French Toast a la Santa Fe

Couriers, #2

by

Suzanne Stauffer

A fun, cozy mystery full of historical detail set in the American Southwest.

French Toast a la Santa Fe, named after the railroad rather than the town, is the second book in author Suzanne Stauffer's wonderful historical cozy mystery series featuring librarian-about-to-turn-tour guide (Indian Detour Courier), Prudence Bates. Set in the 1920s, Prudence joins an Indian Detour departing Las Vegas, New Mexico, headed out on a tour of the historic pueblos and other significant sites on the way to Santa Fe, before she begins her training (hopefully) as a courier (guide) for the same program. Along the way, she and her fellow travelers experience ghostly sightings, missing valuables, and missing guests as they soak up the history and culture of the indigenous populations. 

Prudence is a strong and stalwart heroine, not easily swayed by supernatural rumors. However, she occasionally runs into trouble when she follows her curiosity, and others', into dangerous situations. In this book, she is also trying to let go of her feelings for Jerry Begay, a young Navajo man she met and fell in love with in the previous book. He has returned to his home state after a long absence and, despite being attracted to her, wants to rejoin his people in Gallup. Their cultural differences and individual plans for the future are incompatible for now, and both must pursue their dreams before they can wholeheartedly commit to a future with the other. 

The plot moves swiftly as Prudence meets up with her tour group and their travels begin. The other members of the group represent a cross-section of typical white tourists: wealthy and budget-conscious, young and old, foreign and domestic. They quickly bond despite their differences as they encounter strange goings-on, including rumored sightings of the legendary La Llorona and the suspicious disappearance of prized personal items from their hotel rooms and some of their own members. Throughout the mysterious events, the story offers interesting details about the countryside, its history, and inhabitants. In addition, the descriptions of their days, clothes, food, and travel are vivid and put the reader right in the scene alongside the characters as they try to figure out whether a thief is among them. 

While this is the second book in the series, the story works well as a standalone novel, though hints of the earlier novel's plot will surely entice new readers to add it to their TBR lists. I recommend FRENCH TOAST A LA SANTA FE to readers of historical cozy mysteries, especially those with an interest in the American Southwest. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.