Highland Park in Longley New York, just a short train
ride
from N.Y. City, is abuzz with it's celebration of the
Fourth
of July. Out in the meadow the red coats are ready to
challenge the blue coats in a reenactment of The Battle of
Meadow Creek. It is hot, hot, hot. Temps are hitting 99
degrees but the battle must go on.
Sisters, Bernie and Libby Simmons are in the gazebo,
which
at least it is out of the sun. They are setting the
tables
and unpacking their yummy catered fare. Fried chicken,
watermelon, salad with feta cheese, deviled eggs, and lots
of iced tea is on their menu. They are owners of the
bakery/food shop Taste of Heaven in town and are baby
sitting Hilda, a mini-pot bellied pig, who has a part in
the reenactment. Hilda has found a spot in the corner
where she is hiding and is chewing on iced cubes to
stayend. cool before she has to take part in the drama on
the field.
Up on the hill in the Deitrich Rose Garden Juno Grisham,
Whitney Peters, and Holly Rogers, are dancing around
wearing glittery wings waiting for the invited Wiccans
from
the three adjoining towns, to arrive and cast a spell or
whatever New-age witches do on the 4th of July. What
next? Reenactments, pigs, and witches dancing in circles?
Next, is the murder of Jack Devlin, selected because he
is a womanizer, a home wrecker, and unsavory. Many of
the women in town love him and have been involved with
him. But the men all dislike him. The killer smiles and
remarks to himself, "I am doing the town a favor getting
rid of that filth." " This town does not need another Don
Juan." The musket has been doctored for when Devlin
pulls
the trigger, it is going to blow up in his face.
Everything is ready, set......fire. It works and Devlin
is dead.
Marvin, boyfriend of Libby, son of the local funeral
director, is the only
accused party. He was in charge of the costumes, which he
purchased at Costumers To The Stars. He said he picked
up the costumes, the muskets, and powder and put them in
the shed next to the rose garden two days ago. The day of
the reenactement, he came out to the shed for the
muskets. " people started grabbing them out of my hands
so
I put them on the bench so each one could take their
own." That was his story and he was sticking to it.
Bernie and Libby did not believe he could kill anyone and
set out to prove he is innocent.
A CATERED FOURTH OF JULY is a mouth watering mystery, a
really delicious who-
done-it with characters that are easy to relate to and
oftentimes quite funny. The girl detectives, dabblers in
detection, are slow but steady in their pursuit of
discovering the truth and proving Marvin's freedom.
A light, easy read with a recipe for the best blueberry
pie
that I tried and shared for the past holiday week-end.
Thank you Isis Crawford for both.
High noon on July Fourth in the quiet town of Longley, New York, and it's got to be one hundred degrees. Thankfully, sisters Bernie and Libby are setting up their yummy catering out of the sun in the gazebo for the reenactment of The Battle of Meadow Creek--and not baking in those Revolutionary War uniforms with their fellow townspeople . . .
After a few cheery exchanges of "Moveth" and "Thou speakest treason," the muskets are fired and the fake battle is over. But the blood on notorious town playboy Jack Devlin looks very real. Is it possible that Jack has had his last tryst?
When town councilman and resident loudmouth Rick Evans fingers Bernie's beau Marvin as the killer, Bernie and Libby know they've got to get cooking on the case. But the former Casanova has burned half the town--including the hot-headed politician and his occasionally faithful wife. And what about re-enactor Elise Montague, who is training to be an EMT yet almost fainted at the sight of blood on the deceased?
Bernie and Libby have their plates overloaded with suspects, and will need to work very fast to clear Marvin's name. The simmering killer is still out there, armed and taking shots, and unless the sisters quickly get to the bottom of this patriotic pre-meditation. . .their goose may be cooked! Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
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