Oh, please read the first book in the series, or you may not care enough to make it through this one. While there was a murder or two to solve, the bulk of the book focuses on character development. Tannie Maria, as it turns out, is not a Mary Poppins cook that can cure whatever ails you...she is suffering from PTSD, and food is her escape. The author seems set on revealing the darker, human elements of the characters...for better or worse.