Book Review and Contest: Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack

During my recent two-month signing gig at Costco, I was often asked the following questions:

1. "Are you Josi Kilpack?"

2. "Do you know Josi Kilpack?"

3. "Are your books like Josi Kilpack's?"

4. "Have you read Josi Kilpack's books?"

The answers are:

1. No. (But you already knew that.)

2. Yes, I've known Josi for years and we've done book signings and conferences and all kinds of other way fun stuff together.

3. Yes, actually, my books are somewhat like Josi's, and it's funny how that came about - she was writing Lemon Tart at the exact same time I was writing Secret Sisters, and we hadn't mentioned our projects to each other. Maybe older lady detectives were in the air or something. But my books are shorter, a little more off-the-wall, and are geared toward the LDS market, while her books are longer, a little more grounded in reality, and are geared toward the national market, while still very appropriate for LDS readers.

4. Of course I've read Josi Kilpack's books!

And that brings us to the real point of this blog - the latest Josi Kilpack novel I read, her latest release, Pumpkin Roll.

I might start out by saying that I'm a little bit predisposed to like the book because I really like pumpkin roll (my sister Leigh makes an awesome one). I don't know if that contributed to my feelings or not, but this is my favorite out of the Sadie Hoffmiller series to date.

When Pete Cunningham, Sadie's love interest (boyfriend just seems so juvenile to her) is asked to come babysit his grandchildren for a week, Sadie goes along with to lend that grandmotherly touch. Nothing official has been decided between the two of them yet, but the children accept Sadie as being part of the family, and indeed, it seems she belongs there. She busies herself with baking and housework, happy to spend a week doing what she does best - making people feel at home - and of course, happy to spend a week with Pete.

Strange things start happening, though - a crazy neighbor lady, thought to be a witch, seems to put a spell on the house, doors slam shut even though there's no wind, the electricity goes out, Sadie hears voices - and they realize something very strange is going on. The book is set in the Halloween season and the whole premise is spooky, making the timing of this novel's release very wise - we're already in a Halloween mood and the book ties in perfectly.

As Sadie starts investigating, she learns that Pete might not be all he's cracked up to be, and she regretfully begins to investigate him as well. She follows every lead, she leaves no stone unturned ... but at the very end, she's surprised (and so was I) by the solution to the case.

Pumpkin Roll is filled with recipes, as are the other books in the series, and it's also filled with Sadie's wry humor and unique perspective on the world, which is why we love her.

And now, I have something fun to announce ...

In conjunction with the release of this novel, the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad2. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3, 2011.

For additional ways to win, go to www.josiskilpack.com

FTC: I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any other way. No one even brought me a plate of pumpkin roll, which is just as well, because if they had, I wouldn't have been able to eat it anyway. Not that I don't want to, but because my doctor would skin me alive.