Book, Cooks, and Crooks: A Novel Idea Mystery    by Lucy Arlington Order:  USA  Can Berkley, 2014 (2014) Paperback, e-Book     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth The folks in Inspiration Valley, North Carolina had no idea what they were getting into when they planned their Talk of the Town Festival. It was to be a cookbook fair with chefs vying for the sobriquet of Top Chef in a competition viewed by their fans and agents. Lila Wilkins, professional literary agent and amateur sleuth was excited by the whole town's pulling together to draw more customers to their lovely shops and restaurants. Now all she had to do was keep the volatile chefs from each others' throats. Seems like each and every chef had a beef against at least one if not more of these masters of the art of food preparation. Just as the festivities are about to start, a demo kitchen blows up, taking one of the chefs with it. The possibility of murder, not a tragic accident, raises its ugly head. Seems like the inflated egos of all the chefs make it difficult to sort through each and every alibi. Lila was juggling her part in the Festival as well as running the literary agency, welcoming her son home for Spring Break, and trying to spend some up-close-and-personal time with her boyfriend, police officer Sean Griffiths. A lot to handle. Throw in a mother who is a mystic and we have a fun read. Anything combining mystery and food works for me. Books, Cooks, and Crooks satisfies both my yearnings. The suspenseful wrap-up proved me wrong on who the murderer was. No fair peeking. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews