Review – Murder by Mushroom

Jackie Hoffner, known for bringing potato chips to the church potlucks, can’t help but gloat when she surprises the congregation at Heritage Community Church with her steaming casserole of spiral pasta, peppers, and mushrooms in a homemade tomato sauce. She soon finds out, however, that pride does indeed go before a fall when Alice Farmer dies after eating the leftovers of the tasty dish. Poisonous mushrooms are found in the meat sauce, and Jackie is suspected of the gossipy, old lady’s murder.

As Jackie with the help of a good looking policeman tries to clear her name, she encounters secrets about church members that Alice knew and talked about. Her discoveries take her closer to the one person who will stop at nothing to protect what has already resulted in murder. The suspense mounts as Jackie attacks the investigation with a head strong determination that exasperates the lead detective on the case while capturing the heart of his assistant.

In her second novel, Virginia moves from contemporary fiction into a new genre. However, she shows her versatility and skills as a writer by including all the elements of a cozy mystery. The amateur sleuth, offstage violence, eccentric characters, and even Linus the cat are all there to produce a story filled with red herrings and unexpected discoveries.

In Murder by Mushroom Virginia Smith has crafted a novel that will keep you engrossed until the end. A perfect blending of suspense, romance, and faith pours from the pages and comes together in a delightful story of imperfect characters, murderous motives, and the true meaning of Christianity.

If you’re a fan of snappy dialogue, light-hearted humor, and solving puzzles that test your sleuthing skills, then this book is for you. Readers will find their appetites whetted for what will come next from this author. Cozy mystery fans can be assured more of the same is planned as Virginia’s next book Bluegrass Peril will release next year.