A Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander

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 Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery
Ellie Alexander
St. Martin’s Press

A post-Christmas visit with Carlos’s family has Jules both excited and slightly nervous. I am not sure how she pulls it all together but I sure do like Jules’s attitude toward the visitors/new family. I started reading this series halfway in and have really enjoyed the story arc and how much Jules has changed the way she looks at things. She has learned that change happens and sometime it is hard but usually it is needed and it is good. For example, so much has changed since she returned to Ashland. The Torte bakeshop is doing gangbusters and the folks that work that are quite a gang. Actually, they are more like family. They are a well-oiled machine the way they work together, laugh together, build a jump dummy together…and so the mystery begins. The victim, Fitz Baskin, was a rather rude and unscrupulous person and was obviously up to no good. Unfortunately barista extraordinaire Andy’s good friend, Ski Patrol Shawn, is number 1 on the suspect list. Andy can’t help himself but to ask Jules to look into things. Not that Lance needs an invitation to get himself and Jules involved. I am actually surprised that given the cold weather and Lance's flair for the dramatic that he doesn't take to donning a deerstalker caps and get to investigating. 

Suspects include an eco-activist, an auditor, the lodge owner who is working hard to keep the historic family run mountain lodge going, and tenacious tour guide. Jules has hosting duties and bakes to be baked, when is she supposed to find time to sleuth? The situation is chilly but the mystery and the food is hot. Yummy dishes and desserts are described in detail and also found at the back of the book. I chose to make the Chicken and Chickpea Buns recipe and can report back that they are easy to make as the perfect meal for a chilly day. The story is like a well groomed slope but be careful that the red herrings don't lead you off the path and into the trees. There is more to this mystery than just a dead obnoxious opportunist. A great read with great descriptive food scenes that are thankfully followed up with recipes at the end. I am looking forward to the next Bakeshop Mystery.