A Roux of Revenge

Soup Lover's Mystery #3

by Connie Archer

STIRRING UP TROUBLE
 
Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful Soup Shop. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival… and murder.
 
Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?
 
After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…
 
Recipes included!
 

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Halloween, Food and Drink, Culinary

305 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery Series from Berkley Prime Crime: A SPOONFUL OF MURDER, A BROTH OF BETRAYAL, A ROUX OF REVENGE, LADLE TO THE GRAVE and A CLUE IN THE STEW. Connie's excerpts and recipes can also be found in THE COZY COOKBOOK from Penguin Random House and THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK. Connie was born and raised in New England. She now lives on the other coast.
Visit her website at http://www.conniearchermysteries.com
FB: www.Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries
Twitter: @SnowflakeVT
Writing as Connie di Marco, she is also the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Suspense Publishing: The Madness of Mercury, All Signs Point to Murder, Tail of the Dragon, Enter a Wizard Stage Left and Serpent's Doom.
Visit her website at http://conniedimarco.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/zodiacmyster...
Twitter: @askzodia

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Roux of Revenge is book #3 in the Soup Lover’s Mystery series by Connie Archer. This is my first book by Ms. Archer. I won it in a Goodreads give-a-way. I have not read the first two books in the series which didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book at all.



It is October in Snowflake, Vermont and Lucky Jamieson is getting ready for Halloween at her restaurant, By the Spoonful. She took it over from her parents after they were killed. She is planning a big jack-o-lantern carving contest and her chef, Sage, is introducing all kinds of yummy sounding fall soup recipes.



Everything is not peaceful, though, in this beautiful, quaint little town. An unidentified body is found in a crashed van and it soon becomes evident that he was murdered. And try as he might to get to the bottom of the mystery, the chief of police has a heck of a time investigating the crime.

At the same time, there has been a strange man standing outside of The Spoonful staring at Janie, one of their young employees. She has also seen him near her home. Who is he and what does he want?



It seems like The Spoonful is kind of like a central meeting place for many of its residents. I really enjoyed that. Customers would regularly stop in for soup or just a cup of coffee and a muffin and chat. Because of this, though, Lucky finds herself right in the middle of the investigation. Especially when Janie starts seeing the man watching her.

I kind of felt bad for Lucky, though. She seemed to carry the weight of everyone’s troubles on her shoulders. At the same time of all of this happening, her boyfriend, Elias, has hired a new Dr. to share in his practice. But Elias has been so distant lately. When Lucky finds out who the new Dr. he hired is, she understands why.

Lucky is the main character but I really enjoyed getting to know several of the other residents of Snowflake. The two spinster sisters that run the dress shop. The mechanic and the little boy that he lets hang around so he has a place to feel needed. Lucky’s best friend, Sophie and her boyfriend and Lucky’s chef, Sage. All of these characters added to the charm of Snowflake.

There were plenty of intense moments as the mystery unfolded and the danger increased. I have to say, too, that there were some things that I totally did not see coming.



At the end of the book, you will also find several recipes of the soups that Lucky serves in her restaurant and one for Zucchini Bread and for Rosemary Biscuits, both of which I plan to try.

If you enjoy a cozy mystery with plenty of small town appeal and if you like homemade soup, you will enjoy this book. Thank you so much to Goodreads and to Connie Archer for giving me the opportunity to read it.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s time for the Harvest Festival just outside of Snowflake, Vermont. Lucky’s By The Spoonful Soup Shop is busy with not only tourists coming to town for the festival but a group of travelers that have come to work at the festival. One of the travelers seems to be particularly interested into one of Lucky’s waitresses. Does Janie have a stalker?

An unidentified man has also been found murdered in a van just outside of town and the travelers seem to be the prime suspects. When Janie’s life is put in danger Lucky has no choice but try to help her even if it means working together with the travelers under suspicion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

From A Spoonful of Murder to A Broth of Betrayal and now in A Roux of Revenge, Snowflake, Vermont is a hotbed of mystery.

In this installment tension is as hot as the soups. The travelers are sometimes referred to as gypsies as they travel around from place to place taking jobs like working at festivals like the one taking place in Snowflake. When one of them appears to be watching the soup shop and especially Janie, Lucky senses something is up right away.

Archer has crafted a very interesting mystery with very unexpected twists. She also mixes in Lucky relationship with Elias that seems to be ending its course unless something changes in a hurry. I will admit I found Elias’ actions or lack there of very frustrating myself so I was feeling heartbroken for Lucky.

I really enjoy the way all the characters meet and check in at By The Spoonful and the way Lucky and her grandfather, Jack, interact with everyone. If you want to know what is happening in Snowflake this is the place to be. It reminds me so much of the cafe my mother used to run.

The author continues to top herself and has left me anxiously awaiting my next visit to By The Spoonful.

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third installment of the Soup Lover's Mysteries had good and bad. Good enough that I'll definitely continue but I'm hoping the bad can be jettisoned altogether.

There's a murder discovered right off this time and a retired investigator is in Snowflake looking to solve a cold case involving an armored car robbery/murder. Adding to the usual town setting is a festival just outside of town and a group of Travellers. I liked the Travellers aspect as it's not something I come across often when reading. Before long there's a kidnapping and another death and Nate has his hands full. Lucky has her hands more full than usual in this book as in addition to her usual sleuthing and running her business, she's also got a lot of interpersonal entanglements to sort. This book felt like it was more focused on the interpersonal relationships than the wider mystery and while some of that was fine, I was really here for the mystery.

The main mystery was resolved with several chapters left to go in the book and I have to admit that I didn't think the culprit was handled deftly enough. As I've read the other two, I'm starting to be able to see the tell in the construct to know who the likely villain is. I'm hoping that's tightened up or hidden better in the next. Also, if there's one thing that really drags this series down it's the supposed romance between Lucky and Elias. It's coma inducing and likely largely owing to the fact that Elias doesn't feel like a boyfriend or anything more than a blank throw away character because it was decided Lucky should have a love interest. I'm quite tired of hearing about her almost life-long crush on him or his being a super-duper caring doctor or whatever. The writing hasn't sold anything about these two being soulmates, or even close friends. They read as casual acquaintances and it's not made for an interesting thread. I had hope we'd be free of it altogether in this book but alas at the very end Sophie prised that dead-end door opened once again for Lucky and I'm still rolling my eyes over it. Make. It. Stop.

Finally, the recipes highlighted here that tickled my tastebuds are the Persian Pumpkin Soup (I'll be sourcing rose petals for this) and the rosemary biscuits. Recommended for fans of the series or to casual pick ups (this doesn't need to be read sequentially as there's so much restatement, new readers will catch up; it's boring to one who already knows the rehashed information though and lends itself to skimming.)

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It is the best one in this series, so far. The telling of this story was fantastic! It flowed from character to character seemlessly building and revealing a car crash to murder to kidnapping all while mired in the personal events of well developed characters. Seriously I can't say enough good things about this book. The writing really was excellent. Definitely recommend this for a cozy mystery read.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/a-...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kim

a-roux-of-revenge-soup-lovers-mystery-connie-archerNothing better than a book that brings you a good romance, mystery and recipes!!!. If you like the a fore mentioned items then you are going to love this book. You open up with a suspicious accident and then it goes from there into the little town of Snowflake, where you walk into a cozy little restaurant called, By the Spoonful Soup Shop.

By the Spoonful Soup Shop is owned by Lucky and at the door you will find her grandfather, Jack Jamieson who helps her out. Lucky had to come back home to take over the shop after her parents died in an accident a few months before and is decorating the shop for the October holidays.

In a small town like Snowflake the shop is where regulars go to pass the time of day and share the daily gossip and on this particular day the gossip is big. Lucky’s grandfather is good friends with Nate Edgerton the Chief of police of Snowflake and he mentions the accident and Lucky listens in and finds out that there was no accident, the man was shot. Nate doesn’t know where to start with the investigation because the town is hosting a fall festival and all kinds of people are in town. You have the travelers who stay to themselves, you have the vendors from the next town over and you have the people who are there just to enjoy the music, fun and games.

Janie Leonard is one of the waitresses that helps Lucky out and is decorating the Spoonful when she notices a stranger starring at her from across the street and she’s just spooked at first because he looks familiar but when she sees him again the following day she is terrified. She tells Lucky that she’s been seeing him everywhere around town and not sure but she thinks he’s following her. From there things go from bad to worse to a downright nightmare for Janie, Lucky and the residents of Snowflake.

Now Janie’s gone missing, the body of the “accident” victim is missing and now the vehicle that it happened in has gone missing. What?!! Something is not right in Snowflake but by the time you finish this book your heart will melt, your belly will be warmed and all will be right in the town of Snowflake.

You are introduced to the personalities of the townsfolks and then you are not lead into their lives, but thrown into their lives like most are hiccups of trouble and growing pains, sometimes it pull people apart and sometimes it can throw them together. You just are going to have to read this and see what it does to the lives of the Snowflake resident’s and if you’re like me, I think you are going to enjoy this book.

Oh, by the way recipes are included, yummy!!!

*OBS wants to thank the publisher for supplying a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Roux of Revenge is the third book in the A Soup Lover's Mystery series.

It's October in Snowflake, VT and the leafpeepers are showing up, along with the seasonal workers needed to put on the Harvest Festival.

The book starts with with the police investigating a van that has gone off the road and the driver is dead. Police Chief Nat Edgerton soon finds that it wasn't an accident and that in fact was murder. Meanwhile at the restaurant, Lucky notices her young waitress, Janie, is upset at seeing a man standing across the street staring into the restaurant. Then an retired insurance investigator shows up following some leads about an armored robbery that occurred some 20 years back and might have been gypsy's, possibly the same ones that in town for the festival. Finally Lucky learns more about Janie and her mother, Miriam, and that there might be some connection to these traveling folks. When Janie goes missing, Lucky begins in earnest to find out the connection these people have to Janie and where she is being held.

Lucky's romance has hit some rough times with Elias, it may not be on the rock, but is certainly seeing stormy waters. And Sage has come up with some more delicious sounding soup recipes, which are included.

Will be waiting for my next visit to Snowflake, VT.

[Linda Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky Jamieson, owner of By The Spoonful Soup Shop in Snowflake, VA, is back with her grandfather, Jack, and the shop crew, in book three of The Soup Lovers Mysteries. Sage, the soup chef, is stirring up some delicious pumpkin soup for Festival time.

A suspicious wreck occurs just outside town, and the dead guy driving the stolen van can't be id'd. The carnival workers are strangers who move from town to town, and Sheriff Nate Edgerton is investigating to see if there's a connection between any of them and the dead man.

Many red flags shoot up when a retired insurance investigator appears and tells about an armored car robbery years before that was never solved. A strange man is watching Janie, one of Lucky's young waitresses, and he's one of the musicians at the festival.

If Lucky can figure out all the connections between the suspicious strangers; Janie; the dead man and the missing money from the armored car robbery; Snowflake can settle down and enjoy the fall festivities.

Connie Archer's Soup Lovers series continues with an intricate mystery and unexpected revelations throughout the story. I'm looking forward to the next story in the series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed my previous stays in Snowflake, Vermont so much that I just had to come back again when A ROUX OF REVENGE came out. And this was my most favorite visit of all. I was thrilled to be back with Lucky Jamieson, Jack her grandfather and the residents of this lovely town. Lucky’s soup shop, By the Spoonful was as welcoming as always with wonderful soups and sandwiches. Oh yeah, there was another dead body too!

I truly enjoyed learning more about Janie, Lucky’s young waitress. I was so intrigued as to how the mystery of the dead stranger in the van was going to tie into the storyline of the man watching Janie and the travelers in town who came to work at the annual Harvest Festival.

Ms. Archer weaved an amazing story in this third book in the Soup Lover’s series. I found myself constantly surprised with every new twist in the book. I was so caught up in the story that I didn’t want to put the book down.

A ROUX OF REVENGE has assured there will be a fourth installment in this wonderful series. And I for one am looking forward to it!

You can find my reviews for the first two books, A SPOONFUL OF MURDER and A BROTH OF BETRAYAL on their home pages.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Connie, but with a last name like Archer I knew it had to be good. It was one of my spring break reads. And I truly enjoyed it, so much so that over the summer I plan to read the other books in the series. Even though the story starts out with a death, there was just something peaceful and calming about Snowflake, Vermont. It’s certainly the kind of town I would like to visit. I really enjoyed meeting all of the characters. Archer spins a wonderful mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. For all my friends and followers who enjoy Cozy Mysteries, I highly recommend Roux of Revenge.

The author is a guest on my blog at http://bookladysbooknotes.wordpress.c...

[Anna-Leigh Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I didn't realize this book was part of a series, but a friends of mine gave it to me because he knows how much I love a good mystery novel. I thought it would be a good read on this rainy week. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book like I thought I would. In fact, I only got half-way into it before I decided to give up. I'm not really sure why I didn't like this novel, but I know that I won't be reading any of the other books in this series.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished A Roux of Revenge. It was excellent, so much better than the previous book in the series. Taking place in a small New England town during Halloween, the story brings to the surface many well-hidden secrets and revolves around a strong mystery plot.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely little charming book. And one of my favorite things ever is little charming books that you can't put down!

In a nutshell, I follow this writer on Facebook named Victoria Hamilton. She is a part of the "Killer Characters" page that promotes a couple of different authors of series such as the Soup Lovers Mystery books or the Tempest Teapot mysteries, etc. They're all so adorable! So one day Victoria had posted a link to the Killer Characters page and Connie Archer's book was featured with "A Roux of Revenge". I immediately fell in love with the cover and description on the back because it was fall-themed. Fall is my very favorite time of year, and I am always asking for good books to read that are set in the fall. Not just typical horror stories like Dracula, but the kind of books that describe the season of fall within the writing. Those are my favorites. This book was exactly that!

About a month ago my best friend and I were shopping in a little buy-trade-sell bookstore in the town above us. This book was sitting right there on the shelf and it's the first one I saw. I got all giddy remembering I had seen it on the website and loved it, so I had to buy it. I loved it so much that now I have to go hunt down and buy the first two. I did love that even though I hadn't read the first two books in the Soup Lovers Mystery series yet, I was able to keep up with the characters. Only a couple of passing comments in this book gave me hints as to what the other books may be about (Sage, the chef, being wrongly arrested for murder, for one). My only regret about this book is not reading it in the fall, because I immediately wanted to make some pumpkin soup and carve a nice Jack O' Lantern after I finished it!

Now that I've rambled on about how I found the book, here is what I loved the most about it:

Lucky, the owner of the "By the Spoonful" soup shop is so charming. I love small towns (I live in one) and a soup shop sounds so cute. She has her array of customers and it seems like a very tight knit community which I love. In a sense it reminds me of Nicholas Sparks' books when he writes in small little towns in North Carolina. Quaint and cozy. So Snowflake Vermont is small and cozy and it's around Halloween time. Lucky and her grandfather Jack are running this adorable soup shop and accepting pumpkins for the pumpkin carving contest. The trees outside and golden and red and the weather is getting nice and crisp. A Harvest Festival is in town and bringing in lots of strangers and mystery. A man is found shot dead in a van on the side of the road so in comes the small town police chief and another lad by the name of Joe Conrad (who at the end we find out is a phony and he is actually the bad guy who killed the man in the van to try to find a hidden stash of cash that he and the victim should have shared years ago after a robbery).

The actual mystery part of the book wasn't even my favorite in comparison to the general character interactions between everyone. I also found Miriam's story to be very enticing and I hung on every word. Miriam being the daughter of one of Lucky's young employees at the soup shop. Janie is 18 and finds out that one of the traveling gypsies in town is her actual father shortly after the man she THOUGHT was her father had died. She is very confused and upset after catching this strange man (her real dad) staring at her from across the street of the Spoonful, and finding out who he was. She then stays with Lucky, because she is so upset that her mom had lied to her after all those years. Towards the end of the book Janie is kidnapped by Joe Conrad and tries to use as a ransom because her father is the twin brother of the man he shot and his found in the van at the beginning of the book. Joe believes that Janie's father, Eamon, knows where the money is and is going to kill Janie if he can't find it. So Lucky, her granddad, and Janie's father go searching for the money and find it in the stones. A big fight ensues, Janie is rescued, her and her father form a bond, Miriam allows the bond, and everyone is happy in the end. Joe Conrad gets arrested for impersonating a real insurance investigator, and all is well.

The only thing I didn't touch on was Elias, Lucky's boyfriend. They have a small spat in the book when Elias hires his ex fiancee to work for him and even STAY with him and doesn't mention any of it to Lucky until way after the fact. So although it's not touched up on a lot in the book, every couple of chapters Lucky is reflecting on how upset she is with Elias. The only thing that ticked me off is how she felt like she didn't have a right to be upset with him, or how other people said she didn't have the right to be angry. Let me just add, a woman has every damn right in the world to be upset when her serious boyfriend hires someone he's been involved with and then allows them to stay at his house, all without discussing it with his current relationship. I know I would be livid if my fiance did that to me, so that's the only part that ticked me off in the whole book. I wanted more people to tell Lucky that she DID have the right to be a normal human being with feelings!

Now that I have spilled my heart out about how much I have loved this book, I'm off to go find the other two! Keep em' coming, Connie!! :)

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Halloween/fall themed book. Delicious sounding soups and plenty of intrigue.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one

So good, right up until the end that needed another chapter instead of making me wait until I read the next book. I enjoyed the story and my top suspect turned out to be guilty. Recipes are included at the end.

[Deb Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soup Lover's mystery series continues with the third book, A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer. Fans of this series love everything from the delectable recipes that are always included to the interpersonal relationships between the cast of characters that Archer has created. The town of Snowflake, Vermont is gearing up for the annual harvest festival, but murder is afoot and the gang from By the Spoonful Soup Shop is a decorating mood. Add a group of gypsy travelers to town, with a pinch of possible stalking and you've got a recipe for a good whodunit.

What I liked:

I like soup. Loaded Baked Potato is my favorite and just like the soup this series hits the spot. Archer has a way with description, especially where food and anything culinary is concerned. She makes the reader believe that they are smelling the aroma of pumpkin, and seeing the harvest decorations go up. They can feel the nip in the autumn air and and hear the sounds of preparations for the festival. This series and this book in particular is a feast for the senses. I haven't found too many cozy authors that can paint such a wonderful picture of a small town and a great local hangout.

By the Spoonful Soup Shop is the kind of local hometown place that readers will wish they could visit. One of those iconic little hole in the wall joints that are hard to forget. I think Connie Archer has not only created a very authentic New England town in Snowflake, Vermont, but she has created a kind of old school hangout in the soup shop as well. I enjoyed all of the scenes in this book that took place in the shop and I want to try that Pumpkin Rice Soup, it sounds absolutely yummy.

I also enjoyed all of the interactions between the characters in this book. Lucky, the owner of By the Spoonful is quite a culinary idealist. She always finds herself in another fix, but I like the way she interacts with all of the townspeople of Snowflake and in this book, with the travelers as well. Her relationship with Elias in having some issues and readers will be wondering where it is going to go in this one. She has a waitress she knows little about in Janie and she and her grandfather are always talking or interacting in some way with everyone else in the town. I enjoyed that part almost as much as I did the mystery.

The mystery was well crafted and brought some new faces to Snowflake. I liked the gypsy style travelers who showed up to help run the festival. They provided some outside influences and gave the book an old world kind of atmosphere that was fun to read about and not that hard to understand. I liked that the mystery centered around them, from the man killed in the van to the armored robbery from twenty years before. Archer pulled out all the stops and gave readers a great list of suspects and plenty of motives.

What I didn't like:

For the most part I liked this one a lot and this is probably just a pet peeve, so don't take it too seriously. I thought the balance between the relationships of the characters and the mystery aspects of the story were a little off. I wanted to know more about what was going on with the case, when Archer was busy with Lucky and Elias' relationship. It wasn't a big thing, but the mystery was so interesting I just wanted more of that part.

Bottom Line:

This is a great series based on one of my favorite things, soup. Connie Archer gives readers a likable heroine and a great mystery in A Roux of Revenge that keep them guessing all the way to the end.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A Roux of Revenge

Author: Connie Archer

Series: Soup Lover’s Mystery #3

Synopsis (from bn.com): Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival…and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…

My thoughts: The soup shop in this particular series, By the Spoonful, is by far one of my most favorite locations in all of the cozy mystery series. How much cozier can one get than a nice, warm, cozy soup restaurant in a town called Snowflake, Vermont! I love it and can picture it every time I read this series.

I really enjoy Connie Archer’s Soup Lover’s Mystery series. As I am sure that I have mentioned in my reviews of the first two books in the series, Spoonful of Murder and Broth of Betrayal, I truly enjoy the main character Lucky Jamieson. I love that she is a strong, empowered, female character that has definitely been through some difficult times but has come out on her feet. She is finding her way in business and in love! A truly great female lead character.

As I continue to read further and further into this series, I also am enjoying really getting to know some of the other characters in town. They truly become your family which is why I love series books so much.

This book started out a bit slow for me but I will see really picked up the pace as we got further and further into the story and investigation of the murder.

My only issue with this series, and it really isn’t a problem with the series itself, but rather I guess where I live . . . is that the publication dates of the books in this series always come out off season. What I mean is that his particular book is set in fall around Halloween and is published in Spring (after a long, hard winter at least where I live). I know this is a crazy, stupid issue, but I want to be reading about nice, warm cozy soup on a nice, crisp, fall day in the fall not during spring.

That aside, I do love this series and eagerly await book #4!

Go out and start this series, you won’t regret it.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Roux Of Revenge
Soup Lover’s Mystery, Book #3
Connie Archer
5 Stars


Synopsis:

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful Soup Shop. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival… and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…

Recipes included! (Goodreads)

Review:

Lucky is very busy at her shop getting ready for the influx of visitors that will be in town for the Harvest Festival. Business is doing well and her coworkers are all willing to pitch in to handle the bigger crowds. But when one of her waitresses, Janie, notices a man watching her and seeming to be wherever she is, Lucky becomes concerned. Lucky decides she needs to keep an extra close on Janie to make sure that she is safe. When a dead body is found and no one knows the victim’s identity, Lucky is worried that the stalker and the dead man might be connected. She needs to solve a few mysteries to make sure that Janie does not become a victim.

The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. I enjoy reading about all of the interactions that take place between Lucky and her coworkers and friends. They get along well and treat each other like family. They are there for support, for encouragement and for congratulating. They are also there to call Lucky out if she needs it. And the relationship between Lucky and her grandfather, Jack, seems so real and so loving.


The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was inside of the soup shop, watching the action and listening in on people’s conversations (okay, so I was eavesdropping!). The writing styles flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mysteries are carried on well throughout the entire book. There are a lot of suspects to consider and there are enough clues to make it difficult for the reader to solve the crimes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. With the great characters, the setting and the mystery, this is a top notch book.

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kim
for Read Your Writes Book Reviews

A Roux of Revenge is the third book in Connie Archer’s A Soup Lover’s Mystery series. This was my first time reading the series and I didn’t really have a problem getting into the book. I was, however, a little overwhelmed in the beginning by the large cast of characters. By the time I was on page 24, I was already introduced to at least 13 characters and the list just kept growing.

The story takes place in the small New England town of Snowflake, Vermont. The people are all friendly and seem to be really close to one another. The story centers on Lucky Jamieson, the owner of By the Spoonful Soup Shop and Janie Leonard, an eighteen-year-old waitress for the restaurant.

It’s autumn and Halloween is around the corner. The town is in the midst of the Harvest Festival, an event that has pony rides, a farmer’s market, craft stands, and live bands. The festival tends to bring visitors to the town daily; as well as gypsies/travelers there to work the festival.

A Roux of Revenge gives you two mysteries to figure out, with the possibly of several suspects to choose from. The story starts out with an accident on the side of the road and the driver is found dead. Being a small town, the news spreads fast. But something about the accident and the victim isn't right. Just as the investigation gets under way, evidence starts to go missing.

With the town focused on the murder, one of the towns long time residents gets a visit from their past. This puts the life of Janie and subsequently Lucky in jeopardy.

Unlike other cozy mysteries, I didn’t get the sense Lucky was really out to investigate anything. She more or less just kept getting pulled into the mayhem. In addition to that, Lucky has to deal with her relationship with her boyfriend, Elias, which seems to possibly be at a standstill or coming to an end. In the love department, Lucky is going to have to figure out what she really wants and realize “Love has nothing to do with age or beauty or brains or anything for that matter. Love is love. It comes to us when it comes to us, and I wonder if we really have a lot of choice in the matter.”.

I found A Roux of Revenge to be a very enjoyable page turner. At the time of reading, I hated that I couldn’t figure out whodunnit. At least, it took awhile for my spidey senses to tingle. But in the end, I liked the way Connie weaved the storylines together. I didn't care for the ending as I felt it was incomplete and left a cliffhanger.

Source: Publisher

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sent to me as part of a book tour. It follows the story of Lucky Jamieson and her grandfather Jack as they work at the Spoonful Soup Shop. Early in this book a man is found dead and the chief of Police Nate is trying to figure out what happened.

Then we get introduced to Lucky, Jack, Sage, and Janie and other colorful characters. Janie is having a hard time dealing with her mother they are fighting and Lucky offers Janie a place to stay while the women work out their issues and Lucky learns about traveler's gypsy people who run festivals around different states and Miriam's connection to them. It's a sad story, from there a man keeps watching Janie and Janie can't figure out why. Pretty soon Janie figures out why, but no one can figure out how the dead guy is connected to all of this.

To make things harder on Nate everything goes missing from the vehicle the dead guy was in to the dead guy himself. Which puts more pressure on Nate to wrap up this case. Will Nate ever solve this case? And how does Janie apply to this murder investigation?

This book was great we get to see so many different stories and what people are up too. Also we get to see how Lucky's love life is and where it is headed. I really enjoyed reading this book along with the different soup recipes!

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third novel in an exciting and recipe filled series, has us chasing murders, travelers and abductors...all for the cold hard cash.

Lucky Jamieson and her Grandfather, Jack are kept busy getting ready for Halloween and the Harvest Festival being held in Snowflake, VT. The 'By The Spoonful Soup Shop' is celebrating with a pumpkin carving contest and a two hour soup trying as promotions. Everyone is enthused except Janie, their waitress.

Janie has had a shock, it seems that there may be a stalker watching her. It appears that it may be one of the Gypsies (or Traveler's as they are now known.) Why Janie?

Nate, the Chief of Police is trying to figure out a murder found off the road. Who is this person and why does the vehicle and body go missing? What is this about a long-ago theft?

Strangers abound in Snowflake and some may be good and some may be deadly.

This book has layers upon layers and you will catch your breath as various scenes play out. I did. I also echo what Miriam says at the ending of Chapter 53...what? You think I'm going to tell you?
Sorry, you will have to read the book for yourselves. It's a great read.

[Soren · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book in a random blind book box-- I have not read any others in this series or by this author).

I am so... torn. Did I like it? I mean, not really. Did I hate it? Also not really. This book is just so bizarre.

The story line is just so out of left field. I don't want to include spoilers so let's just say I wasn't expecting any of that-- and not in a good way. I wasn't really interested. I was more like "please help me find the way out of here".

(Maybe it's just a regional culture thing, but I have questions about soup consumption. Soup for brunch and lunch? Every day? Couldn't be me)

In the end, there was too much relationship drama for me. It was eye-roll-worthy conflict. Is everything else going on not enough? It's really a cherry on top of the most convoluted, crazy plot that we do not need.
And in general, I wouldn't say this book is *bad* (beyond this drama) more like just not for me.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish Snowflake, Vermont wasn't a fictional hamlet. I's love to live there. And you can bet I'd hang out at the By the Spoonful Soup Shop! Connie Archer has created a vivid, friendly place, peopled with sympathetic, realistic characters. And Lucky Jamieson, owner of the Spoonful, is an intrepid protagonist.
In A ROUX OF REVENGE, she has added an autumn harvest festival and a whole clan of "travelers," Canadian gypsies of Scottish ancestry, who live outside of society and its laws, but make their living as entertainers and odd-job workers. The resulting chaos and confusion masks the motive and perpetrator of a brutal murder. There are several sub stories involving romance, too, including more mixed signals from Lucky's beau, Elias.
There's nothing like an original plot written with suspenseful pacing to make me love a series. Can't wait for the next one!

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've really come to like Lucky more and more with each book. But seriously, Elias has got to be the most boring character I've ever read. Even his dialogue with Lucky could put me to sleep. I do love Snowflake and it's interesting blend of characters. I loved this mystery because of the history behind it with a well known character and her family. Had me guessing until the end, but I did have slight idea that something was going on with the suspect. Although since I read a lot of mysteries... I tend to not trust anyone much.. ha!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book. I enjoyed it, there is plenty going on in this story. Of course a dead body, a stalker watching Janie, travelers in town which I found that whole story interesting, Janie fighting with her mother, an ex-insurance investigator who brings another story in and is Lucky's love life on the rocks (I do admit that Elias really disappointed me and I was on Lucky's side)? Plenty going on here that all comes together nicely n the end. I will continue on with the next in the series for another trip back to Snowflake.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read 1 of Connie Archer's books & really liked it, so I go this 1 & didn't like it at all. I just thought it was kind of stupid & I just wanted it to be done. I hate getting a book & not liking it, but I feel like I want to finish it.

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autumn in Snowflake VT brings the Fall Festival, along with some itinerant workers to run the fest. When one of them seems to take an interest in Lucky's young waitress, Janie, Lucky wonders if the man has something nefarious in mind. After a man is found murdered in a van along the road, the local police wonder if the travelers had anything to do with it. When Janie goes missing after an argument with her mother, Lucky turns to the travelers to help find her.

This went off-script, as far as cozy mysteries go, but I liked it. Lucky wasn't investigating the murder; rather she was trying to piece together what had gone wrong between Janie and her mother, and then she turned her attention to finding Janie. There was also a strong subplot that involved Lucky's boyfriend, Elias, and his wicked ex. It was almost as if the book had three plots: the murder (which the police were investigating), Janie's disappearance, and the romantic drama. While things melded together neatly, I didn't like that quite a bit of the book remained even after the murder had been solved and the killer apprehended. About 15-20% of the book followed what should have been the finale, and that portion dealt with tying up the other two subplots. Hm. At least Lucky didn't find the dead body. Bonus!

Wishing I could award 3.5 stars. Since I can't, I'm giving it three; it was a good story, but not outstanding.

[Carrie DelaPena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly fine cozy mystery to read while on vacation. I don't remember any details from books 1 or 2 in the series so I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. The premise of this one involves a mysterious man murdered in a van and a harvest festival with mysterious travellers.
Semi-Spoilers ahead......

Janie's whole attitude got really tiresome. She's just a "kid" but her immaturity was ridiculous--she wants answers but simultaneously won't talk to her mom--give me a break! Also, I am surprised that the youngest character was the most bigoted with such negative opinions of the travellers. Most young people I know are much more inclusive in general than the older generation. As for the Elias/Paula situation--Lucky should have dumped his stupid butt!! To be offended that Lucky didn't like his ex-lover staying in his house and working for him was delusional at best and gaslighting at worst. I hope she gets a different love interest in the next book.

[Jenaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie Archer’s “Roux is Revenge” is the first modern mystery novel I read. The third installment of Archer’s series found its way onto my autumn 2019 seasonal reading list. I thought by incorporating a fictional mystery a’la “Murder, She Wrote” would round out my selections for this Fall. The story takes place in picturesque Vermont in October and it definitely puts even the most reticent reader in the mood for sweater weather. The characters are well-rounded and protagonist and amateur sleuth Lucky is a highly relatable, endearing young woman. There are moments when the dialogue feels a bit stiffer, particularly conversations involving and about Janie, a teenage waitress with some very entertaining family issues. Otherwise, the Archer’s novel is a creative tale that takes some very unexpected but delightful twists and turns. A “Roux of Revenge” is a fantastic, relaxing page-turner.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series but I don't think this was the greatest book so far. I love the characters of the town and how they all support each other and come to By the Spoonful Soup Shop to catch up on latest comings and just to hang out. I think the story line was good though a bit long winded and slow moving. The side story of Lucky and Elias took away to much from the real story. I really don't like Elias as a character or as Lucky's love interest. I was so hoping that she would dump him. His whole I didn't lie and his condescending tone gets to me. He might not have lied but he did forget to mention that he had hired his ex lover at any time through the hiring process. To me that would raise a red flag. I really really hope he can be the next victim or murderer or something to get him out of the series. Lucky deserves better.

[Karen Christino · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accidental death turns out to be a shooting, our heroine Lucky’s boyfriend Elias is cozying up to another woman, and By the Spoonful’s waitress, Janie, is being spied on by a mysterious older man. Connie Archer captures Lucky and Janie’s emotions as they try to discover more about Janie’s parents’ hidden past and their connection with an age-old gypsy-like tribe. The book becomes more intriguing with a thief who’d do anything to regain his lost cash, a kidnapping, and a surprising discovery at an ancient megalith. Rich and suspenseful, this book deftly presents the essence of small-town New England while making the crimes believable.