Contentedly middle-aged widow Sadie Hoffmiller knows what’s going on in her comfortably cozy cul-de-sac. Even with the large black walnut tree to block her view, she knows all the neighbors and knows just the right homemade treat to share for each occasion.
Sadie Hoffmiller as Amateur Detective
So, no one is more surprised than the “guardian” who lives at the entrance to the neighborhood when neighbor and good friend Anne is found murdered in the adjacent field and Anne’s little boy Trevor disappears.
Already shocked by Anne’s death, Sadie learns that Anne was more than just the hardworking single mom that she knew. Ironically, Sadie had taught Anne about baking and Anne’s own freshly baked lemon tart compels Sadie to try to solve the murder.
The police repeatedly ask her to refrain from investigating, but Sadie, whose maiden name was Wright, relentlessly pursues her leads even though it’s her mistakes that uncover even more secrets. She’s especially driven by the thoughts of little Trevor and the fear that the police do not feel the same sense of urgency to find him as they do to solve Anne’s murder.
In spite of being engaged to Ron Bradley, sparks fly when spunky Sadie meets Police Detective Cunningham, even though Cunningham’s partner believes Sadie is guilty of Anne’s murder. Detective Cunningham seems to want to believe Sadie but her omissions, at first accidental but later intentional, get her in trouble while also exposing the steel in her deceptively sweet personality.
The funniest character may be the one with the smallest part. Sadie’s neighbor, Mr. Henry, appears briefly when Sadie canvases the neighborhood to find out more information. In a story full of surprises for Sadie, her astonishment seems greatest when Mr. Henry rebuffs Sadie’s baked bribes and cuts to the chase without missing a beat.
Bolstered by the support of her resourceful college-aged daughter Breanna, Sadie also finds herself in the middle of her brother’s marital issues since his family on the same cul-de-sac. But, like managing the time and temperature requirements of many dishes for one meal, Sadie juggles as many crises as she can, baking all the while.
Well-rounded Characters and Delicious Recipes
As the first in the Culinary Mystery series, Sadie’s character takes a few chapters to settle into the offbeat rhythm which favorably permeates the series but the characters quickly reveal believably textured lives whose entanglements provide plenty of interest. Sadie's children and extended family members don't exhibit any hints of perfection found in other books and their unpredictability works well within Sadie's life and for the series.
Recipes sprinkled throughout include homemade fettucine alfredo and cinnamon ginger cookies in addition to the “Mom’s Lemon Tart” recipe which gives this first mystery its title.
Additional books in the Josi S. Kilpack’s Culinary Mystery series include English Trifle, Devil’s Food Cake and Key Lime Pie (2010).
Publishing Information
Kilpack, Josi S. Lemon Tart. Utah: Deseret Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-60641-050-9
Bonnye Good - Bonnye Busbice Good received an Editor's Choice award for her article on Your Historic Home's Interior Design Secrets and has also written ...
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