By the Spoonful

The residents of Snowflake, Vermont, are excited to have a best-selling mystery author in town for a book. When the original venue is damaged by a flood, Lucky Jamieson steps in and offers her restaurant By the Spoonful in A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer as the signing site.

Before the author arrives, Lucky's one and only waitress threatens to quit unless another one is hired, and fast. Enter a flashy redhead with a "southern drawl" who enthralls Jack, and worms her way into being hired. As if Lucky doesn't have enough on her plate with the her new waitress who cannot produce identification or a social security number, then the author and her obnoxious entourage arrive.

The evening ends in murder and if that isn't doesn't spoil the event, the killer uses the same method as the murderer in the book. Before long another body is found, murdered in the same manner. Is there is a copycat killer on the loose or is there more to the murders than meets the eye.

Lucky and her crew decide to investigate despite Police Chief Nate Edgerton's request not to get involved. Even young waitress Meg wants to be part of the "Murder Investigation Club" and that almost leads to a third murder.

This book had me guessing from the start. I really thought I had it figured out and was totally surprised at the solution. And we finally learn Lucky's real first name.

The first book in this series is A Spoonful of Murder.