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Cackleberry Club #4
Stake & Eggs
New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs presents the best way to start your day—with a hearty breakfast and a side of hard-boiled murder.
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra found a second life after losing their husbands—opening their own successful business, the Cackleberry Club cafè. But the three women never expected sleuthing to be the special of the day…
A KILLER HAS THE TOWN WALKING ON EGG SHELLS
When a snowmobile crashes into the woods behind the Cackleberry Club cafè, Suzanne finds her town’s most-hated banker beheaded by a wire staked in the snow. Now some of her best customers are prime suspects with a bushel of motives, and the murder investigation is snowballing. An elusive young runaway may be the Cackleberry Club’s only way to crack the case…provided Suzanne can keep her head long enough to track down the cold-blooded killer.
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra found a second life after losing their husbands—opening their own successful business, the Cackleberry Club cafè. But the three women never expected sleuthing to be the special of the day…
A KILLER HAS THE TOWN WALKING ON EGG SHELLS
When a snowmobile crashes into the woods behind the Cackleberry Club cafè, Suzanne finds her town’s most-hated banker beheaded by a wire staked in the snow. Now some of her best customers are prime suspects with a bushel of motives, and the murder investigation is snowballing. An elusive young runaway may be the Cackleberry Club’s only way to crack the case…provided Suzanne can keep her head long enough to track down the cold-blooded killer.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Laura Childs
98 books2,304 followersLaura Childs is a pseudonym for Gerry Schmitt and she is the best-selling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbook Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She's also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans' spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe's undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She's also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans' spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe's undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
April 18, 2025
An exciting, action packed cozy murder mystery! Winter setting. Yummy food. Likeable characters. I recommend!
December 13, 2020
Someone has offed the new bank president who has come to town with a heavy hand and unforgiving attitude, a runaway is on the loose and more mayhem has once again rained down on the Cackleberry Club to drag Suzanne into yet another investigation. The girls are on the hunt for a killer before he can strike again! Great characters that you get to know better and better with each book stirred into a wonderfully woven layered plot takes the cake every time! I absolutely can't wait to start the next audio in the series!
September 21, 2021
Awful as a mystery. I wanted a new Cozy series and saw this author was prolific, but popular is not the same as good. The characters didn't seem to have any conviction about them and lived in a worry free world--mentioning that things are good for the bottom line a few times doesn't really convey the anxiety a small business owner has on a daily basis for the survival of their livelihood.
The women were supposed to be older, with husbands in care homes or deceased, but they were definitely written with 20-something's attitudes. I don't have loads of personal experience with this, but age gives you more perspective and a different way of looking at events that these characters lacked.
Finally the mystery was solved only when the murderer attacked the main character, and NOTHING pointed to them as a viable suspect, in all the poking around and gossip the characters collected, it came out of left field. Same story with the "treasure hunt" in the book; I figured one of our characters would win, but finding the treasure was so random and phony, surely one of the sculptors nearby would have nabbed it, seen it during the carving.
I read reviews of other books and apparently it's a theme with this author, to write the mystery being solved only as the killer attacks. Don't think I'll pick up any more in this series.
The women were supposed to be older, with husbands in care homes or deceased, but they were definitely written with 20-something's attitudes. I don't have loads of personal experience with this, but age gives you more perspective and a different way of looking at events that these characters lacked.
Finally the mystery was solved only when the murderer attacked the main character, and NOTHING pointed to them as a viable suspect, in all the poking around and gossip the characters collected, it came out of left field. Same story with the "treasure hunt" in the book; I figured one of our characters would win, but finding the treasure was so random and phony, surely one of the sculptors nearby would have nabbed it, seen it during the carving.
I read reviews of other books and apparently it's a theme with this author, to write the mystery being solved only as the killer attacks. Don't think I'll pick up any more in this series.
January 1, 2024
A wintery read that begins with a snowmobile crash and the untimely demise of a local bank president behind the Cackleberry Club.While the ending wasn't as climatic as I had hoped, the overall mystery was enjoyable. Throw in an elusive young runaway, and colorful details of the town's upcoming Fire and Ice festival, and you have the recipe for a delightful cozy mystery. Did I mention the delicious food descriptions and recipes? Junior's "car cooker" was a hilarious added bonus to the story.
September 18, 2019
I had taken a break from these books when I had to give up reading [and only using audio] awhile back. I had a couple of the books and when looking for the audiobooks, two didn't have them and two did and I just was so upset about the whole move to audiobook [something I clearly got over - I both love and am grateful for audiobooks now and don't know what my fuss with them actually was] that I took these off my TBR, turned in the books for credit and moved on. And then, in the hunt for a cozy to read in between two heavy books [when one does the cozy challenge and reads close to 225 cozies in two years, what becomes available in the area of what you like within the genre becomes very limited], I came across the audiobooks for this series. And while there are two books that do not have audio [which is so weird in a series], the rest do [and they all can be found on OverDrive] and so they are back on my list. And it was nice to be back with some familiar characters.
The murder is grisly. And very soon in the first chapter. Even I, who reads a LOT of mysteries [both cozy and otherwise] and watches murder mysteries and documentaries on TV, was a bit grossed out and queasy with this one. And the murderer is very surprising. Which makes this book excellent. Mushed in the middle is this great sounding party of Fire and Ice and all the drama and fun that a festival like that would cause in a small town. And it makes for a very good read. My only issue with these books [minus my quip about the audiobook below] is how ANCIENT the author makes being in your 40's seem [the narrator makes Petra sound like an 80 year old man]. These women are in their prime, still know how to deal with teens and young adults and are NOT on their way out so-to-speak; this has always been my complaint about these books and apparently, it still bother me.
A note [if I may] about the audiobook: Susan Boyce narrates this book. She also narrates Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mysteries. I am sure you can see what is coming; so many of the characters have THE SAME VOICES. There were moments where I was confused as to just which series I was listening to. So if you listen to both series on audio, be prepared. ;-)
The murder is grisly. And very soon in the first chapter. Even I, who reads a LOT of mysteries [both cozy and otherwise] and watches murder mysteries and documentaries on TV, was a bit grossed out and queasy with this one. And the murderer is very surprising. Which makes this book excellent. Mushed in the middle is this great sounding party of Fire and Ice and all the drama and fun that a festival like that would cause in a small town. And it makes for a very good read. My only issue with these books [minus my quip about the audiobook below] is how ANCIENT the author makes being in your 40's seem [the narrator makes Petra sound like an 80 year old man]. These women are in their prime, still know how to deal with teens and young adults and are NOT on their way out so-to-speak; this has always been my complaint about these books and apparently, it still bother me.
A note [if I may] about the audiobook: Susan Boyce narrates this book. She also narrates Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mysteries. I am sure you can see what is coming; so many of the characters have THE SAME VOICES. There were moments where I was confused as to just which series I was listening to. So if you listen to both series on audio, be prepared. ;-)
January 18, 2013
Don’t start reading this book until you have a blanket on your lap, some nourishment on a plate, and a hot drink in your hand. Most of the action in this story is outside during the winter, and the author paints a realistic setting of frozen snow and ice. In fact, a winter festival is part of the scene, along with a snowmobile accident. . . or was it murder? A good time sure wasn’t had by all, but you’ll have a good time reading this tale. With lots of action, an intriguing plot, endearing characters, and tasty recipes, this book is sure to entertain you even as it gives you the chills.
February 28, 2023
Another food-centred mystery read. I think the food may be the reason I can never guess the murderer!
Something has started to irritate me about this series - why do the women have to be so thoroughly described in each book and do we really need to know that Petra has size 10 feet!
Something has started to irritate me about this series - why do the women have to be so thoroughly described in each book and do we really need to know that Petra has size 10 feet!
October 5, 2016
When a snowmobile crashes into the woods behind the Cackleberry Club cafè, Suzanne finds her town’s most-hated banker beheaded by a wire staked in the snow. Now some of her best customers are prime suspects with a bushel of motives, and the murder investigation is snowballing. An elusive young runaway may be the Cackleberry Club’s only way to crack the case…provided Suzanne can keep her head long enough to track down the cold-blooded killer.
Laura Childs' Cackleberry Club mysteries are quick, easy, fun cozy mysteries. Suzanne, Petra, and Toni, three good friends and co-owners of the Cackleberry Club Cafe, find themselves not only busy with their restaurant, but tied up with a murder mystery when the body is found right behind her cafe. The small town feel and the wonderful citizens of Kindred make this series sparkle. With a touch of humor and a bit of romance, the three ladies serve up side dishes of murder and mayhem. This one is a great winter read as their midwest small town is holding it's annual Fire and Ice Festival. Curl up with a cozy cup of something warm and sit a spell with a good cozy mystery.
Laura Childs' Cackleberry Club mysteries are quick, easy, fun cozy mysteries. Suzanne, Petra, and Toni, three good friends and co-owners of the Cackleberry Club Cafe, find themselves not only busy with their restaurant, but tied up with a murder mystery when the body is found right behind her cafe. The small town feel and the wonderful citizens of Kindred make this series sparkle. With a touch of humor and a bit of romance, the three ladies serve up side dishes of murder and mayhem. This one is a great winter read as their midwest small town is holding it's annual Fire and Ice Festival. Curl up with a cozy cup of something warm and sit a spell with a good cozy mystery.
November 14, 2021
As a cosy novel this works, but as a cosy-mystery? Well, the mystery is basically not treated as large enough to even be second stage. And it's disappointing, because I first took to these novels and now I'm wondering if the series is just falling into the same pattern as the other Laura Childs series.
At the beginning of this novel I was hooked, and then as it dragged on, I felt my interest wane. The story didn't do enough to pull suspects into the limelight for me - I wanted more than just gossip to think somebody is a suspect. How about some evidence? It felt a little light on substance and more interested in the fashion show or the ice festival. I'm also wondering about the reality of their cafe doing such a roaring trade, especially in an area that doesn't seem filled with people who have a great deal of discretionary money to spend.
Just like other novels in this series, the villain is only discovered by chance. I'd personally like to see a tighter plot, because Petra (my favourite character in the series) is not given much time on pages, and Suzanne (the main protagonist) is starting to come off as a unstable, in my opinion.
At the beginning of this novel I was hooked, and then as it dragged on, I felt my interest wane. The story didn't do enough to pull suspects into the limelight for me - I wanted more than just gossip to think somebody is a suspect. How about some evidence? It felt a little light on substance and more interested in the fashion show or the ice festival. I'm also wondering about the reality of their cafe doing such a roaring trade, especially in an area that doesn't seem filled with people who have a great deal of discretionary money to spend.
Just like other novels in this series, the villain is only discovered by chance. I'd personally like to see a tighter plot, because Petra (my favourite character in the series) is not given much time on pages, and Suzanne (the main protagonist) is starting to come off as a unstable, in my opinion.
February 17, 2013
Laura Childs' Scrapbooking Mysteries and Tea Shop Mysteries are 2 of my favorite series. I enjoyed the first couple of books in this Cackleberry Club Mystery series, but I think this one fell flat. There is not enough substance to the book and the mystery itself ends with several puzzling questions. The idea that this diner-type restaurant also has a bookstore-nook and a yarn-nook and is possibly going to add a vintage items-nook is ridiculous. How big is this place? It says to me that this series can't find its identity and it shows. The characters are not well developed at all and the whole thing from story to writing to characters is a bust. The only good thing is the recipes - some really interesting ones in this one. I hope trying to keep 3 series going won't change the quality of the Scrapbooking and Tea Shop series - I vote to drop Cackleberry and I won't buy any more. Might give another one a look if the library has it.
March 26, 2014
I was excited to read this book because I love Laura Childs' teashop mysteries, but I was majorly disappointed. I felt that the main character was too much trying to imitate the tea-shop Theodosia (down to the cute entrepreneur spirit) and couldn't see the appeal of an egg cafe (where a tea shop was lovable). Childs follows the "Mr. X" theory of mystery writing, where the one person you don't expect is the killer. If she had written before Agatha Christie, this would have been a great plot twist, but now it's too contrived and boring. All in all, I think you can only read one of Childs' three stories (tea shop, Cackleberry club or Scrapbook mysteries) to really enjoy the characters, because otherwise, they seem flat, as if they were carbon-copies of one another, along with their carbon-copy friends.
The theory that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" does not work for mystery stories and characters.
The theory that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" does not work for mystery stories and characters.
July 28, 2013
Another cozy mystery from Laura Childs, the Cackleberry Club series is just plain fun. Three middle aged women own a cafe with eggs as their big draw served in very creative ways. Some of the recipes are in the back of the book, plus there are more ideas that a recipe isn't needed like poached eggs in popovers. The writing is easy and the novel is a fast read, like most in this genre. I do enjoy the way this author paints pictures with words - you feel the cold winter and the softness of the yarns, see the sparkling snow and smell the aroma of fresh coffee, spice tea, fresh baked bread and sizzling bacon. With the collection of characters in the small town so charming and some a bit eccentric, this series is a delight.
April 7, 2018
The Cackleberry Club gals are back for another mystery. The banker no one likes is found dead outside of the club because of a snowmobile accident - or was it?
This story features a small town Fire and Ice Festival being celebrated in January complete with ice fishing contest, ice sculpture and a party at the Cackleberry Club to finish the festival.
I thought this one was very well written with lots of suspects and a surprise in the end.
Toni's on again off again husband is back with a car junker invention which is highly amusing and Doogie is front and center as always. I really enjoy these characters and look forward to another in the series.
This story features a small town Fire and Ice Festival being celebrated in January complete with ice fishing contest, ice sculpture and a party at the Cackleberry Club to finish the festival.
I thought this one was very well written with lots of suspects and a surprise in the end.
Toni's on again off again husband is back with a car junker invention which is highly amusing and Doogie is front and center as always. I really enjoy these characters and look forward to another in the series.
February 27, 2022
I still can't stand Toni. I truly do not understand why she is part of this series. She is horrible and she ruins every scene for me. Without her this would be a fine series. Laura Childs seems to think she can write kooky charming characters, but they come across as obnoxious and pointless to me. Why are they always "friends" with the MC? I don't know. There was a mystery, there were some egg dishes, but honestly all I remember is wanting to punch Toni in the face repeatedly. This one was the last one I owned. I think I may be done with Cackleberry Club.
November 8, 2012
Cackleberry Club does it again. Solved the mystery and served good food in their restaurant, sold books in the bookstore,had classes and gatherings in the knitting/sewing room. I wish I personally knew these ladies..hey, I wish I were one of them...
March 2, 2018
I really enjoy this series. It's a light cozy with heroines who are getting middle-aged, which is a lovely change of pace from the youngsters!
May 9, 2019
Great series
September 26, 2019
Continued easy read/listen series. Listening made working around the house more enjoyable.
May 29, 2020
This is a really cute series. I liked Suzanne and the other ladies. The mystery kept me guessing to the end. The murder in the beginning made this a page-turner. The food made me hungry. Lol
April 18, 2019
I can't find any fault with any of Laura Child's series. Ever. enjoyable read, and I love the characters in this series.
June 1, 2013
Winter has come to Kindred and it is holding nothing back! The town is covered in ice and snow and there is an extreme chill in the air. The chill isn't all from the plummeting temperatures outside either, for there has just been a terrible murder in the woods behind the Cackleberry Club. People snowmobile all the time in Kindred in the winter, but it's not often that kills them, like it has the big swig hated banker in town. Suzanne has seen a lot of death in the last 10 months, but this is by far the most gruesome, with the bankers head being clean lopped off his body from a wire that was stretched between two trees in the woods. Suzanne vows to not get involved this time in solving the murder, but soon she is roped in and doing her best to figure things out. The problem? The killer doesn't look to kindly on her doing so. The whole town hated the banker, but who hated him enough to actually kill him? Can Suzanne defrost the clues and find the murderer before he kills again?
Once again, Childs amazes me and makes me love her even more! She is such a great author that writes so well, that I actually found myself thinking about the characters in her books as real people that I wished I could just meet. This series leaves me wishing I could go work at the Cackleberry Club with these fun and loving ladies. This book is a great read, just like the others! It starts out with a bang and continues that suspense all the way through the book. Not once did I put it down and think, eh I'll read when I get to it. NOPE, I hated to put it down and couldn't wait to pick it back up when I did have to put it down. Suzanne, Toni, and Petra are just amazing characters who are so different from one another, but have very common situations really, and that's what makes them long lasting friends. They also all have humdinger personalities that you can't help but love. They are all so snoopy and gossipy, but in a good way it turns out, especially when they are trying to crack open a murder. If you pick up one series by a new to you author you just have to pick this one! The books in the Cackleberry Club Mystery Series are phenomenal and well worth you time. They are simply amazing as a series, but would be great as stand alone books too. So if you don't want to read from the beginning, pick this one up and give it a go, you won't be sorry!
5/5 Stars!!
Once again, Childs amazes me and makes me love her even more! She is such a great author that writes so well, that I actually found myself thinking about the characters in her books as real people that I wished I could just meet. This series leaves me wishing I could go work at the Cackleberry Club with these fun and loving ladies. This book is a great read, just like the others! It starts out with a bang and continues that suspense all the way through the book. Not once did I put it down and think, eh I'll read when I get to it. NOPE, I hated to put it down and couldn't wait to pick it back up when I did have to put it down. Suzanne, Toni, and Petra are just amazing characters who are so different from one another, but have very common situations really, and that's what makes them long lasting friends. They also all have humdinger personalities that you can't help but love. They are all so snoopy and gossipy, but in a good way it turns out, especially when they are trying to crack open a murder. If you pick up one series by a new to you author you just have to pick this one! The books in the Cackleberry Club Mystery Series are phenomenal and well worth you time. They are simply amazing as a series, but would be great as stand alone books too. So if you don't want to read from the beginning, pick this one up and give it a go, you won't be sorry!
5/5 Stars!!
January 6, 2023
You know a mystery is weak if you only have 30 pages left without a sign of who the culprit actually is yet, and you decide to just go to sleep instead.
September 26, 2018
Suzanne hears a snowmobile out back that suddenly stops and goes out to investigate. She finds the bank president's body- and his head nearby. Someone strung a wire. Usual repetitious description of the knitting nook and the book nook at her restaurant. Her man-friend Sam sounds really nice. Several perilous adventures and a rather short conclusion. I also think a car-cooker would be a waste of gas and another unnecessary source of pollution but that's Junior for you.
May 8, 2022
I do like the Laura Childs books books I have read but I was a bit disappointed with this one. I would rate it at 2 1/2 stars but the stupid rating system is unable to give refined ratings due to its odd number format so rounded up to 3 stars. Although I did like the characters, I found the plot a bit implausible. The big snowmobile chase at the end just didn't work for me, perhaps because I live in the land of ice and snow and knew it just wouldn't work that way.
December 7, 2012
What do you get with a breakfast diner, yarn and book store along with a tea shop? A lot of fun with the Cackleberry Club ladies. 3 strong women making their way in a small town thats has an usually high number of murders!As always Laure presents a strong cast of characters and good plot line along with some interesting tidbits...in this case about ice fishing and ice sculpting.
November 12, 2012
I enjoy anything that Laura Childs writes, but her Cackleberry Club stories are just a hoot! Full of fun, mystery and friendship, this latest story in the series is just a great tale. I highly recommend this series!
April 22, 2026
Overview: Suzanne, Toni, and Petra are getting ready for Kindred's Fire and Ice Celebration. There's going to be an ice sculpture contest, an ice fishing contest, and a medallion hunt that's worth three thousand dollars. But, before the festivities kick off, the ladies at The Cackleberry Club hear a snowmobile crash. This isn't a crash that the driver will walk away from, however, as the snowmobile went under a short section of fence that wasn't there before. Who would want to kill the town's bank president dead? Who is the young man snooping around The Cackleberry Club? And why do two suspects think that Suzanne can help find the truth? Let's find out.
Story Telling: This is part of The Cackleberry Club set of cozy mysteries.
Dislikes: The regional bank overseer, the man who would be hiring the new bank president of Kindred, was a real jerk. Who truly wishes to have a big city guy telling the small town population how to handle their banking system?
Claudia was rather snooty as well. Do you really need to insult your would-be audience or customer base to get ahead in life? I'd say that's a good way to go broke.
Likes: Toni and Junior were a hoot. Toni is constantly scrounging up cash, and Junior is cooking up new get-rich-quick schemes. This book has the 'car cooker'.
Petra strove to keep the ladies focused on the important parts of their lives. Such as focusing on The Cackleberry Club, and not on gossip.
Conclusion: This was a fun story. If you like cozy mysteries, or you are just a fan of The Cackleberry Club, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Story Telling: This is part of The Cackleberry Club set of cozy mysteries.
Dislikes: The regional bank overseer, the man who would be hiring the new bank president of Kindred, was a real jerk. Who truly wishes to have a big city guy telling the small town population how to handle their banking system?
Claudia was rather snooty as well. Do you really need to insult your would-be audience or customer base to get ahead in life? I'd say that's a good way to go broke.
Likes: Toni and Junior were a hoot. Toni is constantly scrounging up cash, and Junior is cooking up new get-rich-quick schemes. This book has the 'car cooker'.
Petra strove to keep the ladies focused on the important parts of their lives. Such as focusing on The Cackleberry Club, and not on gossip.
Conclusion: This was a fun story. If you like cozy mysteries, or you are just a fan of The Cackleberry Club, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
May 22, 2023
Opposites attract is not just for intimate relationships, it can also apply to friends. Three friends, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra could not be more different from each other. What they do have in common is a close friendship. Literary Baker
These three women run The Cackleberry Club, a breakfast and lunch cafe that also has a book nook and knitting nest. In this installment it is time for the annual Fire and Ice Festival. The ladies are excited to participate in events such as an ice sculpting contest as well as host an event at The Cackleberry Club on the last night. Of course things do not go as planned when the local bank president is killed in a gruesome way.
This is book number 4 in the series and the reader is gifted with more personal details about Suzanne and her relationship. I continue to scratch my head with Petra as this stoic character continues to be a mystery. She likes to cook and knit and her husband is unfortunately diagnosed with dementia, but we don’t know too much more about her. Toni is our comic relief with her on again off again relationship with Junior. I want to shout from the hilltop “You can do better than him!” We will just have to continue reading to see if she does.
These three women run The Cackleberry Club, a breakfast and lunch cafe that also has a book nook and knitting nest. In this installment it is time for the annual Fire and Ice Festival. The ladies are excited to participate in events such as an ice sculpting contest as well as host an event at The Cackleberry Club on the last night. Of course things do not go as planned when the local bank president is killed in a gruesome way.
This is book number 4 in the series and the reader is gifted with more personal details about Suzanne and her relationship. I continue to scratch my head with Petra as this stoic character continues to be a mystery. She likes to cook and knit and her husband is unfortunately diagnosed with dementia, but we don’t know too much more about her. Toni is our comic relief with her on again off again relationship with Junior. I want to shout from the hilltop “You can do better than him!” We will just have to continue reading to see if she does.
January 12, 2020
Girls it so good to see you again even if it is for a murder.
And what a grizzly murder it is. (Wow mom and I read some very gruesome attacks this last past month.) The Murder being that a man get his head cut off well riding his snowmobile on the way to the cackleberry club. (Mom and I would like to drop in here that one year went to visit her sister up in New York and drove through a town that was completely turned into a snowmobile town in the dead of winter. It was so cool.) Anyway they find him and of course the hunt is on.
The next big thing is the run away. It was interesting that the author added in how police were not unkind the runaway, but just how easy it is for a kid to get lost in the system.
P.S. The Kids also felt very well done. We don’t know if we have ever mentioned that the girls have a younger helper who comes in to cleaner/wait the tables. He does appear in the other books, but this one he is far more prominent due to the run away; which isn’t urns makes you notice in the book way more how nicely the author writes a younger character; with out making him look to stereotypical.
Can’t wait for the next book.
And what a grizzly murder it is. (Wow mom and I read some very gruesome attacks this last past month.) The Murder being that a man get his head cut off well riding his snowmobile on the way to the cackleberry club. (Mom and I would like to drop in here that one year went to visit her sister up in New York and drove through a town that was completely turned into a snowmobile town in the dead of winter. It was so cool.) Anyway they find him and of course the hunt is on.
The next big thing is the run away. It was interesting that the author added in how police were not unkind the runaway, but just how easy it is for a kid to get lost in the system.
P.S. The Kids also felt very well done. We don’t know if we have ever mentioned that the girls have a younger helper who comes in to cleaner/wait the tables. He does appear in the other books, but this one he is far more prominent due to the run away; which isn’t urns makes you notice in the book way more how nicely the author writes a younger character; with out making him look to stereotypical.
Can’t wait for the next book.
January 17, 2021
Winter has its grip on Kindred and the Cackleberry Club is focusing on the annual Fire and Ice Festival. That is until Suzanne finds the local banker beheaded behind the cafe. Can the Cackleberry Club solve the murder before they find themselves on ice?
I am finding myself getting hooked on this series. I can't wait to see what Suzanne, Petra, and Toni are up to. The beheading of the local banker threw me for a loop as I believe it is the first time I've read about a beheading in a cozy. There was very little gore but it made for interesting reading.
Stake and Eggs was a fast-paced read that kept my interest. There was plenty of red-herrings to keep me guessing. Along the way there plenty of laughs when it comes to Toni's husband Junior. As frustrating as he can be he brings some good laughs.
I highly recommend this series to fans of culinary cozy mysteries. Recipes are included.
I am finding myself getting hooked on this series. I can't wait to see what Suzanne, Petra, and Toni are up to. The beheading of the local banker threw me for a loop as I believe it is the first time I've read about a beheading in a cozy. There was very little gore but it made for interesting reading.
Stake and Eggs was a fast-paced read that kept my interest. There was plenty of red-herrings to keep me guessing. Along the way there plenty of laughs when it comes to Toni's husband Junior. As frustrating as he can be he brings some good laughs.
I highly recommend this series to fans of culinary cozy mysteries. Recipes are included.
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