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Kat Bellemore
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Dead Before Dinner (A Maddie Swallows Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Kat Bellemore (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,279 ratings
See all formats and editions

Green chile has never been more dangerous.

Psychologist Maddie Swallows’ decision to return to New Mexico seemed like a good idea at the time, considering the divorce and her two teenagers she’d dragged along for the ride.

But that was before the New Year’s Eve party she was guilt-tripped into attending. Before a member of the town council wound up dead and everyone at the party became a suspect. And before she was forced to unravel the secrets of her former hometown in order to clear her name.

Of course, with the help of two precocious teenagers and one meddling mother, the real murderer doesn’t stand a chance.

Dead before Dinner is the first book of the Maddie Swallows series. If you love small towns, quirky characters, and an intriguing whodunit, you’ll love this cozy mystery.

Pick up Dead before Dinner and get swept away in this New Mexican mystery series today!
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 7
    A Maddie Swallows Mystery
  2. Print length
    246 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 31, 2022
  6. File size
    1956 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kat Bellemore is the author of the Borrowing Amor clean romance series. Deciding to have New Mexico as the setting for the series was an easy choice, considering its amazing sunsets, blue skies and tasty green chili. That, and she currently lives there with her husband and two cute kids. They hope to one day add a dog to the family, but for now, the native animals of the desert will have to do. Though, Kat wouldn't mind ridding the world of scorpions and centipedes. They're just mean.
You can visit Kat at www.kat-bellemore.com.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XX855C2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ KB Press (July 31, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 31, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1956 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 246 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,279 ratings

About the author

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Kat Bellemore

Kat Bellemore

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Kat Bellemore is a small town romance and cozy mystery author. Deciding to have New Mexico as the setting for two of her series was an easy choice, considering its amazing sunsets, blue skies and tasty green chile. That, and she currently lives there with her husband and two cute kids. They hope to one day add a dog to the family, but for now, the native animals of the desert will have to do. Though, Kat wouldn't mind ridding the world of scorpions and centipedes. They're just mean.

You can visit Kat at www.kat-bellemore.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,279 global ratings
Cute Read
5 Stars
Cute Read
Dead Before Dinner is a cute read. The characters are fun and I like the family dynamics. The mystery was good. Definitely a fun cozy mystery
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Top reviews from the United States

SweetRead
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
The author did a great job of building relatioships within the community. They weren't always great, but they did had that small town mentality. The book was all e worth and full of suspense.
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WelshDragon
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was actually better than I expected. Don't know exactly what I was expecting, but this book exceeded it by quite a bit. This is a "new to me" author and I plan to pick up more of her work. The characters are endearing, interesting, and some quite volatile. The plot is easily followed, mistakes are made, and the premise is what I always approve of, helping people who need it. I definitely recommend this book.
One person found this helpful
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lllemont
5.0 out of 5 stars Gotcha at the end
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
A good read,kept me entertained, I enjoyed the characters and the progression of the story and suspense. I will be reading the next to see where the stories of certain characters go.
4 people found this helpful
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Miranda J.
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Cozy Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a fun and easy read. Moving back to.small town America after divorce shows how things change over time. Childhood friends, memories and everything changes.
The murder in the town where nothing happens is just what is needed to bring a new start.
Characters are fun and interesting. The "new" family means figuring out how the new life is going to be. The fact that mom decides to "help" the new sheriff figure it who done it just shows that things will be different.
A good story to read and a nice start to a series which has room to grow.
One person found this helpful
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sydmd
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to a New Series
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was a great clean cozy read that introduced a new series. It was well written and although I was a little frustrated with the main character's choices at times, I really enjoyed the book. I did not fully guess the solution to the mystery and so the reveal was quite enjoyable. I'll be continuing this series.
One person found this helpful
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cmalasan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book had a good story. It was a mystery but not a depressing story. I read this book fast. I really enjoyed it.
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Michele R
4.0 out of 5 stars A good quick read
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
I always enjoy a good quick read. Amor seems like an interesting place with some great characters. I look forward to more from this author!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Cosy murder mystery
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
The story was interesting and unexpected which is perfect in a mystery. The characters have all the insecurities and flaws that we all have making it easy to relate. The cat urn story is a hook to keep the reader reading
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Barbara
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
A lovely read thoroughly enjoyed
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Trish Kearns
4.0 out of 5 stars Dead before Dinner
Reviewed in Australia on May 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
After her divorce Maddie And her kids move back to Amor.
Both Maddie and Trish are therapists,they will open an office and help the town.
But you can't go back and hope things haven't changed in twenty year.
Then a mean spirited women dies at a dinner party, was it an accident or was it murder.
Good cosy murder mystery.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars It has so many likable characters. waiting for the next book.
Reviewed in Canada on March 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
Keeps you in suspense.
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Amazon customer Barbw
4.0 out of 5 stars A slow burning book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book took a while to appreciate how good it actually was. I read it with a eagerness to find the killer. The characters are believable and you can see how the township would eventually take Maddie and her family to their hearts. Also I expect Maddie will find her true love without any help from anyone. I can't wait to read the next one.
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Lucy-Bookworm
3.0 out of 5 stars A fun, quick cozy mystery that is entertaining & suits the genre well
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
When psychologist Maddie Swallows goes through a divorce, she moves back to her home town with the intention of opening a new therapy office with her best friend, Trish. Returning to her hometown was supposed to be a new start, but she soon recalls the gossip, old rivalries, and a meddling mother.
Her teenage children aren't thrilled to have moved, but they seem more interested when they start helping their mom investigate a murder, where she seemed to be a prime suspect! Attending a New Year’s Eve dinner party, Maddie hears a commotion and finds Marci Bailey collapsed on the floor – dead.
As Maddie investigates, will she get the locals to open up to her and provide some clues? Can she find out who really murdered Marci Bailey?

There were a lot of names, and several characters didn’t really stand out from each other but the writing is decent enough and the ending is unexpected.

As the first in a series, the book gives enough introduction for future books, introducing characters well and providing enough context about people, places & past situations to inspire future stories.

Overall, a fun, quick cozy mystery that is entertaining & suits the genre well, but isn’t mind-blowing, new or exciting.
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