View source for Cookin' The Books (Tish Tarragon Mystery) by Amy Patricia Meade

{{infobox1
|title=Cookin' The Books (Tish Tarragon Mystery)
|author=Amy Patricia Meade
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Crime
|summary=A fairly straightforward plot, but with a neat twist at the end, good characters and a well-drawn location make for a good read.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=208
|publisher=Severn House
|date=November 2018
|isbn=978-0727888495
|cover=0727888498
|aznuk=0727888498
|aznus=0727888498
}}

Tish Tarragon is working towards opening her literary cafe, Cookin' The Books, when the opportunity to cater for the Library fundraiser comes her way.  It's a bit of a poisoned chalice, in more ways than one, as the head of the library committee, Binnie Broderick is difficult.  In fact, when she's poisoned at the meal Tish has catered, there's no shortage of suspects.  It's not just that she feels herself to be superior (she's a Darlington, you see), but that she actively goes out of her way to make life difficult for anyone she encounters.  The town might be heaving a collective sigh of relief (except not in front of the sheriff, obviously) but Tish is worried that the fact that Binnie died face down in a meal she'd prepared might mean that people will not be all that keen to come to her cafe once it's opened.

So, ''obviously'' the only thing for Tish and her college friends to do is to find out who murdered Binnie and where her beloved cafe (which contains her life savings) is concerned Tish is not going to pass up any opportunity to do a bit of delving.  She's at a bit of a disadvantage as she's only been in town for a month and there's an awful lot of history which she needs to catch up on.

It's cozy crime, but none the worse for that.  The characters come to life well.  I liked Tish (and I'm hoping that this is the first book in a series so that I can get to like her a bit more) and although there are quite a few townspeople to get to grips with I had no problems with who was who.  The location - Virginia - comes to life in a subtle way and although the plot is fairly straightforward I really didn't spot who the killer was until I was told.

As light crime goes, it's a good read.  I finished it in a couple of days and would be happy to read more.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

It's a police procedural, rather than cozy crime, but if ''Cookin' The Books'' appeals then you might also enjoy [[Her Final Confession (Detective Josie Quinn Book 4) by Lisa Regan]].'

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