Egg Shooters

September 15, 2020
The three ladies of the Cackleberry Club cafe are involved in yet another Midwestern murder investigation. Although Suzanne Dietz is happily engaged to Dr. Sam Hazelet, her obsessive curiosity plunges her into a dangerous murder investigation in which she's aided and abetted once again by Toni, her flamboyant partner in daring escapades, and Petra, the more conservative chef. While bringing Sam's dinner to the hospital, Suzanne walks into a robbery in progress. The security guard is dead, a nurse is attacked, and the receptionist is wounded by a masked, drug-stealing robber whom Suzanne alertly beans with a large thermos of hot chili before he vanishes into the night. Despite dire warnings, Sheriff Doogie has never really turned down Suzanne's help, and she's even more determined than usual to track down the killer she witnessed in action. To add to the excitement, there have also been a series of truck hijackings and the robbery of drugs from a pharmacy in a nearby town. Suzanne has plenty to keep her occupied with the success of the cafe, but a series of bad decisions in which she's egged on by Toni lead to them sneaking around and prying into the lives and business dealings of a roster of suspects. Although Suzanne manages to clear several of them of wrongdoing, the ones who remain on her list may have added her to theirs. A meandering mystery targeting foodies who'll appreciate the many lovingly depicted meals and appended recipes.

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September 28, 2020
In Childs’s lightweight ninth Cackleberry Club mystery (after 2018’s Eggs on Ice), café owner Suzanne Dietz is making a routine trip to the hospital in the Midwestern town of Kindred to deliver a thermos of chili to her physician fiancé, Sam Hazelet, when a gunman shoots up the place. By the time it’s over, a security guard is dead, a desk clerk is wounded, and the killer has escaped with a duffel bag full of drugs. Kindred’s finest, Sheriff Ray Doogie and Deputy Eddie Driscoll, arrive soon, and Ray is glad to hear that Suzanne is a witness, though the lawmen are puzzled at how the gunman vanished so quickly. When a second drug theft happens, it doesn’t take long for Suzanne to jump right into the investigation with no objections from the sheriff. That the usual humor is in short supply may disappoint longtime fans, but some tasty-sounding recipes will ease the pain. Those who don’t mind a darker edge to their cozies will be satisfied. Agent: Sam Pinkus, Keystone Literary.

October 1, 2020
Suzanne Dietz is horrified when she witnesses a masked gunman killing a security guard and wounding a receptionist at a hospital. The gunman, who stole drugs from the hospital's pharmacy, later goes on to rob another pharmacy in a nearby town. Suzanne, with partners Petra and Toni, are owners of the Cackleberry Club Caf� in the small town of Kindred. A veteran of earlier successful amateur investigations, Suzanne is determined to find the killer. Complicating matters, a hijacker is targeting trucks in the area. Against the wishes of her fianc�, Sam, and local sheriff Roy Doogie, Suzanne and Toni interview suspects and check out the compound of a group of survivalists, taking foolish risks that almost lead to disaster. Warmly framed by the details of running a caf� and preparing tea, this cozy, concluding with recipes, will appeal to readers who enjoy Diane Mott Davidson, Joanne Fluke, and Sandra Balzo, as well as Vicki Delany's Tea & Treachery (2020).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)