The Popeye murder by Sandra Winter-Dewhirst

A Rebecca Keith mystery, book 1. Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055236
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Themes: Mystery. Food. Adelaide. Rebecca Keith is a food editor and is invited to many restaurants and dinners as part of her job. When one of the Adelaide's top chefs is murdered and turns up on The Popeye, a boat with a restaurant, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Using her inside knowledge of the food industry and the people who work there, she is able to come up with clues as she covers the murder for her newspaper. Then another person is murdered and she finds herself in mortal danger.
The background for the novel, Adelaide and South Australian restaurants and wineries, many real, make for an interesting read. South Australians will revel in the familiar places that the author describes and will enjoy the description of the Australian Food Festival. Others will be intrigued by the references and may want to visit Adelaide for its food and wine culture after reading the novel.
Winter-Dewhirst also deftly describes how a journalist writes an article for the local newspaper and this adds to the enjoyment of the novel. A slight romance with Detective Inspector Gary Jarvie livens the story. However it is the macabre and different murders that hold the reader's attention in this easy to read murder mystery.
The Popeye murder would fall into the 'cosy' murder genre and fans of Kerry Greenwood and Agatha Christie are likely to enjoy it.
Pat Pledger