Am starting to read a few more mysteries, and I like the ones that have recipes in them. This was pretty good--not great, but I wasn't looking for a challenge, so it fit the bill perfectly. Will look for more like this! ( )

This third installment of the Soup Lover's Mysteries had good and bad. Good enough that I'll definitely continue but I'm hoping the bad can be jettisoned altogether.

There's a murder discovered right off this time and a retired investigator is in Snowflake looking to solve a cold case involving an armored car robbery/murder. Adding to the usual town setting is a festival just outside of town and a group of Travellers. I liked the Travellers aspect as it's not something I come across often when reading. Before long there's a kidnapping and another death and Nate has his hands full. Lucky has her hands more full than usual in this book as in addition to her usual sleuthing and running her business, she's also got a lot of interpersonal entanglements to sort. This book felt like it was more focused on the interpersonal relationships than the wider mystery and while some of that was fine, I was really here for the mystery.

The main mystery was resolved with several chapters left to go in the book and I have to admit that I didn't think the culprit was handled deftly enough. As I've read the other two, I'm starting to be able to see the tell in the construct to know who the likely villain is. I'm hoping that's tightened up or hidden better in the next. Also, if there's one thing that really drags this series down it's the supposed romance between Lucky and Elias. It's coma inducing and likely largely owing to the fact that Elias doesn't feel like a boyfriend or anything more than a blank throw away character because it was decided Lucky should have a love interest. I'm quite tired of hearing about her almost life-long crush on him or his being a super-duper caring doctor or whatever. The writing hasn't sold anything about these two being soulmates, or even close friends. They read as casual acquaintances and it's not made for an interesting thread. I had hope we'd be free of it altogether in this book but alas at the very end Sophie prised that dead-end door opened once again for Lucky and I'm still rolling my eyes over it. Make. It. Stop.

Finally, the recipes highlighted here that tickled my tastebuds are the Persian Pumpkin Soup (I'll be sourcing rose petals for this) and the rosemary biscuits. Recommended for fans of the series or to casual pick ups (this doesn't need to be read sequentially as there's so much restatement, new readers will catch up; it's boring to one who already knows the rehashed information though and lends itself to skimming.) ( )

Demonstrating her ability to create endearing characters, offering a impelling mystery and competently “penning” realistic scenes, dialog and a cozy atmosphere, Connie Archer has once again created an enjoyable read.
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A Roux of Revenge is the third book in the A Soup Lover's Mystery series.

It's October in Snowflake, VT and the leafpeepers are showing up, along with the seasonal workers needed to put on the Harvest Festival.

The book starts with with the police investigating a van that has gone off the road and the driver is dead. Police Chief Nat Edgerton soon finds that it wasn't an accident and that in fact was murder. Meanwhile at the restaurant, Lucky notices her young waitress, Janie, is upset at seeing a man standing across the street staring into the restaurant. Then an retired insurance investigator shows up following some leads about an armored robbery that occurred some 20 years back and might have been gypsy's, possibly the same ones that in town for the festival. Finally Lucky learns more about Janie and her mother, Miriam, and that there might be some connection to these traveling folks. When Janie goes missing, Lucky begins in earnest to find out the connection these people have to Janie and where she is being held.

Lucky's romance has hit some rough times with Elias, it may not be on the rock, but is certainly seeing stormy waters. And Sage has come up with some more delicious sounding soup recipes, which are included.

Will be waiting for my next visit to Snowflake, VT. ( )

A Roux for Revenge by Connie Archer is a breath of fresh air in cozy mystery land. It is set in Snowflake, Vermont and takes place in October. There is a Harvest Festival coming up and a pumpkin carving contest. But the author does not dwell on Halloween activities and that makes this cozy great for a year round read.

Lucky is the owner and runs the By The Spoonful which makes creative delicious soups and bread to go with them. The recipes in the back of the book look so mouthwatering. I missed the first book in this series but did not feel that I was left out on the past happenings and relationships. Lucky had a crush on Elias, the doctor who runs the town’s clinic but that is going sour. I agree with Lucky, she has every right to be mad at Elias. I don’t know if this is the end for the couple or if Elias will realize that he was in the wrong in the next book.

Lucky has a lot to deal with along with the shop that she has only had for a year, her mother and father’s death back then, her problems with Elias and one of the staff. Janie who is still a little girl emotionally runs off from her mother after a terrible argument. Janie is upset that a man seems to be spying on her and then she discovers a secret from her mother’s past. But she won’t listen to the whole story. Lucky can’t let her sleep at the shop so she invited her to share her apartment. Janie leaves her clothes everywhere and dirty dishes too. So it is best for the mother and daughter to resolve their differences as soon as possible.

Into this mix is a band of gypsies from Cape Breton, who speak a Scottish form of Gaelic. True outsiders, they live off the grid, going from place to place playing music for hire. At the beginning of the story, a Nate Edgerton, the town’s chief of police tells Lucky that a van was found in a ditch and the driver is dead but not from the crash but from a shot. All this ties together with Janie and her mother.

I really like Lucky’s character, she is smart, independent and plucky. She has emotional support from her grandfather and her friends. She is not reckless like some cozy heroines but thinks things out when solving the mystery. The pacing is great and my interest in this story never lagged.

I hope to read more books in this series by Connie ( )