Mollie Cox Bryan, a Bloody Mary and ASSAULT AND BEADERY

Mollie Cox Bryan joins us today with a new beading book in her Cora Craft Mystery series and a Bloody Mary. Mollie is also the author of the Cumberland and Creek Mysteries and two cookbooks.

All of Cora Chevalier’s dreams are coming true. Since moving to Indigo Gap, North Carolina, the busy crafting maven has been blessed with a great boyfriend, a lovely home, and a booming craft retreat business. But on the eve of her first Crafty Mom’s Escape Weekend, tragedy strikes again in Indigo Gap. This time, it’s curtains for Stan Herald, the disagreeable director of the local theater group, who’s murdered on the opening night of their new production. Worse, Cora’s friend Zee is accused of the crime.

Cora is determined to prove her friend’s innocence, but Zee’s mysterious past is making that difficult. And with a list of suspects longer than a double spool of satin cording, getting a bead on the real culprit won’t be easy. With her friends Jane and Ruby at her side, Cora must string together the clues and solve Stan’s murder before the killer gives an encore performance.

Cora’s Bloody Mary

When I was thinking of a drink for a particular scene in this book, I knew it had to be on that came with a recipe—because there would be a funny mistake with it. I chose a Bloody Mary for a few reasons. First and foremost, yum. Second, it’s exactly the kind of drink people feel comfortable drinking early in the day. Also, the name: Bloody Mary. What could be more perfect for a mystery novel? 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup finely grated peeled fresh horseradish
• 2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
• 2 ounces sriracha chile sauce
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 32 ounces tomato juice
• Ice
• 16 ounces vodka
• Lime wedges
• Pickled or fresh vegetables (optional)

  DIRECTIONS 

In a pitcher, combine the horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, lemon zest, celery salt, kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons ground pepper. Add the tomato juice and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Pour the tomato juice mixture into 8 ice-filled glasses. Add 2 ounces vodka to each glass and stir. Garnish each drink with a pinch of ground pepper, a lime wedge, and pickled vegetables. 

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