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.

.