From the beginning I pictured Paula Dean as the food celebrity in this story. Watching Paula Dean, and reading about the celebrity home cook in this book... well, they don't call 'em Steel Magnolias for nuthin'. Liz Sullivan, though, is another piece of work entirely, and I liked her very much. This is the first book I've read in the Liz Sullivan series, so I'm not totally familiar with her back story; just what was revealed in this book. As the central character in the series, I thought she was fascinating as the hard edged don't-take-crap-from-anyone strong woman covering up a sometimes insecure person with common sense and a soft heart when the right pressure is brought to bear. I've read other authors who try to bring this kind of character off in cozy mystery series, but Lora Roberts actually does it without making her character so contrived as to seem schizophrenic. It didn't matter to me that the mystery wasn't much of a whodunit. I wanted an entertaining read with characters who seemed more real than fictional imitations of people, and that's exactly what I got. Since I am a food channel addict, I also thought I might enjoy a mystery using that kind of scenario. Again, I got what I was hoping for.
