Weekend Cooking..A Review of "Dead and Berried" [49]

---

---

If you have a little look around here, you might notice I have a fondness for lighthouses and the sea and places like Maine..that has a lot of lighthouses and ocean. So it is no surprise that a series like this one by Karen McInerney, set on Cranberry Island, just off the coast of Maine's Acadia Nation Park would grab my attention. There is a lighthouse, which sadly is, I believe, a bit of literary license since there is no lighthouse on the island, rocky coast, all manner of little boats, lobsters, a charming B&B..and, OK, a few dead bodies. What is not to like?

A few weeks ago I read the first book in the series, Murder on the Rocks, which was quite entertaining and a fun little cozy. You can..and of course should...read my review and then we will move on to the second book...Dead and Berried.

In this delicious follow-up to Murder on the Rocks, developers have returned to Cranberry Island. This time, they're planning to wipe out a natural cranberry bog, along with the island's namesake berries, to build a luxury subdivision. Natalie Barnes isn't sweet on the idea of commercial interests souring their cozy oasis, but the single innkeeper has other problems on her plate: a withering relationship with her best friend Charlene, the sudden appearance of her ex-fiancé with a tempting proposal, and eerie bumps in the night suggesting the Gray Whale Inn is haunted. Worst of all, there's a killer on the loose, picking off people like ripe fruit.

When Charlene's lover–the handsome chaplain with a stake in the development– is stabbed to death, Natalie promises to find the murderer for her grief stricken friend, who's also the number-one suspect.

All the positives from the first book are back. A great setting, good characters, a nice little murder mystery..and maybe one small issue. As the description says, Natalie's ex-fiance drops in to see her from Texas, and try to convince her to get back with him and move back to Texas with him. But she left him for good reason and honestly, the guy seems like a creep. So the idea that she would take him back is totally unbelievable.

But because all the positives, I will let that little matter go.
Because I also found that these books have a nice little addition, that I missed in the first book, probably because it was an e-book. For this discovery, I must really thank Peggy Ann's Post from a couple of weeks ago which pointed out what is in the very back of each book.
Throughout the story, Natalie shares with us all sorts of delicious things she is baking and the author is nice enough to share some of the recipes with us. So I will share one with you!

Peach Sunrise Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBSP baking power
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups peaches, thinly sliced


1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter with a fork.
In a separate bowl, beat together egg and milk. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just mixed.
In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and spread in the bottom of a greased 9-inch pan. Arrange peaches on top.
Spoon 1/2 the batter on top of the peaches and smooth. Combine the sour cream and the preserves and pour over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the preserves mixtures and smooth
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes when you remove from the oven and then invert on serving plate.

 

Quite quick and easy and very yummy, especially when still warm from the oven.
One thing I would do different. Spreading the batter over both the peaches and the preserve layer is not too easy, without disturbing the first layer. So I would try putting the batter in a zip-lock bag, cutting the corner off and piping the batter out. I think it would be a lot easier and not mess the layers up..not that it effected the taste one little bit.

---

This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

---