Monday, March 21, 2016

A Clue in the Stew - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway


A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover's Mystery) by Connie Archer Rating:Very Good
Source: Blog Tour

Description:  When Lucky Jamieson opens up By the Spoonful to host an event with a famous author, she's not expecting a bunch of nuts to descend on her small town soup shop.  But the author's exasperating entourage - from a prickly publicist to a snippy son and a tipsy wife - give fresh meaning to the phrase, too many cooks spoil the broth.
The evening is more than spoiled, however, when it ends with a homicide.  When the manner of the murder - as well as another unsolved crime - echos the author's fiction, Police Chief Nate Edgerton realizes he has a copycat killer on his hands.  And Lucky hopes that one of her regular customers whose mysteriously gone missing isn't involved.  Once again, the soup shop owner will need to stir up some clues to find her friend and catch a cunning killer - before things take a tureen for the worse... (from Goodreads)

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I enjoyed the last book in the series and I liked that this one involved an author and book event.

My Impression:  I expected to enjoy this latest Soup Lover's Mystery because I had enjoyed the previous book but I didn't really expect to become so immediately hooked on the story.  I loved the character but even more I wanted to know what happened next!  Cozy mysteries are definitely one of my preferred genres and add food to the murder and I'm even more interested.  That being said I'm pretty picky with them - particularly if the main character is an amateur detective which is the case here.  There has to be a reason that the character is investigating and she has to behave like a mostly rational adult.  In this case I didn't really hold Lucky to the same standard because I couldn't wait to solve the mystery.  She could've gone on a crime spree to find the answers and I would have been perfectly okay with it (she didn't though - she did follow the rules for the most part though she is a bit in the nosy territory).

I loved seeing more of Lucky and the rest of the residents of Snowflake, Vermont.  I really liked Sophie and Sage in the previous book so I enjoyed catching up with them as well as Lucky's grandfather, Jack, and her boyfriend, Elias.  Nate is back as the Police Chief and once again is a capable and intelligent investigator who periodically resists the urge to strangle Lucky without being more than exasperated about it.  While Lucky's restaurant, By The Spoonful, is a big part of the story it isn't unnecessary.  It provides a background for collecting information regarding the murders and a setting for the conflict with the new waitress Nannette.
The mystery itself is really interesting.  There's all kinds of secrets and jealousies.  There's plenty of motives and any number of subjects.  I absolutely loved the forming of the Murder Investigation Club and that all the people involved were really willing to share information and actually listen to each other. It made it feel like Lucky wasn't just investigating out on her own. I usually figure out the mystery ahead of time but I really didn't in this one.  Until the reveal there were multiple theories that would fit the crime and I wasn't sure which one it would be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest mystery from Connie Archer.  I didn't read it in one sitting but I would have if I could have gotten away with it!  I'm glad I've got the first couple of books in this series to read so I won't have to wait until the next release to visit Snowflake and spend time with Lucky, Sage, Jack, Sophie and everyone else.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I've already got the first book in the series sitting on my shelf so I can read that while I'm waiting for the next one!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes!  This was a really fun cozy mystery and more calorie friendly as it will make you want to eat a big steaming bowl of soup which is better for you than the usual cake or chocolate!

79 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Quinn - thanks for visiting today! And thanks to Katherine for hosting this first day of my tour!

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    2. I really loved this one! It's a fun series. Thank you Connie for the hours of entertainment!

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  2. This sounds like fun... as a good cozy should be!

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    1. I think you would enjoy this one! Especially since you're getting into cozies!

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  3. Hi JoAnn - I hope you'll get to meet everyone in Snowflake, VT soon! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Love this series! I'm very excited to read the next book:)

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    1. Hi Jennifer, great to see you here and thank you! Welcome back to Snowflake!

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    2. This was my favorite book so far! It was such fun!

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  5. This series is lovely and special. Thanks for this feature.

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    1. Oh thank you! So glad you could stop by today. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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    2. Special is such a good word for this series. It was everything a cozy should be!

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  6. I'm definitely going to look for this series. Being me, I like to start at the beginning, so I'm off to fine book #1.

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    1. Or find it not fine it. LOL

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    2. Hi Kay, I hear you. Lots of people like to do that. The first is A Sponful of Murder. What's fun is that it takes place in the dead of winter and a body is found frozen in a snowbank. But each book can be read as a standalone. Good luck!

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    3. I have the first one on my shelf and I'm really looking forward to it!

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  7. I'm looking foward to reading this.

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    1. Hi Sandy- glad you could stop by today! I hope you enjoy your next visit to Snowflake! Best of luck!

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    2. It was such fun! I hope you enjoy it!

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  8. Okay, I'm a guy, I write a hardboiled PI series, but I have a cuddly side that simply adores cozies. And Connie's "A Soup Lover's Mystery" series in a favorite of mine. It's a pleasure to visit Snowflake, VT, once again and delve into yet another whodunit with Lucky, Jack, and the gang! I highly recommend Ms. Archer's lighthearted mysteries to all!

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    1. Ah, thank you, Michael! I'm a fan of your books too! I hope you get to return to the village soon!

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    2. I love a hard boiled PI and you're so right! A nice cozy mixed in heavier books is perfect. Connie Archer definitely has the perfect touch with them!

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  9. Looking forward to the next in the series!

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    1. Hi Laura - thanks for visiting today! I hope you enjoy Clue just as much. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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  10. I would love to win this to add to my collection!

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  11. I am so excited to read this but was so upset that most of the points come from twittering and i can't i am disabled. Would love to read and review love Connies books

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    1. Wishing you lots of luck! I should let you know there's also a giveaway running on Goodreads too. Thanks for visiting today!

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    2. I have won a few books just by doing the non-Twitter entries and definitely check out the Goodreads giveaway.

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  12. Katherine, I agree about a bowl of soup being better than a slice of cake! At this point I would love soup, any kind, all week long. Our weather turned cold again :-(

    By the way, I deactivated my Twitter and Pinterest accounts so, don't think I unfollowed you cause i disappeared!

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    1. Hi Tina ~ I agree! Soup is a lifesaver in cold weather!

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    2. This book had me craving soup! I'm definitely planning on trying some of the recipes in the back of the book!

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  13. That sounds like an interesting book. I'll have to look into that series. Thanks for having her on your blog for her tour.

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    1. Hi Janice ~ yes, thank you to Katherine! Best of luck, and I hope you get to meet everyone in the village soon!

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    2. I was so excited to be part of this tour! This was such a fun read!

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  14. What a fun cozy. I like the sound of Snowflake VT (great name) and a good mystery to boot (plus soup ha ha). And the Murder Investigation Club sounds neat too. I agree it helps if there is a good reason why the MC is investigating, since so often it's like oh another murder again? I'll have to look into these for my next cozy.

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    1. Hi Greg ~ Good luck ~ I hope you get to enjoy the adventures in the village soon! Thanks for stopping by. I love Snoopy too!

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    2. I was giddy when they joked about the Murder Investigation Club. This was just such a fun read!

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  15. Happy Book Tour! I love visiting all the sites, and of course can't wait to visit Snowflake again.

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    1. Can't wait to read this series. Snowflake VT sounds like an interesting setting for a soup mystery series.

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    2. Hi Sally ~ Great to see you here! Welcome back to Snowflake!

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    3. Ooops, I think the wrong button, sorry Sally!

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    4. Hi Dianne ~ I hope you get to visit the village soon! Best of luck!

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    5. I really enjoyed this visit to Snowflake! I'm glad I'm coming in a few books late so I have plenty of books to catch up on!

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  16. Where is your favorite place to read?

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    1. Hi Becky ~ I like to snuggle up in bed at night with a good book. I read just about anywhere but that's my favorite, I'd have to say!

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    2. I'm a bed reader too though a hot bath is pretty nice! I love the idea of reading in the hammock outside but it doesn't always work out!

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  17. Soup and murder goes together like... Well, I'm new to this series, and excited to get into it!
    kat8762@aol.com

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    1. Hi Kathleen ~ I hope you enjoy the adventures (and murders) in Snowflake! Best of luck in the giveaway!

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    2. This was my favorite of the 2 I've read and I can't wait to back and read the earlier books.

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  18. I am so glad you enjoyed this one! I would like to read it too as it sounds like so much fun. Lucky sounds like such a great character, and I cannot resist a Vermont setting.

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    1. I love Vermont too ~ it's such a beautiful state! And it snows a lot, so what's better than soup? Good luck!

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    2. I really like Lucky and the setting. This series has a nice community feel without being over the top or fake. Plus the soups are mouth watering!

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  19. This sounds like a fun cozy series!:)

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    1. Hi Stormi ~ thanks for stopping by today. Hope you get to meet everyone in Snowflake soon ~ good luck!

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    2. It really is! I think you'd enjoy it based on some of the other cozies you've liked.

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  20. I can't wait to catch up with Lucky and the rest of the By the Spoonful crew!

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    1. Hi Kelly ~ Welcome back to Snowflake! Best of luck in the giveaway!

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    2. I really enjoyed this one! It was a great visit and I loved getting to see more of Lucky and the rest of her friends.

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  21. This book sounds like a lot of fun. I agree with you completely, Katherine. Adding food to a cozy only makes everything better. Great review and thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. Hi Carole - I hope you get to visit Snowflake, VT soon. Best of luck!

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  22. Sounds like a fun read! Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. Hi Julie - Thanks for stopping by and best of luck in the giveaway!

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  23. This sounds like a fun and worthwhile read, so thank you for the chance to win.
    Question for Katherine and/or Ms. Archer: what is your favorite soup, and do you make it yourself?

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  24. Hi Rita - Yes I definitely make them all myself. I have a lot of faves, like the tomato-carrot-spinach soup with pasta, that's one. Another is the meatball-mushroom-parsley one. And then sometimes I come up with some good ones from whatever's around in the vegetable drawer. Good luck in the giveaway.

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  25. Sounds like a fun cozy! I am always looking for more of them so I ill have to check out this series!

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    1. Hi Grace - I hope you'll visit Snowflake soon! Best of luck!

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  26. I just love when a book hooks you like that. So glad you enjoyed this cozy :)

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  27. Dear Katherine ~ Thanks so much for hosting the first day of my blog tour! All the best to you ~
    ~ Connie

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  28. Sounds like such a good read! Thanks for the opportunity to win it.

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    1. Hi MaryAnn ~ Best of luck. I hope you're able to visit the village soon!

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  29. I would love to read this and thank you for the contest...sounds fabulous~
    Marilyn Watson

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    1. ewatvess@yahoo.com

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    2. Thanks for joining in, Marilyn! And best of luck too!

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  30. What better place for a soup shop than in Snowflake VT. looking forward to reading.

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  31. Lovely review, Katherine! I'm glad you enjoyed this one -- I did, too! And yes: I didn't mention the Murder Investigation Club in my review but I do like it that Lucky isn't on her own; other people are concerned and want the murders solved as well.

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