The Christmas Fair Killer

In Meade’s comfy third mystery featuring Tish Tarragon, owner of Cookin’ the Books Café and Catering in Hobson Glen, Va. (after 2019’s The Garden Club Murder), it’s December, and time for the Hobson Glen Holiday Fair, which includes performances of A Christmas Carol. Tish has set up her stand right by the stage. As her friend Julian “Jules” Jefferson Davis observes, “We’re so close to the action you can almost make out the edges of Scrooge’s prosthetic nose.” The stand’s proximity makes it a favorite for the actors, many of whom are bristling over the rise of their beautiful new star, 22-year-old Jenny Inkpen. The action starts slowly, as the dialogue doesn’t always establish character or relationships, but it picks up once Tish and another friend discover Jenny’s bloody corpse while delivering breakfast sandwiches to the actors’ trailers. Two potential sweethearts for Tish lend some romantic tension. While not as zippy as its predecessor, this entry offers plenty to please cozy fans, including punning food names like Danielle Steel Cut Oats. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Aug.)