Laura Childs - "Eggs in Purgatory"

I have just finished reading Laura Childs' latest book "Eggs in Purgatory". The tale takes place in a little country town named Kindred. The book doesn't say, but it seems like the town is in the Minnesota area.

The story is set in a delightful little restaurant called the Cackleberry Club. The characters are a bit confusing at first because there are so many of them, but they become more recognizable as the book moves along. To quote from the back of the book -

'Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lost their husbands but found independence - and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked foods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club open its doors in the town of Kindred, who'd have guessed that the cozy oasis would become the scene of a crime?

Suzanne's lawyer is found in his car behind the Cackleberry with egg on his face and blood on the dash. Suzanne's taking the crime personally. The murder reveals a scandal in her late husband's past and brings a stranger fleeing a messianic sect for her help. Now, discovering the link between the dead man with secrets and a runaway cultist may be putting Suzanne's own life on the line.'

The characters run the gamut from sweet to snooty and, like any small town, everyone knows everything about everyone else.

I have only two bad things to say about the book. The first is the bad language used in the book. There isn't much, but other, more polite, words could have been used to convey the message.

My second objection regards the 2 hair dressers in the story. They are both men and, while, no mention of the word is used, they seem to be homosexual. They serve no other purpose in the story line. Since there is no attempt to condemn homosexuality, the 2 persons could have just as easily been a heterosexual couple, so why drag up such a nasty subject?

All things considered, I will anxiously await the 2nd volume of the series, while drooling over Ms. Childs' wonderful tea series. I highly recommend the tea series with no reservations whatsoever.