Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Ladle to the Grave (+$20 Amazon GC Giveaway!)

Title: Ladle to the Grave
Author: Connie Archer
Series: Soup Lover's Mystery #4
Pages: 304
Date Published: 2015
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Kindle
Genre: Mystery 
Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours

Synopsis:
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…
~Try an Excerpt!~
One woman stepped forward and doused her candle on the stone altar.  She grasped the bowl in both hands.  Cordelia paused, about to speak, but before she could utter a word, the woman drank the brew in its entirety.  Cordelia stared at her, then filled the bowl again as a second woman stepped forward.   

A strangled sound came from the lips of the first woman to drink.  She gasped, clutching her throat.  Her eyes grew large in panic as she tried to speak.  Her chest heaved with the effort to breathe.  She dropped to the ground as her legs crumpled beneath her.  The others watched helplessly as the woman lay before them, retching and gasping for air. 

“Agnes,” Emily cried out. 

“What’s wrong?”  Cecily asked. 

Someone replied in alarm.  “She can’t breathe.  Help her!”

“Let me through.  I know CPR,” Emily Rathbone pushed the women aside.  They stepped back and stared as Agnes continued to gasp.  Emily struggled to lift Agnes’s head and open her jaw while Agnes writhed violently. 

“Help me hold her.”  Emily shouted.  Two of the women knelt.  One held Agnes’s arms and the other, her legs.  Emily tilted Agnes’s head and checked her throat.  “There’s nothing there.  Nothing’s interfering with her breathing.  Maybe it’s an allergic reaction.”  She deftly rolled Agnes to her side.  Agnes’s head fell forward, her movements still violent.  She retched again and whispered, “help me.”  Then her body went limp. 

Complete stillness filled the clearing.  No one spoke.  Someone finally whispered, “Is she breathing?” 


Emily felt for a pulse while the women watched in silence.  She looked up at their concerned faces.  “Agnes is gone.”  
~Meet Connie!~ 
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.
 Connie will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

36 comments:

  1. I love this clever title & cute cover.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thanks, Mary! It's a great title, my publisher thought of it, wish I had though!

      Delete
  2. Thank you for the chance to win :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck, Lisa! I hope you get to visit Snowflake, VT soon!

      Delete
  3. Thank you for this giveaway :)
    (Ana M on Rafflecopter)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. Enjoyed the excerpt.

      Delete
    2. Hi Esperanza ~ this cover is really gorgeous, isn't it? I'm so glad you like it!

      Delete
    3. Hi Becky ~ thank you! It's fun to start off with a murder, isn't it? Thanks for stopping by today!

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Hi Kim ~ I'm so glad you liked it! Good luck today!

      Delete
  6. Great post! Sounds like an awesome book and a series I'll enjoy, thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Victoria ~ great to see you here! I hope you'll be able to meet all the denizens of the village soon!

      Delete
  7. Love the cover and enjoyed the excerpt

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a beautiful cover, isn't it? My publisher has the greatest art department! Thanks for stopping by today!

      Delete
  8. I thought the title, cover, and blurb were ALL quite effective in enticing me to read the book. Then I read the excerpt and I'm sold. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that's wonderful, Laney! I really hope you love the village and all the adventures that take place there!

      Delete
  9. Love that cover, so cute <3 And thank you for the excerpt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so welcome, Fiza! Thanks for visiting and good luck today!

      Delete
  10. Thanks, Rita ~ I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Good luck today!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would love to own a tureen like the one on the cover. Very useful when all the monsters gather at our house.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, I wish I had one too. I should definitely get one, given all the soups I make! And I love the little bird on top of the tureen, don't you? He looks more like a hawk or a buzzard than a benign little bird. Nora, good luck in the giveaway!

      Delete
  12. Thanks so much for hosting me today!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I enjoyed the excerpt, thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Betty - happy to see you here and glad you liked the excerpt. Thanks for visiting and good luck!

      Delete
  14. If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! Wouldn't that be fun! My first law would be: Everyone must work at something they love. No boring jobs!

      Delete
  15. I think I would really enjoy reading this book.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sounds like a good read - I love a good mystery

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great excerpt! This book sounds like such an exciting and intriguing read! I love a good mystery and this book sounds like it totally fits the bill! Totally can't wait to read this book!

    ReplyDelete