From Ladle to Grave

October 18, 2021
Meade’s clever fifth Tish Tarragon mystery (after The Curse of the Cherry Pie) finds Tish, the owner of Cookin’ the Books Café in Hobson Glen, Va., cutting through the cemetery on her way to the carpark after catering a Women in Literature–themed dinner for the Junior League. While weaving her way between the tombstones, she trips over the body of retired sheriff Gadsden Carney lying on the grave of Daisy Honeycutt, a six-year-old who was murdered 25 years earlier. The current sheriff, Clemson Reade, a protégé of Carney’s, discovers that Carney was investigating the girl’s death and intended to reopen the case, even though Daisy’s mother had confessed to the crime and subsequently died in prison. Similarities in the manner of death of both victims lead Reade to believe they’re related. Reade hires Tish as a consultant for the sheriff’s office, and the two team up to solve both cases. Amid a lively cast of witnesses and suspects, Meade keeps the reader guessing to the end. Established fans and newcomers alike will adore this cozy. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary.

December 1, 2021

In Meade's sequel to The Curse of the Cherry Pie, caterer Tish Tarragon stumbles over a body in a cemetery. Sheriff Clemson Reade identifies the corpse as that of his mentor, retired Sheriff Gadsden Carney. The former sheriff was found on the grave of Daisy Honeycutt, the victim in the one cold case Carney couldn't forget. Because Carney was killed in the same manner as Daisy, Sheriff Reade hires Tish as a consultant, and the pair re-examine Daisy's murder. Almost 25 years earlier, six-year-old Daisy was killed in the garage during her parents' Fourth of July barbecue. Her mother eventually confessed to killing Daisy and died in prison, but Reade and Tish begin to suspect that Daisy's real killer is still alive. This slow-paced cozy is reminiscent of a police procedural as the pair re-trace Carney's original investigation and question surviving witnesses. VERDICT An investigation with plenty of red herrings that lead to the wrong suspects. Entertaining sidekicks, an intelligent amateur sleuth, and hints of romance add interest.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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Starred review from October 1, 2021
The death of a retired law officer reunites a sleuthing couple. Tish Tarragon, who owns a literary-themed cafe in Hobson Glen, Virginia, has been quite a successful amateur sleuth. After a hiatus, Sheriff Clemson Reade is back in town, and their attraction to each other heats up when he hires Tish as a consultant in the murder of retired Sheriff Gadsden Carney, whom Tish found dead on the grave of Daisy Honeycutt. Twenty-five years ago, Carney had investigated 6-year-old Daisy's murder, a sensational case that was eventually closed when her mother confessed to killing her. Now Clemson and Tish realize they must revisit the case because it may provide the motive for Carney's murder. Carney always thought the mystery hadn't been correctly solved, and since Daisy's father was a wealthy and powerful senator who whisked his wife and son away before even talking to the police, a coverup seems likely. The senator and his wife, Delilah, were on the outs at the time, and he may have been having an affair with the intern he later married. Delilah was fixated on promoting Daisy's singing career despite her tender age. The couple's son, Walker James, was packed off to Europe immediately after Daisy's murder but is now back in Virginia running a successful software development company. As the sleuths work their way through interviews with everyone who's still alive, several anomalies turn up that put them on a promising track. A charming cozy with plenty of suspects for the romantically inclined sleuths to winnow out.

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