EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Ladle to the Grave
(Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4)
(Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4)
by Connie Archer
Ladle to the Grave is the fourth book in Connie Archer's Soup Lover's Mystery series. Also available: A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, and A Roux of Revenge. Available for pre-order and coming April 2016: A Clue in the Stew.
Ladle to the Grave is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
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…
Recipes included!
Excerpt
When Lucky reached Jack’s front porch, she was dismayed to see the windows dark. She heard thumps and banging and Jack’s voice crying out. He was inside, somewhere in the dark.
Jack knew it was happening again. He couldn’t block out the screams. The boat was rising and falling in the sea. The water was purple with blood. A hand reached up from the dark waters. Jack grasped it and held on with all his strength. Then a quick glimpse of a shark’s fin, and the man was gone. He was holding a disembodied arm. All around him were the cries of men being torn to pieces. Jack sobbed. He couldn’t help them, no matter how quick he was, no matter how strong. He wasn’t fast enough to save them.
Lucky pushed the door open and called Jack’s name. His moans were louder now. He had barricaded himself in the bathroom in an effort to control the memories. The sound of shattering glass came from within. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a small knife from the wooden block next to the stove. Just as she slid the edge of the blade into the doorframe, a heavy thud hit the door and Lucky fell back in shock, the knife falling from her hands. Her heart was racing. She pushed the knife into the doorjamb again and finally the lock released.
Jack was slumped on the floor in a small pool of blood. Broken glass was everywhere. He was lost in his nightmare.
“It’s okay now, Jack. You’re home. You’re safe.”
He looked into her eyes, confused. “Lucky?”
“You had a spell, but you’re okay now.”
Tears spilled down Jack’s face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. Everything’s going to be all right now.” She prayed her words would make it true.
Praise for the Book
"Connie Archer has managed to write a wonderful story of death, family, and friendship. Showing just how far a person is willing to go in order to seek justice. I will admit that Connie made my spidey senses tingle, which is a sign that there’s something off about someone. But those senses didn’t enable me to figure out what was going on and why. I was in the dark until the big reveal and I found myself in awe by the details. Ladle to the Grave introduces a new character, at least one I didn’t know about before. I can only hope to see them again in future books. And speaking of future books, I can’t wait for the next book in this series." ~ Kim
"Ladle to the Grave was just as wonderful as the first three books in this series. No, wait. Scratch that. Ladle to the Grave was even MORE wonderful than the first three titles. And I look forward to many more installments to come. As if the wonderful story telling isn’t enough, Mr. Archer also includes yummy recipes! If you already love this series, you’re not going to be disappointed. If you haven’t read this series, please do! You will fall in love with the characters, the location, and with author Connie Archer herself!" ~ Lisa Ks Book Reviews
"Thank you, Connie for another fast-paced book in this series." ~ A. Farage
"I've been following these since the beginning and they get better every time! I only wish they would come out more often. All of the characters are finely crafted and the settings are so well-described that I feel I've been to Snowflake, Vermont, and met everyone who comes into the By the Spoonful. I happen to be a soup lover so the recipes are an added bonus - she comes up with some creations I've never seen anywhere before." ~ Linda H
"This is the first of her Soup Lovers Mystery I've read and will now search for the others and look forward to her next story. Lucky makes a good amateur sleuth." ~ Pauline G. Barlow
About the Author
Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Penguin Random House (Berkley Prime Crime). A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge, and Ladle to the Grave are set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont. A Clue in the Stew will be released in April 2016. Connie was born and raised in New England and now lives on the other coast.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon or B&N gift card.
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