Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings: A WWII tale (Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries)
Historical Cozy Mystery
4th in Series 
Setting – California
Elk Grove Publications (April 30, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages

 

Synopsis

 

After falling from a tree, Agnes’s behavior and delusions escalate from ‘merely eccentric,’ to ‘near mayhem ’ Still seeking a permanent home for a displaced carnival tiger, she goes to unthinkable extremes in an effort to prevent city hall from destroying the big cat. When Agnes witnesses a well-known citizen commit burglary, and the church’s beloved Good Shepherd painting goes missing, she becomes obsessed with exposing the art thief. But, questions arise whether the extent of her bizarre behavior is due to a ‘brain bleed’ from her head injury, or is something amiss in her medical treatment?

As WWII rages across the Pacific, dealing with victory gardens and rationing at home doesn’t stop Agnes from fighting the war from the home front. From city hall, to the hot seat at Newbury’s Police Department, and finally to a San Francisco mansion, Agnes pursues injustice to save a tiger and expose a shocking conspiracy at the highest levels of Newbury’s elite society.

Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings is a hilarious WWII mystery-adventure you’ll not soon forget.

 

 

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Rationing During WWII

 

Due to the need to feed and supply the troops, the federal government established a rationing system to conserve crucial food and supplies which required Katherine and me to reimagine how we could shop using our ration book and still cook delicious meals. The system wasn’t perfect. Whenever the government announced an item would soon be rationed, citizens stood in line in front in front of Wilkey’s Market, with intentions of buying up as much as possible, and maybe there would be none left for me. Many of us planted a Victory gardens to supplement our vegetables and canned any overflow to use this winter.

The rationing program involved giving a number of “points,” which came in the form of stamps printed inside a ration coupon book. These were distributed throughout the war to each of us, including one for our ward, Maddie, whom we met in Washington last year when I carried a package to President Roosevelt. (Mrs. Odboddy Undercover Courier). Restricted items required a certain number of points, along with money, to purchase.

Tires were rationed first, starting in January 1942, just weeks after Pearl Harbor. Fortunately, Ole’ Betsy, my Model A Ford has four good tires. Consumers could no longer buy new tires; and were required to patch or have the treads replaced on existing tires. Healthcare professionals, fire, and police could purchase new tires, also buses, and certain delivery trucks, with specific approval.

Black market trading in everything from tires to meat plagued the nation, including the black market purchase of ration books. Certain foods were rationed, starting with sugar in May 1942. Coffee was restricted to one pound per adult every six weeks for a period of time, followed by meats, fats, canned fish, cheese, and canned milk. Cuts of meat were rationed, often leaving only the internal organs to include liver, heart, neck bones, and ox tail available for purchase.

In my first novel, Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot, I recognized the issue of stolen ration books and set about to expose the criminals involved. In Mrs. Odboddy’s Desperate Doings, we have become accustomed to working with ration books, cooking with limited supplies, and relying on our Victory garden to supplement our diet. One of my favorite recipes is Oxtail Stew. I’ll share the recipe with you below.

 

OXTAIL STEW

 

Dredge three large oxtails in flour and brown with an onion in butter or shortening. Add two tablespoons of bacon grease. Toss the floured meat into the frying pan with a diced onion and brown on all sides. To a large kettle, add two cups of canned beef broth, two cups of water and two cups of canned tomatoes. Add a bay leaf, a teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper. When the meat and onion are nicely browned, add to the kettle liquid, turn down the burner to simmer, and cook for three hours. During the last hour, add half a cup of carrots, half a cup of chopped celery, a tablespoon of parsley and six potatoes from the Victory garden. Just before ready to eat, thicken the gravy with flour or cornstarch.

The stew is delicious, hearty with vegetables and fairly inexpensive and can be cooked during the day, while pursuing other activities such as plotting how to expose our thieving doctor, or writing letters and making phone calls in an attempt to find a home for our displaced tiger, Shere Khan.

 

 

About the Author

 

Elaine Faber lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband and two feline companions. She is a member of Sisters in Crime (SIC), Elk Grove Writer’s Guild (EGWG), and Northern California Publishers and Authors (NCPA). Elaine volunteers with the American Cancer Society. She has published nine cozy mystery novels, and an anthology of cat stories. Her short stories are also published in 22 independent anthologies.

 

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