The Body in the Cast: A Mystery (Faith Fairchild Series Book 5)

What a bounty Katherine Hall Page gives her readers here. The Body in the Cast is as full of treasures as a Christmas stocking. First, of course, there's Page's lovely sleuth, the transplanted New York caterer Faith Fairchild, a minister's wife, gourmet cook, mother, and all-around charmer. There's the excitement that grips her little town of Aleford, Massachusetts, when a movie company arrives to shoot an arty, updated version of The Scarlet Letter. There are recipes straight from Faith's Kitchen. There's a local election as hotly disputed as only a small-town contest can be. And there is murder. After relaunching her catering company, Have Faith, Faith tackles the feeding of the cast and crew. There's quite a fright when the company falls ill from food poisoning. Faith can't believe that it was her cooking that did it, but the only other explanation is that someone deliberately poisoned the food. And when there's another poisoning in the company, this one fatal, Faith has to break her promise to her husband Tom and do some detective work herself. From Publishers Weekly Faith Fairchild, caterer and minister's wife in Aleford, Mass., rebounds from her last case, The Body in the Vestibule , as a crew filming a remake of The Scarlet Letter arrives in town while a fierce local election is at stake. Happily, Faith lands the job as caterer for the production company of A , which includes Maxwell Reed, the director known as the "New Jersey Fellini," some stars of considerable magnitude, and even, as a lowly production assistant, Faith's old schoolmate, Cornelia Stuyvesant. But problems seem to plague the production. First, a fire breaks out in a nearby barn; then the company's soup is laced with a laxative. Everyone, including the police, considers these events just pranks, but after a stand-in is poisoned on the set, Faith suspects sabotage and initiates some subtle snooping. When a candidate for Aleford's Board of Selectmen is bludgeoned to death and his opposition (and half-sister) disappears, Faith decides more than movie madness is occuring and begins to investigate in earnest. Pen and ink illustrations and five recipes add little to this lively tale that stands perfectly well on the merits of Page's spirited characterization and energetic plotting. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Now that former Manhattan caterer Faith Fairchild ( The Body in the Vestibule , LJ 9/1/92) has reestablished her business in Aleford, Massachusetts (whence cometh minister/husband Tom), she divides her time between food preparation, family, and sometime sleuthing. As location caterer for a famous film director, Faith experiences arson, food poisoning, and murder until the not-too-obvious culprit goofs. Page provides an abundance of aromatically and vividly detailed food, a veritable host of characters, and just a bit of froth--with appended recipes. Well recommended. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. An award-winning cozy author “provides an abundance of... vividly detailed food, a veritable host of characters, and just a bit of froth” (Library Journal).Hollywood has come to town—and Faith Fairchild has to feed it! Hired to cater meals for the movie crew that is filming a modern-day version of The Scarlet Letter in the tiny New England village of Aleford, Faith is eager to treat the talented tantrum-throwers to the best of her culinary delights.But an accusation that her famous Black Bean Soup is poison has left a bad taste in Faith's mouth. Her exploration into the source of the nasty slander leads the amateur investigator behind the scenes to a shocking off-camera murder. And suddenly more than Faith's reputation is at stake—her life itself could end up on the cutting room floor“Sprightly, with a light dusting of satire.” —Kirkus Reviews“A New England ambience that's irresistable.” —The Hartford Courant“If you enjoy a lively read, you're sure to like The Body in the Cast. The story really sparkles.” —Romantic Times Magazine“Spirited characterization and energetic plotting.” —Publishers Weekly“Readers will find treasures aplenty in these fast-flying pages.” —The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS

The Body in the Cast, the fifth volume in Katherine Hall Page's cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Faith Fairchild

Hollywood has come to town — and Faith Fairchild has to feed it! Hired to cater meals for the movie crew that is filming a modern-day version of The Scarlet Letter in the tiny New England village of Aleford, Faith is eager to treat the talented tantrum-throwers to the best of her culinary delights.

But an accusation that her famous Black Bean Soup is poison has left a bad taste in Faith's mouth. Her exploration into the source of the nasty slander leads the amateur investigator behind the scenes to a shocking off-camera murder. And suddenly more than Faith's reputation is at stake — her life itself could end up on the cutting room floor.

In a quiet country village, secrets abound. When a young girl, Abbie Campbell, is knocked over and left for dead on the back road of the village of Little Melham, waves of shock ripple through the small community and a chain of events, which threatens to expose long-kept secrets, is triggered. The peaceful English countryside belies the horrible truths that lurk beneath the trimmed hedgerows, behind the closed doors of smart sitting rooms and within unspoken conversations. Hired to cater meals for the movie crew that is filming a modern-day version of "The Scarlet Letter" in the tiny New England village of Aleford, Faith Fairchild is eager to treat the talented tantrum-throwers to the best of her culinary delights. But an accusation that her famous Black Bean Soup is poisonous has left a bad taste in Faith's mouth. Attending to a busy catering schedule brought on by an election and the presence of a quirky film crew, Faith Fairchild finds her reputation on the line from a mysterious case of food poisoning and launches her own investigation. Reissue. When Abbie Campbell is knocked over and left for dead on the back road of the village of Little Melham, waves of shock ripple through the small community, threatening to expose secrets