The Christmas Fair Killer

September 1, 2019
Tish Tarragon, owner of Cookin' the Books Caf� and Catering, is hired to cater the annual awards luncheon of the Coleton Creek Sixty-Plus Community Garden Club. When retired businessman Sloane Shackleford, the unpopular five-time winner of the best-garden prize, is murdered just before the judging, Tish reluctantly investigates. Suspects abound among the residents and staff, from contest-winner hopefuls to the numerous women Shackleford scorned, to clients he cheated, and to those he harassed just for the fun of it. As Tish readies for The Secret Garden-themed luncheon, various suspects confide in her, and she shares her findings with Sheriff Reade. Complicating matters, Tish must comfort an old friend whose husband has just left her for a younger woman, and her romance with attorney Schuyler begins to heat up. However, there may be another suitor in the wings. Tish ultimately identifies the killer in this gardening- and food-framed cozy, set in hot, humid Virginia and featuring a strong, principled female business owner. Suggest this series to fans of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen novels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

June 1, 2020
The spirit of Christmas present is marred by murder. Letitia "Tish" Tarragon, chef and owner of Cookin' the Books Caf� in Hobson Glen, Virginia, has been tapped to run a food stand at the local holiday fair. With plenty of help from her usual loyal work crew and weatherman Jules Davis, her old college pal, she's turning out delectable food and drink. The stars of the fair are the members of the Williamsburg Theater Group, who are performing Twelfth Night and A Christmas Carol on a tight schedule. Tish offers to deliver food to the players, who are all living in trailers nearby, and her sympathetic ear soon has them baring their souls and complaining about Jenny Inkpen, the attractive young addition to the company. Justin Dange added Jenny to the group after he saw her busking in Savannah, but she dumped him for another group member who could promote her career even more effectively. When Tish discovers Jenny shot dead in her trailer, she uses the skills she honed in The Garden Club Murder (2019) to help Sheriff Reade, who's more than a little in love with her. The confounding discovery that Jenny Inkpen doesn't exist forces the sheriff to scramble to discover the victim's real identity while Tish continues to hear more of the secrets that make all the thespians suspects. A foodie's delight with lashings of Southern charm, theater lore, and a puzzling mystery.

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June 15, 2020
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.