Robbie Jordan is the amateur sleuth living in South Lick, Indiana. You may have been following her adventures, and in the ninth book of the Country Store Mysteries a treat awaits. Pans and Pancakes, which is Robbie’s café and vintage kitchenware store, bustles as life is heating up again.

NO GRATER CRIME, set just after the Pandemic and starts innocently enough with daily catering, menu planning and a visit to an antiques festival. Robbie discovers that the new mature couple across the road from her store, are also in the antiques trade, and what’s more, they will soon be opening a store to compete with her. Surely it must be coincidence that some of her customers fall ill after eating a hearty breakfast. Suspicion falls on a batch of mushrooms, which might or might not have been delivered by the catering food suppliers. That’s not the only strange event. Some of the vintage graters vanish from the country store. Robbie’s business is shut down, so she has nothing to do but investigate the twin crimes while she awaits the official all-clear. She is supposed to be planning her wedding. But townsfolks getting poisoned takes priority.

Robbie is a firmly established character who has known sadness but is moving on with her life. She has found a good man to marry, Abe O’Neill, and is delighted with expanding her family to include his teen son and dog. Her cat Birdy might have other ideas. Other than that, the cast list is pretty long, including the café staff, family members and friends, antagonists, and names from the past who are discussed. A new reader might have difficulty keeping everyone straight, but I suggest concentrating on the resourceful Robbie and her investigations. Longtime fans will be pleased to revisit old friends and will particularly enjoy the sweet treat provided by author Maddie Day.  And some of that food sounds so tasty, I can’t wait to try out the suggestions.

Book Summary