At the midway point of the mystery,   ‘A Frying Shame,’ by author Linda Reilly the story began to lose it’s taste faster than deep fried food after it gets cold.

“The town of Wrensdale is abuzz with excitement when Steeltop Foods sponsors a cooking contest to promote its new product, the Flavor Dial. With a $25,000 prize at stake, all the contestants are on edge, including Talia Marby, owner of Fry Me A Sliver. She hopes her mini deep-fried apple pies will win her the money to pay off the renovations on her restaurant. But when Norma Ferguson wins with her flaky-top chicken stew, the tensions dial up even more.

After Norma is found dead at her cooking station, the police suspect a losing contestant got a little too hot under the collar. Now it’s crunch time as Talia works to catch the killer and clear her name before another cook gets burned. Includes delicious recipes!”

Several lines in this cozy mystery such as, “You should have kept your nose out of things and stayed in the kitchen, like a proper woman supposed is to” are prime examples of why I wanted to put this book  in a deep fryer. But as an avid reader who also happens to be a diabetes advocate that’s about all I’m going to put into the fryer because the more fried food you eat, the more likely you are to suffer from Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, reveals new research.

I know a lot of people read cozy mysteries featuring recipes for ‘escape’ but I still don’t want to encourage Reilly’s readers to make their exit in an ambulance.

A U.S.-based study team compared people who ate fried food less than once a week with those who gobbled things like fries, fried chicken, or other deep-fried snacks four to six times a week and foound their risk for Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease jump 39% and 23%, respectively. The risks rose even more for people who ate fried food on a daily basis

The good new is that foods fried in trans-fat-free oils—now offered at many restaurants since FDA cracked down on trans fats—may not present the same health hazards. Cooking at home with fresh oils might also limit your exposure to unhealthy compounds.

Still love the fryer?

Okay, deep fried ‘taters might be tempting, but carrot fries taste just as good. Roast your carrots and top them with some fresh Parmesan and basil for a sweet and savory treat that packs only 83 calories per serving. Want more options? Try these seven other French fry recipes you’ll love. Photo and recipe: Alexa Schirm / Life by Daily Burn

I’d like to add that the ending oft the ‘Frying Shame’ makes finishing the book worth it.  The killer gets  just what he or she deserves. I loved it.

I picked this book up at the New York Public library because I’ve started working on a new Mister Divabetic Mystery podcast. My goal is to write a compelling cozy mystery packed with diabetes self-care advice from qualified diabetes educators. I also like to include delicious healthy recipes from several of my favorite chefs such as Chef Robert ‘The Happy Diabetic’ Lewis, Holly Clegg and Stacey ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ Harris to name a few.

LISTEN NOW: Mister Divabetic Mystery podcast: ‘Suspect Boulevard’,  The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hopes to inspire you to become a Diabetes Detective will this third installment of Diabetes Mystery  Theater podcast. Throughout the podcast we will spotlight the wonderful music by the National Philaharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Charles Gerhardt courtesy of SONY MUSIC.