Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The food pairings and Instagram shares are of my own making.
DECEMBER 28th RELEASES
Bake, Borrow, and Steal
Ellie Alexander
St. Martin"s Paperbacks
A lost manuscript by THE Bard on loan leads to a theft and a murder amidst a Shakespearean culinary event complete with a chocolate sculpted desk created by the intrepid and her amazing staff at Torte, family, and of course there is no friend who can compare with Lance. A well crafted cozy with hints of corruption, larceny, saffron bread, a chocolate masterpiece, and murder. Torte is the perfect example of what a café should be and Julia is the epitome of a cozy main character, completely relatable and accompanied by a family, a work family and a slightly mischievous friend. Toss in a few suspects with either means or opportunity and a dash of motive making this a book that you can’t put down because it is just too good. My only point of contention is that such wonderful desserts and dishes are beautifully described, but it would be simply prefect with a few recipes tossed in.
Cate Conte
Published by Kensington
While I am not a fan of power inhibiting by means of chocolate, I am a fan of this storyline! Witch Hunt introduced us to Violet and she in turn was introduced to the world of magic. A witch with ability to read an aura like a book, although I think she is pretty good at getting a read on a person without her powers. Such a necessary skill when dealing with rival council members, an unusually attractive mentor, a relationship beyond its "best by date", death by genie, getting burned, dealing with Fiona/Mom, cooking with Zoe, and encroaching shadows. Violet isn't the type to shrink when there is someone who needs her help. The story flowed nicely intertwining the mystery from Witch Hunt and progressing that story while also solving the new mystery. After reading it I am now looking up recipes for risotto, I'll need something to do while waiting for the next book...
DECEMBER 14th RELEASES
Beauty and the Deceased (A Resale Boutique Mystery)
Debra Sennefelder
Published by Lyrical Press
This one made my heart hurt for Kelly, our resale fashionista, with a flair for both style and solving mysteries. Looking forward to spending some girl time catching up with a cousin who is about to make it into the big-time world of makeup, the last thing Kelly expects to do is spend time hunting for her cousin's murderer. Kelly refuses to spend her free time dressing a mannequin when there is a murderer on the loose, regardless of what Detective would prefer. Great storyline with multiple suspects, a little bit of reality, plenty of red herrings, a scrumptious meal at a local restaurant with baked ravioli and our favorite gentleman (no, not the detective who has his eye on Kelly), a little family drama (okay, there is a lot of family drama thanks to a cranky uncle) and a nice influx of merchandise for the store when a new consigner decides to give up the boxed clothes subscription habit.
DECEMBER 9th RELEASES
A Cornish Christmas Murder (A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery)
Fiona Leitch
Published by One More Chapter
This was by far the most bizarre mystery yet for Jodie, Met copper turned chef. A remorseful exec, a sot for a Santa, a secret passage, and cursed sword take center stage in this holiday cozy featuring delectable mince meat pies (no meat included). While Santa may be hitting the sauce, Jodie is just plain saucy and a tad snarky, truth is she can be downright scary with her powers of deduction. As many people tend to point out, she is a chip off the ole block, meaning that her Dad, former Chief Inspector for the Penstowan police station, was a man of high regard. Was Santa on someone's naughty list or was it a case of mistaken identity (not bloody likely, I mean have you seen the guy). Some nice distracting moments and I applaud Debbie and Daisy for their abilities to help Jodie, not that she wants Daisy to following that path, but what mum wouldn't be proud. Great fun and a little romance to boot when DI Nathan shows up to help save the day, or at least save Jodie's sanity. Looking forward to making the minced pies, going to use the premade mincemeat fruit but will make my own pie crust using Jodie's recipe.
DECEMBER 7th RELEASES
Cold Brew Corpse (A Coffee Lovers Mystery)
Tara Lush
Published by Crooked Lane Books
Much like a proper cold brewed
coffee, this mystery is smooth, and just like yoga, this cozy does some twists
and turns that kept me guessing as to how it was going to turn out. I second guessed myself into not figuring it
out until the big reveal. Yoga instructor Raina was worshipped, envied,
despised, and maybe just a little bit driven and prone to some drama, in one
person’s words, she is complicated. Is she missing or taking some time off, soon
conflicting stories lead to multiple suspects giving Lana an opportunity to put
on her investigative reporter hat since she freelances for the local paper. One
would think that managing Perkatory, concocting some killer cold brew, creating
5-ingredient yet tasty treats, and engaging in some Sheriff dating would keep a
girl busy but the call of the investigative reporter must be answered. Chasing
down leads can make a person thirsty so it is a good thing that Lana has her
cold brew coffee ready, but wait there is something wrong with the concoction
leading to yet another mystery to be solved. Speaking of cold brew, I am not
usually a fan of cold coffee unless you add some ice and espresso syrup to give
it that mocha frappe flavor. I had one K-cup of Cello chocolate cherry K-cups I
figured, why not try it as a cold brew. Turns out, I sometimes like a cold
coffee after all.
