Eggs in Purgatory

A small town eatery, brimming with deliciously mouthwatering breakfast fantasies is in trouble, a murder takes place in the back and the daily special is all over the corpse. Quaint charm and happy atmosphere are overshadowed by an investigation that seems to have more suspects than possible, it appears that the town is small but it holds many secrets. Suzanne, Toni, and Petra are best friends and coworkers, they run the charming Cackleberry Club together, and besides baking and cooking, brewing coffee and tea they also run a book club and a yarn shop, often housing tea parties and gatherings for special occasions. Suzanne is at a loss when her lawyer ends up murdered, but when she gets involved she barely escapes in one piece. It seems that whoever did her lawyer in has no problems going after her or anyone who wants to get involved in sleuthing, and to top it off the mayor thinks that her deceased husband has been involved in major fund theft, turning half the town against her. Battling local gossips, suspicious characters who are meddling in strange things and staying on top of her business gives Susanne and her friends more than they bargained for, but it makes for a really fun and very interesting mystery. For a cozy this has plenty of intelligence and still keeps it light and fresh, and did I mention the delectable food - this book is a must have for anyone who has a cook's block and is stumped for easy yet creative ideas, I am definitely going to make some of the savory and sweet items from it. Not only is the mystery interesting but the food served in the book is absolutely fantastic. I adore the fact that this cozy mystery had some recipes in the back because reading the book gave me more culinary ideas than reading a food magazine. I also really liked the fact that the story wasn't watered down, some of the cozies out there are simple and at times a bit silly but this had a good plot, memorable characters - some seemed guilty for many different reasons and good clues that gave my brain a workout. There's a certain amount of innocence in this book but also a good balance of reality, I can't think of a better combo for this genre. Childs has impressed me with this little book, and I cannot wait to read the second one which will be out this year. - Kasia S.

I don't read books for the mystery aspect of it but I do enjoy the mystery and this one was fairly well done, as a previous reviewer said, this lead character actually had a good reason to investigate the murder. I actually read for the characters and I absolutely enjoyed each person in this book. I like to sit down and enjoy reading with no gore and blood and this fits the bill. I like the fact that there is no silly ex boyfriend, husband, etc in this series for the main character. That gets so old and boring and bogs the main story down for me. This is definitely a winner and I will be looking forward to seeing the cast of characters return because they are enjoyable and mature.

I have always loved mysteries and I used to devour Nancy Drew and Three Investigator books as a kid. Now that I'm an adult, it is difficult to find fun mystery books that aren't gory or raunchy, so I was thrilled to discover Laura Childs! I have read all of her Scrapbooking mysteries but this was the first time I ventured into one of her other series. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely check out more of her Cackleberry Club books in the future. I love that she includes recipes in her books because the food is always a fun background story. (She does this in her scrapbooking mysteries as well). If you are looking to curl up with a fun book, this is a great one!

This is the first in Child's new series, and it is very enjoyable. I was sorry to see it end. She made these characters come to life and become friends, as in her other series.

Kindred, Tennessee is a small peaceful town, a place where Suzanne, Toni and Petra enjoy their freedom although each lost their spouse; one to death, another to Alzheimer's and the third to another woman. They bond over their respective loss and the friends open the Cackleberry Club café. Suzanne's lawyer Brian has some papers for her to sign regarding her late husband's estate. When she steps out into the café's parking lot she finds him murdered in his car. Not long afterward, she sees a pickup truck being followed by a SUV; she follows them observing the truck tip over while the SUV drives away. Resident Teddy Harlingen, who first noticed Brian dead in the car, is found dead too. Suzanne believes the deaths are linked and soon learns of a million dollar kickback deal in which late husband's firm is being blamed. Refusing to accept the seemingly irrefutable evidence that her spouse committed a felonious deed, Suzanne investigates seeking the ties between three dead men while a fourth watches her every move. Author of the Scrapbook and Tea Shop amateur sleuth series, Laura Childs launches a new "detective" series that her fans will relish. The first Cackleberry Club whodunit is filled with action, humor, intrigue, and recipes, but the heart and soul of the café mystery is the characters. The three female friends are there for one another like the Musketeers especially in time of crisis. The investigation is multilayered as the tie between the two homicides, Suzanne's husband, and a church fire remains nebulous but intrepid Suzanne keeps peeling the onion. Harriet Klausner