Friday Wish-List

Have you ever been sitting there thinking about that favorite dessert when suddenly you realize you're the world's greatest sleuth?

Yeah, me neither.

Sadie Hoffmiller seems to fall into that category though and I'm dying to read about her adventures.

In this debut volume, cooking aficionado turned amateur detective Sadie Hoffmiller tries to solve the murder of her beautiful young neighbor, a single mother who was mysteriously lured from her home while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is the woman's missing two year-old child. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects including her! For an added treat, original mouth-watering recipes for Sadie's Lemon Tart, Homemade Alfredo Sauce, Carrot Cookies, Brownies, and Granny's Gingerbread Bundt Cake are sprinkled throughout the book. - Amazon Product Review for Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery

I've been intrigued with this book for quite a while and have watched with more and more interest as Josi Kilpack's 2nd, 3rd and soon 4th book in the series have been published.

Why, oh why, do I do this to myself? It's like looking through the window of a candy shop but not going in. I could click a few buttons and voila! I would be the proud owner of this book. I could even go down to the library, but I don't. I just watch and wait... knowing that someday I will be able to walk into a quiet little book store and snatch it up as if I have been searching for it my entire life.

::clears throat:: Back to the book.

Some of the reviews I read called the main character, Sadie, one of those great neighbors, always there when you need them. Ready with a pie when the house down the way sells. Right, one of those neighbors. The ones that knock on my door when the kids are screaming and want to visit in my chaotic living room.

But I guess if she's willing to uncover any would-be murderers who am I to complain?

Here's the first paragraph of the first chapter of Lemon Tart (from Kilpack's website):

The first police car went by at 9:23 according to the clock on the microwave. Sadie leaned forward but the Black Walnut in Jack and Carri's yard obstructed her view to the west. She scowled at the tree and went back to coring the apples she was making into apple sauce. She waited for the police car to turn around in the cul-de-sac and pass by her window on its way out. That's the only reason police cars ever drove into Peregrine Circle.

Except this time.
The book falls into the unlikely, unusual genre of culinary mystery (I can imagine my husband's comments now) but ever since reading 'Under the Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes I'm more open to the idea of cooking and literature mixed together.

Try out Lemon Tart, see what you think and then pop on over here and tell us. You can also check out Josi Kilpack's blog here.


Books: Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack
            Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes