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Faith Fairchild #3
The Body in the Bouillon
Murder Served Piping Hot Minister's wife, sometime sleuth, and culinary artist Faith Sibley Fairchild is intrigued by rumors of mysterious doings at Hubbard House -- an elegant, secluded retirement home for the well-heeled Yankees of Aleford, Massachusetts. Determined to do some surreptitious snooping, she joins the pricey retreat's flu-depleted kitchen staff, only to witness an aging resident collapse face-first into a bowl of Faith's hot and savory bouillon. But it isn't until a blackmailing drug dealer turns up dead in Faith's bedroom that the amateur investigator realizes that Murder not only happens at Hubbard, it's the specialty of the house! And Faith's own demise might very well be the next item on the menu.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 1991
61 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Hall Page
54 books462 followersKatherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
November 23, 2017
Faith Fairchild, minister’s wife and mother, is looking forward to resuming her catering business, Have Faith. But that won’t be until February. In the meantime, Faith’s Aunt Chat (short for Charity) persuades her to look into the sudden death of an old friend at Hubbard House, an expensive, luxurious nursing home in the neighboring town of Byford, Massachusetts.
Through serendipity, Faith starts volunteering in the kitchen weekday mornings in December, allowing her to snoop around. At first, everything looks aboveboard, but then ….
But I’m not about to ruin the fun. This is the third Katherine Hall Page page-turner I’ve read, and I’m firmly hooked. While the series is best in order, newbies can start with The Body in the Bouillon and thoroughly enjoy this suspenseful cozy. Definitely recommended.
Through serendipity, Faith starts volunteering in the kitchen weekday mornings in December, allowing her to snoop around. At first, everything looks aboveboard, but then ….
But I’m not about to ruin the fun. This is the third Katherine Hall Page page-turner I’ve read, and I’m firmly hooked. While the series is best in order, newbies can start with The Body in the Bouillon and thoroughly enjoy this suspenseful cozy. Definitely recommended.
December 1, 2020
I don't find Faith all that likeable, to be honest, and the constant judgment of everyone and everything that isn't from Manhattan grates on me, and yet I still keep coming back and reading more in the series. I find them good as light, "filler" mysteries, perfect for when I'm between books and just want to read something I don't have to take too seriously.
February 6, 2017
Another good book in a series I will continue reading. Previously, Faith has always been quite a snob, however, she isn't in this book, which makes a nice change. The only 'problem' with the book was I guessed parts of the mystery beforehand, yet the mystery was still complex and I didn't guess it all. Recommend.
November 6, 2017
Cozy mystery
Easy, fast book. Light and entertaining. Didn't end until the end and there were no easy stopping places.
Plan to read the next one.
Easy, fast book. Light and entertaining. Didn't end until the end and there were no easy stopping places.
Plan to read the next one.
June 24, 2015
With this book, I've read the first five of Page's Faith Fairchild series. In the Body in the Bouillon Faith is asked by her Aunt Chat to check on an assisted-living residence in a neighboring town, where Chat's friend Howard was living until his recent death. He had mentioned some suspicions in a letter.
When Faith shows up to visit a parishioner and do a little snooping, she is dragooned into volunteering in the kitchen. She meets a number of interesting characters but isn't quite sure what, if anything, is amiss until one night when a storm strands her at Hubbard House. Having taken the opportunity to do some middle-of-the-night snooping, she returns to her guest room to find a body in her bed! Events begin coming fast and furiously until the surprise ending ... and then there's another surprise ending, just when it seemed everything was settled. Faith must fit her (somewhat police-sanctioned) investigations in around mothering her toddler Ben, preparing for Christmas, and comforting her minister husband who has The Seminary Intern from Hell to deal with. A very good entry in the series.
When Faith shows up to visit a parishioner and do a little snooping, she is dragooned into volunteering in the kitchen. She meets a number of interesting characters but isn't quite sure what, if anything, is amiss until one night when a storm strands her at Hubbard House. Having taken the opportunity to do some middle-of-the-night snooping, she returns to her guest room to find a body in her bed! Events begin coming fast and furiously until the surprise ending ... and then there's another surprise ending, just when it seemed everything was settled. Faith must fit her (somewhat police-sanctioned) investigations in around mothering her toddler Ben, preparing for Christmas, and comforting her minister husband who has The Seminary Intern from Hell to deal with. A very good entry in the series.
October 26, 2009
I'm very happy to have discovered another good mystery series. Entertaining but not overwhelming. As my mother would call it, mindless. You read and enjoy but don't get worked up or too absorbed. Perfect for when you can only read a little bit every so often! Looking forward to reading more from this series.
January 12, 2021
I didn't like the character of Faith Fairchild. She was quite judgmental, especially towards people's clothes and any food not made by her. I was confused by all the characters and couldn't keep them straight. I wasn't even sure who one of the culprits was. And gourmet meals while parenting a toddler and solving crime? Not realistic.
June 27, 2016
My favorite character is Police Chief Coffin. I wish he had a larger part in the story, since he made me laugh out loud. He reminds me of young Mr. Grace in Are You Being Served but with less awareness.
July 30, 2019
This was a really a different mystery to me. Faith is trying to help her Aunt to find out about Hubbard House, a retirement home, when her Aunt's friend tells her something is going on and it's not good! While Faith goes to the place to find out what she can, she is rushed to the kitchen to assist the cook because the her volunteers are sick with the flu. Faith is very excited that she can help. She makes up some bouillon and when she is ready to leave she takes the tray to her Aunt's friend. When Faith returns the next day he is dead. He had a heart attack and fell into her bowl of bouillon. Faith worries that they will think her bouillon was tainted. The coroner rules it a heart attack so Faith is off of the hook. As Faith continues to volunteer she is finding out more and more things that are happening that could be what her Aunt's friend was writing about. When a snow storm strands Faith, she is placed in a guest room. When she is out, sneaking around Dr. Roland Hubbard's office, someone kills another man Eddie (Edsel) and places him in her bed. When she returns to the bed, having found nothing, she tries to cover herself with the quilt and finds the dead body! Faith screams and runs out of the room and encounters Dr. Roland Hubbard. She calls Sgt. Detective Dunn then sits outside the room with Dr. Hubbard so no one can get into the room. Det. Dunn wonders what it is about Faith that all she seems to do is find dead bodies. With people dying and being attacked Faith has her work cut out for her as she works as Det. Dunn's eyes and ears. As always, Faith ends up right in the middle of a bad situation (AGAIN) and well, you'll just have to read it to see how it comes out!
January 2, 2024
I've only recently discovered this cozy mystery series, originally published in the early 1990s, but released for Kindle more recently. And available via the library, so that's nice.
The amateur investigator is the wife of the local vicar in a small New England town. By this third book she has a small son and is on the verge of opening her own catering business -- which she'd given up when she moved from NYC to marry her Tom.
In this book, set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, she's asked by her aunt to look into a local aged care home and sort of inadvertently becomes one of the volunteers, helping in the kitchen. There's something going on according to a friend of her aunt who'd moved there but then died before he could give her any details.
Before long there's a snowstorm, and a body. Fortunately most of the local police, while not exactly welcoming her assistance, allow as how her presence at the home might help the investigation. Though her husband is a bit skeptical, and concerned for her safety. Still, she is able to learn things which she willingly shares.
It's not a very long book, and a pretty easy read. There were some typos I noticed -- possibly errors in converting to electronic format. But there weren't so many that it affected my enjoyment. I'll continue with the series.
The amateur investigator is the wife of the local vicar in a small New England town. By this third book she has a small son and is on the verge of opening her own catering business -- which she'd given up when she moved from NYC to marry her Tom.
In this book, set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, she's asked by her aunt to look into a local aged care home and sort of inadvertently becomes one of the volunteers, helping in the kitchen. There's something going on according to a friend of her aunt who'd moved there but then died before he could give her any details.
Before long there's a snowstorm, and a body. Fortunately most of the local police, while not exactly welcoming her assistance, allow as how her presence at the home might help the investigation. Though her husband is a bit skeptical, and concerned for her safety. Still, she is able to learn things which she willingly shares.
It's not a very long book, and a pretty easy read. There were some typos I noticed -- possibly errors in converting to electronic format. But there weren't so many that it affected my enjoyment. I'll continue with the series.
October 19, 2023
I have several novels in this series by Katherine Hall Page...it's one that I should have started with No. 1 but I closest to that was No3.
Because I didn't take notes...which I should have...I got a bit confused with so many village people popping in and out of the story.
Faith is a pastor's daughter and a pastor's wife to Tom who is so good natured; he's almost hard to believe. She is constantly asking questions about families and people in the village while she in trying to get used to a small village after living mostly in New York.
There are two murders and Faith is in the midst of the case with Inspector Dunne and chief MacIsaac....Dunne knows that Faith gets a lot of village info from the women in the village so he stays on her good side but he would rather she wouldn't get involved in the case. Faith unearths what is going on in the Hubbard Nursing home....older clients die mysteriously during the night; especially those who have bequeathed money to the home.
They solve the case....next book is #5 for me....I will take notes so I don't get confused as I did in this novel.
Because I didn't take notes...which I should have...I got a bit confused with so many village people popping in and out of the story.
Faith is a pastor's daughter and a pastor's wife to Tom who is so good natured; he's almost hard to believe. She is constantly asking questions about families and people in the village while she in trying to get used to a small village after living mostly in New York.
There are two murders and Faith is in the midst of the case with Inspector Dunne and chief MacIsaac....Dunne knows that Faith gets a lot of village info from the women in the village so he stays on her good side but he would rather she wouldn't get involved in the case. Faith unearths what is going on in the Hubbard Nursing home....older clients die mysteriously during the night; especially those who have bequeathed money to the home.
They solve the case....next book is #5 for me....I will take notes so I don't get confused as I did in this novel.
August 20, 2017
I'm enjoying this frothy little confection of a mystery series. It's a cozy for sure, (not normally my favorite kind of mystery), but there are some pretty grim murders, the plots are clever, and the heroine is as good at solving crimes as she is at getting herself in awful situations. The author uses first person narration, and Faith is witty, likable, and urbane, although at times her little bon mots seem to work too hard at being clever. Faith is not the stereotypical minister's wife, nor is her husband Tom a typical minister, but they are a charming couple. I hope the author chooses to expand his role a bit. As she might be expecting their second child by the end of this one, that may happen. This is a perfect little series to keep in your back pocket while you're waiting for the next big series entry from one of your favorite authors. These are a perfect read when you're in the mood for something light but intelligent enough to not waste your time.
November 29, 2018
Pleasant cozy mystery - nothing special. Takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Murders of residents of a nursing home spurs Faith to investigate.
This was my second read by this author; the first one was difficult because she named practically every person who appeared in the story line whether they had anything to do with the plot or not, and it was an effort to keep track of everyone. Usually authors name only the major players in the story, but in this book, for example, a character named Allen Cummings appears once for no real purpose, then never appears again. What is the purpose of naming everyone? I estimate there were close to 50 named characters in this book, but only half of them had any role in the story.
Author also describes the hairstyles and clothing of every major female character in detail. I assume some readers appreciate this, but I found it to be distracting and somewhat sexist since she does not describe the male characters in this way.
This was my second read by this author; the first one was difficult because she named practically every person who appeared in the story line whether they had anything to do with the plot or not, and it was an effort to keep track of everyone. Usually authors name only the major players in the story, but in this book, for example, a character named Allen Cummings appears once for no real purpose, then never appears again. What is the purpose of naming everyone? I estimate there were close to 50 named characters in this book, but only half of them had any role in the story.
Author also describes the hairstyles and clothing of every major female character in detail. I assume some readers appreciate this, but I found it to be distracting and somewhat sexist since she does not describe the male characters in this way.
May 31, 2020
(See also reviews of "Voices" for context and "The Body in the Vestibule" by same author.)
This was my other favorite of Katherine Hall Page's early entries in the series of gourmet cook-caterer-New England pastor's wife-mom-sleuth. Faith is smart, curious, and opinionated. My guess is that part of the reason this was a favorite book was the appearance in the final pages of a Christmas pageant with three queens after the three kings accompanied by the lovely Norma Farber poem "The Queens came late." Being an Epiphany child and always looking for resources for churches I wrote to Page about how to get permission to use the poem (after finding books of Farber's lovely poetry for children but not this specific one) and she wrote me back a gracious letter. Glad to see the series has continued, Ms. Page!
This was my other favorite of Katherine Hall Page's early entries in the series of gourmet cook-caterer-New England pastor's wife-mom-sleuth. Faith is smart, curious, and opinionated. My guess is that part of the reason this was a favorite book was the appearance in the final pages of a Christmas pageant with three queens after the three kings accompanied by the lovely Norma Farber poem "The Queens came late." Being an Epiphany child and always looking for resources for churches I wrote to Page about how to get permission to use the poem (after finding books of Farber's lovely poetry for children but not this specific one) and she wrote me back a gracious letter. Glad to see the series has continued, Ms. Page!
May 2, 2024
So far, I have really enjoyed going through the Faith Fairchild series. I had read #1 a long, long time ago so I'm having to search for copies of later ones. This one is about an upscale, privately owned nursing/retirement home in which some of the residents are dying, perhaps, a little too soon. It's hard to tell, because each death could just as well be from natural causes. They WERE old, after all, and had various health conditions...At the request of her aunt, Faith conveniently finds that volunteers are needed in the kitchen to help when a flu epidemic hits some employees. She also feels with her catering experience and knowledge she can improve the fare served. One resident is found dead, face down in her first contribution, a rich bouillon, and her reputation and efforts are quashed. When a snowstorm prevents anyone from leaving it finally becomes apparent that it's not just the old that are dying The very virile and lecherous gardener is found dead in Faith's bed. There was no foreshadowing to give us any suspicion as to who was doing this and another family member shows up at the end, out of nowhere, so the solution was a bit of an unwelcome surprise and involves some credulity stretching. Still, I like the series and it is very well-written. My only "nose wrinkle" about Faith is that her cooking seems to be unnecessarily complex and, to this plain-cooking lover, not appealing.
September 25, 2019
After a question from her Aunt Chat, Faith goes to a local retirement home to check out the facilities and the family who run it. Arriving at a time when many of the staff are out sick, Faith is quickly swept int the kitchen to help the head cook prepare meals. This gives her just the excuse she needs to stick around and investigate the operation. When one of the elderly residents falls dead in his broth, prepared by Faith, she is even more determined to figure out what is going on behind the scene, helping Officer Dunne determine why several members of the retirement community have suddenly died.
December 30, 2017
BK three in Faith Sibley Fairfield cozy mystery series. This time death stalks the halls of the venerable and luxurious halls of Hubbard House, a retirement home and nursing facility in Aleford MA, just outside Boston. Faith’s Aunt Chat asks Faith to look into some irregularities mentioned by a dear NYC friend of hers who has moved back to his New England roots and dies before he can reveal what’s amiss. Faith and State detective John Dunne work together again as Faith helps out in the kitchen when Hubbard House’s staff are stricken with the flu.
September 25, 2018
Very slow getting to the point of the book. There are mysterious goings on at Hubbard House - a retirement home for the rich of Aleford. When a resident literally dies in a bowl of Faith's soup, other mysterious happenings need to be investigated. Faith helps out in the kitchen when the staff is down because of the flu. When a body is discovered in Faith's bedroom, things move along a bit faster. Faith is a snob - moved to Aleford with her minister husband from NYC and has not left the NYC attitude behind.
May 7, 2022
The Faith Fairchild mystery series is the perfect small town cozy. Faith has been helping in the kitchen of a posh retirement home and snooping due to a rumor that there is something unsavory going on when she is stranded there because of a winter storm. Faith wakes in the middle of the night and decides it is the perfect time to snoop in the owner/manager's office. Upon returning to her bed she discovers a man in her bed with knifes protruding from his neck and chest.
September 23, 2024
Faith, gets a letter from her aunt asking her to check in on her friend who is living in a retirement home in the next town over. She goes to visit him and is mistaken for a volunteer to help in the kitchen, so she does. Turns out her aunt’s friend passed away the week before. But since Faith is there she agrees to continue helping out so she can nose around a bit. A very good mystery. Readable with a surprise ending.
August 29, 2019
When a friend who is a resident in a retirement home is found face down, and dead, in the bouillon she made and served to him, Faith Fairchild sets her cap at determining the cause. Soon, she becomes aware of a spate of criminal activity, and the number of suspects multiplies.
This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery.
This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery.
December 22, 2024
It's funny how the old books have people running around looking for phones. We get used to instant gratification so quickly. This was a convoluted and interesting mystery with a lot of drama in the last few pages. Not sure how the next book will go, will Faith really re-open her catering business or will the surprise ending change her plans? I'll keep reading.
June 4, 2020
Cozy mystery set at Christmas- there's a definite feeling of time travel reading these mysteries (not least because the lead is a caterer in the mode of Martha Stewart/Silver Palate). A quick read, things get a little nutty at the end (this has been true of the previous two books as well)
November 7, 2022
Faith is asked to snoop around the senor living center and gets dragged into helping in the kitchen. Of course, this makes it easier to snoop. Only when someone dies face down in the soup she added seasoning to things get interesting.
January 5, 2024
Listened to the audio book on a car ride to help keep me awake. 3rd I've listened to by this author and I'm not sure how many more I can do. Not horrible but I'm not really liking the main characters.
July 11, 2017
interesting mystery
October 18, 2017
Some odd pacing, but otherwise enjoyable. It was nice to see a sleuth not hide the ball constantly. Tell people what you know!
May 25, 2018
I found the plot to be a little cliche-ic, but a good read nonetheless. Looking forward to the next book.
August 17, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable read.
January 11, 2019
I'm enjoying this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews