So many things to enjoy in Lena Gregory’s newest installment to her All-Day Breakfast Cafe cozy mystery series: Battered and Buried! First I do want to pause and say a big thank you to the author for including the character list at the start of the story. Can we get more of this in books?! So helpful as it had been a bit since I had dipped into this series.

Readers are not long into the story, when the mystery begins, and with Gia’s cook Cole as the main suspect for the awful business man Rusty, Gia is on full-powered sleuth mode, even forgoing sleep to find the true killer. Her determination is contagious, and I found myself quickly turning the pages as Gia and Savannah worked together. Lena also does a great job interspersing humor with the journey to solve the mystery.

I certainly had my suspicions of the true culprit, but couldn’t figure out why. No spoilers here, but that ending was super intense and brought great resolution to the story.

Aside from the mystery, what I loved most is the theme of found family throughout. Found family stories are my most favorite to read and when I read one I am so happy. Gia’s friends in this small town, far from her life in New York, have truly become her family. It is clear they all care deeply about each other and that’s such a lovely thing to read.

Battered and Buried is a cozy mystery by Lena Gregory, featuring café owner Gia Morelli. After stumbling upon a body, Gia and her friends are thrown into a whirlwind investigation, racing against time to uncover the truth and clear her friend’s name.

This book is a must read for cozy mystery readers. It is full of intrigue and well developed characters that you will love.

Excellent cozy mystery with great characters, an interesting mystery, and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I haven't read all the books in this series, but this one makes me want to go back and read the ones I've missed.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Beyond The Page Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Gia Morelli owns an all-day breakfast cafe in the small town of Boggy Creek, Florida. When she goes kayaking with a friend on her day off, they discover a body -- and one of her friends and co-workers is a suspect in the murder. Gia goes to work with her friend Savannah to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read Battered and Buried because I enjoy Lena Gregory's cozy mystery series. She is one of my favorite authors in this genre.

I enjoy Gia's sleuthing. She and Savannah make a great team, even though Gia's fiancé and Savannah's husband are the police detectives in their families. There are several viable suspects, but Gia does a good job of solving the mystery ... and I enjoyed playing armchair detective to solve along!

As always, the pets in this mystery series add fun -- Thor, a Bernese Mountain dog and Klondike, a rescued kitten.

Gia's fiancé Hunt and her friends are great, and I also like the southern small town atmosphere in this series.

I recommend Battered and Buried for fans of cozy mysteries. This is a great series! I try to read all the books in Lena Gregory's All-Day Breakfast Cafe series and her Coffee & Cream Cafe series as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Battered and Buried is part of the All-Day Breakfast Café series, and my introduction to the series. The description grabbed my attention, as well as being a reader of Lena Gregory's other cozy mystery series, Bay Island Psychic, which I really enjoy. Battered and Buried met my expectations. The mystery was interesting and solid, the characters were great and got the story moving. I was really pulled into the book from the very first chapter. A very good cozy mystery!

When I first started Battered and Buried I didn’t know it was part of an already established series. It is in fact the 7th book in the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series. That being said and while there were definitely some references to events that must have happened in previous books in the series, this one can easily be read as a standalone, though I have no doubt those with previous knowledge of these characters will enjoy the story even more. When a rude customer complains about the food at her cafe, Gia Morelli has no idea how much trouble was about to come her way. You see that jerk of a customer actually has plans to open his own deli right across the street and also plans to serve all-day breakfast. She soon finds out that this man has a history of opening businesses, bad mouthing the competition/review bombing them and driving them out of business. He also happens to have history and bad blood with Cole, Gia’s friend and the cafe’s cook. And when he turns up dead Cole instantly becomes suspect numero uno! But Gia knows Cole is being setup and sets out to prove his innocence. This is a well plotted cozy mystery with a fun cast of characters. I definitely plan on going back to read the earlier books in the series. I’d like to thank Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Battered and Buried.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RT89QLOV20ROL/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Gia Morelli has finally realized her dream. Her café is thriving, she has good friends and life is good. Until Rusty Bragge comes to town and threatens Gia and her business. A few days later, Rusty is found dead and Gia’s chef, Cole Barrister is arrested for murder. Now Gia and Savannah try to figure out who did murder Rusty. And there is no shortage of suspects. Was it Rusty’s wife, who despised him? Or the city counsel woman who Rusty had bribed to change the zoning for his new business? Caleb Ryan, who was having an affair with Rusty’s wife or was it the woman Rusty was having an affair with? I couldn’t put this book down, read it in one sitting. Although it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone, but will also hook you into wanting to read the earlier books in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Battered and Buried is the seventh book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe mystery series by Lena Gregory. I started this series with book four, and you can easily read Battered and Buried as a standalone! I’ve loved every book I’ve read in this series, and Battered and Buried didn’t disappoint me.

I’m always happy to visit (and solve crimes) with Gia, Savannah, their significant others and the All-Day Breakfast Cafe crew and friends. The characters are well-written, and I’ve come to see them as friends! Their interactions are genuine as are their actions. Sure, not all cafe owners solve crimes, but this is a cozy mystery! One of my favorite characters is Alfie who is a computer genius. He knows how to get information legally…only just. And there are the adorable pets of course!

Battered and Buried has a well-plotted mystery with enough red herrings to make finding the murderer quite tricky! Since one of their own is a suspect, Gia and Savannah are extra motivated to find the killer. The suspects are all really plausible, and I couldn’t figure out whodunit until the end!

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with yummy breakfast food, great characters,and a puzzling mystery, you’ll love Battered and Buried! I give it five big stars!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I am GIDDY to be back at the All-Day Breakfast Cafe with Gia and Savannah and Cole and Leo and Hunt and Alfie and Trevor and Cybil and Harley and Earl and Thor … and all the wonderful people that make up Gia’s inner circle. I have missed these characters and the cafe, and it was just such a delight to dive back in and feel right at home once more.

I’ve loved Cole since he first showed up at the cafe, and I quickly came to admire his steadiness of spirit and loyal support of Gia. In Battered and Buried, he’s the one in the crosshairs of the murder investigation, so Gia was deeply invested in solving this murder – and so was I! The victim is an odious man who takes great pleasure in wrecking people’s livelihoods, so there is no shortage of plausible suspects who hated him enough to want to do him in. Which means Gia and Savannah (and Alfie too) have their hands full trying to narrow it down to the correct perpetrator before anyone else winds up dead… including themselves. I had my suspicions of the murderer’s identity early on but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been any other of the suspects instead. One thing I’ve learned about this author’s books is that I shouldn’t assume I’m right about whodunit because I usually change my mind three or four times before all is said and done.

Bottom Line: Pull up a stool and join the All-Day Breakfast Cafe for a clever mystery that’s very personal to Gia and the family she’s built for herself in Boggy Creek. I absolutely loved being back with these charming characters who feel like dear friends and it was fun to tag along as they attempt to save their friend from being framed for murder. The author’s writing voice is warm and engaging, as always, and I read this in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. Battered and Buried by Lena Gregory is perfect for fans of Maddie Day, Lynn Cahoon, and Gayle Leeson!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

What do you do when you find your head cook standing over the body of your newest enemy? If you are Gia, you start investigating to find the real culprit even when all signs point to your employee and friend, Cole, being the murderer. This is the 7th book and my first read of this series. I enjoyed this book a lot. The setting of the All-Day Breakfast Cafe and all the friends that work together there is wonderful. The characters are all interesting and the relationships are honest and feel real I was easily able to figure out the main characters and what they did without reading the previous books (which I will now be doing). All in all, a fun read with an interesting crime.

Battered & Buried
(All Day Cafe 7)
Lena Gregory




Gia Morelli an NYC transplant, is the owner of the All Day Cafe in Boggy Creek, Florida. She arrives at work late with a full cafe. Her relief cook Cole Barrister gets harassed by a customer who turns out to really be the man opening a new sandwich business across the street. Rusty Bragge.

The next day Trevor and Gia go kayaking through the Ocala Forest, where they come upon Cybil and Cole. While hiking they happened to find Rusty lying dead! Sadly, as an old adversary of Cole’s the police

Park ranger Wade Erickson is on the scene almost immediately, he attempts to arrest Cole for the murder. Luckily, Leo and Hunt arrive to take over the case. Unfortunately, Cole is taken to the police station to answer questions. Gia heads back to the cafe to call a war council. After discussing the situation Savannah and Gia leave to speak with Amanda the new widow. They come upon her and Caleb having a business argument.

It’s been about 5 months since Hunter and Gia became engaged. Savannah and Trevor are anxious to begin planning the wedding. Gia is working hard to find a cold blooded murderer, so Cole doesn’t end up with more trouble. Hunt and Leo are on the case trying to clear Cole, keep the girls safe, and find a killer, and attempted murderer!

Lies, bribery, revenge, and ex’s… Oh my!
This is one rinse cycle that’s going to need a few extra spins to get this mess clean.

5*****
I missed Gia and the gang while they were on hiatus! This is a wonderful book without any profanity. The mystery was good but I return again and again for the characters. The ways they interact and the progress of their stories.
I love that a cast of characters was included to make it easier for new readers. This also makes it easier for long term readers as the author doesn’t have to reflect so much on past events in prior stories.

An interesting and fun cozy with good characters and an engaging mystery. The story flows easily and you quickly feel like you would love to settle in for a cozy chat and a good breakfast at the cafe where everyone in town is sure to stop by. I haven't read any other in the series but you don't have to understand what is going on or to connect with the characters. I will be sure to stop by for more of this delicious series soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Cole is the prime suspect in a murder, Gia and the gang will leave no stone unturned to clear his name. No matter how guilty he looks, the gang knows that Cole is being framed. Can they solve the case before one of them becomes the next notch in the murderer’s belt?

I really enjoy this series. Gia has really evolved and faced her internal demons over time and, along with the mysteries, this makes each and every book a most enjoyable read.

Gia runs a diner and she has a patron who very loudly trashed her food. Come to find out her head cook (Gary) knows the guy and Gia finds out that he is planning on opening his own diner not far from hers. She learns that this is his MO to trash his competition and then open his place, only to run it into the ground. On her day off, she is kayaking with a friend when they come across her head cook standing over the jerks body. Gary soon becomes the prime suspect.

The cozy is fun and has a few twists and turns in the plot. It is a nice escape.

Battered and Buried by Lena Gregory is the next in a really fun series, featuring Gia and her best, bud, Savannah who run a cafe in Florida, is a huge change from New York. Gia had had a very tough time there until Savannah convinced her to relocate and it had been nothing but good. Well, except for the raccoon who kept tearing up her garbage and was now trapped in her car. She had friends, was engaged to a lovely man who had wanted her enough that he waited until she was ready, and she had her cafe. Then, one morning a man came in and complained, at the top of his lungs. He was rude and unreasonable. Cole, her cook, came out to back her up until the police arrived, and it turned out he knew the jerk. Then, sadly, the next day he discovered his “friend” murdered and he was the main suspect. Now everyone knew he would never kill anyone but the evidence was mounting up. Was he being framed?

Gia couldn’t let it go. She and Savannah were creative and intelligent investigators, although neither her fiance (a police detective) or Savannah’s husband( also a detective) were happy with their antics. The dead man had a girl friend, but slept also with a friend of his wife’s. The wife had a boyfriend. There was a lot going on here. Meanwhile, the cafe was busy, Cole wasn’t always there, and Gia and Savannah were off following leads. Their friend, Alfie, was a computer genius and found things, mostly legally, that broke the case wide open. It was a good mystery, although there was foreshadowing aplenty. I never did get a good feel for the murderer’s motive, but all’s well that ends well. Thank you Lena Gregory for another fun visit with Gia and the gang.

I was invited to read Battered and Buried by Beyond the Page Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #LenaGregory #BatteredAndBuried

I suspected whodunit fairly early on and was happy to see that’s how it ended up. It was fun following Gia and Savannah around in their sleuthing like always. I’d really missed this series and thought it’d sure been on hiatus a while—yep since October of 2021, so it was awesome to get another book in it. I hope there’ll be more after this one.
I’ve always loved Cole’s character and he got a huge role in this book but it wasn’t fun for him to be accused of murder. Finally when it was apparent he was probably being framed, Gia and Savannah set out to do what they do best. Annoy and protect those they love, lol! Just kidding, ladies! They’re an unstoppable team but sometimes did need a little assistance from the real deal. And ending with the rest of the explanations followed the arrest along with the food and fellowship I’ve come to love about this series, along with the awesome characters.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Beyond the Page via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Battered and Buried is book #7 in the An All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series by Lena Gregory.

I really enjoyed this book. I like it when there is a group of close friends that are there for each other and also help others. Thor is my hero! Gia’s encounters with wildlife made me laugh. It was an interesting mystery especially when certain evidence came to light that opened up the possibilities of who the murderer was. I went back and forth trying to guess and figured it out right before Gia did. I definitely plan on reading the earlier books to catch up on this series.

Thank you to the author, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I love a series that is better with each new release and this is one that is always a pleasure to read. Battered and Buried is the 7th book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. Thank you to the publisher , to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own. This is a must read series as each book is fun and enjoyable. The breakfast cafe is charming and a center for this series.

This is a intriquing mystery that Gia and Savannah must figure out to save their friend, the cook at the cafe. They take off for a relaxing day on the water and find him standing over the body of his mortal enemy. He is prime suspect number one and Gia is determined to clear his name and find the rightful suspect with her excellent investigation skills. With her friend Savannah and her police detective boyfriend at her side she is soon finding red herrings and clues abound that may lead her to danger. A very exciting sleuth !

The sleuthing was well crafted, the cafe is so charming and I love all the characters. I highly recommend this wonderful next in series for your reading enjoyment. Well done to the author.

Rusty Bragge is opening a new deli that will be in stiff competition with Gia Morelli's All Day Breakfast Cafe. Rusty is known for playing dirty to destroy businesses and now it seems that Gia is his next victim, However, Gia won't have to worry about the new competition for long, but she does have to worry about a new murder.

This is an engrossing mystery with a diverse and interesting cast of characters, and it will keep you engaged to the very end. I have read and enjoyed all seven books in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe series, and I look forward to more in the future.
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Thanks to Beyond the Page and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are mine.

“Battered and Buried" the 7th instalment in the "All Day Breakfast Cafe" Mystery series by Lena Gregory. I love this series!
The best-laid plans may go awry, but the best-laid clues could frame a man for murder . . .

Each book seems better than the last, I enjoy the relationship between Gia, Savannah and the cafe staff they are almost like a family. It’s great to see how everyone cares for each other and pulls together to to make sure everyone is okay.

The story pulled me in straight away and held my attention till the very end. There were plenty of twists and turns, and enough intrigue to keep you reading throughout and per usual with this series I read in one sitting. I can’t wait for the next instalment to arrive, hopefully it won’t be a year away… did I mention how much I love this series.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.