From Ladle to Grave

Tish’s life has definitely changed since the last time we checked in on her. She’s now living in a small room that was previously a storeroom in her cafe kitchen because Tish’s best friend Mary Jo and her kids are living in Tish’s apartment above the cafe. The living situation isn’t ideal, but Tish is trying to make the best of it.

Unusually for a cozy mystery (at least the ones I’ve been reading) Tish has broken up with her boyfriend Schuyler (the one we’ve spent the last four books building up a romance with) and things are… not going well. Schuyler is now the new mayor of Hobson Glen, plus he’s still Tish’s landlord, and he’s not taking the breakup well. Which could definitely mean trouble in the near future for Tish. Fingers crossed things don’t get too bad for her heroine.

The murder of Retired Sheriff Carney has Tish and her friends digging into the past, alongside current Sheriff Clemson Reade and his team. Carney had recently become obsessed with the Honeycutt case, one that he couldn’t solve, and Tish is wondering if the obsession is what got Carney killed. Reade was still new to the force at the time and Carney was his mentor, so this case hits close to home for him.

As with previous instalments, the murder and action happens at a very steady pace and there is never a dull moment. There were a couple of red herrings, and some unexpected twists, but overall, it was a nice mystery that wasn’t too far-fetched and was quite interesting to watch unfold.

You can read this book as a standalone, but I think there’s are a few things happening that are require a bit more background to fully appreciate, including Schuyler’s hostility (which, honestly, I got a bit tired of – he was so charming in the first few books, so this about-face is tough to take), and the blossoming romance between Tish and Reade.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t add that, as always, the supporting characters are what make this series extra special to me. Tish’s friends, especially Mary Jo and their other bestie, anchorman Julian “Jules” Davis, are what keep Tish sane and they support her no matter how crazy things may get. I adore Jules – he’s one of my favourite supporting characters in any cozy mystery series so I’m just going to say that he didn’t get enough “air time” in this book. LOL.

All in all, From Ladle to Grave was a solid addition to the Tish Tarragon series. I’ve been reading this series from the start and it has yet to get boring or repetitive for me and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.