A Cat Latimer mystery. All Cat wants is to run a successful writers’ retreat, so why do strange things keep happening in her cozy Colorado town?
Not the first book in the Cat Latimer series, but it does work as a stand alone as well.
Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon
Book Review
Outline and Tone:
Cat Latimer is a writer who lives in her dead ex-husband’s Colorado home with her best friend, Shauna, and her high school boyfriend is their handyman at a writers’ retreat. Talk about awkward, and yet somehow they make it work.
Cat hosts writers’ retreats in her home, but also has an incurable need to solve mysteries, especially if the mystery involves death. This book is the fifth in the series and yet the reader is able to pick it up as if it was the first. Don’t get me wrong, the instant I finished this one, I decided to start the series from the beginning, but it was nice to finish what I had started.
Since Cat is a writer, where do these recipes come from?
Cat’s best friend and roomie, Shauna, takes on the duties of cooking and baking for the writers who come to Cat’s bed and breakfast for the retreats. According to the novel, Shauna is even a better baker than the owner and operator of the local bakery. According to the novels, Cat is living the good life with someone who cooks and bakes delectable dishes.
The author:
Lynn Cahoon is a New York Times bestselling author. In addition to the Cat Latimer series she writes several other series including The Kitchen Witch Mystery series. She makes frequent appearances in the Glen Carbon, IL and St. Louis, MO areas. You can also follow her latest happenings on Twitter @LynnCahoon or Facebook. Sconed to Death has a 4.12 out of 5 star ratings on Good Reads.
What is not to like?
There is very little not to like about this novel and this series. Cat Latimer is a relatable independent woman trying to make writing and hosting a writers retreat work. Perhaps some more false leads or other relationships between the characters is the only thing missing.
The verdict:
In Sconed to Death, the Cranberry Scones are just one of the many treats that Shauna prepares for the guests of the writers’ retreat. They are satisfying with the perfect level of sweetness, but could they be responsible for a death? I won’t tell! The verdict for this book is a must read, but I recommend starting at the beginning of the series with A Story to Kill. Even though that book does not contain recipes, it reveals significant background information about the main characters.
   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).
Cranberry Scones
Assemble the ingredients
In a bowl big enough to use a pastry cutter, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cubed butter and begin to mix together with fingers or a pastry cutter until the mix resembles pea sized granules.
A good pastry cutter helps to easily blend the butter and flour into small pebble-like granules.
Now add the sugar and cranberries followed by the half and half and egg. It is important at this point that the dough is moist but not too wet.
Any time I have a dough to roll out like pie crust, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, or sugar cookies, I always use my large silicone pastry mat. This 24X16 inch silicone mat is nonslip and dishwasher safe. For me, the best part of it is the measurements on it. It helps me to roll out or form the baked goods to just the right size.
Knead the dough no more than 12 times. If it won’t come together, add a bit more half and half. Knead it into an 8 in circle using the guides on the pastry mat to help you. Then slice it into 8 wedges like a pizza. I often don’t slice all the way through to make transferring to the backing sheet easier.
Brush the tops with some half and half and bake at 425 degrees for 10-14 minutes. Serve with butter and a good cup of coffee.
What would I do differently next time?
The recipe called for half and half to be brushed on top prior to baking. I think an egg wash and some coarse sugar would make for a prettier scone.
Cranberry Scones from Sconed to Death
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tst salt
- 4 tbsp cold butter cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl mix first 3 ingredients
- Mix the cold butter into the flour with a pastry knife until the mixture looks like small peas
- Add sugar and cranberries
- In a small bowl, beat together half and half and the egg
- Add wet mixture to dry, but don't overmix. Then knead the dough no more that a dozen times. Roll out onto a floured surface and cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a lightly greased cookie sheet and brush some half and half on the top
- Bake for 10-14 minutes. Serve warm with butter
- Enjoy.
Fan of scones? Try these too!
Sour Cherry Scones from Carry On by Rainbow Rowell,
Cinnamon Date Scones from Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs, and
