is "killer". Sorry. I couldn't help myself.
    I wish you all the best, Livia.

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  3. Sounds great and glad to see Phyllis and the gang back, can't help but love them!

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    1. I'm glad others feel the same about them as I do. They've become family for me.

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  4. I wasn't aware that cooking chili could be used as a murder weapon. This is fabulous. *grin*

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    1. Thanks Kaye. This was a plot I actually had when I originally created the series. There was a bidding war to buy the series between NAL and St. Martin. NAL offered the best deal, but then the editor changed the cooking contest to baking, and that took the chili plot out of the mix. I was happy to have a chance to bring it back.

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    1. Thanks Deborah. I really appreciate the support you give other authors. Amazing!

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  6. I love who done its. And the cute little camper on the cover. So 1960's. Best wishes Livia.

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    1. The characters are pretty 1960's, too. LOL! Thanks Barb.

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  7. This sounds like a fun book...and I do like chili.

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  8. Livia, I just love the cover, just so darn cute that it draws you right in. And the story sounds more than intriguing and lots of fun for sure. Looking forward to this one for sure. Wishing you much success. Good grief--shame on me--I think I missed the first one and will have to look it up too.

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