A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer is the third book in the “Soup Lover’s” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, April 2014

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival…and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer.

This was a good read from beginning to end. The mystery kept me glued to the pages and the writing style had an easy flow that made it hard to put down. In this character-driven series, I read the book more for the interpersonal relationships between the characters with the mystery as a side dish yet to be served. New England as a backdrop makes perfect sense and caters to the “home-style” feel that takes place in this light whodunit. With how this book closed, I can’t wait to see what happens next in this delightfully charming series.