Synopses & Reviews
Sadie Hoffmiller believes in her abilities as a cook and as a detective. She believes in the beauty of a perfectly baked pumpkin roll. She does not, however, believe in ghosts.
As Halloween approaches, Sadie is looking forward to spending her favorite baking season of the year making delicious New England recipes in Boston, Massachusetts, with her favorite leading man, Pete Cunningham, as they babysit his three young grandsons. When the boys insist that Mrs. Wapple, the woman who lives across the street, is a witch, Sadie and Pete are anxious to distract the boys from such silly ideas.
Sadie tries to befriend Mrs. Wapple, but when her foolproof plate of cookies fails to work its magic, she is left with more questions than answers. And Sadie has never been one to leave a good question unanswered.
The more she investigates, however, the stranger the answers become. And when Sadie learns the eccentric Mrs. Wapple has been attacked in her home, she knows times is running out. As the unexplained occurrences escalate, Sadie finds herself embroiled in yet another mystery with life-or-death consequences. Can Sadie discover whoever—or whatever—is behind the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Or will this be the last time Sadie takes the case?
Review
“The mystery’s personal this time as Sadie confronts painful memories and makes a surprising discovery in her quest for answers. A story chock-full of humor and tenderness—and of course plenty of yummy food. Sadie Hoffmiller is the real San Francisco treat!”—Jennifer Moore, author of Becoming Lady Lockwood
Synopsis
Sadie Hoffmiller is looking forward to an entire week cruising the Alaskan wilderness with her two grown children, Shawn and Breanna, and her boyfriend, Pete. Not only will they all have the chance to get to know one another better, but Sadie will finally be able to help Breanna plan her upcoming wedding. They board the ship with high expectations of a well-deserved vacation.
And except for the mysterious woman on the ship that Shawn seems to know but will not discuss, and the fact that Breanna’s future mother-in-law has already hijacked the wedding plans, and the unexpected death of a passenger in the middle of the buffet line, Sadie’s vacation would have been perfect.
As it is, Sadie will need all her investigative skills to navigate the deep waters of the mystery that is soon swirling around her family. Amid her growing fears for the future, Sadie must also come to terms with the fact that her role in the lives of her children is changing and that even the best laid plans can go awry when a secret gets thrown into the mix.
Synopsis
Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.
With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the perfect final touches to her wedding plans, but the arrival of a mysterious letter that from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn't seen or heard from since their mother's funeral nearly fifteen years ago.
Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility or reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy's world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one motive for murder.
The more Sadie digs into her sister's past, the more she places her own future at risk.
Synopsis
It was supposed to be a girls' weekend in scenic St. George, Utah, that would included shopping, trying out the local cuisine, and participating in a breast cancer fund-raiser. The fact that one of the organizers of the fund-raising event, a local doctor, had disappeared two months before was not supposed to be Sadie Hoffmiller's problem.
When Sadie learns that her friend Caro and Caro's cousin, Tess, have started a grassroots investigation into Dr. Hendricks's disappearance, Sadie graciously refuses to be a part of it. With her wedding to plan and her most recent case still fresh in her mind, Sadie is determined to leave this case to the police—until she meets the ex-wife of the missing man.
How could she not ask a few questions ... that lead to more questions ... that lead to a small town and even more questions? When the local police ask her to be their eyes and ears, Sadie can't help but jump in with both feet. Before she knows it, she is on the rocky road of another investigation and following a convoluted trail of good intentions, hidden motivations, and philanthropy turned big business.
Synopsis
Amber Marie Sterlington, the Rage of the Season in Regency-era London, has her pick of men, and she knows what she wants most in a husband: a title and a fortune. Why would she ever marry for something as fickle as love? And why would she ever look twice at Thomas Richards, a third son of a country lord?
But when Amber’s social standing is threatened, the character of her future husband becomes far more important than his position. After a public humiliation, she finds herself exiled to Yorkshire. Alone except for her maid, Amber is faced with a future she never expected in a circumstance far below what she has known all her life. Humbled and lonely, Amber begins to wonder if isolation is for the best. Who could ever love her now?
Synopsis
After years of mysteries, murder, and mayhem, the big day has arrived, and Sadie Hoffmiller wants nothing more than for her wedding to Pete to be completely uneventful. When she receives a threatening, anonymous text message just days before the ceremony, she's determined not to let it interfere with the celebration she has carefully planned for months. But as the threat escalates from a distant fear to a frightening reality, Sadie realizes just how much she's underestimated the situation. Desperate to put an end to the games, lies, and manipulation that has shadowed her life, Sadie, her fiancé, Pete, and her children pull out all the stops. What they don't know, however, is just how far Sadie's nemesis is willing to go to make good on the threat she made to Sadie three years ago.
Will the wedding go off without a hitch, or will "'til death do us part" come far too soon? There's no turning back for anyone in the riveting conclusion to this twelve-volume culinary mystery series.
Synopsis
Sadie Hoffmiller has survived eighteen months of nonstop adventures filled with murder, deceit, and danger. She could really use some rest—and maybe even some time to heal—relaxing in the tropical paradise of Kaua'i. However, palm trees and sunshine are not as effective a medication as Sadie had hoped. And when she finds herself entangled—literally—with a dead body, she is forced to face the compounding fears and anxieties that are making her life so difficult to live.
Her determination to stay out of danger and to focus on overcoming her anxieties soon takes a backseat when she meets eleven-year-old Charlie, the son of the woman whose body she discovered near Anahola Beach. Charlies has some questions of his own about what happened to his mother, and he is convinced that only Sadie can help him. If only Sadie were as confident in her abilities as Charlie is.
With the help of her best friend and a local social worker, Sadie dives into another mystery with the hope that, at the end, she'll be able to find the peace and closure that has eluded her.
Synopsis
For Sadie Hoffmiller, going undercover as an informant for the Bureau of Land Management on an archeological site in Santa Fe, New Mexico, seems like the perfect way to stay safe and busy while a threat against her life remains unresolved. Sadie’s days are spent digging up artifacts in the middle of nowhere, but she's also digging up information on her fellow “dirt geeks.” With the help of her baking prowess and Pete's cousin, Caro, who takes to the detective work wholeheartedly, Sadie is finding herself again.
But when recent burials are found on an ancient site, Sadie finds herself in the middle of an unexpected—and unwanted—investigation. The more she digs for the truth, the more secrets she uncovers—secrets that people would kill to keep hidden.
Before Sadie knows it, she’s arrested for starting a bar fight (which was totally not her fault), her new friend is missing, and she’s worn out her welcome in Santa Fe in more ways than one. A trip to the annual hot air balloon fiesta in Albuquerque is supposed to give her a break, but before long, she learns that when you’re dealing with the black market antiquity trade, you’re not really safe anywhere.
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack began her first novel in 1998. Her seventh novel,
Sheep's Clothing, won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense and was the Best of State Fiction Winner in 2012. She is also the author of the 12-volume Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children.