Suzanne, Petra, and Toni operate the café, which also features a Book Nook and a Knitting Nest. Suzanne’s husband recently passed away, Petra has lost her husband to Alzheimer’s Disease, and Toni’s womanizing husband has left her (again).
In the quiet town of Kindred the ladies stay busy serving dishes such as “Cackleberry Club Brown Sugar Meatloaf,” “Cheddar Cheese Biscuits,” and “Chicken Croquettes.” In their spare time they’re hosting a Knit In and a Take the Cake event, as well as a book signing for the local hot-shot romance author.
The ladies help out the Library Committee fund raiser at the Kindred Spirit Days. When Suzanne goes to deliver a cake to Funeral Director Ozzie Driesden, she finds him dead on his own embalming table. Before she can get a good look at the scene, someone drugs Suzanne with chloroform.
When a friend come under suspension of the murder, Suzanne and the ladies of Cackleberry begin to do some snooping of their own. While following a lead, Suzanne and Toni find a second body.
The more they look, the more confused the case becomes. The ladies are faced with problems from every angle, including being held hostage.
Even though this is the second book in the Cackleberry Club series, Eggs Benedict Arnold is a stand alone book. However, the adventures of the ladies will have you wanting more. The first in the series is Eggs in Purgatory.
Author Laura Childs has created a delightful mix of humor, small town friendship, murder and mayhem in this cozy murder mystery. As an added bonus there is a recipe section in the back of the book, along with a preview of Ms. Child’s next new Tea Shop Mystery, The Teaberry Strangler.
Eggs Benedict Arnold will have you wishing for simpler times while longing for a taste of the delicious recipes mentioned throughout the book.
Eggs Benedict Arnold, A Cackleberry Club Mystery by Laura Childs, Berkley Prime Crime, @2009.
ISBN: 978-0-425-23155-5, 336 pages, paperback
** Just heard from Laura Childs that Eggs Benedict Arnold has been named to the New York Times Bestseller List! **
Sounds like fun. I love Laura's books. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Oh, Mason, this sounds like a terrific cozy! Thank you so much for the review. The characters sound interesting and I really like the way you describe their backgrounds and inter-relationships, too. Really interesting : ).
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, it was a fun book. This was the first time I had read any of the Cackleberry Club series. I enjoyed the small-town flavor of it. Thanks again for the award.
ReplyDeleteMargot, the characters are interesting. I like the fact that they are 3 women who pulled together to tackle not only their business, but life in general.
sounds like a very charming book, I just positively adore the cover design :) (I have an obsession with lovely book covers so I always try making my books look beautiful outside as well, not just inside :)
ReplyDeleteA very cozy blog ;)
thank you, this sounds like my kind of book!
ReplyDeleteDezmond, I think if a book cover catches your eye, you're more likely to pick it up. Book covers are important. Thanks for stopping by and following.
ReplyDeleteHodgepodgespv, I hope you enjoy the book. It's a fun read.
yep, I work in a publishing house in Europe, and whenever we change the original book cover of the novels we translate and publish, and make it much more imaginative, creative and alluring, we always have a huge feedback among readers. There are many cases when you can make a financial success out of a bad book with stunning covers and blurbs.
ReplyDeleteI can see how you could change the financial success of a book around, Dezmond. I hate to admit it but there are some books that I haven't looked at because of the cover, but later when I read a synopsis of it - I want the book.
ReplyDeleteI think I will put this book on my wish list.
ReplyDeletecenya2 at hotmail dot com
Hope you get it for Christmas and enjoy it, Marjorie.
ReplyDeletehave this on my wishlist! great post I'm starting to really like cozy mysteries a lot :) unfortunately most of the ones I like aren't available so I have to get them through interlibrary loan. *sighs* I've been lucky to get some at thrift shops though!
ReplyDeleteCozy mysteries are great. I think I probably read them more than anything and thrift shops and second hand book stores are wonderful.
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