English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack

English Trifle (Sadie Hoffmiller, book #2)
by Josi S. Kilpack

Culinary Mystery
362 pages, softcover
Target Reader: Adult

Deseret Book
978-1606411216
Release Date: July 11, 2009



From the publisher:

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.

Read Chapter 1.

Series book: Lemon Tart

I absolutely loved Lemon Tart (Sadie Hoffmiller, book #1), so I was thrilled when English Trifle hit the shelves. It was a great read and only pales by comparison to book 1. I'm going to get my negativity out first.

In English Trifle, Sadie travels to England with her semi-estranged daughter. It was great to see their relationship develop and start to heal, but I missed Sadie's interaction with Pete. She just didn't seem to be the same perkie, busy-body that I'd come to love in Lemon Tart.

Not that she was hugely different. Not that the writing was bad. It just didn't grab me as much as the first book. That's all I'm saying. I mean, obviously, I liked it. I'm giving it a 4.0. And several of my friends liked this one even better than Lemon Tart.

There are twists and turns in the plot. I wasn't quite sure who the bad guy was until the reveal. Some of the characters were great fun—and funny. I enjoyed the read, but I'm excited to see Sadie get back home to Pete, to see where that relationship goes.

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Content Ratings

Language: No swearing.

Violence: There's a murder and some mild violence, but it does not occur in "real time".

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality:

Values/Themes:

Age Appropriate: For adults—the main character is older—but some teens will like it as well.

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