Faith Fairchild took a long, satisfying drink from the iced tea her friend Ursula Rowe gave her, sighed and asked the question uppermost in her mind, โSo whatโs all this about the Proctors and a squabble over who inherits The Birches?โ
โYou know the old saying, โwhereโs thereโs a will, thereโs a wayโ?โ Ursula said, giving a vigorous push to the wicker porch rocker she was seated in. โIn this case, there wasnโt one and the way is starting to look more like a maze. Instead of leaving the place outright to one of her nieces and nephews Priscilla Proctor decided to let her husband Paul choose once she was gone. Dear man that he is, he agreed and now theyโre all next door vying for his favor.โ
โThe only Proctor I know is Sophie Maxwell who used to babysit for us. Her mother was a Proctor. Sophie must be in her twenties now.โ
โYes, and a sweetheart. As for the others, think piranhas. Youโll meet them at the Fourth of July clambake.โ
Faith brightened at the thoughtโnot at meeting the human equivalents of piscatorial killers, but the clambake. The Fairchilds were staying with Ursula at her โcottageโโthe term a misnomer for the ark of a place that had been in Ursulaโs family for generations. Just like The Birches. As guests they had been invited to the traditional clambake thrown by all the residents on the Point. Faith knew this meant a pit dug in the sand, lined with hot rocks, the clams, lobsters and corn layered with seaweed to steam for hours, a vat of fish chowder plus all the sidesโold fashioned eggy potato salad, tangy coleslaw, baking powder biscuits, gallons of melted butter and plenty of dessertsโblueberry pie of course, but each family had a specialty like chocolate bread pudding and in one case, Pavlovaโthe son had married an Aussie. There would be real lemonadeโone insulated container clearly marked offered it with an alcoholic twist for the adults.
These first July days had broken records for the highest temperatures in this part of Maine, Sanpere Island in Penobscot Bay. Faith had almost been tempted to swim in the frigid waters, but when she couldnโt feel her toes after wading in, sheโd limped back to shore and come to her senses.
What with husband Tom down in Massachusetts, leaving Faith with Ben, fifteen, and Amy, almost thirteenโas her daughter continually pointed out to Faithโs dismayโFaith wasnโt feeling the calm a vacation was supposed to provide. Everyone said teenage girls were more difficult than boys. Although she said to herself, Ben was giving her plenty to worry about. Heโd taken a dishwashing job on the island and Faith was getting a funny vibe from the placeโa new one, โThe Laughing Gull Lodgeโ. And not โfunnyโ as in Ha Ha.
โI think we need something to go with all the iced tea weโve been drinking,โ Faith said to Ursula. โHow about some of those chocolate drop cookies? Easy and Iโm in the mood to bake.โ
โYou must be,โ Ursula said dryly, โbecause it certainly is baking out here!โ
They both laughed and Faith headed for the kitchen. Whenever she had something on her mind, cooking helped clear her thoughts. The familiar motions were comforting. As she assembled the ingredients, she realized it wasnโt the kids who were worrying herโwell, maybe a bitโbut the situation at The Birches next door. This sort of thingโwho gets whatโcould make The Birches a tinderbox of emotions, even without the eighty-degree temperatures. After all, everyone knows: real estate can be murder!
You can read more about Faith in The Body in the Birches, the 22nd book in the โFaith Fairchildโ mystery series, published by William Morrow. The first book in the series is The Body in the Belfry.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on May 19 for the chance to win a signed copy of THE BODY IN THE BIRCHES. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your SPAM folder.
About the author
KATHERINE HALL PAGE has been awarded Agathas for Best First, Best Novel, and Best SS and also was nominated for additional Agathas, an Edgar, Macavity, Mary Higgins Clark and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance Literary Award for Crime Fiction. Her series features amateur sleuth/caterer, Faith Fairchild. The 22nd entry is The Body in the Birches (Wm Morrow, May 2015). She has also written for young adults and published a series cookbook, Have Faith in Your Kitchen (Orchises). She lives in Maine and Massachusetts. www.katherine-hall-page.org
Another great series. Thanks for the giveaway.
Looking forward to reading it.
This sounds like a fun read ! Thank you for the giveaway.
I have always enjoyed this series and I’m looking forward to Faith’s next adventure.
Sounds great! I would love to read this.
Another serirs to add to my TBR pile! Sign me up. ใ
Sounds quite interesting. I’d love to win this!
I’ve read every one of the Faith Fairchild books and greatly look forward to this one. A signed copy would be awesome!
Thanks for this chance. It looks intriquing
Sounds interesting, thank you for the chance to win ๐
One of my most favorite series!!! I can’t wait to visit with Faith again. Thank you for the chance to win!
Looks like an interesting series. Will have to get this series a try. Thank you for an opportunity.
Katherine’s books are always enjoyable. Thanks for featuring this newest one in the series.
Connie
I love this series. Can’t wait to read the book.
Sounds like a fun readโthanks for the chance to win a copy!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Looks like an interesting read. Gotta love a dysfunctional family and mystery all in one:) Thank you for chance to win.
I love this series and have read every one of them. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
This looks wonderful, love the cover as well.
Dru,.thank you for this review. This is one of my favorite series. I will.be reading it momentarily on my Kindle; and I truly want a hard copy, too.
I would love a freebie to be introduced to this series. It looks good. Thanks for the offer.
this is a long-running series but it never gets old. thanks for the chance to get the latest installment.
After observing my in-laws as piranhas during inheritance squabbles I think I could really relate to this book. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Such great fun to read all the comments! Thank you Dru for inviting me to post!
How have I missed this series? I most definitely want to check it out!!
This is one of my all time favorite series. Thank you for the giveaway!
You do find such interesting books
The Birches sounds like a beautiful place, I can understand why all the piranhas want it. This looks like a really fun read, thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Looks good, thanks for the great giveaway.
I love every one of your books! I want to live in Aleford! I saw you at Malice Domestic in Bethesda many years ago and I was a classmate of Hallie Ephron at Barnard. – Have Faith (sorry!) and keep putting out books about her.
All of these books are wonderful reads! Such a reflection on life and faith…love these and would be delighted to be selected in this giveaway.
Will begin reading from book one of the โFaith Fairchildโ mystery series … and look forward to everything from book one to twenty-two. ๐
I have read several books in this series and enjoyed them very much. I would love to win this one.
I cannot remember ever reading a book by this author in this series, but I surely do have a lot of books to catch up on as I really do want to read this book very much and all the others too. Time may not allow it, but I definitely would love to become the recipient of this one. Thank you so much for entering me.
Cynthia B.
A great feature and wonderful giveaway.
New author for me. I am willing to try.
The Body in the Birches sounds great, thanks
for the chance to win.๐๐
Sounds like a fun story! I am going to main in a few weeks. Yay! Never been there yet.
I meant “Maine”, I get to go to Maine!
I really enjoy this author’s works. So happy to hear about this addition to a good series. Thanks for the chance to win.
Would love to read it.
This is a new series for me! I am very interested.
looks like another great addition to this wonderful series.
I love the Fairchilds and this super series. Have ready many of these books and would love to win this latest. Maine is such a beautiful state.
Would love to win and read this
Sounds fun! Would love to win this! Thanks for the giveaway!
Looks like a fun read! I look forward to reading it this summer!
Thank you for the chance to win this book!
I enjoy this series, can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the giveaway ๐
Intriguing. I’m always up for a good cozy. Thank you kindly!
Oh, this sounds great!
I love this series. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I LOVE every book in this series. Katherine Hall Page is a wonderful writer!! Thank you for the chance to win!!
Love this series. Always happy to see a new one.
I’d love to have this latest in the Faith Fairchild series! I have enjoyed all the previous ones.
I’m several books behind in this series, but would love a chance to win, and catch up on Faith’s latest adventures!
A series that I need to really start….
Thank you for the giveaway….
I have some of the books in this series.
I have always enjoyed this series and am looking forward to reading The Body in the Birches. Thank you for a chance to win a copy.
I’m a Page fan. I must have a dozen Bodys in my library ๐ Don’t have this one yet. Judy D.
Sounds great! Thanks!
Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Sounds amazing…..hoping to win!
This sounds great – the setting is so enticing.
I’d love to win this. ๐ Thanks!
Sounds good and thank you for the chance to win…
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
I love food and mystery and it sounds like a great read.
contest is closed.