Burnt Ends - by Laura Wetsel (Hardcover)

About the Book

Short Description: Private Investigator Tori Swenson suspects her uncle of killing her father and stealing his barbeque drive-in empire, but her hunt for the truth and for revenge takes a sinister turn when her uncle is murdered. To uncover who dethroned the barbecue king, Tori will have to face her own fiery demons.

Book Synopsis

"A toothsome treat of a book by a debut mystery writer." --Kirkus Reviews

"This sizzling whodunit deserves a sequel." --Publishers Weekly

Murder is juicier with a side of barbecue sauce.

Private Investigator Tori Swenson gets a strange accidental death case that looks like murder at one of her uncle's drive-ins and decides it's time to get revenge on her estranged family. Pretending to want a reunion, she appears at her uncle's party to secretly investigate them. When her uncle suddenly dies, Tori's case takes a sinister turn that makes her a suspect in her uncle's death and the killer's next target. To uncover who dethroned the barbecue king, Tori will have to face her own fiery demons while pursuing a killer who wants to make dead meat out of her.

For fans of Knives Out and the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

Review Quotes

"Burnt Ends is served up with sides of conspiracy, blackmail, and paranoia . . . in this gritty tale that is equal measures Succession and Shakespeare." --Booklist

"Charred and bloody to perfection, Laura Wetsel's Burnt Ends is smoking hot!" --Jamie Stachowski, Meat America

"Fire up the grill! Laura Wetsel serves up a delicious debut of grills, thrills, and chills." --Riley Adams, author of the Memphis Barbeque Series

"It's Hamlet among ham hocks in Wetsel's amusing debut . . . The dysfunctional Swensons leap off the page, and Tori's investigation is endearingly sloppy, with the cringeworthy mistakes of a first-time gumshoe generating the danger that many cozies lack. This sizzling whodunit deserves a sequel." --Publishers Weekly

"Jessica Jones meets Succession with a side of coleslaw, this is the kind of book you want to sink your teeth into and not let go. Laura Wetsel bursts onto the scene with a mouthwatering mystery that will have readers begging for more." --Moriah Richard, Writer's Digest

"Quirky and entertaining, this book and its unforgettable characters, tight plotting, and clever twists make for a reading experience as suspenseful as it is satisfying. A toothsome treat of a book by a debut mystery writer." --Kirkus Reviews

"Something's rotten in Kansas City as one brother is murdered, and the other becomes the king of midwestern barbeque. Laura Wetsel has constructed a mystery that sizzles with fiery heat from start to finish. The reader will not be able to put this book down." --Richard Begam, Professor of English, University of Wisconsin-Madison

About the Author

As a kid, Laura Wetsel wanted to be Nancy Drew--now she writes mysteries and thrillers. Besides being a writing sleuth, her other life chapters have included being a Russian literature academic, an English teacher in Russia, and an editor of government reports. She currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her two cats, Sasha and Ginny Wolf. Visit Laura at: laurawetselbooks.com.