Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,from William Morrow, via Edelweiss for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.
Continuing our Mystery Monday..., this next book will be on sale next month
Synopsis:
The inimitable Faith Fairchild returns in a chilling New England whodunit, inspired by the best Agatha Christie mysteries and with hints of the timeless board game Clue
For most of her adult life, resourceful caterer Faith Fairchild has called the sleepy Massachusetts village of Aleford home. While the native New Yorker has come to know the region well, she isn’t familiar with Havencrest, a privileged enclave, until the owner of Rowan House, a secluded sprawling Arts & Crafts mansion, calls her about catering a weekend house party.
Producer/director of a string of hit musicals, Max Dane—a Broadway legend—is throwing a lavish party to celebrate his seventieth birthday. At the house as they discuss the event, Faith’s client makes a startling confession. “I didn’t hire you for your cooking skills, fine as they may be; but for your sleuthing ability. You see, one of the guests wants to kill me.”
Faith’s only clue is an ominous birthday gift the man received the week before—an empty casket sent anonymously containing a 20-year-old Playbill from Max’s last, and only failed, production—Heaven Or Hell. Consequently, Max has drawn his guest list for the party from the cast and crew. As the guests begin to arrive one by one, and an ice storm brews overhead, Faith must keep one eye on the menu and the other on her host to prevent his birthday bash from becoming his final curtain.
Full of delectable recipes, brooding atmosphere, and Faith’s signature biting wit, The Body in The Casket is a delightful thriller that echoes the beloved mysteries of Agatha Christie and classic films such as Murder by Death and Deathtrap.
Review:
Expanding on the series vein, this book is #24 IN THE Faith Fairchild series, and the first I have read. I have NO idea HOW I missed this series, as it's right up my 'reading alley'! Any mystery series that involves cooking (and recipes!) is usually on my bookshelf, one version or another!
Faith is an interesting character- pastor's wife, city girl adapting to small town living, mother of 2 teens, and still like the girl next door, so that the reader can relate to her from page one! Like a good Christie novel, there are more than enough suspects to go around, in this mystery, but which one really is the murderer? what seems simple soon turns into a mystery within a mystery. I suggest not reading on an empty stomach though, because you may have to stop and go bake! Just don't skip to the recipes, as you might sneak a glance at the ending! LOL. This is a fun page turner, that is perfect for an afternoon's read, or a couple of nights by the fire, and a good start to checking out this series!
note: Many of Katherine's recipes from this series, are available in her cookbook,
She also has 2 mystery series for young and YA readers!
About the Author:
Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-three previous Faith Fairchild mysteries. The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at Malice Domestic, she has received three Agatha Awards, including best first mystery (The Body in the Belfry), best novel (The Body in the Snowdrift, and best short story (“The Would-Be Widower”). She has also been nominated for the Edgar Award, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, the Maine Literary Award and the Macavity Award. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine, with her husband. Check out her website for more info on this series!
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