A baking contest brings out the finest desserts around and in this novel, the town lecher. The bad guy is found dead and the only reason to search for the killer is to clear Teddie St. John and pursue justice. Along the way Teddie passes out her famous Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies.
This is book #2 in the A Bookish Baker series. The main character, Teddie, entertains the reader with her running inner monologue that you can relate to. She makes delicious cookies and works to solve the murder of a man no one liked.
Deadly Delights by Laura Jensen Walker
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies
aka Sinkers
from a cozy mystery novel:
Deadly Delights by Laura Jensen Walker
Book Outline and Tone:
Main character, Teddie St. John, is a cozy mystery writer. She has a budding literary career, an English boyfriend, and a new perspective on life following her breast cancer. Teddie, like many of us, finds her relationship with her mom a challenge, but has many good supportive friends. For Teddie, baking is just a hobby and she has decided to enter Lake Potawatomi’s pie contest. Like many small towns, the competition may result with who you are deciding the winner more so than the best pie. One of the judges is an unliked man with a reputation for making inappropriate remarks and advances to young women. And his wife is one of the contestants. The reader, and the people of the town, are not too disappointed when he is found murdered in the display tent.
Teddie goes into investigator mode to solve this mystery and is also drawn into a mystery about her mom. Just what is her mom doing and who is she doing it with? In the midst of the main mystery, will Teddie find common ground with her mom?
This novel revolves around the happenings in Lake Potawatomi and not Teddie’s boyfriend who is currently in England. I hope in a novel the reader gets to travel with Teddie to England and continue the relationship.
Point of View:
First person. We know not only the main character Teddies thoughts but also her inner conversations.
The Author: Laura Jensen Walker
Laura Jensen Walker is a creative author who writes in many genres. Her website lists her historical fiction, nonfiction, chick lit, and cozy mysteries. She wrote a deeply revealing autobiography titled Good Girl. This memoir reveals her tragedies of rape and breast cancer and her personal experiences in fundamentalism. She can be contacted on her website and see her posts on Facebook, and Instagram.
Her newest release, Death of a Flying Nightingale is a mystery set during WWII. This novel was just released September, 2024.
What is not to like?:
I really like Teddie and I especially like the inner monologue. The way she talks to herself and debates with herself in her mind is very relatable.
The verdict:
A fun and quick read. I am hoping for more in this series!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies
aka Sinkers
Assemble the Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Plastic Mixing Bowl Set LInk
In a separate large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy (usually about 5 minutes).
Add eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Then add “stuff” and stir by hand to combine.
I used peanut butter, oatmeal, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
Place parchment paper or a silicon baking mat on cookie sheets and use a cookie scoop to scoop slightly rounded dough onto the sheets-10 cookies per sheet.
This set has small, medium, and large scoops. Perfect for even cookies or filling cupcake liners.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove when edges turn golden brown (cookies will finish cooking after being removed from the oven-this gives you a crunchy outside and a nice, soft inside).
Makes about 40 cookies.
Cookies: Everything But the Kitchen Sink aka Sinker
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 5 cups stuff such as:
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 cup Raisin Bran or Rice Krispies
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy (usually about 5 minutes).
- Add eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
- Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Then add "stuff" and stir by hand to combine. Depending on your preferences, you can substitute Rice Krispies for Raisin Bran and use either mini M&M's or raisins in place of the butterscotch chips. If you're not a fan of coconut, consider using a cup of peanut butter in place of the coconut flakes. (Basically, I use whatever I have in the kitchen that day.)
- Place parchment paper or silicone baking mat on cookie sheets and use a cookie scoop to scoop slightly rounded dough onto the sheets-10 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Remove when edges turn golden brown (cookies will finish cooking after being removed from the oven-this gives you a crunchy outside and a nice, soft inside).
What would I do differently next time?
I didn’t use coconut or pecans because my family doesn’t like them. I also didn’t add the dry cereal because I didn’t have any on hand. Next time I want to try adding the Bran Flakes.
Lemon Tea Cookies from Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith
Red ‘N White Strawberry Cookies from The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis
Cocoa Snaps from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke.
