Four Leaf Cleaver by Maddie Day

 Four Leaf Cleaver

Book Summary

The eleventh installment in Maddie Day’s deliciously popular Country Store cozy mysteries . . . It’s Saint Patrick’s Day in  South Lick, Indiana, but a holiday cooking competition at Robbie Jordan’s country store and restaurant Pans ’N Pancakes is put on the back-burner when a killer strikes.
 
There’s no mistaking Saint Patrick’s Day at Pans ’N Pancakes. Robbie may only be Irish by marriage to Abe O’Neill, but the shelves of vintage cookware in her southern Indiana store are draped with glittery shamrocks and Kelly-green garlands and her restaurant is serving shepherd’s pie and Guinness Beer brownies. The big event, however, is a televised cooking competition to be filmed on site.
 
Unfortunately, someone’s luck has run out. Before the cameras start rolling, tough-as-nails producer Tara O’Hara Moore is found upstairs in her B&B room, bludgeoned apparently by the heavy hilt of a cleaver left by her side. Now, not only does Robbie have a store full of festive decorations, she’s got a store full of suspects . . .
 
Includes Recipes for You to Try!

My Thoughts

Robbie Jordan has agreed to let producer Tara O’Hara Moore host her cooking competition show at Pans ‘N Pancakes.  It is St. Patrick’s Day which has the restaurant decked out in green shamrocks.  The crew is ready to begin filming, but Tara has failed to arrive.  Robbie goes upstairs to check on Tara with Buck and they find the producer dead in her room.  Tara was murdered and Robbie has a restaurant full of suspects. 

Four Leaf Clover by Maddie Day is the eleventh A Country Store Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series.  I like Maddie Day’s writing style.  It is casual (like a group of friends chatting) which makes her stories easy to read.  Robbie Jordan is enjoying married life.  She loves her husband, Abe and her stepson, Sean.  Several women in Robbie’s circle announce they are pregnant.  Robbie is happy for her friends, but she is sad as well.  Robbie and Abe have been trying to get pregnant without success.   The mystery was appealing.  I knew who committed the crime, but I did not know why until later in the story.  I like how the cleaver worked into the mystery.  There were several suspects because the victim was not liked.  Robbie asks questions and observes.  She shares her insights with Lt. Buck Bird and the detective on the case. Buck gets some good news.  He has come a long way since the first investigation.  I enjoyed the side story lines.  It was great to catch up with the characters.  The ending will leave fans of the series smiling.  The food cooked in Pans ‘N Pancakes and during the contest will have your mouthwatering.  I agree with the patrons that the asparagus omelet should not be repeated.  Four Leaf Clover is an appetizing tale with a cooking competition, a cleaver as a clue, a surplus of suspects, a dour detective, a profusion of pregnancies, tasty repasts, and an awful asparagus omelet.  

Four Leaf Cleaver is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other A Country Store Mysteries here.  Check out Maddie Day's other books here.  Maddie Day is the nom de plume for Edith Maxwell.  Thank you for stopping by today.  January is over already.  The month went by swiftly for me.  I have been busy working on sorting and organizing.  Storage space is limited in our home.  If we do not need it or use it, out it goes (sentimental items are the exception).  I will return tomorrow with Love Through the Seasons by Tracie Peterson.   I hope that you have a joyful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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