Introduction

When Suzanne Dietz, proprietor of the Cackleberry Club Café, stops by Mike Mullen’s dairy farm to pick up wheels of cheese, she’s greeted by the urgent, upturned faces of cows that haven’t been milked – as well as Mike’s mangled body! Stunned by her grisly discovery, Suzanne vows to find out who killed this mild-mannered farmer. Was it the shunned neighbor boy, a strange man transporting horses to Canada, or Mike’s unhappy wife? Juggling multiple suspects, a busy restaurant, tea parties, and a raucous Halloween celebration, Suzanne maintains her good humor and keeps her romance with the town doctor sizzling. In the tradition of all her previous New York Times bestselling cozies, Laura Childs doesn’t let her readers down when it comes to heart-warming humor, a breathless pace, and homespun recipes!

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Excerpt

“Could you identify the men who jumped you?” Suzanne asked.

Junior thought for a moment. “Well, they both wore hard hats and I think one of them was wearing Stetson cologne.”

“That’s it?” Toni asked. “That’s all you got besides a broken leg?”

Junior looked morose. “It all happened so fast.”

“Knock knock,” a voice sang out as a fifty-something woman peeked around the door. “May I come in?”

“Now what’s wrong?” Toni asked. With every passing moment she was getting more stressed.

“A small matter of some paperwork,” the woman said. She was a hospital administrator, plump and cheerful-looking, who looked like she enjoyed her job. Her hospital ID badge said her name was Mrs. Mickelson.

“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you,” Mrs. Mickelson said, advancing toward Junior. “But do you have another form of ID?”

Junior’s head lolled toward her. “Didn’t I give you my ID last night?” he croaked. “When the EMT’s hauled me in here all battered and bloody on a stretcher?”

The smile on Mrs. Mickelson’s face slipped a little. “Sir, yes, that’s true. But what you gave me was an expired fishing license. I’m afraid this hospital cannot accept a fishing license as a legitimate form of ID.”

“Oh,” Junior mumbled. “Sorry. I guess I was pretty out of it.” One of his hands flopped toward the night table where he started to paw through a rat’s nest of car keys, Kleenex, gum wrappers, rubber washers, and old lottery tickets, looking for his wallet. “Just a second, ma’am.”

Mrs. Mickelson relaxed. “Of course.”

Junior’s hand settled on a black plastic wallet with brown lanyard laced around the edges. It looked like something he might have made at Boy Scout camp. His uncoordinated fingers plucked at a number of cards. Three came loose, two fluttered to the floor. “Okay, okay, just a minute.” Junior flashed a woozy grin as he held up a card. “Here you go.”

Mrs. Mickelson gingerly accepted the card. As she studied it, her face fell. “Sir, this is a membership card for Shooter’s Pool Hall.”

Toni dropped her head into her hands and mumbled, “Dear Lord.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

What was unique or unusual about the opening chapter? Was it scary? Did it prickle the hairs on the back of your neck?


Did the author create enough of a “sense of place” that you could picture Mike’s barn? How about the Cackleberry Club where a lot of the action takes place?


Did you feel there were enough twists and turns in the story? What were your favorites?


Do you think the author presented Noah as a sympathetic figure? What about the horses?


Do you think Suzanne is able to balance her career with her personal life as well as being a pretty good amateur sleuth? Do you think most working women are able to achieve a good balance in their life?

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