{I've Been Reading} The Midnight Knock

 The Midnight Knock by John Fram

I tore through the first few chapters, which felt like a grindhouse movie with the promise of supernatural horror to come. The Brake Inn Motel sits alone beside the Dust Road, the sort of place that travellers are warned to steeer clear of. Something awful happened there back in the 1950s and it's about to happen again. The odd twins who run the place know what's coming, but they're not about to tell their unwilling guests. It's a tempting setup, but the pace gradually slowed to a crawl and I was underwhelmed by the ending. (If you're reading the e-book version, what looks like a serious formatting error midway through isn't...just keep reading.)   

At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigly 

The Deep Dish Mystery series keeps getting better and better. The prologue, set a hundred years ago, threw me a bit, but it really sets the stage for the mystery to come. I love how every book in the series is completely distinct from the others. I'd love to tell you what's invovled in this one, but trust me, you don't want to have the plot spoiled. The characters are fun to spend time with (don't skip over the recipes at the end, which are just as entertaining as the story itself -- especially the last one in this book) and the suspense in this one had me holding my breath more than once. 

A Plattering of Murder by J.C. Eaton

I want to love this series. Who could resist the idea of a protagonist who's haunted by the ghost of a food critic who was too mean for even Gordon Ramsey to handle? Or a series filled with descriptions of charcuterie boards? Or that absolutely gorgeous cover art?! This is the second book I've read in the series and I'm afraid that it doesn't live up to all of that fantastic potential. I really wanted Katie to stand up to her mother and refuse to host her annoying aunt in her house for a week, totally upending her own life in the process. Her presence is vital to the plot, but it made Katie feel less like a capable adult. There's no real backstory to fill you in on the characters or their relationships if you haven't read the previous books. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.