January 12, 2005

  • These days we are becoming more and more accustomed to receiving what N'awlins refers to as lagniappe...the little something extra.


    Mystery books are heavily into this, at least those written by women.


    I can't begin to count the number of series which include a recipe or two or ten (the Grandmama of them is  Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear series), and now there are series with cross stitch patterns, and I've run across one or two other "inclusives" as well.


    Now there's another one, and it's one I can do without, thank you very much.  The series is called Chintz 'n China, and the amateur sleuth is a New Age-style psychic.  And darned if there's not a charm recipe included in each and every one of the mysteries!


    Charming. 


    However, while not charmed with the lagniappe provided in C&C series, while poking around on Amazon regarding it I made a serendipitous discovery of a mystery series by a Fort Worth author, Laurie Moore, set right here in Fort Worth!