Val Deniston has been worried about Bram Muir, her boyfriend, who is out there fighting some dangerous fire which happens at their theatrical friend, Jane’s house. What is even more shocking is that there is a dead body found in a freezer in the kitchen!
That starts some unsavory rumors about Jane and her past life, as well as others!
When Val and her sleuth-thinking Grandad start to dig into the investigation, they discover some more unpleasant secrets that have been well-hidden!
Who actually has committed this perfect crime?

I truly enjoyed Maya Corrigan’s A PARFAIT CRIME which is a splendid cozy mystery with some interesting twists and turns, especially Grandad’s five-ingredient parfaits, that would delight your day wherever, whenever you read it! ( )

series, amateur-sleuth, firefighters, friendship, family, local-law-enforcement, murder-investigation, cooking, cookbook, cozy-mystery, Maryland, caterer, gossip, small-town, small-business, siblings, secrets, unputdownable, amateur-theatre, recipes, spa, threats, suspense*****

Who was the skeleton in the freezer of the burned house with the body of a familiar woman in it?
The dead woman was a popular actor in local theater and there are more questions each chapter. Lots of friends help with providing and dissecting gossip as Val and Grandpa dig into the pasts of everyone relevant. Excellent sleuthing with some really inventive twists and red herrings.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

Val lives with her grandfather in the house he's owned forever, and they're both happy with the arrangement. When Val learns that there's been a fire and her boyfriend Bram has been fighting it alongside others, she's worried. But more so because both he and Grandad knew the victim -- a woman named Jane Johnston, who was in the play both of them were rehearsing. But then there's a complication -- Val learns that Jane may have found a person who got away with a crime, and she was not happy about it. This person works at the new spa in town, and Val wonders who it is and what crime was committed...

So begins a tight tale of murder, exposed crimes, vengeance, and suspicion. It's woven tightly and with the threads difficult to unravel. Just as Val and her grandfather think they've found one clue; another red herring pops up to move them in a different direction. Or does it? Are they being manipulated intentionally? Or are there just that many things occurring at the same time?

When Val is roped into playing Jane's part, she meets the other people in the play, and it appears to her that they might have secrets of their own. In fact, they may have known what Jane knew, so are they suspects or potential victims?

This time, Val might be playing a dangerous game with others' lives without even knowing it, and will she be able to figure it out in time? Or will her personal life keep her on her toes, as Bram has been leaving small hints himself when he speaks to her. Val knows one thing -- if there's been one murder, there could very likely be two -- or three. Will she be able to prevent them or will she be a victim herself?

This is a delightful mystery, one that pulls you in from the death in the beginning to all the clues scattered throughout. Ms. Corrigan is talented enough that she can weave a tale that keeps you guessing, and hoping that you have everything right. After all, half the reason you read mysteries is to see if you can solve it before the protagonist. Even if you do, you might not have the right answers as to why the murder was committed. When we come to the end, and the murderer is revealed, it all turns into a very good mystery that kept me reading throughout the night. I love this series, I love the author, and the story (and the others) are written well with plots that are indeed worth it all. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. ( )