The Fog Ladies: In the Soup

Interesting idea, but so many characters that it can be difficult to keep the fog ladies separated. However, Enid definitely stands out! Also Boris the dog was a hero in the story! Actually there was too much chatter but with this many older ladies the reader would expect much talk!! The story was cute and all the twists and turns kept you guessing about the murderer.

This is a unique mystery there is a group of elderly women who are friends one of them sees that the soup kitchen near her church needs help and she enlists her friends to help.
They get involved in the Soup Kitchen and the upcoming soup contest. William who runs the kitchen is helped to fund his entry by Cornelius a famed restauranter. But Cornelius ends up in the soup deader than a bay leaf.
The ladies go into high gear and work on solving the mystery and finding out who is the killer. The ladies suffer with the vagaries of aging and their learning to adapt is an interesting sidelight.
They may be elderly but they are not to be counted out as methodically the follow clues and identify suspects. There is a plethora of suspects and they must be eliminated one by one before the ladies are eliminated.
The killer is unexpected and a surprise.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for allowing me to have an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many things going for this series, including quirky old ladies, lovable dogs, and great location. McCormick places her Fog Ladies in a soup kitchen where they can serve the community, mingle with interesting characters, and compete in the “Big Pot” competition. Unfortunately, more than chopped vegetables end up in the soup. This is a fun read leading to the discovery of whodunit—and why. There are oh-so-many characters, almost too many to keep straight. Yet, I found myself eager to solve the murder and sympathetic with the ladies, even if I wasn’t sure which one had the dog, the secret, or the boyfriend. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.

The Fog Ladies decide to volunteer at a soup kitchen but end up doing much more than chopping vegetables for the “Big Pot” competition. William, who runs the kitchen, gets support from famed restaurant owner Cornelius. The two men worked together in the past and Cornelius is determined to bully his way to get what he wants. The Fog Ladies end up finding Cornelius submerged in the huge soup pot and William is arrested for the murder.

There are plenty of suspects for the Fog Ladies to investigate including Cornelius' estranged wife Geraldine, his current model girlfriend Belinda, soup kitchen client Cedric and local property owner Melvin. With the help of Cornelius' adorable Newfoundland puppy Boris, the ladies plan to confront the murder suspect in the soup kitchen.

This was another enjoyable book in the Fog Ladies mystery series. I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Wild Rose Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

The Fog Ladies are back on the case and this time a chef is found floating in the soup kettle of a soup kitchen. When a group of elderly friends, known as the Fog Ladies, volunteer at a soup kitchen, they had no idea what will transpire. William runs the soup kitchen, and he announces his plan to win the largest soup competition. The prize money will go a long way to helping the soup kitchen feed people in need. The ladies agree to help chop and prep but soon discover murder is the secret ingredient in William's soup. But who offed the celebrated chef? Is it his ex-partner William? His ex-wife? Someone else? The Fog Ladies and Sarah aren't sure but they're on the hunt. They've got to nab the killer, save the soup kitchen from being shut down, all before the killer silences them forever.

The Fog Ladies: In the Soup is one of the best cozy mysteries I've read. Culinary cozies are one of my favorite tropes and while this book isn't technically a culinary cozy, it does blend culinary and cozy with ease. From the first page to the last, the Fog Ladies dominate the story. Their personalities are so quirky, so original, they are the reason why I adored this mystery. Taken out of their normalcy, they volunteer at a soup kitchen and interact with those less fortunate. What a fantastic premise for a cozy. The descriptive narration is on-point and you'll be transported to San Francisco. The mystery itself is a definite whodunit with plenty of suspects. At one point, I stayed up late to find out who the killer was and why. It surprised me when it was revealed, so kudos to Susan McCormick on a well-written mystery. This is book three in the series, yet it can be read as a standalone. Cozy readers, look out for these spry senior ladies. The Fog Ladies: In the Soup is a delightful cozy mystery and one I highly recommend!

My Rating: 5++ stars

I love this series about a group of retired women and their neighbor, a young medical resident, who seem to get drawn into (rather than seeking out) the investigation of crimes. This time, the crime is a murder that occurs in a soup kitchen where they've begun to volunteer. The supporting characters (both old and new) in this book are complex, yet realistic, individuals. It takes some reading to fully discover the depths of their personalities and backgrounds. This, I feel, makes this series exceptional rather than a boiler-plate type of cozy mystery. There are several secondary story lines that remain interesting but don't detract from the main plot line. The addition of a dog to the story is also good--I am a cat lover, but found the dog story quite charming. Overall, this is a great read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The Fog Ladies: In the Soup is a fun, cozy read about a small group of 70+ year old women who volunteer at a San Francisco soup kitchen and become involved in chopping vegetables for a biggest pot of soup contest. When the local celebrity chef who is assisting with the creation of the soup (think bay leaves) ends up dead in the soup, the ladies put on their sleuthing hats to decide who done it. A good, light read with persnickety, opinionated ladies. Can be read as the third book in the Fog Ladies series or as a stand-alone.