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BATTER OFF DEAD is the tenth book in the Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day. While this can be read as a standalone, I’ve found it to be a delightful journey following protagonist Robbie Jordan’s character development over the course of the series. And Ms. Day has done an outstanding job in keeping the characters fresh and appealing. In this new release, Robbie is newly married and settling into life with her husband, Abe. I enjoyed getting to see more interaction between the couple this time around. Another core character, whose backstory has been mysterious thus far, is police lieutenant Buck Bird. I was happy to see him take more of a co-starring role in Batter Off Dead, and find out more about his life and his family. The author does an admirable job in weaving Buck’s past into the current day mystery. Set in the small town of South Lick, Indiana, Ms. Day captures the colloquialisms of the residents giving the reader a feel for the area. Her strong descriptive voice helps the reader feel like they’re right alongside Robbie, from friends gathering together, to the wicked heat, to the delicious food served at Robbie’s café.
With a murder set against the backdrop of exploding fireworks, a senior citizen is murdered right amongst her friends. Buck’s blind father sat right next to the victim, who was killed in the same manner as Buck’s mother when he was a kid. Could someone be targeting the seniors? Does someone have a vendetta against Buck’s family? Robbie delves into asking questions and trying to bring comfort to Buck as the past is dredged up. One of the things I like about the Country Store mysteries is that Robbie is a working woman with a strong work ethic. While she gets involved in investigating, her café takes center stage and she doesn’t shirk her duties or her customers. As a result, Robbie is often frazzled by the end of the day but it gives the story a realistic feel. As she finds threads to the clues she seeks, it becomes apparent that the past is connected to the current day murder. Robbie’s tenacious quest for answers and for justice lead to a suspenseful and heart wrenching reveal. But rest assured, Ms. Day leaves the reader with a warm feeling as she hints at what might be in store for Robbie in future books.
Running the Country Store Café, Robbie serves up all types of mouthwatering dishes to her customers. Even Robbie contracts out the baking of café desserts to her good friend, Phil, she knows they are delicious and well-received by everyone. I was intrigued by Ms. Day’s recipe included at the back of the book for Yankerdoodles and even more interested upon learning that the cookie recipe belonged to the author’s Hoosier sister, Barbara Bergendorf. Basically snickerdoodles, the addition of colorful, patriotic sprinkles earns them the name of Yankerdoodles. With the addition of brown sugar to provide a deeper flavor, these soft, childhood favorite cookies will bring back wonderful memories and create new memories with your own family.
Amazon Synopsis
Robbie and her new husband Abe O’Neill are enjoying a summer evening in the park with fellow townsfolk excited for some Friday night fireworks. In attendance are senior residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living including Roy Bird, father to South Lick’s very own Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Despite his blindness, Roy is a member of his group home’s knitting circle, spending quality time with some lovely ladies.
But when the lightshow ends, one of the knitters who sat with Roy is found dead, a puncture wound in her neck. The poor woman’s death echoes that of Buck’s mother and Roy’s wife—an unsolved homicide. To help find the killer, Robbie’s going to have to untangle the knotty relationships deep in the victim’s past . . .
A special thanks to Maddie Day for providing a winner with a print copy of BATTER OFF DEAD. Contest ends February 23, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Robbie serves these delicious cookies at the Fourth of July get-together before the book opens and then Phil brings in another batch. This recipe was adapted with permission from the author's Hoosier sister, Barbara Bergendorf, who sells her popular snickerdoodle cookies in the greater Lafayette area. (Please contact Maddie via her website if you want to find out where to purchase these treats.)
- 1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Red and blue sprinkles
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Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
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Mix soda and salt into the flour, then add the flour mixture at a low speed until blended.
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Chill dough for thirty to sixty minutes.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
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Form spoonfuls of dough into one-inch-diameter balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mix.
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Flatten with a fork and add blue and red sprinkles.
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Bake at 350 degrees (F) about 10 minutes or until just barely tan.
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Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don’t have a special recipe for July 4th, but these festive cookies look like they would be perfect.
My favorite 4th of July treat is cheesecake topped with blueberries on one half and cherries on the rest.
A trifle layered with red (strawberries or raspberries), Blue (blueberries) and white (angle food cake cubes and or vanilla pudding). Thank you for the chance to win. madamhawk at gmail dot com
I don’t have a special dessert for the 4th of July.
Sounds like a great read(and the cover is so cute)! And I love the recipe! Good cookie to make for President’s Day!
We usually have a cookout on the grill and I like to make some kind of fruity dessert. Thanks for the chance!
I love to make cheesecake and drizzle strawberries over the top. Thanks for your generosity.
I love to make cheesecake and drizzle strawberries over the top. Thanks.
BATTER OFF DEAD is a FABULOUS book! I was fortunate enough to read an ARC and I can’t sign it’s praises enough. Whoever wins will be in for an amazing read. I will leave the contest too others and say good luck!
Thank you for the yummy recipe!
My favorite forth of July desert is a pineapple cake ?
no special dessert
I usually make something with strawberries and blueberries to be festive. This is a great series
No special recipe but I like to make salads over summer- potato, pea, coleslaw, cucumber, circus peanut, Oreo…
Nothing special for the fourth.
I don’t celebrate the 4th, so no special desserts here.
I hope the strawberries are good. I make
a three layer (yellow or white) cake.
Whip real whipping cream, add strawberries,
and ice between each layer and top with
the cream/strawberry mixture and whole
or quartered strawberries. Sinfully
delicious. txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
I don’t have any special recipes I make for the 4th.
Fruit salad – strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and grapes
I have no special dessert I make. But, those cookies look delicious!!!
The red, white and blue cake. Thank you for this chance!
I don’t really have a special dessert I make for 4th of July
My favorite Fourth of July dessert that I make? A delicious put of coffee!
My favorite Fourth of July dessert that I make? A delicious pot of coffee!
No, I don’t have a special 4th of July dessert.
I love snickerdoodles and I bet I will love this! I love to make a “watermelon” out of different colors/flavors of sherbet!
“Do you have a special 4th of July dessert you like to make?” No, I like to allow other people to make delicious things, to allow them the satisfaction of a job well done!
smore’s
I love to make a watermelon cake for the 4th!
I don’t have a special dessert.
I don’t have a special dessert but I do make a corn salad for our family reunion
I think Schaum torte with strawberries and blueberries would be a wonderful 4th of July dessert!
I can’t say that I have a special dessert, I have made a cake covered in cool whip with rows of blueberries and strawberries, and also layered strawberry, blueberries and whipped cream in a glass. Congrats on your new release and thanks for the recipe!
I don’t have a special 4th of July dessert. My neice always comes up with something fun and delicious.
These cookies would be great for the 4th of July dessert! We usually have pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream but my favorite sweet for the holiday is always watermelon! Yes, I’m from the South and I love good sweet cold watermelon anytime in the summer!
Mini cupcakes with sprinkles.
We love cookie pizza decorated with blueberries and strawberries. Sometimes I add raspberries too. Mmm. I love the character Robbie and can’t wait to read this book!
Apple pie
Keep the books and recipes coming…love them all!
No, I don’t really have a special Fourth of July dessert that I make.
I try to make a flag cake topped with blue berries and strawberries and whipped cream.
I don’t have a 4th of July dessert. Usually, I will buy dessert from the store.
Chocolate chip cookie bars or Rice Krispie treats… they’re easy to make for a large group, easy to transport, and don’t require refrigeration to protect them in the summer heat!
Vanilla sheet cake with flag decorations of blueberries and strawberries!
I don’t have anything special for July 4th but I always try to come up with something red, white and blue