An Introduction to the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series

 I usually don’t finish a 300+ page book in a day.  I like to spread my read over several days.  Enjoy the book.  Think about the characters.  Predict what will happen next. 

Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack was a different story.  It may have been because I was sick the day I read it and didn’t feel like doing anything else but curling up on the couch and reading.  Or it could also have been because Kilpack is a gifted suspense writer.  While reading I would keep telling myself, “One more chapter and I’ll go do something else.”  At the end of the next chapter, “Okay, this is really the last chapter, then I’ll put the book down.”  I didn’t put the book down until the last page was turned and the mystery solved.

After finishing the book I discovered there were eleven books in this series, and every single one of them had the same main character, Sadie Hoffmiller, who solves a different murder mystery.  In a way it reminded me of Louis L’Amour.  L’Amour is a wonderful storyteller.  But lets face it, when it comes down to it, most of his plots and characters are the same.  Some people can read ten of his books in a row without getting bored.  Not me.  I need a change in the literature I read.  I never thought I’d be able to finish the Sadie Hoffmiller series, or even be interested in finishing the series.  As of right now I’m waiting for an email from the library telling me that book 10 is waiting for me to pick up and read.

The first couple of books were similar in plot and type of mystery Sadie was solving.  I thought for sure by the 4^th or 5^th book I would become bored with the series. However, by book four the plot of the series turns a corner.  It’s not only about the mysteries themselves, but also about Sadie’s character.   She slowly evolves, becoming a different person from the 53 year old widow we met in Lemon Tart who liked to stay busy in her own community.  By book seven Sadie is having personal struggles in which readers see her overcome throughout the proceeding books.  These eleven books also explore the changing relationships she has with her grown children and her boyfriend.  As the series continues I believe the books become more about Sadie’s own life then they are about the mysteries themselves.  The mysteries provide a background setting for the story and keep the reader flipping the pages even when they tell themselves, “Just one more chapter, then I’ll go fold laundry.” 

Let’s be honest though.  Fold laundry, or read about a murder mystery? 

Books in the Sadie Hoffmiller series:

1. Lemon Tart

2. English Trifle

3. Devil's Food Cake

4. Key Lime Pie

5. Blackberry Crumble

6. Pumpkin Roll

7. Banana Split

8. Tres Leches Cupcakes

9. Baked Alaska

10. Rocky Road
11. Fortune Cookie (coming February 2014)

Notice they all have to do with food.  Sadie not only loves solving mysteries, she also loves baking and cooking.  Throughout the books she either bakes treats in order to obtain information from people, or she tries foods from the different places she visits.  All of these recipes are included in the books.

If you’re sick, don’t feel like cleaning the house, or need a distraction of some kind, I would pick up this series and start reading.   Warning: You may not be able to put the books down.

Rating

I would rate this series PG.  There are no swear words, no sexual scenes, and even though people are murdered, there are hardly any graphic details.  Sadie’s character gives some lightheartedness to some serious situations.

To read more about Josi S. Kilpack and her Culinary Mysteries click here.