Amy Patricia Meade’s Tish Tarragon series is one that I started, then picked up again a few books into it. I’ve always been glad I did because the primary characters all settled in to ones I enjoyed meeting again. Of Mushrooms and Matrimony brings back to Tish, the caterer, and all of her supportive friends.
Tish is already in trouble before a wedding weekend turns deadly. The mayor of Hobson Glen, Virginia, her ex-boyfriend, evicted her from her cafe and apartment. She’s struggling. She has one last catering event, but, fortunately, can prepare the food in the kitchen of the B&B where the wedding party is staying. Tish and her new love interest Sheriff Clemson Reade are both at Abbingdon Green when celebrity chef Gunnar Randall verbally attacks the staff and owner. They both speak up in their defense, but Randall is known for his obnoxious behavior. Glory Bishop is worried that her B&B, in her family for generations, won’t withstand a hateful review from the popular TV personality.
Glory doesn’t need to worry about Randall’s review for very long. Within two days, Gunnar Randall is dead, poisoned by a mushroom. Because it’s food related, Sheriff Reade is quick to enlist Tish’s help as a paid consultant to the department. It doesn’t take them long to learn that Randall was served mushrooms at almost every stop on his culinary tour of the Richmond area. And, there are all kinds of chefs with reasons to hate Gunnar Randall.
Although there’s a great deal of talk of food in this mystery, it’s not the primary reason I return to this series. Like Krista Davis’ Domestic Diva books, I pick up these mysteries for the cast of characters. Tish Tarragon and her friends are delightful. Her friends are supportive, and she’s finally found a man who is just as encouraging of her career. Together, she and Sheriff Reade make a successful investigative team, and it’s fun to watch Deputy Jim Clayton pitch his ideas as well.
I can’t say you’ll want to start with Cookin’ the Books and then skip to the fourth in the series, as I did. By the time Of Mushrooms and Matrimony rolled around, I was a fan of Tish and her snoopy friends.
Amy Patricia Meade’s website is https://amypatriciameade.com/
Of Mushrooms and Matrimony by Amy Patricia Meade. Severn House, 2023. ISBN 9781448306541 (hardcover), 224p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley to review for a journal.
