Take one part good food, one part cozy setting, one part loyal friends,
add a dash of romance, mix in a helping of humor, top it off with a murder and you have the perfect recipe for a Cackleberry Club Mystery. Author Laura Childs’ latest release, STAKE & EGGS, fits the bill perfectly.
After her husband passed away, Suzanne Dietz decided to open the Cackleberry Club café. Aided by her two partners, Toni and Petra, the café is the place to be in Kindred.
As an afternoon snowstorm covers Kindred, a sudden whack leads Suzanne to discover a crashed snowmobile in the woods behind the café. With the wreck Suzanne also finds Ben Busacker, the town’s most hated banker, beheaded by a wire strung among the trees.
Sheriff Roy Doogie begins his investigation and soon several of the café’s best customers are prime suspects. It seems a lot of the townspeople weren’t happy with the banker’s way of handling business.
Between a pushy regional bank manager and plans for the annual Fire and Ice Festival, the investigation begins to snowball. Once again Suzanne finds yourself in the middle of the murder investigation and the only way out is to find the killer before she loses her head.
Childs creates a cozy setting with a cast of zany and lovable characters that will hold you spellbound. The main protagonist and her group of friends are well-developed and realistic. The steady pace of the story will draw you in and keep you guessing till the end.
STAKE & EGGS is a charming cozy mystery that will have you wishing there was a café like the Cackleberry Club near you. Good food, good friends, intriguing murder makes for a enthralling read.
This is the fourth installment in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series, but is a stand alone read. While the books don’t have to be read in order, additional background is provided as the series progresses.
The various dishes mentioned throughout STAKE & EGGS sound tasty such as Cheggnog and Lemon Cornbread. A number of these recipes are included in the back of the book. There is also a sneak preview of Childs’ next Tea Shop Mystery, SWEET TEA REVENGE, slated for release in March 2013.
STAKE & EGGS hits the spot when searching for an enticing cozy murder mystery with small-town charm.
Author Laura Childs’ website is www.laurachilds.com
Stake & Eggs by Laura Childs, A Cackleberry Club Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2012, ISBN: 978-0425255575, Paperback, 304 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - An ARC of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. What's on your reading list for today?
New Orleans and Mardi Gras have long since been the setting for 
murder mysteries, but author Laura Childs puts a different spin on the concept with amateur sleuth Carmela Bertrand and POSTCARDS FROM THE DEAD.
Carmela, owner of Memory Mine Scrapbooking, is awaiting her turn in the camera spotlight when something goes terrible wrong. KBEZ-TV reporter Kimber Breeze is conducting interviews on the fourth floor balcony of a hotel in the French Quarter overlooking the Mardi Gras parade below.
Just as she’s about to be interviewed, Carmela sees Kimber’s terrified face in the waiting room’s live feed monitor. When she rushes out onto the tiny balcony, Carmela finds Kimber’s lifeless body dangling by a cord over the floats below.
Although her boyfriend, Homicide Detective Edgar Babcock, tells her not to get involved, Carmela can’t help herself. When she begins receiving unnerving postcards apparently from the dead reporter, Carmela enlists the help of her best friend Ava Gruiex to uncover the truth.
As Carmela and Ava search for the killer, they take the reader on a journey through New Orleans, its culture and its landscape. There is a nice blend of mystery, murder, mayhem, humor, a dabble of romance and even a second crime to solve. In addition, Childs incorporates friendship, loyalty and a bit of gossip involving the Scrapbooking gang.
With each new installment in this series, Childs continues to develop and enrich her characters. Following along with their progress enhances the reading experience making the characters more realistic.
Childs slowly pulls you in with each line. As she paints a picture with her words, she places the reader in the heart of the action with her characters. Before the reader realizes it, they’re spellbound unable to put the book down not wanting to leave the scene for fear of what will happen next.
POSTCARDS FROM THE DEAD is the 10th installment in the Scrapbook Mystery series, but can be read alone. There are subtle references to prior events, but they are done in such a way as not to confuse or lose new readers. The book also offers delicious New Orleans recipes, Scrapbooking tips and a preview of the next installment in Childs’ Cackleberry Club Mystery series, STAKE & EGGS, slated for release in December.
Scrapbooking doesn’t have to be in your blood to enjoy this story, only the love of a good mystery.
Postcards From The Dead by Laura Childs, A Scrapbooking Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2012, ISBN: 978-0425252758, Hardcover, 336 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author and publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copies did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope you enjoy a taste of New Orleans with a dash of murder mystery.
