Review: English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack

Set in a traditional English manor house, English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack is nothing short of traditional whodunnit fun!

Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter Breanna are in England on a holiday trip with Breanna's boyfriend Liam, who is heir to his family's earldom and Southgate - the family's estate.
While enjoying tea on their final afternoon there, Sadie and Breanna discover the body of one of the staff members of the manor, with a fireplace poker embedded firmly in his chest.  When they flee to report their finding, somebody removes the corpse from the sitting room, and from there on in, the reader is on a wild ride as suspect after suspect is eliminated, and secrets and closeted skeletons are revealed!

I really enjoyed this book because it just had the feel of a traditional cozy whodunnit.  I loved the English manor setting which had a very "Upstairs, Downstairs" vibe, whatwith the staff of butlers, cook, and parlor maids below stairs, and the earl, his heirs and extended family above stairs.  All set in contemporary time!

With plenty of characters to keep the mystery going, and enough plot twists to throw me off, I did not feel that the mystery itself was a dead giveaway.  The storyline was enjoyable, and Sadie and Breanna were a believable mother & daughter duo.

English Trifle is the second book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series.  Lemon Tart  was the first.


***This book was sent to me by the publisher for review.  I was not compensated in any way for a positive review.  All opinions are honest and my own.

I Went To Harrah's In Atlantic City!

I'm back from Atlantic City, and boy... did I have fun!
My sister, my mom and I all took a road trip on Wednesday to spend a couple of days in Atlantic City.  I was an Atlantic City virgin before this, but not no more!

Woohoo!  I had such a great time - I can't wait to be able to go back!  We stayed at Harrah's Resort and Casino as part of a special BzzAgent campaign.  We pulled up in front of Harrah's at 2:00 in the afternoon, and took full advantage of the complimentary valet parking.  It was so nice not to have to park the car and then walk with all of our bags... we felt like royalty.
I was amazed walking into the hotel.  It really was a beautiful place.  And the casino was just buzzing with action!  On a Wednesday afternoon!

Check-in was easy, breezy.  We found our room, and not 5 minutes later did the bell-hop bring our bags.  Then, we hit the slots!  On our way back down to the casino, we passed the pool, so I had to take a quick gander.  It is beautiful.  It's like an indoor tropical paradise!  Plenty of lounge chairs to stretch out on, and the pool was crystal clear.  At night, the pool turns into a night-club.  We were invited to go, but to be honest, it seemed like a way younger crowd, and "clubbing" just really isn't my thing.  It looked neat the way it was all lit up at night, and the people in there seemed to be having a rockin' good time, but it just isn't my cup of tea.  Oh well.

Dinner at the buffet was nothing short of fantastic.  Any taste, any cuisine... there was something for you!  Pizza, pasta, a carving station, salads, you name it.  Needless to say, we were stuffed after that so we needed to work off some of our dinner back at the slots!

Check-out the next day was just as easy as check-in.  If not, easier!  We just went to a self check-out kiosk and did it ourselves.  Done in 3 minutes flat!

The hotel was beautiful, the staff was friendly and helpful.  Even the casino security was very friendly and nice.
The room was plenty big enough with two queen-sized beds, a big flat screen t.v. on the wall, a mini-fridge, and a spa-like bathroom with a large glass shower.  Everything was clean and to our liking.

Having never been there before, I was really impressed with Harrah's.  My sister and my mom, who are both "veteran" Atlantic City goers usually stay in another hotel and casino, but both agreed that based on this stay, they would absolutely consider staying at Harrah's in the future.

Gorgeous view from our room in the Waterfront Tower!

Me and my sis in the hotel lobby.