Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer is the fourth book in the “Soup Lover’s” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2015

By the Spoonful is Snowflake, Vermont’s most popular soup shop, but owner Lucky Jamieson doesn’t have any time to enjoy her success—she’s too busy trying to keep a lid on false accusations against her loved ones.

It’s almost May, and some of the local ladies have organized a pagan celebration in the woods to welcome spring. But the evening goes terribly wrong when one of the attendees winds up dead, apparently poisoned by an herbal concoction prepared by Lucky’s grandfather, Jack.

Lucky’s sure her grandfather could not have made such a tragic mistake. But before she can clear him of suspicion, her best friend, Sophie, is diverted from planning her wedding to By the Spoonful chef Sage DuBois when she finds a dead man floating in the creek on her property. Now it’s up to Lucky to get both Sophie and Jack out of hot water before a killer stirs up more trouble.

This was a fun read in a fast-paced light-hearted whodunit that had everything imaginable in a story full of hopes and dreams and resolutions. Lucky is very determined to help prove that her grandfather had nothing to do with the dead woman; meanwhile she’s on the case when her BFF finds a dead body on her land and secrets are uncovered with surprising results. I like the tone and the way the story moved from scene to scene pulling me further into the drama as the pieces fell into place. The author did a very good job in setting this tale up and I enjoyed the interactions between Lucky and her friends, especially her grandfather. The was a delight to read and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Snowflake, Vermont.