Now Laura Childs is cracking a whole new case of murder in a brand new series—RECIPES INCLUDED. Introducing the Cackleberry Club Mysteries...
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lose their husbands but find independence when they open the Cackleberry Club. Then their cozy cafe becomes the scene of a crime when a lawyer dies with a secret on his lips and egg on his face. What this all has to do with a religious cult and Suzanne's past could put her own life on the line.
VOYA review:
This delightful mystery, the first in a new series by the author of the Scrapbooking and Tea Shop mysteries, has three scrappy women running a combined cafE, book nook, and knitting nest in their small town. Each has "lost" a husband: Suzanne's to pancreatic cancer, Petra's to a nursing home, and Toni's to a floozy bartender. Business is booming, especially when Suzanne discovers two separate murders. Did someone murder Suzanne's lawyer because information could implicate her deceased husband in an embezzling scheme, or does the religious cult in the next town have something to do with the deaths? Suzanne decides to assist the sheriff, whether he wants her help or not. With humor, Childs weaves quirky characters into the plot. Suzanne emerges as a competent amateur sleuth and successful entrepreneur with her confidence growing after her husband's death. The actual murder resolution seems a bit tame and the events contrived, but the amusing characters make up for it. One example is Petra, who does the short-order cooking. Every so often, she slips in a few slices of turkey bacon just so that the customers will not suffer cardiac infarctions. A dozen easy Cackleberry Club recipes are appended, including the three-ingredient "Easy Sour Cream Biscuits." Finishing it off are a few of the Club's egg tips and facts. Childs's other series are popular and this one should be no exception. Despite more appeal for a female adult audience, any mystery reader (including female teens) who needs their mystery fix, will devour this one. Reviewer: Jane Van Wiemokly
