White Colander Crime: 05/12/20

White Colander Crime by Victoria Hamilton is the fifth of the Vintage Kitchen mysteries. It's set during the run up to Christmas, to the Dickens Days and the first holiday test of the refurbished Dumpe Manor. Jaymie is in charge of handing out flyers about the holiday events at the manor. On her way to drop off extras, she finds Shelby Fretter murdered in the storage shed.

Leading up to her death, she was seen arguing in town in a couple different spots. Jaymie has also heard bad rumors about the Fretter family but she doesn't believe all the negative talk. Jaymie's too much a pragmatist, believing instead that the Fretters have had bad luck over the years.

Most worrisome, though, is the fact the the authorities think Cody Wainwright killed Shelby. They had been in a brief tumultuous relationship. They had been seen arguing in public. He had been seen arguing with his mother, Jaymie's editor at the paper. Jaymie also saw him on her rounds during the festival, when he should have been working for her boyfriend at the Christmas tree farm.

White Colander Crime builds on the family histories that were first built upon in earnest in No Mallets Intended. Queensville is expanding as a place through its reoccurring characters and shared history.

Also, Jaymie has finally found true love, in the man who gave her a safe place to hide at the end of the previous book. After two loser boyfriends, he's clearly a good fit for her.

The next book is Leave it to Cleaver (2017).

Five stars

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