Crypt Suzette

Crypt Suzette by Maya Corrigan is the sixth A Five-Ingredient Mystery. Val Deniston is catering the grand opening of Title Wave which is the new bookstore owned by Dorothy Muir. There is a costume contest as part of the festivities with a gift card to the bookstore as the grand prize. Suzette Cripps, who has been renting a room from Don Myers, Val’s grandfather, enters the contest and wins with her creative entry. The next morning, Chief Earl Yardley visits the house to notify them that Suzette is dead from a hit-and-run driver. Val has a feeling that it was not an accident and decides to learn more about Suzette. After someone tries to run Val down, she has a feeling she is on the right track. There are multiple suspects, good misdirection and discreet clues. You will have to pay close attention if you want to solve this case before the reveal. While Val is working on Suzette’s case, Grandad is busy with his new ghost hunting business. He has two women who have had items disappear. Both mysteries are cleverly done and interesting to follow. We can always count on Grandad to provide humor and he does not disappoint in Crypt Suzette. He is certainly busy with his Codger Cook column, private investigating business, and now ghost hunting. Bayport is celebrating Halloween and the festivities help provide Val with a vital clue. Bram Muir has come to town to help his mother with her new business venture and Val has caught his eye. While Crypt Suzette is the sixth book in the series, it can be read alone. There is cooking a plenty in Crypt Suzette and the author provides a couple of recipes at the end of the book. I always enjoy the banter between Val and her grandfather. I like that they have a close relationship and share the same interests (cooking and investigating crimes). The ending of Crypt Suzette will have you laughing. Crypt Suzette is a spirited cozy mystery with clever costumes, devilish delights, a crafty killer, Halloween hijinks, morbid moaning, and a phantasmal plunderer.