In the Blink of a Pie : A Maple Syrup Mystery by Catherine Bruns

 

In the Blink of a Pie
A Maple Syrup Mystery
Catherine Bruns
Poisoned Pen Press 

Welcome to Vermont’s own Sappy Endings maple syrup farm, where the syrup is sweet and the pastries are perfect. Well, at least the tasty treats that Leila’s talented cook of a mom, Selma, bakes at the Sappy Hour Café. This is the 3^rd book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series and it has been perfectly named. In the blink of a Pie/eye the well-earned reputation of the Sappy Endings farm goes from great to deadly because of a killer pie baking contest. Leila, manager of her family’s farm was just trying to do a good deed and generate some revenue for the local food bank. No one could have could have foreseen the community backlash due to an unexpected death that turns out to be murder. It does not help that the local paper where her brother Simon is the lead journalist, has printed an article sensationalizing the unfortunate incident. This isn’t Simon’s doing but he cannot stop the rumor mill in this small cozy town. If only gossip was as slow as the molasses in a Shoofly pie. Did they not get the email that this was really an attempt on Leila’s life and not someone out to get Margaret Middleton.  Although, I could see how one could think that Margaret, with her acerbic tongue, could incite negative thoughts or even actions, in others. Someone is out to get Leila.    

 This stand-alone story does a good job of keeping the reader in the loop by giving plenty of backstory to explain how this is not Leila’s first time dealing with a murder. Leila takes on the management of the farm while at the same time getting to know and coming to love farm worker Noah and his daughter Emma.  Leila and her best friend Heather start looking for clues in a variety of places. Suspects include a past high school student who was turned in for cheating. Also on the list, is Leila’s former college roommate who was in trouble for stealing money from Leila to buy drugs. Margaret’s own son Eric, the big city New York attorney is threatening to sue the farm for his mother’s death. Eric may still be upset with Leila for not agreeing to date him in the past. Last but not least is the mysterious pie baker named Sandy Sweets, who could in fact be one of the aforementioned suspects. 

As you can see there are multiple threads for Leila to pull while trying to keep from safe. The story is engaging as well as entertaining. The clues are well placed as are the red herrings. In addition to a happy ending the book also delivers on some sweet and satisfying pie recipes. There are six recipes to choose from and I selected the Pumpkin Spice Maple Pie and can attest that is perfect for pairing with this Thanksgiving themed cozy.

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Stick and Scones : A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander

Sticks and Scones
A Bakeshop Mystery
Ellie Alexander
Minotaur Books

Ellie Alexander has created another great Bakeshop Mystery cozy with well-crafted characters and recipes. All of the core characters have a heart like Jules, but only Lance has panache and a dash of devil-may-care making Lance the perfect person to head up an acting troupe. In addition to being the artistic director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and head of his new production company the Fair Verona Players, Lance is Jules partner in crime solving. In addition to Jules and Lance there is the Torte team which is one great big family. Then there are the other characters such as the victim who is an egomaniac but when on stage, he is one heck of an actor, as well as Tom the investor who is an insufferable wine snob with one too many opinions that he can’t seem to keep to himself. To round it out there is a drab seamstress, a love struck stage assistant, and more than a few people who are not necessarily sad that the understudy is stepping in. Know who else is stepping in? Lance goes straight into investigatory mode and while he doesn’t drag Jules, he gently tugs her into joining him. The story holds your interest and character interactions do a great job of eliciting emotions. For example, I literally rolled my eyes when Jules has the “opportunity” to interact with Tom at the local pub. Other times I found myself chuckling over Lance’s comments about morning jogging. Last but not least is the sighing brought on by the way Carlos tends to Jules when she is feeling a little “off.”

Every Bakeshop Mystery comes with descriptions of the most amazing foods woven into the story and this time is no different. There are mentions of chicken salad, cherry based sweet treats, barbecue chicken cups, tahini cookies, and strawberry scones. There are recipes at the end of the story and I can confirm that the scones are as easy to make as they are tasty.  I certainly hope that this isn’t the last one, there is still so much more for Jules to do and so many changes on the horizon. Reading about her personal growth has been educational and enjoyable.

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Death Scene : A Witch City Mystery by Carol J. Perry

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Death Scene
A Witch City Mystery
Carol Perry
Kensington 

Tinsel town comes to Spooky town and Lee Barrett Mondello is ready to don her reporter hat for WICH‑TV news and solve the mystery of the starlet who was murdered by designer chocolates. Darla Diamond was quite the actress and had the ability to play the part of a witch both on and off the screen, just ask her costar Lamar Faraday. Faraday seems like a nice enough guy but maybe even he could be driven to do something rash, like making a $1000 bet that he could hit every single bar in Salem during his stay.  Then there are the death threats, but those seemed to have stopped when the left the west coast. The one thing that was not left behind was the odd accidents that seem to plague Paragon Productions. Lee gets a chance to do a little reporting as a result of those accidents in addition to her program director job and has some great luck when it comes to learning things from the gossip network aka Jenna’s hair salon. Thanks to the salon and locals who are in the know, it seems that Lee is getting a jump on details before her husband Pete, a detective with the Salem police either hasn’t released or had not learned just yet. Lee finds some clues in the most unusual places. Even River who is acting as a body double for Darla/Pauline has heard things. River has also seen things in the tarot cards and helped Lee with a little dream interpretation. Lee is a “scryer” which means that she can see things in shiny surfaces, which is like a day dream. Pete has often told Lee that she would make an excellent detective and fully supports the exchange of information. This is another great Witch City Mystery and just in time for Halloween. I have always wanted to visit Salem but after reading this one, I am pretty sure that I will not be going in October. This was a great story with plenty of misdirection and clues to keep me guessing. There are even some great recipes at the conclusion of the story.

The Little Lost Library : A Secret, Book, and scone Society Novel by Ellery Adams

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

The Little Lost Library
A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel
Ellery Adams 

This is book seven and the best Secret, Book, and Scone Society book yet. Be prepared for a cozy that hits hard and tackles real world problems like trauma, relationships ending, bullies, sadness, and solidarity. On the lighter side, I was completely captivated by the treasure hunt for the little lost library. Oh and the quotes at the start of each chapter are so thought provoking, my favorite was the one by Maya Angelou at the start of chapter four regarding knowing your own worth. Nora Pennington has such a good heart, she looks for the good in others, and is a friend through thick and thin. She cries over the loss that others feel, she is one who is empathic even for those who are hurting to the point that they lash out at others, much like Lucille‘s daughter. Propelled by an insatiable curiosity to solve the riddle of the book, she takes chances and works secretly to complete the task which NSNS has set in front of her. I am surprised that the side issues are not distracting her more, what with an unidentifiable teen taking a five finger discount and the crazy K9 cop aka Hollowell the horrible (my nickname for her) being her usually charming self (said with sarcasm) combative with women, flirty with her male coworkers, all while prowling around after Hester’s boyfriend, officer Jasper Andrews.

This story was a page turner keeping my attention the entire time while my emotions ran amok. Parts of the story are sweet like the mantecada muffins that Sheldon made, while other parts are bitter and hard to take like the background history and Lucille’s reason for becoming a recluse hoarder. The clues were well placed for each of the plot lines and the red herrings kept me guessing. The only mystery that we are left with at the end is the story behind Hollowell and why she acts the way she does. 

A Berry Suspicious Death : A Cranberry Cove Mystery by Peg Cochran

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

A Berry Suspicious Death
The Cranberry Cover Mysteries #9
Peg Cochran
Beyond the Page Publishing

This is the 9^th book in the series and it starts out with Monica‘s half-brother Jeff getting married at the Sassamanash cranberry farm. Everything starts out joyous and thankfully the happy couple is on their way to their honeymoon before the body is found by our sleuth. Monica had only just met Jolie Spencer when her talented baker/employee Mick introduced her as his wife…Monica didn’t even know he was dating. Guess who ends up at the top of the suspect list when Jolie turns up dead? As usual, our sleuth feels compelled to look into things because she just can’t imagine Mick killing anyone.  Mick hasn’t exactly been 100% truthful with Monica but a being a killer is not one of the things he is hiding. It turns out that Jolie is a recent widow who had a rather well off and much older husband, whom she had met while working as his health aide while he was terribly sick. He died not long after they were married leaving behind Jolie and his two adult daughters. One can imagine what the adult daughters think about their now rich stepmom.  Thus the plot thickens like a nice soup you might find at the Pepper Pot, and excellent restaurant who Monica often goes for dinner with husband or lunch with a friend. Another possible suspect is Jolie’s daughter who is not as well off as Jolie, in fact she is struggling financially and works at a seedy bar to make ends meet. Monica having recently become a mom herself, does a pretty good job of balancing “new mom” responsibilities with hunting down clues. She even takes time to get in a little exercising with Jeff’s mom, Gina. The visits to the fitness facility lead Monica down an entirely different rabbit hole...and perhaps another suspect as well.  The story has you guessing and second guessing with well laid clues and tricky red herrings. In addition to an engaging and entertaining mystery you also have a great seasonal bread recipe using fresh cranberries, bananas, and walnuts waiting for you at the conclusion of the story.

The Stranger in the Library: A Lighthouse Library Mystery #11

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

The Stranger in the Library
A Lighthouse Library Mystery #11
Eva Gates
Crooked Lane Books

Lucy and Connor are back from their European honeymoon that was full of amazing works of art. Art that gives inspiration to Lucy as she curates an ancillary exhibit coincide with a traveling art exhibit.

The pre-event event is a hit with the locals, library patrons, and out of town guests. Maybe too big of hit since a family reproduction is stolen then returned but with the backing ripped. The following night the traveling art installation coordinator is found dead in the fish pond. Suspects include a grouchy local artist named Ivan, the personal assistant who make have been on the verge of being fired, an art patron, the wife who is an ice queen, and the mysterious art dealer Tom Reilly (if that really is his name). Instead of the usual sleuthing, Lucy researches the history behind Louise Jane’s famous Outer Bank artist ancestor Robert O’Callaghan who may have died from a horrible accident or something more sinister. Could it be possible that the two occurrences could be related? Lucy helps Detective Sam Watson with a few informal interviews but otherwise she is pretty “hands off” this time. She does keep her eyes and ears open, especially when art patron Lisa McMahon’s somewhat spoiled daughter Franny is talking. That girl sees plenty and knows how to keep a person talking without giving things away. Chances are that it is because Franny likes drama. The one who tends towards bits/fits of drama is Louise Jane but she and Lucy work together quite well. It could be because Louise Jane is in a rather good mood throughout the story, almost giddy. 

This story has all the cozy feels and is does a good job as a stand- alone, complete with red herrings and plenty of clues for both the sleuth and reader to follow. I enjoyed the mystery and the description of all things Outer Banks which makes a person want to grab a towel and hit the beach. Or perhaps plan a trip to Paris to see the wonderful works of art at a museum or small art gallery co-owned by a mysterious stranger. I am looking forward to reading all about Louise Jane's trip in the next Lighthouse Library Mystery. 

A Very Woodsy Murder : A Golden Motel Mystery by Ellen Byron

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

A Very Woodsy Murder : A Golden Motel Mystery #1
Ellen Byron
Kensington Publishing Corp. 

The Golden motel is a hidden treasure nestled in the Sierra foothills, a respite for sitcom writer Dee Stern and her data analyst ex-husband Jeff Cornetta.  Neither have hospitality services experience but are giving it a go as budding moteliers in the rustic mountain setting. Unfortunately, the motel isn’t the only thing that is in the woods and no I not referring to Stoney the bear.  This was not how Dee saw her new venture going, nothing like finding the dead body of your first guest, writer Michael Adam Baker. Dee remembers Michael Allen as being the most devious backstabbing writer whom she ever had the displeasure of working with. There goes that Yelp review he was holding over their heads. The suspects are plentiful, was it someone from Michael’s past in Goldgone or someone from his present. The guy was no prince and while some(one) might have heralded him as a “son” of Goldgone there were plenty of people who had nothing good to say about him. 

Ellen Byron has done it again, created another awesome cozy mystery. Ms. Byron has a flair for creating characters that are characters. From the Goldsgone Mercantile and Emporium owner named Verity Donner - yes that Donner Gillespie to Elmira Williker the Foundgold shop owner who can’t bake but is one heck of a cook plus she’s the Mayor. There is also the extremely helpful older couple Ma’am and her husband, Mister Ma’am who live a stone’s throw from the Golden and sort of come and go out of nowhere. My favorite character by far is Serena Finlay-Katz, wife to a big time Hollywood agent and the creator of amazing charcuterie snacks. The funny thing about Serena, you just never know if she is carrying the baby in the sling and the dog in carriage or the other way around. Thankfully there is a “Who’s Who” at the front of the book to help keep the players straight. There are quite a few colorful characters, heck I don’t think there is a single ordinary person out of either town. 

This cozy does a great job of keeping you entertained and intrigued. Each new character adds another layer of enjoyment and suspicion as the clues mount and the red herrings are running up stream. By the end of this well spun yarn you will find yourself craving trail mix and down home cooking while considering how to work “tarnation” into your next sentence. Even though this isn’t technically a culinary cozy, there are some mighty fine vittles mentioned in the book and I am glad to see that there are recipes in the back. I tried out the Cowboy Casserole which was both simple and delicious. I am looking forward to the next installment and recipes.