Southern Sass and Killer Cravings

Marygene Brown returns to Peach Cove Island after an abusive marriage to help her sister operate their family diner. In Southern Sass and Killer Cravings by Kate Young, Marygene has always had the "touch" for cooking, and she is looking forward to getting back into the baking routine.  Before she has a chance to dip her hands in flour, a regular customer dies in the diner.

Everyone thinks it was a heart attack, but when the police find poison in the victim's system and traces of poison in the sugar used by Marygene's sister, the police arrest Jena Lynn. Leading the investigation is Marygene's newly discovered father. It seems her mother and Eddie had an affair while she was married and Marygene was the result. It had been a secret for many years, so trying to relate to Eddie has been a learning experience.

When a state detective joins the investigation, he arrests Jena Lynn and shuts down the diner, putting Marygene, her brother Sam and all the waitresses out of work. When a series of other incidents occur, Marygene, with the assistance of her dead mother's ghost, tries to solve the case.

Adding to the tension, a developer is trying to purchase large swaths of land on Peach Cove Island to build enormous high rises. As she tries to persuade one resident after another to sell, the battle lines are draw. Marygene thinks maybe that might have been a motive for killing Mr. Ledbetter. It was rumored Ledbetter was a ladies man and might have had more than one son.

The search to find the answers leads Marygene into a dangerous situation and she uses her wits to find her way out.

An charming first in the new series.


Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher