Cookin' the Books has an interesting premise with a literary themed café. The author came up with some clever names for the food dishes with my favorite being The Prime Rib of Miss Jean Brodie. Tish Tarragon is our main character. I liked Tish, but I wish we had learned more about her. There is an assortment of secondary characters including Enid Kemper who walks around with her bird, Langhorne on her shoulder (she is banned from the library by Binnie). Jules Jefferson Davis, Tish's friend and local weatherman, is a gregarious man who works hard to promote Tish's new endeavor along with Mary Jo Okensholt, Tish's friend). The story had varied pacing. I found it a bit slow in the middle and could have done with less internal dialogue (Tish thinking). There is romance (of course) for Tish with her landlord, Schuyler Thompson. It is obvious from the beginning that Binnie will be the victim (it is mentioned in the blurb as well). Binnie is an unlikeable woman who goes out of her way to antagonize people. There are multiple suspects and good clues. I have a feeling many readers will not be surprised by the killer's identity. There are literary puns that will delight book lovers. The town is beautifully described (we get more on the town than on Tish). It is a small town where everyone knows your business and gossip spreads faster than butter on hot pancakes. There are many lovely cozy moments in the book for readers to enjoy. Cookin' the Books is a charming story and a positive way to begin A Tish Tarragon Mystery series.

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