Eggs on Ice by Laura Childs (Crackleberry Club #8) opens with Suzanne Dietz and her
friend Toni at the dress rehearsal for A Christmas Carol when the ghost
stabs and murders Ebenezer Scrooge played by Allan Sharp. Allan is an
accountant and a developer with many enemies. Suzanne gives chase after the
ghost. The ghost threatens her. She vows to find out who is in the ghost
costume. That is not the only murder.
Suzanne,
Petra, and Toni own the Crackleberry Club Café. While solving the mystery, they
also have plenty of time to post menus, serve breakfast and lunches, hold a
Christmas tea, and cater Allan Sharp’s funeral visitation and a wine and cheese
fundraiser for Hope Church. So, plenty of food and a little sleuthing.
Other
characters include Junior (Toni’s deadbeat ex-husband), Mayor Mobley (corrupt),
Sheriff Roy Doogie (eats a lot, quickly, and often), Reverend Ethan Jakes (fundamentalist
and new to town), and Don Shinder (Allan Sharp’s partner). In addition to
eating, we have a funeral, a nighttime cross-country ski church fundraiser, and
a Christmas toy drive. Aside from the murders, Kindred is a wholesome city.
Maybe a
spoiler, but more of a complaint. Mysteries generally require murderers to have
motives beyond just random psychopathic killings. This book comes close to a
random psychopathic killing.
“But why did
you kill Hardwick?”
“To throw
everyone off track.”
A delightful
cozy murder with plenty of parties, food, and recipes.
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