I have been reading and enjoying this series since the beginning. I found this one difficult to finish. The same characters are present but they are annoying instead of endearing. The characters have not grown. Suzanne is way too nosy, Toni needs to dump her husband and grow up and Petra needs to stop being so judgemental. The mystery was very weak and the solution made no sense. It was very obvious who did it. I enjoyed the earlier books but something was missing in this one. I am not sure if I will continue to read this series. This was a disappointing read.

I have enjoyed the books I’ve read in this series. It’s a delightful cozy mystery. You are drawn in from the beginning and all of the drama and crazy antics of Suzanne and Toni keep you interested. Between the hijackings and drug thefts, you also enjoy hanging out with the gang at The Cackleberry Club. The characters are well developed and, even though this is the 9th book in the series, you could read it as a standalone. This book had a couple of mysteries going at the same time which I enjoyed. My one negative comment is that I thought Suzanne was a little reckless in getting involved in solving the mysteries. It would have been more entertaining for her to accidentally show up in situations than to intentionally commit crimes to assist in solving the bigger crimes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Such a fun, cozy mystery! I was able to guess the killer just slightly before the reveal and I do emphasize slightly.

This is my first time reading a Cackleberry Club mystery and it will not be my last. I have already added the first eight books in the series to my wish list. I need to read them to find out why all of the titles in this series have 'eggs' in the title.

As always I love that Laura Childs includes recipes at the end of her books.

Can't wait to read #10!

This book was such a fun adventure following Suzanne and her co-workers at the Cackleberry Club as they are trying to solve an attack at the local hospital where Suzanne was bringing dinner to her soon to be husband.

With a murder going on plus people stealing major drugs all over the place the stakes are high as Suzanne and company try to figure out whose selling drugs and why. Also Junior makes another wonderful appearance trying to help.

I love this series it's such fun to see what Suzanne and her co-workers are up to. You never know what you are going to get especially when you add Junior to the mix!

I don’t know about you, but it feels like it’s been absolute ages since I’ve read the last book in this series. So when this book landed in my hands, I was very excited.

It took me a bit to get back into this world because of it’s long absence, but Childs writing doesn’t allow for things to dally too long. There’s a surprising amount of action and suspense and this is one of my favorite parts of Childs’ writing style. I love that there’s more thrilling points in this book because it definitely gets the heart rate going and improves the pacing. So even though this is technically a Cozy Mystery, this book does have a fair amount of action. Definitely more than what you would normally see in a typical Cozy Mystery.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Laura Childs. She’s one of my favorite Cozy Mystery authors and if you haven’t read any of her books yet, then you’re definitely missing out! She’s the best in the genre!

Suzanne and Sam are now engaged to be married. Her busy life as part-owner of the Cackleberry Club Café and his as a doctor don’t often leave a lot of time for them to be together. She’s surprising him at work with a chili dinner when an armed robber rushes through the reception area, carrying a large duffle bag.

The receptionist tries to sound the alarm but is stopped. The security guard, a retired police officer, doesn’t even have time to draw his weapon before the thief shoots and kills him and then wounds the receptionist. Suzanne had dropped to the floor behind the desk but now seeing-red-angry, she stands and hurls the thermos of chili, beaning the culprit who still manages to escape.

Crime seems to be running rampant with long haul truckers being highjacked, the hospital robbery, death of the guard, followed soon after by another robbery where more drugs are stolen. Suzanne has been known to help Sheriff Doogie, whether he likes it or not. This time it’s personal.

I expect Toni to be impetuous and rash, Petra to be conservative and behind the scenes, and Suzanne to be the sane and sensible one, but in this episode, book nine, she lets her curiosity and anger overcome good sense and takes dangerous risks. I hope her need to know is somewhat curbed before she puts her relationship with Sam in real jeopardy.

The Cackleberry Club is not only a diner but offers English teas in the afternoons, meeting rooms for organizations like the florist’s club, has a knitting nook, and a reading room where books are available for purchase. Toni is still married to but not living with Junior, a good-hearted sort who never quite gets things right. Petra is the chef extraordinaire, whipping up delicious meals. She’s shared her recipes for egg shooters (a version of deviled eggs), hangover hash, French toast sticks, ham and apricot country biscuit sandwiches, breakfast tacos, peaches and cream pancakes, blueberry banana bread, beer and pork goulash, orange bars, and her special basting sauce for grilled steaks.

Childs also writes the Scrapbooking series and the Tea Shop mysteries. Many have been reviewed here. What better way to spend time at home than reading, testing new craft ideas, and recipes?

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

It has been several years since author Laura Child graced readers with a new book in the Cackleberry Club mystery series so I was excited to read Egg Shooters and revisit this Midwest egg themed café and its three owners. Unfortunately, it was not worth the wait.

This time around the action starts out big right away when the main protagonist Suzanne gets caught up in a shooting at the hospital when the pharmacy is robbed. She immediately gets involved in the investigation with Toni, one of the other café owners, as her sidekick. Aside from the main mystery, there are other subplots to solve, and, to the book’s credit, they do all come together to form a cohesive story.

I have read, and mostly enjoyed, this series because I am a big fan of Childs’ Tea Shop series. The Cackleberry Club books have always been a bit grittier, yet still cozy, and Egg Shooters begins with murder and injuries that do not appear “off page”. Some readers may find this too jarring. Child also touches on PTSD and other real world problems, but lightly.

Suzanne has always been the main investigator in these tales, and she is mature and obviously intelligent. Here, though, she comes across as arrogant and a bit narcissistic in her disregard for her actions’ effect on others. She makes some poor choices, and, with Toni, does some pretty “too stupid to live” stuff. It is all just too over-the-top. Yes, one scene is almost Lucy and Ethel level shenanigans, but even it left me shaking my head in disbelief.

The characters feel stagnant. Everyone’s situation is the same as it has been throughout much of the series. Toni and Junior are still married but in name only, but they are more annoying than ever. I just do not like Toni. Petra is not featured enough to please me. Poor woman…always relegated to the kitchen behind closed doors away from the action. These characters need some growth.

On a brighter note, I still love the café setting, the small town atmosphere, all the talk of good food, and the recipes included in the back of the book.

Egg Shooters ended up not being my cup of tea, but other fans of the series should read the book to form their own opinions. I hope there is another book coming that remedies my disappointment.

Rarely do I not finish a book, but the characters were just too annoying. I could not get into the story at all. This book simply was not for me.

Suzanne Dietz is one of three co-owners of the Cackleberry Club Café and, while bringing dinner to her fiancé Dr. Sam Hazelet at the hospital, encounters a gunman bursting into the emergency department. He shoots two staff members before Suzanne flings the thermos of chili she brought for Sam and hits the gunman, who flees the scene.

Before long, Suzanne is on the trail of the killer, urged on by those asking her to investigate, even as Sam is concerned for her safety and Sheriff Doogie is less than enthusiastic about her help.

In the end, Suzanne and one of her business partners Toni help to break up another criminal enterprise in Kindred before the hospital killer attempts to eliminate Suzanne…right at the Cackleberry Club Café.

In Egg Shooters, Suzanne often appears to make unwise choices that could have dire consequences and seems to solve the case despite those decisions and because someone comes to her rescue. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest offering.

4.5 stars

This is the ninth book in the Cackleberry Club series by Laura Childs.

I thought this was a good concept for a mystery although egg shooters do sound kind of gross. This had a strong female lead and an excellent pacing. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Suzanne thought she was bringing her doctor fiancee a thermos of chili and ended up throwing it at a thief after the meds in the pharmacy. This set her on the road to finding out who killed the security guard and nurse and why. This led her on quite a merry chase.

I don’t want to give too much away so just pick this up and read it as soon as possible. I really enjoy Child’s Tea Shop mysteries. If you do too, you will love this!

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Page one will draw you in. Egg Shooter's by Laura Childs is part of a great series filled with a cast of feel good Characters.

Suzanne, Toni and Petra run the local cafe/diner/tea shop.

The menu that Petra prepares had me struggling not to turn to the end to see what recipe delights the author shared.

The rest of cast of Characters are all charming well most of them. Toni doesn't like mayor so much or her almost maybe not ex.

The story is full of twists that keep you turning the pages while Suzanne tried to figure who the man in black is without becoming his victim.

I really liked the ending.

I always enjoy books by Laura Childs.

I received a complimentary copy.

Suzanne, Petra, and Toni are the co-owners of the Cackleberry Club - a small-town eatery, brimming with deliciously mouthwatering breakfast fantasies. The three women are best friends and co-workers and besides baking and cooking, brewing coffee and tea they also run a book club and a yarn shop, often hosting tea parties and gatherings for special occasions. In this instalment, Suzanne is taking dinner to her fiancé, Dr Sam Hazelet who is working in the busy ER department at the hospital. When a masked gunman suddenly appears and starts heading towards her he chucks Sam's dinner in his face - piping hot chilli - but a security guard winds up dead, the receptionist is wounded and the pharmacy is robbed. The Cackleberry Club crew investigate.

My first read in this delightful series, Egg Shooters was charming and intriguing. As the Sheriff investigates truck hijackings, drug robberies, and now a murder to boot, Suzanne continues to plan and execute events for the Cackleberry Club, helping to serve their mouthwatering dishes, alongside getting involved in multitudinous escapades and potentially dangerous situations.

In a tale packed to the rafters with intrigue, adventure, and fun, the mystery element had a few twists, holding my interest and keeping me keen to continue reading. Laura Childs' novel highlighted current societal issues, in particular, drug addiction. I enjoyed deciphering the clues alongside the Cackleberry Club sleuths as well as the camaraderie they showed. The main protagonist, Suzanne demonstrated great intuitiveness as she searched for suspects and possible motives. There were a few different plot threads in Egg Shooters but they all came together in the thrilling finale.

This ninth book in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series is fabulous, fast-paced, and fun and food-lovers will adore the recipes included. I, for one, can't wait to try the scrumptious sounding Blueberry Banana Bread. I'll be reading the other books as well as the next book, Eggs Over Uneasy in this compelling series and here's hoping I enjoy them as much as Egg Shooters!

Thanks to Berkley Books, Great Escapes Book Tours and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Shots are fired in a hospital, no less, as this ninth Cackleberry Club Mystery gets underway. Cackleberry Club co-owner Suzanne Dietz was ducking for cover as two people fell struck by bullets. In a moment of pure genius, rage, and adrenalin, Suzanne stuns the shooter with a thermos full of chili meant to have been lunch for her fiancée, Dr. Sam Hazelet. Down but not out the shooter escapes with a duffle bag of drugs stolen from the hospital pharmacy. The gunman was dressed in military gear and wore a mask so Suzanne couldn’t give much info to identify the suspect but that doesn’t mean she, Toni, and Petra aren’t going to pull out all the stops to catch the shooter before they kill again.

I love Suzanne, Toni, and Petra and glad they are back after a bit of a break. These ladies are so genuine and have huge hearts. They are always ready to support a person or cause that comes into their orbit. They are exactly who you would expect to meet when you walk into a small-town Midwest cafe. They give a friendly welcome and try to add a smile to get your day off to a great start. The food they serve up is top-notch too. Supporting characters Dr. Sam, Junior, and Sheriff Dougie all bring diverse personalities to the story. These men couldn’t be more different from each other just like our leading ladies so they are a perfect fit for this series.

Ms. Childs really twisted things up this time. Suzanne is completed invested in finding the shooter so she doesn’t always make wise decisions and she jumped to a few conclusions without the evidence to back them up. I had to stop and take a second to shake my head at one event that was crazy and downright unbelievable but centered myself with the point that the story is fiction, meant to entertain and it sure did that and the event did really move the story forward so I accepted the situation and moved on. The scene was exciting and it was fun to live vicariously through the adventure the characters were caught up in. The author does blend the subplots with the main plot with an expert hand. She brings the book to a conclusion in a thrilling way that I know raised my blood pressure.

Egg Shooters is an egg-traordinary addition to this series and I have enjoyed every one. We are also treated to tempting recipes that were mentioned in the story at the end of the book. I am very excited for the next installment of this series.

While taking dinner to Sam, Suzanne is the crossfire of a masked man stealing drugs from the hospital pharmacy. She manages to hit him with a thermos of chili but not before he kills one and injures another. Can the Cackleberry ladies figure out who is stealing pharmaceuticals before it is too late?

If you have been following my review you know I have binged most of this series in the past month. I really enjoy this series. Is it a favorite? No. Is it one I will keep coming back to? Yes. The recipes alone are worth it. I am not a big egg eater but these recipes, have made eating them interesting and fun.

I alternated between reading my copy from NetGalley and listening to the audiobook from Hoopla through my public library. The narrator has been the same and while she is good she is not my favorite. She makes Toni seem very dumb and Petra very mean. I don't get that feeling as much if I read the characters. Maybe they really are like the narrator makes them sound and I am just more forgiving as I read.

Definitely a series for cozy mystery readers who like culinary cozies.

Triggers: murder, drugs

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Berkley, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Egg Shooters
By: Laura Childs

Berkley Publishing Group

Berkley

Mystery Thrillers

Publish date 26 January 2021

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I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. This is the ninth book in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series. I have read most of the series and have enjoyed them all. This is another book that I enjoyed reading. Suzanne who is the main character in the book solves cases mostly because her friends ask to do some investigating for them. She also somehow has connections to the murder vitamin or scene.

In this book she is taking dinner to her fiancé who is working at the ER for the night. While she is there the pharmacy is robbed and the security guy is killed and the receptionist is shot. No one who it is and she thinks quick and hits him with the thermos of hot chili and he escapes. She goes after him but he has disappeared into thin air. She doesn't see any vehicle lights or sounds.

This is how the book starts. It really gets you involved where you don't want to put the book down.

There is another robbery in the nearby town but luckily no one is killed. They think it is the same man but no one is for sure. Also there is a string a truck hijacks and they don't know if it the same person or some one else.

You get to go along with her and see what she finds and how she figures it out.

Are the cases combined or are they different? You will have to read the book to find out.

Also there are recipes at the end of book. Always a plus.

At Suzanne, Petra and Toni’s restaurant, the Cackleberry Club, everyone feels as at home as I do whenever I read one of the books in this series. In Egg Shooters, Suzanne is bringing a meal of chili and cornbread to her fiancé Dr. Sam at the hospital. Suddenly, a man brandishing a gun shoots two people right in front of Suzanne. Suzanne in a fit of rage throws the thermos of piping hot chili in the robber’s face. It turns out the mystery man robbed the hospital pharmacy and killed the security guard. The staff at the Cackleberry Club decide to investigate.

Of all the foodie cozy mystery series, this one always has the tastiest and easiest recipes to make with items you probably have in your house already. Luckily, there are ten recipes included here.

The mystery had several twists without being so difficult you had to reread passages to find the clues. The camaraderie between the main characters never feels forced. I wish I could just step into the book and hang out with Suzanne and her pals. Egg Shooters is another relaxing and engaging read from one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars! Now I need to hurry up and make some delicious Ham and Apricot Country Biscuit Sandwiches using a recipe from this book.

Thanks to Berkley Books, Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

EGG SHOOTERS by Laura Childs
The Ninth Cackleberry Club Mystery

With a plan to surprise her fiance at work, Suzanne Dietz is the one surprised when a masked gunman comes into the emergency room killing the security guard after robbing the pharmacy. With the Sheriff investigating truck hijackings as well as drug robberies, which now include a murder, Suzanne, egged on by friends and victims alike, decides to investigate. Could the two young men next door be involved? What about rumors of a survivalist camp or the new slick businessman the mayor is showing around town? Suzanne continues to plan and execute events for the Cackleberry Club, helping to serve up wonderful dishes, but will her eggstracurricular meddling find her in more danger than she can manage?

EGG SHOOTERS highlights some current societal issues, namely drug addiction. Among other things it shows how pervasive it is and how far people will go to get drugs. I enjoyed puzzling over the disparate crimes and wondering if they were connected, and if so, how?

As usual, Suzanne is overcome by her desire to investigate and throwing caution to the wind gets involved in all manner of escapades. If you're able to willingly suspend your disbelief, you'll find the action exhilarating and fun. Realistically, her behavior is rash and implausible, bordering on ludicrous. Taking everything with a grain of salt, I gladly followed Suzanne and Toni, although I was tsking as I did. I really enjoyed the final confrontation with the killer which was truly unique.

This ninth book in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series is a fast paced mystery fueled by food and friendship. EGG SHOOTERS is jam packed with intrigue, adventure, and fun.

The Crackleberry Club will crack you up.


Suzanne was just being sweet, delivering some Chili to her fiancé at the hospital. When her thoughtful gesture turns into a chili throwing, gun shooting, robbery that ends with someone dying. Suzanne gets herself tangled into a crazy pickle in Egg Shooters.

Egg Shooters is the ninth book of the Crackleberry Club series. Suzanne, Toni and Petra are well developed characters with distinctive personalities and a bunch of history to go with their friendship. Seems like these women can talk themselves into just about anything. Putting themselves into some compromising situations and at times not realizing the danger that they are putting themselves into. There were quite a few moments that I wanted to take Suzanne and Toni by the shoulders and shake them just a bit. Petra’s culinary creations are described in such a delectable way that you will want to go and sit, have some tea and enjoy the things that she is cooking. Truck high jacks and pharmacy robberies are happening around their town and somehow these three women have managed to get themselves caught up into. The mystery unfolds as somehow these women keep themselves out of jail. Lol.

Laura Child gives a good mystery with lots of laughs to go with. The characters are solid and extremely entertaining. To some of the links that they will go to make you just shake your head but if they didn’t then we wouldn’t have a great story. Egg Shooters is a funny, laugh out loud mystery.

This is book 9 in the Cackleberry Club series and can be read as a stand alone. The Cackleberry is the local diner run by Suzanne and her two partners. When she visits the hospital to take dinner to her fiance Sam she gets into the middle of a robbery or the pharmacy. Several workers are wounded and killed but the killer flees after Suzanne hits him over the head with a thermos of chili. A series of truck hi-jackings is also in the news so the local police are running ragged. All the friends are back and ready to help the town survive this crime wave. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Suzanne stops by the hospital to take dinner to Sam, her fiancée, when a gunman bursts into the ER and shoots two people, one of them fatally. When he escapes, Suzanne, Toni and Petra are determined to help catch the shooter, while also trying to figure out who is behind several other odd things happening around town.

This is the ninth book in the Cackleberry Club series, which is one of my favorite cozy series. Book #8 came out over two years ago, and I was afraid the series had ended, so I was very happy to learn of the installment in the series. I love the characters – even Junior is starting to grow on me! – and the way their relationships have developed over the course of the series. I've never quite been able to figure out what state the series is set in, but the books paint vivid descriptions of small-town life, which has disadvantages as well as advantages. In this story, there were plenty of suspects to consider, and I kept waffling between them, unable to pin down just one person as the culprit until just before the reveal in the story. I hope there will be more books in this series for us fans to enjoy!