Star-Crossed Egg Tarts: A Magical Fortune Cookie Novel by Jennifer J. Chow

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.

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts 
A Magical Fortune Cookie Novel
Jennifer J. Chow
Minotaur Books

Be careful what you wish for because you just may get it. Felicity Jin grew up without her father; in fact, her mother never spoke of him so of course Felicity has had questions. With her newly awakened talent for infusing joy and prophecy into her fortune cookies she wonders if this unusual “gift,” could be from her father. Ah but that is only part of the mystery, and Felicity will need more than just her special skills, her ability to bake, her friend Kelvin, and her magic bunny to get to the bottom of the murder. 

On the plus side, this time there is no real reason for Felicity to get involved. She catered a wedding, she didn’t really know any of the people involved. But then an unexpected connection between Kelvin’s dad and the victim is discovered, and once again she is pulled into sleuthing. Thankfully she has a semi-working relationship with Detective Rylan Sun and while she is dangerously close to interfering with the investigation she also manages to help. There are plenty of suspects with plenty of secrets that Felicity is very good at ferreting out with the aid of cookies and sweet treats.

The subplot is well constructed and adds another layer of mystery that explains more of Felicity’s family history and gives an excellent backstory of the Jin family’s gift. The deep dive into the colorful A few of the story ends are tied off but not so many that this series is finished. In fact, things are just starting to heat up between Kelvin and Felicity, and I can’t wait to see what the dynamic duo solve next. In the meantime, I will make Auspicious Almond Cookies from the recipe found at the back of the book. Both this book and the series starter come complete with a baking recipe, a candle related craft, and floral craft as an extra cozy aspect to an enjoyable series.  

Murder at Cape Costumers: Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery by Maddie Day

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.

Murder at Cape Costumers
Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery 
Maddie Day

Maddie Day once again gives us a cozy with real life situations that challenge the reader to redefine the term "cozy." Mac/Mackenzie Almeida, our sleuth is the owner of Mac's Bikes, wife to Tim of Greta’s Grains Bakery and a member of the Cozy Capers Book Group. Mac has a knack for getting involved in murder investigations and this time is no different and as always, she has the book club to help her collect clues and work together like a well-oiled machine. The victim, a recent transplant and former Broadway actor, is the unfortunate victim. Enzo was found the day after Halloween and still in his skeleton costume. Was it love’s cruel sting that did him in or maybe plain and simple greed.

Mac is going to need all the help she can get because this time around, the subplot includes a visit from Tim’s sister, Jamie who is a recovering alcoholic, and her two young children. The plot twist is that Jamie goes missing. Small spoiler alert, this is a hard topic to read about as alcohol addiction and recovery is not fiction and the emotions created by this story can be challenging. I found myself tearing up more often than chuckling. One might even go as far as to say that the murder is a good distraction for Mac and the reader. Mac does not like messy, she is a bit of an OCD personality so taking care of precocious five-year-old Ella, baby Luca, could be considered a challenge. Fortunately, Mack loves kids and would do anything to help Tim. Mac’s family is just as helpful as they do their part to pitch in and help with Ella and Luca when needed.

This mystery was well plotted and the clues kept me guessing and questioning my suppositions. I am always impressed by how meticulous the books group members are when it comes to doling out tasks and reporting back to the group text thread. I also found it entertaining that several of Mac's friends were involved in a pickleball league, with some competitive players who may or may not be suspects. The only thing that I felt sure of was the support and love that Mac’s friends and families show to each other and that regardless of how everything turned out, Belle the bird was still going to want snacks (LOL). Speaking of food, there are some great recipes at the end of the story including a recipe for Halloween Muffins that are healthy little pumpkin cakes that are perfect for breakfast or as a snack.