Tag: culinary mystery

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases on Tuesday, April 25th.]

Summary

Delilah is hoping the Geneva Bay Taste of Wisconsin contest will net her enough money to get through the typical lean winter in her touristy Wisconsin town. But her chances of that keep taking hits.

First, the “celebrity judge” has a history with her business partner. And it’s not a good history – Sonja slept with the man’s wife. It’s highly unlikely that he would choose Delilah’s food as the winning entry, no matter how good it is.

Then, there is a mysterious death in Geneva Bay – and another person is poisoned. The poisoning victim happens to be another contestant – the woman Delilah’s ex is dating.

And if all that wasn’t complicated enough, the celebrity judge is later murdered. Delilah has her hands full with her floundering business, her aging aunt who is hiding something from her, and her custody agreement with her ex over their cat. She really doesn’t have time to investigate a murder! But she also can’t let any of their friends go down for a crime they didn’t commit.

Review

This is book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery series, and I thought it was great! Stronger than the first book, in my opinion.

One essential element of a good cozy mystery, for me, is the ensemble cast. This has a great one! It’s large enough to be interesting and small enough to track easily. I also enjoyed the hints at a possible future romance for Delilah.

The mystery here is excellent – there are several crimes that weave in and out of the day to day events for Delilah and her friends. It was super satisfying to read – lots to puzzle out, and “busy” enough to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelmed. It was just the right balance of elements.

I don’t know that you have to read these two books in order, but as always, it does help with establishing the character relationships. If you tried book 1 and enjoyed it, you are in for an even bigger treat here!

(I know it’s Friday, and there would normally be a review here for a book for kids or for teens, but I have been overrun with review copies of adult books, so adult readers get a bonus review this week. Come back next week for something for younger readers!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan

BONUS REVIEW: Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke has been managing the family diner – The Bear Claw – in Elkview, Alaska, for about a year. Her main cook, Oliver, is a chef who trained in Paris. She has a circle of staff and friends who pitch in any time a tour bus threatens to overwhelm the smallish diner. And locals and tourists alike love the food, from the mooseloaf to the “grilled cheese extravaganza” to the cherry cheesecake mousse.

Charlie and Oliver were having something of a verbal tug-of-war over the diner menu. He wanted to remove the mousse from their offerings. She wanted to add chocolate to their signature bear claws. Sure, they had argued, and he had stormed off. But that was just what it was like sometimes when working with Oliver. When Oliver doesn’t return, Charlie calls in other staff to cover, figuring Oliver’s pout will be over soon. But no one at the diner is prepared for the news that Oliver was murdered.

Charlie’s shouting match with Oliver makes her a suspect, although not a serious one. But knowing how overloaded Alaskan law enforcement tends to be, Charlie and her friends decide to help track down a killer.

Review

This was fun! I loved the Alaskan setting as well as the diner. Both gave an opening for interesting characters and events in the story. I enjoyed Charlie and her sleuthing partner, Chris. The relationship with law enforcement in this book is fun. Trooper is willing to let Charlie and friends help as long as they are smart and careful. The deputizing routine is a hoot, especially in the end.

The cast of characters working in the diner were fun. Their camaraderie reminds me a little of the Bakeshop series crew in the early part of the series when we were getting to know everyone. I’m eager to see how this crew develops over time. There’s lots of potential for future stories and character development in this group. And Charlie’s relationship with her cat, Benny, was sweet, with some clever and unique twists that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The mystery was good. I had a suspect in mind super early on, but it was the wrong one. But I latched onto the right one about 2/3 of the way through the book. It was satisfying to watch the reveal come together in the end and find out I was right.

This was a great series kick off. Cozy mystery fans should not miss this one. Fans of culinary mysteries should add this to their TBR piles. There are two recipes included at the end of the book. Book 2, Fishing for Trouble, will be releasing later in 2020.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Theater Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein

BONUS REVIEW: Theater Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Immediately on the heels of her last adventure (Restaurant Weeks Are Murder – ♥♥♥♥♥), Poppy has a decision to make. Tim asked her – in front of everyone – to “give it a go” with him once again. Their history together as teens and her questions of what might have been if things had been different make his offer tempting.

At the same time, she feels a huge attraction to Gia. He was standing there when Tim made his plea. Why couldn’t she decide which of the two men she wanted to be with?

Thankfully, the Senior Center’s production of Momma Mia!, and Aunt Ginny’s reconciliation with an old flame is the perfect distraction. Poppy’s been coerced to help with lights for the show. It needs some help as it’s been suffering through everything from egos run amok to deliberate acts of sabotage. But when someone dies, and the police rule it a suicide, Poppy and her elderly friends think the ruling is a mistake. And sleuthing makes another great distraction from a love triangle.

Review

The mystery in this one is terrific! There are so many things going on here – the sabotage at the play, the death, and also someone trying to ruin Poppy’s businesses (both the B&B and her baking). And I loved watching Poppy and the “biddies” (4 elderly ladies, including Poppy’s Aunt Ginny) puzzle them all out. I didn’t laugh in this one as much as I have with the past books, but there were still several fun moments.

The love triangle is infuriating, though. I feel like Poppy’s choice is ridiculously clear (although I know others disagree with me on the choice – and they think their choice is clear, too.). Only one of these two guys encourages her to be comfortable in her own skin and encourages her for her own purposes. The other one is self-absorbed and selfish. Poppy has been a means to an end for him more times than not. I can’t for the life of me figure out why this choice isn’t more clear to her or why the author insists on dragging this out. When this book ended essentially right back where the last one did, I was frustrated enough to growl out loud. This is the only thing I am not enjoying about this series, but I am starting to lose patience on this front. If it doesn’t resolve soon, I will forgo the fantastic mysteries to bypass the drawn out love triangle.

If you don’t mind a love triangle, don’t miss this series because the characters are fantastic and the mysteries are top notch!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Cherry Scones and Broken Bones by Darci Hannah

REVIEW: Cherry Scones and Broken Bones by Darci Hannah

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Whitney is happy to be home at the Cherry Orchard Inn. And she’s happy to have the murder business from the Cherry Blossom Festival behind them. That mess has done the family business no favors. Whitney has had to drop the price of rooms at the inn as low as she can to get people to try a resort where someone died.

Then she gets the “thrilling” news. Silvia Lumiere the painter has booked a room at the inn for the entire summer! Silvia often paints portraits in Cherry Cove, and the summer reveals are a big deal. The art community is ecstatic to have Silvia close by all summer.

Not everyone is ecstatic. Silvia has a very high opinion of herself and strong ideas of what she is entitled to in her business and personal life – and also at the inn. When the woman is found dead, there are several potential suspects, people Silvia regularly abused with her words and expectations. Unfortunately for Whitney, she’s at the top of the list.

Review

Another fun mystery from Cherry Cove, Wisconsin! Whitney and her friends and family are a lot of fun. The love triangle is alive and well in this book, but by the end it seems to have run its course, which makes me happy. I feel like I have been “burned” by love triangles in other series before, so I don’t usually care for them.

The mystery is well done. The victim is infuriating, and there are plenty of suspects who want her dead. Instead of juggling through 4-6 suspects all at the same time, Whitney seems to dig into one at a time in this book. This felt different from the typical cozy, and I liked it! There are some nice twists along the way to the end that made this a great read.

The final copy will include recipes, although I didn’t get to see them in my review copy. I hope there’s one for cherry scones. They sound amazing.

If you enjoy cozies in general or food-based cozies in particular, don’t miss the Very Cherry Mystery series. Book one is Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies; you can read my review of it here.  This is a not-to-be-missed series for me.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein

REVIEW: Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Poppy McAllister feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. Not only is she grieving the loss of her husband and rethinking some of the choices in her life. She’s also facing a 25 year high school reunion. Confronting her past – and former tormentors – would be one thing if she was feeling on top of her life. But she’s probably up two dress sizes after months of grief-eating, and her personal care routine has seen better days.

And then, to add insult to injury, one of her high school tormentors winds up dead. The police officer in charge of the case seems determined to see Poppy arrested for the crime.

This is the absolute WORST time to run into her high school boyfriend or deal with her angry Aunt Ginny who may need full time care. But an unexpected conversation with her cellmates at the jail launches Poppy’s life in a new direction. She’s done letting life just happen to her. She’s taking charge, starting with solving the murder at her high school reunion.

Review

This was a treat from start to finish. I felt bad for Poppy at the start. She has had some hard knocks. But she wasn’t whining or obnoxious about them. And I liked her even more when she started to take some ownership over her circumstances.

The murder was nicely complicated. The victim was pretty typical for cozy mysteries. There were plenty of reasons someone could want her dead. I was able to figure out the culprit, but needed help with some of the motive. And a few of my other guesses on things were way off base. But I enjoyed trying to solve all the puzzles.

Aunt Ginny’s situation was the most satisfying part of the book for me. And the effort to work that out pulled Poppy and Ginny together which was also great.

I picked this up because I love reunion stories – so many interesting things can come up when you get a diverse group together after a period of time – family or classmates. This was all I had hoped for when I bought it. The food allergy/Paleo diet pieces were interesting and gave this a different layer to add to the traditional cozy features (amateur sleuth, love triangle, etc.). I’m looking forward to reading books 2 and 3 to see where the relationships and the cooking/dietary pieces go.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Lethal Licorice – Summary

Weeks after the death of her grandfather, Bailey King is representing him in the Amish Confectionery Competition in their home town of Harvest, Ohio. She’ll be competing with her licorice, taffy, peanut brittle, and fudge. Bailey is hoping to win the fudge contest at least, since chocolate is her forté, but winning the whole contest would be excellent PR for their candy shop, Swissmen Sweets.

Several of the Amish contestants are unhappy that Bailey is in the contest. She isn’t Amish, even though she is following all the same cooking rules as the other contestants. No one is as bitter about Bailey’s entry in the contest as Josephine Weaver. So when Josephine turns up dead, Bailey is a murder suspect again.

But she’s not the only suspect. Josephine’s niece is pushing against the rules of her strict Amish district. She and Josephine may have had words. And then there’s the matter of Josephine’s candy shop – who will inherit her successful business and prime location? And what about her antagonistic shop neighbor? Bailey is determined to dig through the motives of these other suspects, find the real culprit, and clear her name.

Lethal Licorice – Review

This was a great second mystery in this series. You can read my review of book one here. I am enjoying the Amish/English differences and the conflict that arises from them. Bailey and her grandmother are great characters, although the young Amish women around them – Emily, and now Charlotte, are my favorite characters.

The mystery was great. I was guessing all the way to the end. But honestly, I was just as interested in the ins and outs of the Amish community in the story as I was in figuring out the murderer. My only complaint in the whole novel was about the poor lost pig. At one point, Bailey gets a clue about the location of the missing pig – more than 24 hours after he disappeared – but she doesn’t call someone while she deals with murder stuff, or go on her own to check out the clue. While it all works itself out in the end, it was a jarring delay considering the animal was likely without food or water while missing.

Overall, I am loving this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

Premeditated Peppermint – Summary

It’s Christmas in Harvest, Ohio, and Bailey King and her grandmother are preparing an assortment of peppermint treats for the Christmas Market to showcase their store, Swissmen Sweets. The plans for the event are all in place – the live nativity, the parade, and the Amish businesses selling their wares. What is NOT in the plan is Bailey’s New York ex, Eric Sharp, coming to town.

Eric has convinced his television crew to come to Ohio and film an Amish Christmas – including Amish candies from Swissmen Sweets and a romantic reconciliation with Bailey. The fact that Bailey doesn’t want anything to do with Eric’s plan doesn’t seem to be getting through to anyone. But when the show’s executive producer is found murdered, Eric needs Bailey for more than his TV show. He needs her to find the killer before he’s arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.

Premeditated Peppermint – Review

This is such a fun series! The mix of English and Amish characters, many with strong personalities, makes for great interactions. The only down side is the way those strong personalities tend to bulldoze right over Bailey much of the time. Her best friend, Cass, is one of my favorite characters because she puts herself between Bailey and those other characters. Of course, she can be just as guilty of pushing Bailey into all sorts of crazy scenarios. But because she is protective most of the time, her meddling isn’t as frustrating. I would like to see Bailey stand up for herself a little more as the series goes on.

The mystery in this book was solid. There were dueling motives for the murder, and Bailey tackled both with some great sleuthing. There are some interesting developments for the overarching story of the series in this book, too. I’m eager to see where those developments lead for book four – Toxic Toffee – out in the spring of 2019.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bailey King puts her life as a chocolatier in New York aside to travel to Harvest, Ohio. Bailey’s Amish grandfather is sick. Even though she is up for a huge promotion at work, family comes first.

When she gets to Ohio, Bailey discovers that a developer, Tyson Colton, is trying to buy out her grandparents’ candy shop, Swissmen Sweets. After an argument with Bailey’s grandfather, Colton is found dead in the kitchen of Swissmen Sweets. As her grandfather’s health makes him too weak to be a viable suspect, Bailey becomes the sheriff’s top choice.

In order to stay out of jail, protect her family, and get back to New York to save her job, Bailey’s going to have to figure out who really killed Tyson Colton. There’s no shortage of suspects, from the other Amish store owners Colton tried to buy out to his own son. Bailey has her work cut out for her!

Review

I loved this! It was a great cozy with interesting characters and some fun humor. Great all the way around.

The Amish pieces were a nice contrast to Bailey’s usual world in New York as well as the world of most readers. There was a great balance with Bailey as she understood the community because of her family, but at the same time she was outside it. I think Bailey’s struggle with issues of faith when faced with the faith of her grandparents and the Amish community could be a fascinating aspect of future books.

I really enjoyed the mystery. In general, I find mysteries stressful when the protagonist is the main suspect. But I liked the other pieces of this – the characters, the setting, the candy, the potential romance – so much that it balanced the tension well.

My only complaint is that I have a couple questions I don’t feel were answered in the solution to the mystery. I’ve gone back and re-read sections to be sure I didn’t just skim too quickly over something, but I still didn’t find complete satisfaction with the solution on the murder. Maybe this is because I read an unedited review copy. Perhaps this last 5% of the solution will be resolved when I read this in a final copy – which I will. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Bailey and her family and friends. I already have book two, Lethal Licorice, in my shopping cart to pre-order before its February 2018 debut.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for providing an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review. I honestly adored this book!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olivia Greyson owns The Gingerbread House, a store that specializes in cookies and cookie cutters. When her mentor, Clarisse, dies, Livie doesn’t think it was an accident.

Fortunately, a few things start happening that clue the police into the possibility that Clarisse was murdered. Unfortunately, those things also make Livie look like the culprit. Can antique cookie cutters, internet research, and some family and friends help Livie catch a killer?

Review

This is the first book in this series that is now 6 books long. The main characters – Livie and Maddie – are fun. They balance each other out in their business, but work well together in investigating.

I enjoyed the mystery. The first part of the book focused on determining if the death was an accident or not. When murder seemed likely, the focus shifted to alibis and motives. I did not figure out the killer before it was revealed; I focused on one of the other suspects instead so the end was a nice surprise.

The theme – cookies and cookie cutters – was unusual. There are no recipes in this book. I think there are plenty of culinary mysteries with recipes. This one doesn’t NEED them, but I think they would have tied in well. Cookie cutters, though, were the real emphasis. Maybe some history notes or details about antique cutters or something might have made a  fun addition to support the theme.

I’m looking forward to trying another book from this series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Jules and the gang at Torte are showcase vendors for the Chocolate Festival. And while they are preparing for the event, they are also renovating Torte, installing a new inventory/payment system, and considering an expansion into the property below their store. It’s a LOT for Jules to juggle! But when a fellow festival vendor has an allergic reaction and dies at her booth, Jules will make time to find a killer!

Review

The Bakeshop Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy series right now! I love the relationships with the Torte family. The setting is interesting – and their offerings sound delicious! I never need time to warm up to the story or the characters in these books. It comes immediately and naturally.

The mystery in this one was great. The chocolate festival was a fantastic setting, allowing new players to be introduced – and adding lots of yummy food discussions. I felt a little unsettled at the end of the mystery (this is the reason I didn’t give this a 5 star review) – I kept waiting for a new layer to the solution, but it never came. A couple of the other possible culprits still seemed sketchy to me at the end so I wasn’t 100% on board with the solution. I wanted a bigger, more detailed confession, maybe, but the author went a different way. Maybe it will come back in a future book.

One of the things I love with this series is how the author includes ongoing things with the characters and the business. She does an excellent job of keeping those pieces balanced with the larger story of the mystery for each book. I am already looking forward to book 6, A Crime of Passion Fruit (releasing this summer )

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A yummy chocolate truffle mystery! Michelle and Erica start sleuthing again when one of Erica’s comic book club teens is accused of murder. Faith or Faelynn or whatever name she went by was all bad news, but there’s no way this kid killed her. Michelle and Erica are determined to track down the truth – but they have their hands full. There’s a Halloween Festival, things going on in their personal lives, and a whole lot of suspects!

Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons

Review

I read a mystery not long ago that was fine but flat. There was no spark. No zing. This  book definitely has zing! The setting – a chocolate and books shop – is different and fun. The characters are a believable team. Even the non-mystery portions of the story with family members and boyfriends are completely engaging. I love reading a book that doesn’t take any work to enjoy.

There are a lot of series regulars to keep track of in this book. Add to it the murder suspects. Readers will need to stay focused to keep track of everyone. The mystery was intricate and therefore satisfying. I figured things out a few pages before the main character. I love when I can puzzle it out.

Finally, this series makes me start to fantasize about trips to our local chocolate shop. They don’t get as creative and fancy as the book does, but it doesn’t matter if the treats are exactly the same. You will definitely be craving chocolate by the time you are done reading!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥