peggyemi's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book in the Down South Cafe Series and I find that I enjoyed the characters just as much the second time around. Amy is down to earth and the relationship with her mom, cousin and great aunt is terrific. I have to say that I think I enjoyed Aunt Bess the most. She is a feisty, fun person and says what she thinks. There were a couple of instances where I chuckled out loud at her antics. I think the author has done a terrific job with the character development so far. They are all personable, likable and have a genuine feel to them.
I thought the mystery was a bit predictable in this installment. I almost never figure out "whodunit" in the mysteries I read, but for me, I felt the identity of the killer was pretty obvious. While I didn't know the motive initially, I thought it was transparent as the story unfolded.
I'm on the fence about this series and not sure if I plan to continue.
I thought the mystery was a bit predictable in this installment. I almost never figure out "whodunit" in the mysteries I read, but for me, I felt the identity of the killer was pretty obvious. While I didn't know the motive initially, I thought it was transparent as the story unfolded.
I'm on the fence about this series and not sure if I plan to continue.
mpr2000's review against another edition
4.0
Amy is the owner of the Down South Café, where once every month (more or less...) there's a dead body! Between her eccentric clients, her family problems and the amazing recipes she creates, the mysterious deaths just add a little bit spicy on the non-stop Amy life.
Who is the murderer this time of the blackmailer?
Amy lives in a nice neighbourhood, with her family near, and that means that their problems too, luckily, they make a common front agains adversities and they teach us that no matter what, you have to give another chance for redemption.
As we start reading this book, we discover that there are a lot of possible killers; the wife, the secretary, the brother... Amy will try to help her detective boyfriend Ryan, so we will enjoy a few romantic dates but some investigation too! But if you are used to mystery books, is possible you will guess quickly who is really the murderer...
This is the second book of the series The Calamity Cafe, but you can read it as standalone.
This book touches the drug addiction and taking prescription pills that doesn't belong to you. I've never understood how you can give to someone a pill that is specially for your ailment to someone that you don't know what effects could cause to them, if you are not a doctor, a prescription pill should be forbidden to share!
I liked how Amy played a curious game with one of her customers, learning history and talking about it is not always that you do everyday, but have an idol character each day make you to learn history without thinking it, I loved the idea! :)
This is a quick read, with mystery, friendship and family, it will keep you intrigued for a while.
Do you really know your neighbours?
Who is the murderer this time of the blackmailer?
Amy lives in a nice neighbourhood, with her family near, and that means that their problems too, luckily, they make a common front agains adversities and they teach us that no matter what, you have to give another chance for redemption.
As we start reading this book, we discover that there are a lot of possible killers; the wife, the secretary, the brother... Amy will try to help her detective boyfriend Ryan, so we will enjoy a few romantic dates but some investigation too! But if you are used to mystery books, is possible you will guess quickly who is really the murderer...
This is the second book of the series The Calamity Cafe, but you can read it as standalone.
This book touches the drug addiction and taking prescription pills that doesn't belong to you. I've never understood how you can give to someone a pill that is specially for your ailment to someone that you don't know what effects could cause to them, if you are not a doctor, a prescription pill should be forbidden to share!
I liked how Amy played a curious game with one of her customers, learning history and talking about it is not always that you do everyday, but have an idol character each day make you to learn history without thinking it, I loved the idea! :)
This is a quick read, with mystery, friendship and family, it will keep you intrigued for a while.
Do you really know your neighbours?
meezcarrie's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Down South Cafe series! It has endearingly quirky characters who feel like friends, a charming setting, hints of romance, mouthwatering food and a well-plotted mystery to keep you guessing. There’s even a PURSE-WHOMPING!! Which you know made my feisty heart happy haha!
In Silence of the Jams (love that title!), we also have a subplot involving addiction and the effect it has on families. These scenes were written with sensitivity as well as authenticity, and the emotions that Amy’s family went through over the addicted family member touched my heart.
The usual characters return in this second book, and both Homer and Aunt Bess continue to delight me. Aunt Bess with her “Lord Have Mercy” pinterest board makes me laugh out loud, and Homer with his hero-of-the-day is huggable in his sincerity and wisdom. Amy is a delightfully charming and relatable heroine! I was delighted to see more of her relationship with hunky (and sweet) deputy Ryan, too. Jackie is put through the emotional wringer in this book, but her bond with Amy continues to be a highlight of the series.
Bottom Line: Silence of the Jams by Gayle Leeson is delightful on every level. It’s clean as well as being fun, meaningful and intriguing. Compelling (and quirky) characters combine with the charming town of Winter Garden, Virginia, to give the novel the right dose of southern small town flair. The mystery has enough twists and turns to stay intriguing, the solution just out of reach no matter how many times you think you’ve surely got it figured out this time. (I ended up being right with my early-on guess, but there were enough suspects in the mix that I second-guessed myself a lot.) Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans as well as my “clean-read” readers!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
see my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
In Silence of the Jams (love that title!), we also have a subplot involving addiction and the effect it has on families. These scenes were written with sensitivity as well as authenticity, and the emotions that Amy’s family went through over the addicted family member touched my heart.
The usual characters return in this second book, and both Homer and Aunt Bess continue to delight me. Aunt Bess with her “Lord Have Mercy” pinterest board makes me laugh out loud, and Homer with his hero-of-the-day is huggable in his sincerity and wisdom. Amy is a delightfully charming and relatable heroine! I was delighted to see more of her relationship with hunky (and sweet) deputy Ryan, too. Jackie is put through the emotional wringer in this book, but her bond with Amy continues to be a highlight of the series.
Bottom Line: Silence of the Jams by Gayle Leeson is delightful on every level. It’s clean as well as being fun, meaningful and intriguing. Compelling (and quirky) characters combine with the charming town of Winter Garden, Virginia, to give the novel the right dose of southern small town flair. The mystery has enough twists and turns to stay intriguing, the solution just out of reach no matter how many times you think you’ve surely got it figured out this time. (I ended up being right with my early-on guess, but there were enough suspects in the mix that I second-guessed myself a lot.) Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans as well as my “clean-read” readers!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
see my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
jlrasa23's review against another edition
5.0
Very hard to put down. The suspects kept me on my toes.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nitabee's review against another edition
3.0
Silence of the Jamsis the second book in this series featuring Amy Flowers, owner of the Down South Cafe series. It's the 4th of July in Winter Garden, Virginia, and Amy's cafe is busy. The Commerce president whom we met in the first book, George Lincoln, is still trying to convince her to sell the cafe to him, so he can build a B&B there, and he actually .
Spoiler
dies while eating lunch there. He's eating with the local doctor, Dr. Kent, who deems it a heart attack, but the police rule otherwise. There's not a shortage of suspects, as we find out George was blackmailing other residents in town, in an unhappy marriage, and has a brother who hangs around sketching people out. Amy wants to prove she's innocent, as she's afraid being involved in a second murder may drive away her customers, and she winds up finding out it was Dr. Kent, who was one of George's blackmail victims. I knew Dr. Kent was sketchy, but I couldn't figure out his motive for a while. There's a side plot with Amy's cousin Jackie's mother showing up in town, and it's revealed she's suffering from drug issues. She winds up going to rehab, much to Jackie's relief. Amy's relationship with the handsome policeman, Ryan, progresses, as they go out on a few datesmystereity's review against another edition
4.0
I've been listening to this series on audiobook (great for sitting by the pool or on a walk!) and I really like the narrator, she really brings the story alive. Finally, the bullying George Lincoln has been killed - but in Amy's cafe! Who could've done it?
Frankly, I knew who did it as soon as it happened, but not why. So I enjoyed watching (well, listening) to it all unfold. Thomas Lincoln made for a great (kinda) villain and there were a few red herrings sprinkled in there that almost made me question whether I knew whodunit but in the end, I was right. Frankly, the other suspects were...well...suspicious in their own right. I wonder if the killer could get a verdict of justifiable homicide? Frankly, they did the world a favor offing George Lincoln.
Onto the next!
Frankly, I knew who did it as soon as it happened, but not why. So I enjoyed watching (well, listening) to it all unfold. Thomas Lincoln made for a great (kinda) villain and there were a few red herrings sprinkled in there that almost made me question whether I knew whodunit but in the end, I was right. Frankly, the other suspects were...well...suspicious in their own right. I wonder if the killer could get a verdict of justifiable homicide? Frankly, they did the world a favor offing George Lincoln.
Onto the next!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have been excited to read this story since I finished The Calamity Cafe back in December! I donned my Down South Café T-shirt and started reading as as soon as the book arrived.
We have returned to Winter Garden just in time for their Independence Day Celebration but before the fireworks even start there is drama at The Down South Café. Chamber of Commerce director George Lincoln has been a real pain in the butt for Amy. He is still burning about his inability to buy her building just so he can tear it down. But today he finds himself permanently silenced. He keels over right at the counter while eating his breakfast. At first look it seems to be a heart attack but the autopsy points to murder. Poisoning to be exact. This is not good for Amy or her business. Sensible people know there is now way she could be responsible but Amy needs to move fast before she gets so jammed up she loses everything.
Amy Flowers is the perfect protagonist. She is liked by everyone. She is friendly and caring. She also has the right business to keep up with all the happenings around Winter Garden. I love the way her family works together to help the cafe succeed and still deal with all the commotion of a murder and Aunt Renee swooping in for a visit. Amy’s mom, her cousin, Jackie and Aunt Bess are all fabulous supporting characters. I enjoyed Amy’s moments with Homer as well. I can’t forget Amy’s beau, Deputy Ryan. He is an excellent match for Amy.
This story is very fast paced. The clues kept circling round and round. I had an early inkling about the murderer but the clues just weren’t adding up. The Aunt Renee subplot also drew my attention. I really felt bad that she and Jackie were not close. Renee was not the mother Jackie needed but her Granny (Aunt Bess) did her best to raise the girl right while Renee just floated in and out of their lives. Amy does get herself in a little trouble for being too trusting and Renee is dealing with something everyone around her hopes she can start to make headway on. I applaud the author for the way these issues were handled in this book.
I can’t review these books without talking about the food. Thank goodness, there are recipes in the back of the book. The Fudgy Chocolate Cake as well as the Beef and Cheese Pasta Bake had my mouth watering. And yes, there is a Strawberry Jam recipe too!
Gayle Leeson has whipped us up a fine cozy mystery in Silence of the Jams. A great plot featuring fantastic characters filled with mystery, suspense, humor and a little bit romance. A delicious way to spend an afternoon or two. I know y’all will enjoy this one.
I have been excited to read this story since I finished The Calamity Cafe back in December! I donned my Down South Café T-shirt and started reading as as soon as the book arrived.
We have returned to Winter Garden just in time for their Independence Day Celebration but before the fireworks even start there is drama at The Down South Café. Chamber of Commerce director George Lincoln has been a real pain in the butt for Amy. He is still burning about his inability to buy her building just so he can tear it down. But today he finds himself permanently silenced. He keels over right at the counter while eating his breakfast. At first look it seems to be a heart attack but the autopsy points to murder. Poisoning to be exact. This is not good for Amy or her business. Sensible people know there is now way she could be responsible but Amy needs to move fast before she gets so jammed up she loses everything.
Amy Flowers is the perfect protagonist. She is liked by everyone. She is friendly and caring. She also has the right business to keep up with all the happenings around Winter Garden. I love the way her family works together to help the cafe succeed and still deal with all the commotion of a murder and Aunt Renee swooping in for a visit. Amy’s mom, her cousin, Jackie and Aunt Bess are all fabulous supporting characters. I enjoyed Amy’s moments with Homer as well. I can’t forget Amy’s beau, Deputy Ryan. He is an excellent match for Amy.
This story is very fast paced. The clues kept circling round and round. I had an early inkling about the murderer but the clues just weren’t adding up. The Aunt Renee subplot also drew my attention. I really felt bad that she and Jackie were not close. Renee was not the mother Jackie needed but her Granny (Aunt Bess) did her best to raise the girl right while Renee just floated in and out of their lives. Amy does get herself in a little trouble for being too trusting and Renee is dealing with something everyone around her hopes she can start to make headway on. I applaud the author for the way these issues were handled in this book.
I can’t review these books without talking about the food. Thank goodness, there are recipes in the back of the book. The Fudgy Chocolate Cake as well as the Beef and Cheese Pasta Bake had my mouth watering. And yes, there is a Strawberry Jam recipe too!
Gayle Leeson has whipped us up a fine cozy mystery in Silence of the Jams. A great plot featuring fantastic characters filled with mystery, suspense, humor and a little bit romance. A delicious way to spend an afternoon or two. I know y’all will enjoy this one.
jackielizn's review against another edition
4.0
Silence of the Jams is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I didn't feel like I was missing any information by not reading the previous book in this series. There are a lot of really likable characters in this book. I loved the close-knit family relationship between Amy, her mom, her cousin, and her Aunt Bess. I'm interested in reading the next book in this series to see if there is an update on Jackie's mother. There were a couple instances where I felt like there was a little too much information, but it wasn't enough to make me bored or lose interest in the story. There were several suspects in regards to the murder. The murderer reveal totally took me by surprise since it wasn't someone that was very high up on my suspect list. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more books by this author in the future.