What do you think?
Rate this book
Cackleberry Club #5
Eggs in a Casket
The New York Times bestselling Cackleberry Club series returns with three intrepid ladies who know their way around a kitchen—as well as a crime scene…
Petra, Suzanne, and Toni may have lost their husbands, but they’ve found new life operating the Cackleberry Club café. It’s where the locals head for an amazing breakfast, the good company of friends, and a puzzling mystery or two…
THIS KILLER IS TOAST
Suzanne and Toni are off to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. The ladies expect to find the historical society’s tent, but instead they discover the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in a freshly dug grave. Now, with the town peppered with suspects and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and sniff out a bad egg.
Recipes Included!
Petra, Suzanne, and Toni may have lost their husbands, but they’ve found new life operating the Cackleberry Club café. It’s where the locals head for an amazing breakfast, the good company of friends, and a puzzling mystery or two…
THIS KILLER IS TOAST
Suzanne and Toni are off to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. The ladies expect to find the historical society’s tent, but instead they discover the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in a freshly dug grave. Now, with the town peppered with suspects and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and sniff out a bad egg.
Recipes Included!
322 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 7, 2014
113 people are currently reading
987 people want to read
About the author
Laura Childs
93 books2,253 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
July 26, 2018
Wonderful, I'm back to my initial hunting grounds, and I appreciate being there. Cozy mysteries are my first love. I have to recommend this book to you, Goodreads reader.
There are many difficult words sprinkled through the book. The plot took a backseat to the shenanigans of the devilishly saintly trio of women who work at the Cackleberry Club.
Like I said the plot is not important. Speaking for myself I found the filler bits palatable enough. I have no complaints. It may be that the dry non-fiction books I've been reading contrasted with this book marvellously and maybe that's the trick to keep my beloved cozies fresh.
There are many difficult words sprinkled through the book. The plot took a backseat to the shenanigans of the devilishly saintly trio of women who work at the Cackleberry Club.
Like I said the plot is not important. Speaking for myself I found the filler bits palatable enough. I have no complaints. It may be that the dry non-fiction books I've been reading contrasted with this book marvellously and maybe that's the trick to keep my beloved cozies fresh.
December 15, 2020
Best book in the series so far! Exciting and intriguing, so much so that you won't be able to stop turning pages or listening to the audio! The Cackleberry ladies are up to their necks in sleuthing in this book and something sinister is swirling about right from the start! Finding a body in a cemetery should be normal right? Well not this time, but you'll have to read the book to find out why as I'm not giving out any spoilers! The characters get more real with each book and in this one you'll feel like you are visiting old friends and not reading about characters on a page. The plot is well developed with twists and turns to keep you entertained for hours!
April 21, 2025
Great cozy mystery!
March 17, 2018
The three ladies of the Cackleberry Club, a breakfast and lunch restaurant, are at it again. When Toni and Suzanne deliver flowers for a centennial celebration as the history graveyard early one morning, they stumble across a new grave. It is odd that there will be a new grave in the older part of the cemetery. When they look into the grave - it is not empty.
Just prior to this, they saw a young friend rushing out of the cemetery in a panic. There is no way that this friend could have hurt the man in the grave...but what did happen? Sheriff Doogie is convinced that he knows who the murderer is.
Petra, Suzanne and Toni are just great characters. They are by no means perfect but mesh as three different characters that make the partnership in the restaurant work. Good story, good plot, some clues, good twist.
Just prior to this, they saw a young friend rushing out of the cemetery in a panic. There is no way that this friend could have hurt the man in the grave...but what did happen? Sheriff Doogie is convinced that he knows who the murderer is.
Petra, Suzanne and Toni are just great characters. They are by no means perfect but mesh as three different characters that make the partnership in the restaurant work. Good story, good plot, some clues, good twist.
January 16, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
You just can’t go wrong with a Laura Childs cozy mystery!!
It is hard to believe this is the 5th Cackleberry Club Mystery. I absolutely love these ladies! Their Cackleberry Club has everything, great food, a book nook and a crafting corner. Suzanne, Toni and Petra have created a place all of us would love to visit. In Kindred, it is the place the whole community seems to gather to share news, a bit but gossip, and support each other through thick and thin.
In this installment Suzanne and Toni discover a body in the cemetery while dropping off some flowers for the cemetery’s 150th year celebration. Of course, all three ladies find themselves scrambling to try to catch the killer. There is a nice twist when Sheriff Doogie even needs their help and that leads to a few suspenseful moments.
Childs has written quite a mystery for us to enjoy. She kept me guessing until the very end. She balances the mystery with a teaspoon of romance and a tablespoon of humor. Junior’s antics continue to make me laugh out loud.
This is really a wonderful series. I have enjoyed each and every one.
February 19, 2018
Laura Childs has to be one of my top 5 favorite authors. I have yet to read anything by her that I did not love.
May 31, 2018
The black wrought-iron gates of Memorial Cemetery loomed up through swirling fog like disapproving sentinels as Suzanne's Ford Taurus labored up the narrow, muddy road.
Suzanne and Toni are delivering flowers to the cemetery for the Sesquicentennial Celebration when Toni's umbrella is swept away. The chase leads the ladies to the edge of an open grave in which former prison warden, Lester Drummond, is lying dead. Sheriff Roy Doogie proclaims the death as murder and the ladies of the Cackleberry Club jump into sleuth mode.
I enjoy that this series has female characters that are of a certain age and behave accordingly. Although I want to smack Toni at times. Particularly when she is taken in by Junior's harebrained schemes. Suzanne, Toni and Petra are well rounded characters that seem like they could be your next door neighbor. I love the café! I get hungry just reading what Petra is cooking. Thankfully there are recipes in the back.
It seemed that Doogie kept Suzanne more in the loop in this book than in the past. Perhaps he realizes that she is a pretty good detective.
I am very pleased that Suzanne and Sam's relationship is progressing in a nice mature manner. Its hard to believe that at book number five that she has only been a widow for a little more than a year.
The secondary characters were intriguing and each added a little something to the plot. The arts and craft event sounded like something I would attend. I know that if I lived in Kindred I would be in the Cackleberry Club every day whether it be eating, reading or knitting.
The mystery was well paced and red herrings tossed here and there to throw you off a bit. This is one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors. I'm so glad that I found it. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Suzanne and Toni are delivering flowers to the cemetery for the Sesquicentennial Celebration when Toni's umbrella is swept away. The chase leads the ladies to the edge of an open grave in which former prison warden, Lester Drummond, is lying dead. Sheriff Roy Doogie proclaims the death as murder and the ladies of the Cackleberry Club jump into sleuth mode.
I enjoy that this series has female characters that are of a certain age and behave accordingly. Although I want to smack Toni at times. Particularly when she is taken in by Junior's harebrained schemes. Suzanne, Toni and Petra are well rounded characters that seem like they could be your next door neighbor. I love the café! I get hungry just reading what Petra is cooking. Thankfully there are recipes in the back.
It seemed that Doogie kept Suzanne more in the loop in this book than in the past. Perhaps he realizes that she is a pretty good detective.
I am very pleased that Suzanne and Sam's relationship is progressing in a nice mature manner. Its hard to believe that at book number five that she has only been a widow for a little more than a year.
The secondary characters were intriguing and each added a little something to the plot. The arts and craft event sounded like something I would attend. I know that if I lived in Kindred I would be in the Cackleberry Club every day whether it be eating, reading or knitting.
The mystery was well paced and red herrings tossed here and there to throw you off a bit. This is one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors. I'm so glad that I found it. I look forward to the next book in the series.
January 27, 2020
This is a fun mystery that takes place in a small town where everyone thinks they know everyone else's business. The owners of the Cackleberry Club Cafe get involved in trying to solve a murder in order to help a friend who has been accused. A surfeit of suspects makes this case a hard one to crack!
(Sorry could not resist the pun!)
(Sorry could not resist the pun!)
September 30, 2022
Suzanne and Toni discover a body of a local prison guard in a fresh grave in the cemetery.
And Missy, their friend is accused of killing him.
The Cackleberry Club cafe girls are at it again! Trying to figure out who could have killed him.
They put themselves in danger quite a few times.
There are a lot of suspects to consider and Suzanne has her work cut out for her. She knows Missy is not the killer and meanwhile the real killer is free to kill again.
And the police Chief is out of commission too.
Humor and a great cozy mystery.
And Missy, their friend is accused of killing him.
The Cackleberry Club cafe girls are at it again! Trying to figure out who could have killed him.
They put themselves in danger quite a few times.
There are a lot of suspects to consider and Suzanne has her work cut out for her. She knows Missy is not the killer and meanwhile the real killer is free to kill again.
And the police Chief is out of commission too.
Humor and a great cozy mystery.
December 17, 2020
This series makes the perfect audiobook to listen to before bed each night when I'm trying to winddown and fall asleep.
January 21, 2025
Loving this series.
March 4, 2023
Once again lots of lovely food was eaten and a kller caught. I was surprised and disappointed about the identity of the killer as it was someone that I liked.
October 24, 2017
A very well thought out story that will leave you wanting more from this series.
October 9, 2019
I continue to enjoy listening/reading this series. The murder mysteries are not brain busters, but the characters are somewhat relatable and their antics are entertaining.
January 9, 2014
Laura Childs brings readers the fifth book in her Cackleberry Club mystery series, Eggs in a Casket. When three friends, who are at loose ends, decide to open a cafe that specializes in eggs, nobody realized that an amateur sleuthing team was in the offing. Readers will be drawn to Childs' three amazing protagonists in this series and to the small town setting of Kindred. Childs has a remarkable eye for detail and even the smallest of things becomes important. With bodies turning up in odd places and a Cemetery Celebration in the works, this is one you won't want to miss.
What I liked:
Laura Childs is easily my favorite cozy writer out there. She has a knack for knowing just the right details to add to each of her series' and to each book to get the reader interested and invested in what happens to these characters. Her attention to detail is astounding. I enjoy all of the tidbits of local happenings. In Eggs in a Casket we see a lot of our favorites and some new members of the community we haven't met before. It's always nice to visit with characters that seem like old friends. Childs draws the reader in quickly with a well drawn small town setting that is just automatically appealing. Kindred is my kind of place.
I liked the whole idea of this series from the beginning. A cafe specializing in eggs was a interesting idea, but the part of the Cackleberry Club that is so endearing is that it becomes the local meeting place, where local denizens come to hear the news and eat good food. It's all about community in this series. In Eggs in a Casket we find that the former prison warden Lester Drummond, was not exactly a model citizen himself. When he turns up murdered on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the local cemetery, it seems only fitting that he be found in a borrowed grave.
You don't hear too many towns celebrating a cemetery. I thought that was a nice touch and added some flavor to the story. I enjoyed the fact that though this is a murder mystery, Childs still shows a great sense of irony and a lot of humor. There are some moments in this book that will have you laughing in spite of the fact that murder is afoot.
Toni, Petra and Suzanne always seem to get mixed up in police business and this time is no different. I liked the fact that the sheriff is kind of out of commission and it's up to the ladies to help him out of a jam with this case. He always seems to be trying to get them to stay out of his business until he can't seem to get it figured out and this time, he really needs help. It's a great relationship between them and it adds some comic relief as well.
What I didn't like:
As usual with a Laura Childs book, there wasn't anything to report in this section. Every book I read for her is so well written and fun. It's hard to give a low rating when there isn't anything to criticize.
Bottom Line:
If you haven't read any of Laura Childs books you are really missing out. The Cackleberry Club series has a down home feel with great characters and a town you will wish was your own. Eggs in a Casket is one of my favorites in the series so far. Don't miss it!
What I liked:
Laura Childs is easily my favorite cozy writer out there. She has a knack for knowing just the right details to add to each of her series' and to each book to get the reader interested and invested in what happens to these characters. Her attention to detail is astounding. I enjoy all of the tidbits of local happenings. In Eggs in a Casket we see a lot of our favorites and some new members of the community we haven't met before. It's always nice to visit with characters that seem like old friends. Childs draws the reader in quickly with a well drawn small town setting that is just automatically appealing. Kindred is my kind of place.
I liked the whole idea of this series from the beginning. A cafe specializing in eggs was a interesting idea, but the part of the Cackleberry Club that is so endearing is that it becomes the local meeting place, where local denizens come to hear the news and eat good food. It's all about community in this series. In Eggs in a Casket we find that the former prison warden Lester Drummond, was not exactly a model citizen himself. When he turns up murdered on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the local cemetery, it seems only fitting that he be found in a borrowed grave.
You don't hear too many towns celebrating a cemetery. I thought that was a nice touch and added some flavor to the story. I enjoyed the fact that though this is a murder mystery, Childs still shows a great sense of irony and a lot of humor. There are some moments in this book that will have you laughing in spite of the fact that murder is afoot.
Toni, Petra and Suzanne always seem to get mixed up in police business and this time is no different. I liked the fact that the sheriff is kind of out of commission and it's up to the ladies to help him out of a jam with this case. He always seems to be trying to get them to stay out of his business until he can't seem to get it figured out and this time, he really needs help. It's a great relationship between them and it adds some comic relief as well.
What I didn't like:
As usual with a Laura Childs book, there wasn't anything to report in this section. Every book I read for her is so well written and fun. It's hard to give a low rating when there isn't anything to criticize.
Bottom Line:
If you haven't read any of Laura Childs books you are really missing out. The Cackleberry Club series has a down home feel with great characters and a town you will wish was your own. Eggs in a Casket is one of my favorites in the series so far. Don't miss it!
January 23, 2014
What was to be a quick trip to the Memorial Cemetery to deliver flowers for the site’s upcoming 150th anniversary celebration, turned into a find that was unexpected and dangerous.
Suzanne and Toni had left their other partner, Petra, handling the breakfast rush at their café, the Cackleberry Club, to run the errand to the cemetery. In their search for the historical society tent, they’re almost run off the small cemetery road by their friend Missy. When they stop, they discover ex-prison warden Lester Drummond dead and lying face down in a freshly dug grave.
Drummond was well known throughout Kindred and had quite a few secrets. Suzanne knew that he had been hitting on Missy and won’t take no for an answer. With the cemetery celebration fast approaching, Missy among the prime suspects and the local authorities with their hands full, Suzanne and her partners swing into action. It’s up to the Cackleberry Club trio to unscramble the murder and find the killer before another body turns up dead.
Author Laura Childs has crafted a protagonist that is spunky and realistic with flaws that readers can relate to. Her friends are likable, funny and well-developed. The setting is quaint and inviting with a small-town atmosphere that quickly draws you in.
EGGS IN A CASKET is an easy read that will have you guessing who the killer is until the very end. The story moves at a steady pace with twists and turns. There’s a good blend of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. Childs’ eye for details makes the Cackleberry Club a place readers will want to visit again and again.
This is the fifth installment in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series, but can be read on its own. New readers to the series won’t be left in the dark, while returning fans will enjoy catching up the folks of Kindred. An added bonus is the recipes featured at the Cackleberry Club are included at the end of the story.
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Suzanne and Toni had left their other partner, Petra, handling the breakfast rush at their café, the Cackleberry Club, to run the errand to the cemetery. In their search for the historical society tent, they’re almost run off the small cemetery road by their friend Missy. When they stop, they discover ex-prison warden Lester Drummond dead and lying face down in a freshly dug grave.
Drummond was well known throughout Kindred and had quite a few secrets. Suzanne knew that he had been hitting on Missy and won’t take no for an answer. With the cemetery celebration fast approaching, Missy among the prime suspects and the local authorities with their hands full, Suzanne and her partners swing into action. It’s up to the Cackleberry Club trio to unscramble the murder and find the killer before another body turns up dead.
Author Laura Childs has crafted a protagonist that is spunky and realistic with flaws that readers can relate to. Her friends are likable, funny and well-developed. The setting is quaint and inviting with a small-town atmosphere that quickly draws you in.
EGGS IN A CASKET is an easy read that will have you guessing who the killer is until the very end. The story moves at a steady pace with twists and turns. There’s a good blend of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. Childs’ eye for details makes the Cackleberry Club a place readers will want to visit again and again.
This is the fifth installment in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series, but can be read on its own. New readers to the series won’t be left in the dark, while returning fans will enjoy catching up the folks of Kindred. An added bonus is the recipes featured at the Cackleberry Club are included at the end of the story.
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
February 2, 2014
Suzanne, Toni and Petra did not disappoint in this fifth installment in the lives of three women running a restaurant/book shop/gift shop where they make and serve delicious meals to the residents of their small town, Kindred. The blend of their three personalities gives the reader so many different ways to identify with their story and the blazing dialogue between them is always a treat to read.
Dear Suzanne and Toni come across a very fresh corpse while delivering flowers that will be used in a celebration of their town's war veterans. A close friend is implicated in this murder and Suzanne feels like she has to help clear her name even as she realizes this murder is particularly dark. Like all of the books in the Cackleberry Club series this one shows all the emotions an amateur sleuth has to be feeling - time pressure, frustration, guilt, a little excitement, some second-guessing of her motives in investigating anything at all because it is so dangerous - and that is what makes it believable and enjoyable.
The balance between the sweetness in their little diner and the tension in the murder investigation always makes me look forward to a new book in this series and I am forever hoping that I can visit their town and eat at the Cackleberry Club. The recipes at the back are hearty and out-of-the-common and give you a nice little snapshot of the kind of diner they are running. This series is a great starting point for anyone who is keen to try the cozy genre and you'll find a little vacation from the everyday in the town of Kindred.
Dear Suzanne and Toni come across a very fresh corpse while delivering flowers that will be used in a celebration of their town's war veterans. A close friend is implicated in this murder and Suzanne feels like she has to help clear her name even as she realizes this murder is particularly dark. Like all of the books in the Cackleberry Club series this one shows all the emotions an amateur sleuth has to be feeling - time pressure, frustration, guilt, a little excitement, some second-guessing of her motives in investigating anything at all because it is so dangerous - and that is what makes it believable and enjoyable.
The balance between the sweetness in their little diner and the tension in the murder investigation always makes me look forward to a new book in this series and I am forever hoping that I can visit their town and eat at the Cackleberry Club. The recipes at the back are hearty and out-of-the-common and give you a nice little snapshot of the kind of diner they are running. This series is a great starting point for anyone who is keen to try the cozy genre and you'll find a little vacation from the everyday in the town of Kindred.
January 22, 2014
“Eggs In A Casket” is the fifth book in Laura Childs’ “Cackleberry Club Mystery” series, and it is a lively, action-filled novel that is just a pleasure to read. The characters, many of them reoccurring throughout the series, are quirky and interesting, and the mystery to be solved is intriguing and attention-grabbing. While this is the fifth book in this ongoing series, it is quite easy to pick up and become fast acquainted with the storyline and the people who populate the tale. This is a quick but very enjoyable read. Laura Childs’ storytelling skills are at her best in this series, and it is always fun to revisit the Cackleberry Club Café where something is always happening!
For those who love cozy mysteries, this is a great series to discover. A great bonus feature are the delicious recipes for dishes mentioned throughout the story are included at the end of the book. That’s always a plus in my opinion!
For those who love cozy mysteries, this is a great series to discover. A great bonus feature are the delicious recipes for dishes mentioned throughout the story are included at the end of the book. That’s always a plus in my opinion!
February 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I'll start with what I wasn't crazy about (which is very little)I know Missy becomes a prime suspect but I really started to find her annoying. Toni is a character but sometimes she's a little over the top for my taste, but that's just me. Now onto what I liked (a much longer list)on the whole I love the characters and the way they interact. I enjoy the Cackleberry Club with how they get involved with community events, and the everyday running of the restaurant. I really like Suzanne, definitely someone that I would like to be friends with and her blossoming romance with Sam is moving a nice pace. Doogie while sometimes irksome, I really do like. The mystery was good and although I figured out the who, it didn't matter because I loved the climax of the discovery. I will definitely continue on with this series.
February 25, 2014
I always enjoy visiting the Cackleberry Club and it's wonderful inhabitants. They always seem to get themselves into a jam. This time they find a dead body in an open grave at the cemetery. Of course, Suzanne and Toni take it upon themselves to find out who the killer is. This book was very well written and flowed really well. Laura Childs did a really good job with this cozy, it kept me guessing till the very end, which is what I really like in a cozy. I was truly surprised at the outcome. I can't wait to visit the Cackleberry Club and again!
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.
February 3, 2014
I really enjoy this series and the mystery in the book did not disappoint. I generally enjoy the three main ladies in this series, but for some reason in this book I wanted to just hit Toni upside the head more than usual for putting up with her "estranged" husband. You are not estranged if you continue to do constant events with said husband, even if you aren't living together. It kept on distracting me for the actual storyline. Some of the other minor storylines were quite good and I hope she continue including Jake in future books.
January 21, 2015
This book is 5th in a series about 3 widows that open a cafe. Two of them are off to celebrate a 150th anniversary of a cemetery. While looking around they find the body of ex-prison warden. The town police are over their heads and one of their friends is being acused of the crime, so they have to find out who the killer is.
February 14, 2014
Love Laura Childs. whether she is writing her Tea shop mysteries, her scrapbooking mysteries or the Cackleberry club mysteries, they are always fun. Just the right amount of murder and mayhem without being too serious or gory.
January 21, 2014
Good friends having fun, solving mysteries, working together. A light but fun read.
February 16, 2014
Laura Childs' Eggs in A Casket is another fun read in her Cackleberry Club Mystery series. Great characters and adventures along with a little love interest make for quick and enjoyable reading.
Read
January 28, 2014Enjoyed the ending - didn't figure out who killed Drummond till they told me!
July 31, 2025
I give this book 2.5 stars. The beginning of the book was painfully slow. It did get better about halfway through.
Here's the issues I had with the book:
I didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed pretty dumb. Toni was just a straight-up idiot. Suzanne seemed like a back stabber and the town gossip. Petra was just there. She could've sat the story out. Doogie (dumb name) had no problem telling Suzanne what was going on with the case. A real Sheriff wouldn't do that. Suzanne blabbed to anyone that would listen about things Sam told her or Doogie told her. Not very smart. Missy pulled some bonehead moves too. The Cackleberry Club (cringe) founders all seemed like goodie two shoes.
I didn't understand why Suzanne used a map vs. her phone's GPS. And Missy is missing for a couple of hours and all of a sudden it's time for a search party. Why didn't Suzanne try to call Missy instead of driving around looking for her? What excuse did Suzanne give to Jake for showing up at his house? Sam's fishing pole was conveniently sticking out of his car and Suzanne was able to grab it while riding by on Mocha. How did Suzanne get the horse out of the barn with winds whipping the door? Why, just why, would you take a horse out in a storm--and it's dark and you can barely see. There were just too many unrealistic, dim-witted scenarios for me.
I noticed a few errors too that the editor missed.
I knew early on who the killer was.
I appreciate efforts that every aurhor makes because it can't be easy writing a book, but unfortunately this did not do it for me.
Here's the issues I had with the book:
I didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed pretty dumb. Toni was just a straight-up idiot. Suzanne seemed like a back stabber and the town gossip. Petra was just there. She could've sat the story out. Doogie (dumb name) had no problem telling Suzanne what was going on with the case. A real Sheriff wouldn't do that. Suzanne blabbed to anyone that would listen about things Sam told her or Doogie told her. Not very smart. Missy pulled some bonehead moves too. The Cackleberry Club (cringe) founders all seemed like goodie two shoes.
I didn't understand why Suzanne used a map vs. her phone's GPS. And Missy is missing for a couple of hours and all of a sudden it's time for a search party. Why didn't Suzanne try to call Missy instead of driving around looking for her? What excuse did Suzanne give to Jake for showing up at his house? Sam's fishing pole was conveniently sticking out of his car and Suzanne was able to grab it while riding by on Mocha. How did Suzanne get the horse out of the barn with winds whipping the door? Why, just why, would you take a horse out in a storm--and it's dark and you can barely see. There were just too many unrealistic, dim-witted scenarios for me.
I noticed a few errors too that the editor missed.
I knew early on who the killer was.
I appreciate efforts that every aurhor makes because it can't be easy writing a book, but unfortunately this did not do it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2020
Suzanne and Toni are going to deliver flowers at early for anniversary of the graveyard. They are about to drive into the graveyard and come across Missy truck pealing out of the graveyard, to the point that they almost get run off the road. Confused at why Missy was driving like a maniac, but they stick to their mission to drop off the flowers. Well setting the flowers out they come across a freshly dug grave and of course one cannot have a freshly dug grave without a corpse. The dead corpse they find in the grave is Lester Drummond. Dead. The Sheriff starts to question the girls and instantly suspects Missy. Well the Sheriff is off chasing Missy; Toni, Suzanne, and Petra know that the Sheriff is off on the wrong trail so it is up to them to them to find the real killer.
It is so nice to see the characters again. Toni and Junior are still on and off. Suzanne and her Doctor friends relationship really progresses to the next level. Petra does not have as much of an arc in this story as the others, but she has does offer support and sound advice.
The mystery is very well built and is weaves beautifully in with the characters and town we have come to love and know. Mom and I like how Laura Child start to draw back on previous characters.
It is so nice to see the characters again. Toni and Junior are still on and off. Suzanne and her Doctor friends relationship really progresses to the next level. Petra does not have as much of an arc in this story as the others, but she has does offer support and sound advice.
The mystery is very well built and is weaves beautifully in with the characters and town we have come to love and know. Mom and I like how Laura Child start to draw back on previous characters.
October 9, 2023
This book has everything: a spooky graveyard tour, an arts and craft sale, a tornado,a hero on a horse, a murder, recipes, and true love (of course you have to say the last one in the style of The Princess Bride).
The novel even has great recipes. See a recipe review here: Literary Baker
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra continue to have a thriving business with a breakfast, book nook, craft corner store. I love these ladies. I love how they are each unique and I love how supportive they are of each other and their interests. When the recently fired jail warden is found murdered, Suzanne goes into high gear with investigating. Sheriff Doogie seems to have accepted the inevitable and almost appreciates her help. While Suzanne investigates, she also supports Petra’s passion for supporting the local food bank by hosting the arts and crafts show. She also supports Toni as she follows Junior to a demolition derby. In my opinion, that is a remarkable sign of a good friend!
The story continues to follow their seemingly everyday lives with the loose thread of the murder mystery in the background. Even without the mystery, the novel is interesting due the diversity of the three leading ladies.
The novel even has great recipes. See a recipe review here: Literary Baker
Suzanne, Toni, and Petra continue to have a thriving business with a breakfast, book nook, craft corner store. I love these ladies. I love how they are each unique and I love how supportive they are of each other and their interests. When the recently fired jail warden is found murdered, Suzanne goes into high gear with investigating. Sheriff Doogie seems to have accepted the inevitable and almost appreciates her help. While Suzanne investigates, she also supports Petra’s passion for supporting the local food bank by hosting the arts and crafts show. She also supports Toni as she follows Junior to a demolition derby. In my opinion, that is a remarkable sign of a good friend!
The story continues to follow their seemingly everyday lives with the loose thread of the murder mystery in the background. Even without the mystery, the novel is interesting due the diversity of the three leading ladies.
August 15, 2020
Good story. Maybe I will be able to tell the killer, but definitely not this time.....
While Petra handles the breakfast rush at the Cackleberry Club, the café’s other two owners, Suzanne and Toni, head to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. But as they search the winding paths for the historical society tent, they discover something else out of place: the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in someone else’s freshly dug grave.
In the small town of Kindred, everyone knows everyone, and Lester was no exception. Suzanne knew him as the creepy guy who made unwanted advances on her friend Missy Langston. But now it appears the man was hiding a few secrets…and at least one of them was worth killing for. As the case cracks open, there are plenty of suspects to consider—from recent parolees to Missy herself, who Suzanne and Toni saw speeding away just before they found the body. Now, with a cemetery celebration in the offing, and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and clear their friend’s name.
While Petra handles the breakfast rush at the Cackleberry Club, the café’s other two owners, Suzanne and Toni, head to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. But as they search the winding paths for the historical society tent, they discover something else out of place: the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in someone else’s freshly dug grave.
In the small town of Kindred, everyone knows everyone, and Lester was no exception. Suzanne knew him as the creepy guy who made unwanted advances on her friend Missy Langston. But now it appears the man was hiding a few secrets…and at least one of them was worth killing for. As the case cracks open, there are plenty of suspects to consider—from recent parolees to Missy herself, who Suzanne and Toni saw speeding away just before they found the body. Now, with a cemetery celebration in the offing, and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and clear their friend’s name.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews