Cooking With Ideas

Cackleberry Mystery: Eggs on Ice

I am a fan of Laura Childs. I admit it freely. And, you can find reviews and reflections on her other works elsewhere on this very blog -- from her Tea Shop series and from this (more recent but still not new) series, the Cackleberry Club series. I am not a scrapbooking type, so I ignore that series entirely. In any case, I have read a lot of the other two -- often because Laura kindly sends them to me -- either as ARCs or otherwise. 

You can find an earlier comment from me on one of Laura's books on her site here. (Be patient and scroll down!) Or, you can click here to find some earlier discussion here on this very blog. Better yet, keep reading -- below -- for some comments on this most recent Cackleberry entry, published in December of 2018. 

This time, I went right out (to amazon) and bought the book in a kindle edition. I was feeling kind of . . . needy . . . and this was just what I wanted. Though you are reading this, perhaps, after Christmas, I needed some holiday spirit -- which can mean murder as long as its fictional and kind of cozy. I am not always a huge fan of Christmas themed mysteries themselves, but. . . this one was successful because it was not unduly saccharine, it met the requirements of the genre, and it was filled with familiar characters. Yes, I like Laura Childs' mysteries (even when the themes -- like tea -- begin to bleed from one series to the other). 

So a few general-ish comments before I get down to brass tacks! The series has egg based titled -- eggs in purgatory being my favorite of the titles -- and this one is eggs on ice. (I admit I am not sure I always get the referents). I think this is partly because the main amateur detective type runs a cafe which often includes egg based dishes (since it is a breakfast and lunch place) -- and these are often in the appendix at the end of the book. (As always, I have to admit that I do not try out those recipes -- maybe some day I will have a party featuring recipes from foodie murder mysteries!) I am also fond of hte characters here -- Suzanne, Toni and Petra. Frankly, they are a bit less "extreme" in terms of who they are than those in Childs' tea shop mysteries (though I am even fonder of them!) Also, I like it that the series is set in a cafe that is part of an old "spur" station (aka railroad station.) 

On to more particulars without the need for a spoiler alert: (a) the premise includes some attention to Dickens' Christmas Carol and, yes, to Scrooge. I admit that I think the many many iterations of Scrooge sometimes gets on my nerves, but this one is on -- and off -- the stage fairly quickly and hence I give this a pass as a matter of criticism. Unrelatedly, I did google "charles dickens christmas carol murder mystery" and got 2,924,000 results in .654 seconds).; (b) I am myself a skeptic on matters of the supernatural and in fact verge on the side of thinking it is a lovely symbol system and that's that. I do have some tolerance for speculation when things seem unexplainable -- and so give the matter of ghosts -- in Dickens' Christmas Carol and in this mystery -- a gentle pass. I do think its intriguing that hte character of Suzanne struggles as much as she does -- as do characters in other Childs' mysteries -- to remain a skeptic without being contrary or cynical. (c) I have been reading a variety of things recently focused on the theme of friendship and that leads me to say that one of the  things I like about this mystery (and others by Childs) is the theme of female friendship. While, like virtually every instance of the cozy genre, there is a romantic (read: heterosexual) subplot, the main tale, despite the wingeing on of the romantic male about the safety of the sleuth(s) -- the women are together, strong, and smart. 

And, while there is risky business -- everyone we care about survives. As will we. Until we don't. 

Thanks for that. And for the romp. 

The Secret, Book & Scone Society

Sometimes algorithms work. That is, once in a while all that scrutiny caused by my ignoring cookies (not that kind of cookies!) and causing the web and buying from amazon and etcetera leads to a book recommendation I value. And, I saw a list recently -- I assume I saw it because of an algorithm -- and it led me to the book reviewed here. (It was a list of mysteries focused on books -- and I had read some of them, but not this one!) 

Sometimes commas matter. Of course, I know about he various memes and disputes regarding the oxford comma. I know that I put more commas into writing than, say, my partner, who puts relatively little in the way of commas into her prose. And, in the title of the book reviewed here, the comma maters. I did not notice it at first -- and then I understood why the comma matters! There is no spoiler in the not in that the book is about a group of women in a small town in North Carolina who come together because they each have secrets, one is a book seller (and self-avowed bibliotherapist, see below) and one is a maker of "comfort scones" made to order to sooth and heal recipients. 

In any case, algorithms and commas came together and . . . I loved this book. I have encountered Ellery Adams before but this one came as a bit of a surprise. The theme -- hinted at above -- is women coming together who had a painful, potentially shaming thing in their past. Each of those in the group eventually tells their story -- and each is, indeed, quite painful. Leaving it behind has both helped each of them -- and yet they have remained stuck in some sense, unwilling or unable to make friends and share trust. So: the book is about regained or regaining trust in self and in friendship. It is also about investigating a mystery in a small town -- so about caring for one's town and one's friend. 

And, of course, this is a mystery with a central character who was both saved by books -- and who runs a bookstore and acts as bibliotherapist. By the latter, she means that she listens well and recommends books -- some somewhat surprising -- that will ve their recipient forward -- to healing, to helping their dog heal, to meet whatever need she discerns in the recipient. (I loved her book recommendations -- they were more oblique than one might have expected, and nudged the character receiving them into a kind of self reflection.) 

While not centrally a food-related mystery, The Secret, Book & Scone Society does, of course, include scones as a running theme. I love the idea of custom made scones meant to meet the person who is eating them -- while I think there is little mystery to this beyond listening, I love the way it works in the novel. (In fact, it reminds me of the occasions when I say to a bartender can you just make me something -- and often I end up with a drink I love.) 

So: read this. read this for your own healing, for fun, and for comfort. It is worth the time, the effort -- and I hope it brings you some warmth and joy as it did for me. 

This is book one of a series and book 2 is out already! Hurrah. More to look forward to! 

Queen Anne's Lace by Susan Wittig Albert

(Thanks to projects.ncsu.edu for the visual)

As regular readers of Cooking with Ideas know, I am a fan of Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series with its focus on herbs and plants. This one ran true to form -- informative, fun and truly worth the read. In fact, by some oddity, I ran into related information shortly after reading this and became convinced that a focus on herbal medicine was everywhere!

SPOILER ALERTS are not always easy to see when writing about mysteries -- and yet I want to avoid them. So, I try to be general. This book weaves history with current times together in an intriguing (and unusual for this series) way to address the use of various herbs for contraceptive or abortifacient reasons. (I hope we are not returning to an era where these are desperately needed everywhere -- though I know they still are in various areas of the U.S. and the globe.) In any case, there are a variety of such herbs -- and often relevant information is passed down in poetry, women's tales and more. They include, for example, rue and juniper. And, as you will have guessed, the title of this Albert book points to another: Queen Anne's Lace (aka wild carrot). In this case it is the seeds. 

And here comes the potential spoiler: as it often the case with herbal medicine, a little knowledge can be a bad thing. That is, there ar look-a-like plants and sometimes these are poisonous. In this case, the relevant seeds of Queen Anne's Lace look like the seeds of the wild hemlock. The latter is poisonous. 

Finally, I am avoiding the plot per se, which is as usual delightful and intriguing, filled with ruminations by the key character, but am not sure I should. As you will know if you are a reader of the series, China Bayles is a skeptic. And, that skepticism about spiritual matters is called into question in this volume. Together with the plant lore, this makes for a novel that got under my skin more than usual. I am grateful to Albert for writing it -- and making me think about my own sometimes knee jerk refusals to believe or take seriously various matters. 

So: this rumination is just that -- and I do recommend the novel. Read it. Albert has found another way for women to pass along information we may need -- though we are not in Margaret Atwood's Gilead yet. (For that reference. see The Handmaid's Tale.) 

For other mysteries by Albert, and my related views, click here. For a few words from me on a historical (non-mystery) novel by Albert, try here. And, for information on how to identify Queen Anne's Lace/Wild Carrot, try here. 

Bleeding Tarts by Kirsten Weiss

A murder mystery with (a) a sleuth who runs a food-related shop; (b) is part of a series named after the aforementioned shop; (c) features a female entrepreneur whose (eventual? possible? hoped for?) boyfriend is a policeman (detective) and side kick is a tad eccentric; and (d) has a funny title? This does not distinguish Pie Town Mysteries -- or Bleeding Tarts from many others in the cozy food-related mystery genre. It's like there is a formula. (Kidding. Of course there is a formula.)

Having said that, Bleeding Tarts is a reasonably fun romp. Added to the genre: a "fake" ghost town set up in Silicon Valley to attract the wedding and other events crowd as well as pies. I had not given much thought to pies (not being the sort who can make a pie crust) and so had not thought about how many varieties there could be of both sweet and savory types. Nor had I given a moment's thought to the not in of hand pies. Now I have. 

Also adding to the genre, given the ghost town, characters named after the Three Stooges seems a bit much -- but it adds to the silly ambience, especially since they are all about trick shooting and horses. Also, there is a guy named Patel (yes, that sort of Indian) who makes dream catchers. And a pink VW van (why do these caterers and entrepreneurs spend so much time talking about their cars?). Gamers who sit in the corner of the cafe. Gossiping men. And the worst sounding alcoholic drink ever: root beer and kahlua. Yuck. 

As for the mystery, featuring Val (Valentine) Harris as the pie shop owning amateur detective and a side kick who is both older than her and a fan of the paranormal, here's what I have to say: there were loads of red herrings, several dead bodies, numerous attempts on the heroine's life (including an attack by Prius) and. . . . eventually the working out of who-dun-it. (At some point, I actually caught the relevant clue and knew who did it -- well before then end -- and that is unusual for me. It was dumb luck on my part.) 

I am turning into a slow reader, I find, and that may not work so well for cosy mysteries that are meant to be read in kind of a rush in a sitting or two. I had trouble keeping my mind on things -- not the fault of the book. It was fine. I just needed something to take me further away from today's terrible politics. 

Having said that, I may actually try making Kirsten Weiss's blueberry/peach/ginger pie. You never know. 

Weiss, by the way, writes a whole raft of series novels, including some steam punk. And some werewolf-y things.  So, check out her website! 

Re-Reading is Bliss

As some of you know, I have been re-reading. One of the best things about having books that have been in your home for a long time is that you no longer quite remember the plot. And, in the case of murder mysteries, forgetting the plot is kind of important to the re-reading option. So: who am I re-reading? Bits here and there of Ellen Hart, of whose work I am fond, featuring (mainly) Sophie Greenway. Yes, I also like Jane Lawless and her friends, but this is just the way the rummaging on the shelf happened. I look forward to re-visiting Jane as well -- and know that Hart has many more in that series that I neither own nor have read!

Meanwhile: why do I like Ellen Hart? In no particular order because:

1. Hart writes well, plots well, and has interesting characters. 
2. A friend many years ago recommended the books.
3. As a part of the L community (I find LGBTQ sometimes irritating and so have resorted to L), Hart writes of both the complications and the delights, including changing somewhat over the years. 
4. The two series each feature a strong woman, who knows how to have friends. 
5. Both series feature someone from the world of food -- in the case of Sophie Greenway, a restaurant critic who also owns a hotel (which does have restaurants), and in the case of Jane Lawless, a restaurant owner 
6. Did I say Hart writes well?
7. Did I say she is a Lambda award winning author
8. Did I say I once met her at a book signing in Provincetown?

It turns out I have another reason to like the series: they hold up to a re-read years later. Yes, there are dated references scattered here and there. But everything more or less holds up as story and as writing.  I have re-read a raft of them, and in each case, there is a feeling of familiarity and surprise, my idea of a terrific meal. 

There could be details. But no -- read or (re)read them yourself!

For a much earlier read (and review of Dial M for Meatloaf, right here on CookingwithIdeas, click here. 

 

Death by Dumpling

It was the title. Of course, it was the title. Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is the first foodie cozy I have bought in Barnes and Noble (right there near Wegmans in Pittsford) in a very long time. There it was, calling my name. So, I bought it -- and then in a short while, I read it. And, according to Chien's website, there is a second Noodle Shop mystery on its way soon. 

But what about this first one? If you are a devoted reader of this site -- or care to wander the site categories, come across Murder on the Menu and see how many food related mysteries I have reviewed, you know I know this sub genre. I know it well. And, I have opinions about it. I am ambivalent about the punning that goes on. I prefer there to actually be a plot and do not see the inclusion of recipes as the only thing defining the sub genre. I like authors that weave more complex plots and engage in characterization better than those that . . . do not. I get a bit tired of some of the cliches that go with cozy foodie mysteries -- the amateur detective (female) always has a love interest (usually if not quite always male) who is either a sherif, a cop or otherwise a professional in related areas. And, the romance is often . . . early in the series, accompanied by self denigration on the part of the woman, who often gets into idiotic situations as a result of her curiosity, persistent effort to solve crimes, etcetera. 

What I do like, of course, is the indirect way of learning about food cultures, a plot with ongoing characterization, fun side kicks, interesting settings, and more. I learn about tea from Laura Childs and coffee from Cleo Coyle (and pseudonyms from them both), for example, and am oddly fond of their series characters. I have explored Charleston and Greenwich Village with them. I like the sub genre, for the most part.  So: I was excited to find this new entry to the list of authors I know. 

So, what about Death by Dumpling? I thought I would learn a bit about Asian (more specifically, Chinese American) food culture (though not as much as I did from The Last Chinese Chef (reviewed here on CookingwithIdeas) which was a spectacular novel. And, I so enjoyed Murder on Bamboo Lane which challenged the sub genre by having a female (Asian American) police officer at its heart.  

Of course, I especially like the sub genre when it overlaps with particular food related matters for me; in the case of dumplings I have a very fond memory of making them with a long deceased friend and her children and others. I somehow expected, I think, to participate vicariously in dumpling making. Without spoiling anything, that is not the case here as the dumplings are made out of our sight. 

In any case, I bought the book -- and Death by Dumpling is, like most parts of the real world, imperfect. It is both a fun read and one that is, for me, marred by a few minor things. I love some aspects (the character Lana Lee reminds me of some children I know with similar names!) -- including the insight into Asian market plazas (though not as fleshed out as I would have liked) and that the tale was set in Cleveland (which I do not know at all, despite occasionally driving through) but, again, would like to see the place fleshed out further. Two things: the main "investigator" is young (27 I think) and sometimes that is over emphasized -- her voice seems, to be honest, annoying, despite the reality that she is smart, caring, and focused. The whining -- implied and actually present in the novel, seems a bit much. (This may be because there is an emphasis characteristic of the sub genre on failed romance. And, as with other series in the genre, there is a new love interest with all that ambiguity, in the person of a police detective.) I'd like to see Lana Lee's tone change a bit in future novels in the series. While there is the implication that she matures over the course of this installment, it doesn't really feel like that to me. 

Having said that, the notion of murder by food allergy is entertaining -- and though used elsewhere -- used to good purpose here. And, the complications of parent child  (and especially adult child) loyalty abound in the novel in ways that both contribute to the plot, provide "red herrings" and remind us all of the ways misunderstanding is not merely about those outside our families but all too often define our relationships inside our families as well. That Lana Lee is bi-racial adds some interest as well -- as she does wrestle with that a bit in the story. 

This book qualifies as what I think of as a peanut book (no, this is not about the horrors of peanut allergies!) -- a peanut book from my perspective is a very very quick, fun, read -- a bit ore than fluffy but still a snack food! 

For a review elsewhere, click here. Or, try here. 

 

 

Cleo Coyle's Shot in the Dark

I am a fan of Cleo Coyle's mysteries and so very very grateful that she sent me a copy of Shot in the Dark. As always, I needed a shot of caffeine and joy to move me along -- that's what good mysteries are for, right? They both entertain and make us think. And Cleo's coffee house mysteries do both for me -- they allow me to escape and, often, make me think about the world in which we live. Yes, the murders in murder mysteries can sometimes be a plot device mainly, and thankfully do not seem too real. But the remainder of the settings and plots can address matters that face us in our own worlds. 

Shot in the Dark does not disappoint on either the escapist fun side or the subtle (and not so subtle) addressing of important issues. I have loved the earlier books in the series, and reviewed them on Cooking with Ideas. (For a review of an earlier entry in the series, click here.) I always love the titles, and am fond (is that odd to say about fictional characters) of the characters that drive the story. I imagine dropping into the coffee shop, meeting Clare Cosi and her friends, family, co-workers, and more. And, I imagine loving the coffee and their other creations. 

This time, I was drawn to the underlying social critique of the mystery: the role of social media and our smart phones in our lives. YEs, the main theme was the use of various apps to "hook up" -- not something I know about though we all likely have heard of Tinder, for example. Even I know what "swipe right" implies. (Its kind of like knowing what McDonalds represents without ever eating there.) In any case, what I found most intriguing was the ongoing discussion of addiction as a way to understand people's obsession with their phones. I suffer from it and have struggled to move away from it. I was, though, most delighted to learn a word for something I have experienced here and there: "phubbing." (For its definition, click here.) Yes, this escapist wonder made me think -- and made me think again and again and again. No, no one has been murdered in my life -- but phubbing and related matters do seem to me to warrant some thinking. The social commentary contained in murder mysteries all too often goes under appreciated so: thanks to Cleo Coyle! 

What else? Yes, there are recipes. Yes, once again you will learn something about coffee. Yes, you will groan at the title since like others in this genre, it is punny. And, yes, you will smile throughout. 

I recommend a visit to Cleo's website, CoffeeHouseMysteries, if you have not been there before. While not a visit to the "real" coffee shop managed by Clare Cosi, Village Blend, it is the next best thing (well, except we now have a delightful coffee place in my own home neighborhood: Monaco's Coffee. They do a swell mocha -- though I admit I am sometimes impatient because the service is incredibly slow. Thats because they make every single coffee one at a time. But still.) You can also visit and learn at this second site, Cleo Coyle Books. 

So: most crucially, I am grateful to Cleo for the boost and the fun. 

It's a Mystery to Me! Joanna Fluke on Banana Cream Pie

This blog began with several main foci: food (restaurant reviews, cooking and related matters) and books. In the latter regard, one major category was -- and is -- murder mysteries with a focus on food. Murder on the Menu as a category was one of those things that just was -- I read a lot of such mysteries and each connected to my main theme: food. At the time -- in 2006 -- the cozy mystery trend focusing on food was (or it seems to me in retrospect) kind of new -- there were some authors successfully doing it and a range of others trying to enter the fray.  As is the case now -- and was the case then -- there were known names and unknowns, terrific mysteries with food in them and . . . throw away mysteries using food as a kind of trick to draw in readers. Many of the latter included (a) recipes either strewn throughout the book or at the end (more often the latter); (b) an amateur sleuth in some sort of food related industry ranging from catering to running a restaurant or care or tea shop or. . . . to wine stewards or others, often as a second career after leaving a successful but annoying life in something more like law or marketing; (c) all too often a love interest for the amateur sleuth (who was usually a woman) who is in law enforcement (often a policeman); and (d) a family and friendship network of quirky others who helped move the sleuthing and the plot along while also providing some entertainment value or, at least, listening to the sleuth think "aloud" about what she is discovering in searching for the murderer. Also included (e) a murder -- with (f) many possible contenders for the murderer and (g) often a small town or location specific set of themes. Titles are often (h) food focused and/or (i) punny. (And yes, I intended a p not an f at the start of that word!) 

Joanna Fluke -- yes is a name in the cozy food related arena with a successful series (more than one in fact) with titles focused on various foods ranging from the 21st book reviewed here (banana cream pie) to her first in the series, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. In Fluke's case, her heroine runs a small place focused on baked goods (cookies in fact) and between sleuthing efforts is trying out new cookie recipes. In Banana Cream Pie Murder, Hannah Swenson returns from her honeymoon . . . to find yet another murder in her little town. And yes, the banana cream pie features in various parts of the plot in small ways, there is a recipe provided, and . . . . well, let's say the mystery is solved but, as is the case in such series, there is a cliff hanger leading to the next installment. A few minor things I liked: Hannah's sister is a student at Macalester College -- a place worth knowing about. It is not really a player in the plot but is there, mentioned several times. Hurrah for liberal education. 

I admit it, I am not even a real fan of banana cream pie. You can find recipes in various places on line -- and make one if you want. I will not. And yet, I was drawn to this very specific book, which did in fact get me through a very long airport delay. A very long one. I might be aging out of buying every single cozy food related murder mystery I find though. It was a fine read -- with the recipes after each chapter rather than the end of the book, with a notable cat (did I mention these sleuths seem to have pets?) and with an occasional funny moment. 

The recipes? Well, as I said, they are not my kind of thing. They might be yours. You can find more about these books, and Fluke's other work, at her official website here. What you can find there includes news about the various efforts to make Hannah Swenson films. Who knew? 

If. like me, you end up stuck in an airport for 5-6 hours, this will get you through the time. And, if you arrived, as I did, at around 4:30 am, a nap will help too. 

Katharine Hall Page (Again?)

One of the best things about aging is also a down side -- memory! On the one hand, my head is filled with memories and sometimes that is making it hard to live in the present.  On the other hand, I can't seem to remember a lot of things -- and while that is something to mourn (especially in those friends and family facing very serious memory related illnesses and problems), there is one minor upside: I can re-read things without even quite remembering that I read them in the first place. This is especially useful when it comes to murder mysteries given the suspense around "who dun it." As I have been downsizing around books, I have been more reluctant to purchase more and more books, and this re-reading thing is working out well for me! I keep finding odd little signs that I have been there before -- the sales slip from 1986, a birthday card from a long deceased aunt and uncle, and, when it comes to nonfiction, marginalia and etcetera. I even occasionally discover I blogged about a book here on Cooking with Ideas and have no memory of reading the book let alone writing something about it. 

Anyway, all this is preliminary to these reflections on two books that survived the "lets get rid of all mysteries on food or cats except those that are ARCS and/or signed from friends" purge because I forgot they had anything at all to do with food. Yep, Katherine Hall Page. I just re-read two of hers, searched through things to find my earlier comments on her work and discovered that I had discovered her food focus at least once or twice before and then promptly forgotten it again (see below for links), and . . . well, I have re-read two from the Faith Fairchild series -- one set in Alford (The Body in the Moonlight) and one in Cambridge (The Body in the Attic). (I enjoyed the Harvard-ish and Harvard Divinity School commentary in the latter.) 

In both instances, I think, there was reference to the series character's soon to be published cookbook. The character, Faith Fairchild, is married to a minister (which I seem to have once upon a time decided meant the books were about religion not food) and there are recipes mentioned in the narrative and contained in the book under the notion of a cookbook Faith intended to publish. Turns out when I perused Page's website, she published as a cookbook some few years ago! Faith's catering company, Have Faith, and the cookbook entitled Have Faith in Your Kitchen, of course, play on both Faith's name and on the role of faith in religion (and kitchen). I found it very intriguing to think about what Faith has to say about faith (and doubt) as she wrestles with murders. Once in a while the novels include mention of other religion based authors, including Chesterton's Father Brown, which does nudge one to think about the ways murder mysteries function. Page's website also has recipes. I have to admit, I often am not attracted to the recipes in mysteries and feel like they are a bit of a marketing add on given the popularity of food-related murder mysteries. Not in the case of Page who, also, it is worth noting, has won in all 3 categories for the Agatha Awards. 

A few comments on the re-read books? Well, first: I did note that both included some stress in the marriage and that the stress often had to do with moodiness on the part of one party and nondisclosure on the part of Faith. Put another way: because the books focus on Faith's point of view, we know she just does not tell her husband everything and her rationale for that. The theme repeats in both the books I own and have now re-read. Makes me think again about relationships. Thank you. Second, there is a strong theme of women's friendships in the books, which is lovely -- though occasionally rooted in silly comments about men, these seem to me mostly realistic in the sense of counting on one another and emotional clarity (and the lack thereof). Finally, and more focused on the murders featured in the books: I do get just a tad tired of the number of times female amateur detective types come close to death. It can appear as though they are nosy but kind of dim witted. Despite this, I like Faith and the way she presents her nosiness and her concern for others. It is the latter -- the refusal of being a by stander -- that is worth lifting up always and perhaps especially these days.

Faith Fairchild is not a bystander in the face of murder -- or other challenges. I like that. And I think we should all try hard to avoid being a bystander. (Yes, she occasionally jumps to conclusions. Lets not do that too often -- but let's not let fear [revent us from intervening when we can bend the arc of history just a tiny bit further toward justice.) 

 Re-reading! Hurrah. Katherine Hall Page! Hurrah. 

She has more books than I can detail here -- with a new one I have not read yet that came out in December of 2017: The Body in the Casket. I have listed it on the side -- for the first time including a book I have not yet read! Let me know if I should? 

See here or here for earlier Cooking with Ideas mentions of Page and her Faith Fairchild mystery series.  

Yes: Murder is STILL on the Menu

This blog focused for a long time on the combination of murder mysteries and food. Or, on food and murder mysteries. And other books about food. Cookbooks, nonfiction titles focused on food, memoirs. Books. 

And, I have drifted a bit away from murder mysteries here, I think. And yet, they are one of my favorite self indulgences. What does it mean if you . . . well, I am back. I had a minor kindle purchasing binge and picked a few food related murder mysteries to read. And, now I intend to have a binge of reading -- and of commenting here. 

Where to begin?

I have begun with Laura Childs' Devonshire Scream which is her Tea Shop Mysteries Book #17. Let me begin by saying this: I cannot believe this is #17! And I am thrilled to be back with Haley and Theodora and Drayton in Charleston at the Indigo Tea Shoppe. There is something about formula fiction complete with characters that you get to know across a series that is . . . well. . . just the right kind of reassuring. Laura Childs, as you may recall from other reviews here on Cooking with Ideas. In fact, right here on Laura Childs' own blog she cites a review of one of the books from another of her series!  For earlier reflections form Cooking with Ideas, try clicking here.  Or here. Yes, I am fond of these -- and this time I was reminded of why. The plots are entertaining, with terrific red herrings, the friendships are exemplary and inspiring, and the local detail is such that I find myself wanting to visit Charleston every time I read one of these books. And, I even want to go off and have tea -- not my usual drink of choice. 

A few tidbits on this (minor SPOILERS): (a) the notion of smash and grad robberies is a new one for Childs, I think, and one that has been in the news on and off -- I love the name of one of the "European" gangs undertaking these -- no spoiler here -- but just remember art inspires art inspires . . . real life? or fictionalized real life? (b) one of the series characters is a chap named Tidwell, a detective for the police -- a kind of heavy weight rumply Columbo type who has fallen head over heels for. . . tea -- I find him just the right sort of adorable; and (c) there are occasions here where the gaps between wealth and relative wealth are off putting. And, how can one really discuss Charleston without thinking a bit more overtly about the history of the region and its problematic roles in . . . well, Civil War at least? 

On the food side: As I said I am not a tea drinker or connoisseur -- and there are always tea names scattered throughout the Tea Shop Mysteries. (and yes, I do know the difference between tea per se and a tisane. Do you?) Food enters in in part through the menus for the shop's cafe -- often but not always including scones. I did start to think about making a kind of tea sandwich one of these days. You never know 

But: the plot. Yes. The plot. I do like Childs' tendency to include some education about tea, some humor, and on occasion moments of thoughtfulness that push against the realization one has while reading - these are not serious literature but life itself is not always ponderous nor ought it be. I do like the notion of jewelry chiefs, even if I do romanticize those villains and have trouble picturing the death which accompanies the robberies early in the book. 

Am I a snoop too? I am by proxy I guess, since I so love these amateur, cozy mysteries where people follow one another around and look in windows and quietly and carefully interrogate one another (aka gossip with intent to mystery solve). 

Hurrah! Murder is, indeed, on the menu again. 

And a few links to others -- here is a link to a behind the scenes interview with Childs on Devonshire Scream, a blog reflection on the novel here, and a video on making devonshire cream. Hey, why not?