Kristi AbbottReseñas

Snappy come-backs and unspoken thoughts are amusing; relationships are solid. Guilty party appears guilty all along except the motive and expectation of results of murdering someone is hard to fathom. Learned what a daube is ... It's always good to pause and look up what people are talking about.

delightful cozy, the first of a series that I hope to enjoy more of.

When Rebecca is making caramel topping one morning, she hears someone screaming and runs next door to find her friend Coco's niece Jessica. When Rebecca investigates further, she sees that Coco is dead. Now Rebecca wants to find who killed her friend, and why. But doing so could put her in more danger than she realizes...

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. It had a different premise and I liked that. The first sentence should have been a precursor to the rest of the book. But it wasn't. I just didn't think much after that was believable.

First, this is a cozy mystery, and this woman swears like a sailor. I know it doesn't bother some people, but I really don't care for cozies where the protagonist is throwing out cuss words like yesterday's trash. Personal opinion, people.

I also didn't understand a popcorn shop that was open for breakfast. Who buys popcorn for breakfast? What popcorn shop sells coffee? They sell specialized popcorn and sodas. That's pretty much it. And if I found one that did sell coffee, I sure wouldn't eat there. A substantial breakfast is so much better for you than a sweet popcorn bar. I really can't imagine - unless there's no diners in this town - that it would be as popular as indicated. Popcorn shops are specialized shops, not restaurants. Then, have you ever eaten a popcorn ball? They're nasty, sticky things and you're picking popcorn out of your teeth constantly. I would have believed it if she sold specialized cones, tins, or bags of popcorn instead - because that's what popcorn shops sell.

Then, when the rumor started that she killed Coco, this town was awfully quick to believe it. I would hope that if it came down to it, they'd try her in another city, because she sure couldn't get a fair shake here. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? I guess if she hadn't done stupid things, it might have been easier on her, but since I didn't like her anyway - she was snarky and nasty - it really didn't matter. Her husband probably didn't pay any attention to her because of the snark. Who wants to spend time around someone like that? I sure don't.

But the last was the animal cruelty. I don't believe in it, and I certainly don't believe it's necessary in a cozy. It wasn't necessary here. There are several other ways that the scene could have been handled without the animal cruelty. I will never read a book by an author who does this without a very good reason - and there wasn't one here.

In the end, we already knew who killed Coco practically from the beginning, and throughout the book it was proven time and again, so no surprise there. Unfortunately, there just wasn't a lot for me to recommend this book. I won't be reading this author again. Sorry.

I adore the dog, Sprocket...he is a hoot. The heroine is interesting and her problems with her town is a new twist. It looks like I have a new series to follow. I can practically smell the carmel and popcorn and fudge

Rebecca Anderson left the small town of Grand Lake, Ohio in highschool and never looked back, that is until she divorced her celebrity chef husband. She returned with her tail between her legs and moved into the garage apartment of her sister and BFF Dan. Her mentor, the person she worked for in highschool, and the one person who welcomed her back, Cordelia (Coco) Bittles, helped her to open her own popcorn shop. When Coco's body is discovered in her shop by he niece, Jessica, she screams so loud that Rebecca runs over to see what is going on. Rebecca can not let this go without sticking her nose in and helping to find the killer.

Rebecca and Jessica have had a rough relationship since childhood with Jessica causing problems and Rebecca taking the blame for it. It seems everyone in town thinks Jessica is an angel, with only Rebecca and a few others understanding that Jessica is not as she seems. We meet Dan, Rebecca's best friend since grade school and brother in law, who is also the town's sheriff. He has to make difficult decisions about arresting Rebecca when the situation gets tough. Dan's friend, Garrett, is Rebecca's attorney and potential love interest. Remaining family and friends plus the local shop keepers all help to round out a great story. We can't forget Rebecca's poodle, Sprocket, who plays a large part in the investigation as well.

Jessica plans to sell her aunt's store and secret fudge recipe in secret. Rebecca is determined to prove that Coco and her were planning to start a new business and that Coco was planning to change her will as well as trying to figure out who killed Coco. Rebecca's investigation ends her up in trouble and she has to call on Garrett for help. Some of the situations are pretty funny, but everytime something happens, more townspeople support Jessica with Rebecca losing business and friends. I figured out who the killer was pretty early on and even though I thought I couldn't be correct, I was. That is the reason why I only gave the book 3 stars. I kept thinking, how can the police be that dumb. There are recipes at the back of the book that might be worth a try if you like popcorn.

Rebecca Anderson's returned to her hometown of Grand Lake, Ohio after a failed marriage to a celebrity chef. She has opened Pop a popcorn shop with the help of her mentor Coco Bittles. When Coco's body is discovered in her shop by her niece, Jessica and then by Rebecca, it begins the investigation into finding Coco's killer.

Each of the characters is well thought out and introduced in a memorable way. As is too often in a lot of other books the characters seem to be thrown at the reader and you then have a hard time figuring out who they are and how they seem to relate to the story. That's not the case with this book. We learn information including tidbits from their past about each character, which helps to see them as they are today.

Rebecca and Jessica have a rough relationship that goes back to childhood with Jessica creating havoc and Rebecca taking all the blame for it. We meet Dan, Rebecca's best friend and brother in law who is also happens to be the town's sheriff. He has to make a very difficult decisions about arresting Rebecca, when the situation calls for it. Dan's friend, Garrett, is Rebecca's attorney and potential love interest. Rebecca's poodle Sprocket also plays a big part in the investigation. Rebecca's remaining family and friends and other towns people all help to round out a great story.

Jessica is very determined to prove that Rebecca killed Coco so she can steal secret fudge recipe. Rebecca in turn wants to prove that she and Coco were going in on a joint business plan that wouldn't include Jessica, while trying to find the real murderer of Coco.

Rebecca Anderson's returned to her hometown of Grand Lake, Ohio after a failed marriage to a celebrity chef. She has opened Pop a popcorn shop with the help of her mentor Coco Bittles. When Coco's body is discovered in her shop by her niece, Jessica and then by Rebecca, it begins the investigation into finding Coco's killer.

Each of the characters is well thought out and introduced in a memorable way. As is too often in a lot of other books the characters seem to be thrown at the reader and you then have a hard time figuring out who they are and how they seem to relate to the story. That's not the case with this book. We learn information including tidbits from their past about each character, which helps to see them as they are today.

Rebecca and Jessica have a rough relationship that goes back to childhood with Jessica creating havoc and Rebecca taking all the blame for it. We meet Dan, Rebecca's best friend and brother in law who is also happens to be the town's sheriff. He has to make a very difficult decisions about arresting Rebecca, when the situation calls for it. Dan's friend, Garrett, is Rebecca's attorney and potential love interest. Rebecca's poodle Sprocket also plays a big part in the investigation. Rebecca's remaining family and friends and other towns people all help to round out a great story.

Jessica is very determined to prove that Rebecca killed Coco so she can steal secret fudge recipe. Rebecca in turn wants to prove that she and Coco were going in on a joint business plan that wouldn't include Jessica, while trying to find the real murderer of Coco.

Long before I discovered cozy mysteries, I was a science fiction reader. I loved discovering new worlds between the pages. Everyday was a new adventure as I travelled to new worlds. Now my genre of choice is cozy mysteries, and alike to my love of science fiction, I get to travel. However, with cozy mysteries I get to travel to beautiful, quaint little towns and solve mysteries, at the same time. Whenever I dive into a new series, I don't know what awaits me, but I know I'm usually going to enjoy meeting new faces, new shops and new adventures.

When I picked up Kernel of Truth I had no idea, how much I would love a new adventure to a new town. In this case it was to Grand Lake, Ohio. In Grand Lake, you will find beautiful little shops, and one shop in particular - POPS, a popcorn shop! Inside there is the delightful smell of popcorn (one of my favorite cooking smells ever!) and a adorable Poodle named Sprocket.

My first stroll through Grand Lake was the start of a great adventure, and I loved every page of it. Not long into Kernel of Truth I desperately wanted to ignore the outside world and read the rest of the book in one sitting. Like a fantastic bowl of buttery popcorn, I wanted to devour every last morsel, and that's exactly what I did.

I like Rebecca. She has a lot of spunk, and she's not afraid to stand up for herself, even if means her fellow townfolk don't think much of her. She's determined to find her friend Coco's murderer, and together with her sleuthing (and somewhat thieving!) dog, Sprocket, she sets to play detective.

Kernel of Truth is everything a reader is looking for in a mystery. It was fun to discover the town, the folks with their quirky personalities and solve the mystery. I'm looking forward to taking another trip back to Grand Lake soon. In the meantime, there are some great popcorn recipes (that are gluten free too!) for me to try!!

Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott is the first book in the all new Popcorn Shop Mystery series. Rebecca Anderson has returned to her hometown (after her divorce) of Grand Lake, Ohio (with her poodle, Sprocket) to open a POPS! A store specializing in popcorn treats (popcorn bars, caramel cashew popcorn balls, etc.). Rebecca was encouraged by her mentor, Cordelia “Coco” Bittles (of Coco’s Cocoas). Rebecca is making a batch of a caramel when she hears Jessica James (Coco’s niece) screaming next door at Coco’s Cocoas. Rebecca runs next door to find her dear friend, Coco dead on the floor of her office. Who would hurt Coco and why? Rebecca sets out to find who killed Coco (her dear friend, mentor, and mother figure). Rebecca will have her hands full when her ex-husband, Antoine Belanger decides he wants her back. Antoine is not one to fade into the background. Rebecca has several suspects including the mayor who keeps lurking around in the alley behind the shops. Will Rebecca be able to find the killer?

I found Kernel of Truth to be a cute story. The descriptions of the popcorn treats were delightful and I liked the antics of Sprocket. The mystery was extremely simple. I figured out the killer right away. However, Kernel of Truth has some lively characters and the potential for a good series. I give Kernel of Truth 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Popcorn Shop Mystery series.

I received a complimentary copy of Kernel of Truth from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Kernel Of Truth is the first book in the A Popcorn Shop Mystery series.

A wonderful new series that had me loving it from the first page. The book has a nice, even pace to it and the introduction of characters is done with just the right amount of information.

Rebecca Anderson has returned to her childhood home of Grand Lake after a disastrous marriage to celebrity chef Antoine. With the help of Coco Biittles, of Coco's Cocoa, she opens her dream shop, POPS, a popcorn shop. It was their intention to come up with new items for their stores, but the death of Coco in what first appeared to be a robbery gone wrong, has put this on hold.

A local handyman and a person that the residents consider as crazy, Jasper, is arrested for the murder of Coco. But, when another shop owner is hit over the head in her shop and the same method of breaking in is used, doubt as to the guilt of Jasper rises. Also, Coco's niece and heir, Jessica James, seems to be hiding something from Rebecca and won't let her look for the papers for the new business that Rebecca Coco were working on. In addition, Jessica seems to be awful anxious to sell Coco's Cocoa. Rebecca is also questioning why Mayor Thompson is seen frequently seen in the alley behind Rebecca's shop. Rebecca feels the need to do her own investigation before she becomes the prime suspect.

Wonderful story with a cast of likeable and believable characters.

Will be watching for the next book in this well written series.