I just returned from my second trip to the quirky midwest town of Broken Rope, Missouri, in If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance. Paige Shelton‘s second book in the Country Cooking School Mystery series is a fast, fun read with a difficult double mystery to solve.
Betts and Grams are roped into hosting a busload of foodies for an impromptu cooking lesson and sleepover. All is going well, until two of the foodies go missing and one turns up dead with a broken rope around his neck. (BTW I had no idea who was behind the foodie murder and kidnapping until the very last pages of the book.)
Betts is plunged into this murder/kidnapping after her best friend, Jake, discovers the dead body.
But the problems of the present aren’t the only ones Betts faces.
The ghost of Sally Swarthmore, Broken Rope’s notorious ax murderer, entreats Betts and Grams to help her discover if she is guilty of killing her parents.
Sally is an intriguing character whose true story begs to be told. I’m a sucker for ghost stories and I love love love this element of Ms. Shelton’s mystery. You want to believe in Sally’s innocence despite her guilty verdict in life.
Betts and Jake are a crime solving duo I’d be thrilled to join. I love tagging along while they put the pieces together.
I’m dying to try the potato recipes in the back of the book too!
I can’t wait for book 3 to learn more about Betts’ abilities with ghosts and spend more time with the colorful characters of Broken Rope, Missouri!
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