New Books In Literature

It is not easy to interview a writer of murder mysteries without giving away too many details, but when an author not only manages to create a full and complex cast of characters but also sweetens the deal with recipes for everything from cakes to zucchini dip (given in detail at the end of the book), that helps. G. P. Gottlieb does both in Battered (D. X. Varos, 2019), the first of her Whipped and Sipped Mystery series, set in present-day Chicago.Since divorcing her husband eight years ago, Alene Baron has owned a neighborhood café specializing in healthy but tasty breakfasts, lunches, and nonalcoholic drinks. Managing the business is a full-time job, and the staff ranges from Alene’s closest friend to relatives of the former owner who have been grandfathered in despite their troubled lives and work histories. With three children and an elderly father to support while counteracting the influence of her irresponsible ex-husband, Alene has her hands full.When one of the residents of her apartment block winds u