Savvy Summers and the sweet potato crimes A mystery

Widow Savvy Summers, owner of Essie's Place, offers soul food in her cheerful restaurant on Chicago's South Side. At Matilda and Grandy Jaspers' fiftieth-wedding-anniversary party at Essie's Place, Matilda publicly humiliates her cheating husband. The next morning Grandy stops by the restaurant for his usual morning breakfast and dies after eating some of Savvy's sweet-potato pie. Although the pie is quickly cleared as the cause of death, business doesn't pick up again, and another sweet-potato-pie-related incident doesn't help matters. Savvy believes she must find the killer (or killers) to save her business while also fending off an increasingly insistent investor who wants to buy it. With the help of her first husband, a police officer, and her sous-chef, Savvy investigates, finding it difficult to connect the murders and putting her life in danger. Feisty, well-drawn Savvy is a hero for fans of strong Black women protagonists, and the food frame, the lovingly described Chicago setting, and the delicious-sounding recipes will appeal to those who enjoy food-centered cozies.

A woman fights to keep her restaurant afloat against all odds. Savvy Summers' family was part of the Black migration from Mississippi to Chicago, and it's her great-aunt Essie's recipes that make Sapphire Summers Soulfood Café and Catering Company, aka Essie's, a hit. At the 50th anniversary party Savvy and her sous-chef, Penny, cater for Matilda and Grandy Jaspers, the food disappears faster than you can say "soul food." But the gossip and longtime grudges that hang over the event make Matilda unhappy. Grandy, still bitter over disputed songwriting credits, is unashamed when pregnant young Shysteen Shackleford shows up, hinting that Grandy might be the father. The next morning, Grandy shows up at Essie's looking ill, and after breakfast, he falls over dead. By the time Savvy caters the funeral, rumors are already spreading that her sweet potato pie was the cause of his death. To top it off, the Department of Health shuts down Essie's while they investigate. But Savvy's not about to give up, even though Noble McPherson keeps pressuring her to sell the restaurant and franchise it as a soul food brand. Savvy's still suspicious about Grandy's death, and the official ruling of heart failure doesn't revive the business. To make matters worse, her alderman, Delbert Daily, who's already under investigation for a multitude of crimes, won't help her. When the real cause of Grandy's death turns out to be an overdose of Viagra, Savvy turns to her ex-husband, police officer Fanon, and his ex-partner for help deciding which of a long list of people most wanted Grandy dead. A surfeit of suspects in a charming mystery filled with quirky characters whose Southern roots influence their daily lives. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.