cover image A Catered Book Club Murder: A Mystery with Recipes

A Catered Book Club Murder: A Mystery with Recipes

Isis Crawford. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-1502-9

In Crawford’s delectable 16th mystery featuring sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons (after 2019’s A Catered New Year’s Eve), art restorer Margo Hemsley fails to arrive at A Little Taste of Heaven, the sisters’ shop in Longely, N.Y., to pick up the pastry order she was supposed to bring to a book club meeting later that same evening. The next day, Margo’s friends Betsy and Tom Glassberg visit the shop. Betsy and Tom, who are worried that Margo has gone missing, ask amateur sleuths Bernie and Libby to investigate, the police having little interest in the case. The Glassbergs also want them to check that two Thomas Eakins portraits Margo was working on restoring for them are in her house. The sisters discover the portraits have vanished along with Margo. Descriptions of mouthwatering baked goods and good-natured banter between the sisters enhance their search for answers. Cozy fans will be tempted to curl up with a hot beverage and a pastry while reading this one. [em]Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Jan.) [/em]