ENLGISH TRIFFLE by Josi Kilpack

High Crimes at High Tea Things to Do in England Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

Josi has done well to transport her readers to England with descriptions of place, characteristics and food (as far as I know since I haven't been there...yet). This story is a good, clean mystery that would appeal to any reader.
This story had me twisted and turned trying to figure out the "bad guy." I knew it couldn't be the obvious person, but I thought maybe the motive was the mystery.
Sadie's character is spunky and smart. She's older and throughout the story she feels the pangs of her age, which makes her believable and lovable.


What I loved: The plot, Sadie and Breanna, the characters all well described, the mystery and the RECIPES! I'm going to try my hand at a few of them, my dears.
What I didn't love: I sometimes got confused at a few of the characters. There were proper English titles like "duke" and "earl" and sometimes those were first names so I got confused. But the further I got into the story I was able to distinguish the characters.

Rating: G
V: A dead body
L: None
S: None



Page 69 test:
"As soon as she saw Austin, Sadie knew who had told the police that the report they'd received was unreliable. She could see it now--him hanging up with Grant and immediately calling the police and explaining that they had a couple American house guests with Agatha Christie complexes. That the police sent anyone at all was perhaps a point in their factor, but she looked at Austin now with more than just anger and annoyance.
"The inspector would like to speak with you, Mrs. Land," Grant said, still holding the door open. Mrs. Land turned a shade paler, but didn't look at anyone in particular as she headed for the library. The door shut behind her and Grant took up his post beside the door as if it were an everyday occurrence to be assisting an inspector with interviews.
Sadie's thoughts remained squarely on Austin, who stood against the wall with everyone else, though they gave him ample room on either side. "Why were you in Exeter today?" Sadie asked him, standing next to Breanna and across from Austin.
"Business," he said simply. "  had a meeting with the manager of on of the earl's shops."
"Where do you live?" she asked. "You haven't been here since we arrived."
"Haven't I?" Austin asked, raising one eyebrow. "Perhaps I have been here the whole time, but simple chose to keep to myself. It's a large house, Mrs. Hoffmiller. All kinds of things can happen without the other occupants being aware of it."
His insinuation that he could have been here these two days without any them knowing about it gave Sadie a shiver. What was he trying to say anyway? Why tell her that at all?
"I left Southgate early this morning. When Grant called, I..."