From Ladle to Grave

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