Book #Review: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery, Book #7) by Ellie Alexander ~ #StMartins #CozyMystery #Mystery #5Stars

Book Details:

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery (Book 7)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 2, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1250159350
ISBN-13: 978-1250159359
Amazon

About the Book:

Torte―the beloved small-town bakeshop run by Jules Capshaw―is set to hit the stage. But who would have guessed that murder would makes a surprise appearance?

It’s the role of a lifetime for Jules. The Shakespeare Festival has returned to Ashland, Oregon, for the season and Torte has been cast as the supplier of Elizabethan-era treats for the main event. But on the eve of opening night, a brawl between Jules’s friend Lance, the artistic director, and a strapping young thespian named Anthony almost brings down the house. . .and the next morning, Anthony is dead. Jules knows that Lance loves his drama―and his just desserts―but she also knows that murder is way off-script for him. Now it’s up to Jules to cut through a bevy of backstage betrayals and catty co-stars who all have their own secrets―before the curtain drops on someone else. . .

My Review:

Jules' bakeshop, Torte, has been contracted to supply the baked goods for the opening season of the Shakespeare Festival. Her friend, and artistic director of the festival, Lance, is looking forward to period-time pieces of delectable handmade desserts. His plan is to show the Board of Directors he can do his job and bring more promotion and marketing to OSF. When Lance is observed arguing with the lead in the upcoming play, and said lead is found dead the next day, Jules knows she has to help clear Lance's name. 

I love the Bakeshop Mystery series. All of the books are wonderful. I enjoy Jules, her estranged ex Carlos, Jules' mom and The Professor, Lance, and Stephanie, Sterling, and Andy. Each story is different, containing not just the murder mystery but other threads. The author does a fantastic job weaving multiple stories within each book. Each thread makes sense as you move along in the book, some intersecting with the murder and others just additional everyday life. The books are descriptive and I am able to immerse myself into the town of Ashland or wherever the author takes the characters in this series.

The world building continues as new events take shape, book settings change, and new characters are introduced. The familiar favorites are always a pleasure to see on the pages. I enjoy the characters including Jules, Jules' mom, Stephanie, Sterling, Lance, Andy, Thomas, and the Professor. I connect with all the favorites on some level and can't imagine these books without them.

The story is fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed trying to unravel the murder mystery. Every time I thought I had things all figured out, the author tossed in a complication that changed my mind. Ellie Alexander does a great job keeping everything under wraps and revealing things methodically and at the right time.

I purchased a paperback from Amazon.

My Rating:

Book #Review ~ The Pint of No Return (A Sloan Krause Mystery #2) by Ellie Alexander ~ #CozyMystery @MinotaurBooks

Book Details:

Print Length: 283 pages

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: October 2, 2018

Sold by: Macmillan

ASIN: B079DV6VXV

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

No other festival compares to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington. The whole town is buzzing with excitement over this year’s activities and eagerly awaiting Nitro’s latest offering Cherrywizen, made with locally sourced cherries. But local brewmaster Sloan Krause is tapped out. Between trying to manage the pub, her pending divorce with Mac, and her mounting feelings for Garrett, she’s fermenting in internal turmoil.

To complicate matters, dreamy movie star Mitchell Morgan and his production crew have arrived in the village to film during the authentic Bavarian brewfest. Mitchell has his eye on Sloan and a taste for Nitro’s Cherrywizen. Sloan escapes his advances for good when she finds Mitchell slumped over the bar. Is this a case of one pint too many, or has Mitchell been murdered by microbrew?

My Review:

The Pint of No Return is the next exciting book in Ellie Alexander's Sloan Krause Mystery series. I really enjoy the small, hometown feel that Ms. Alexander pens in this series. The setting for The Pint of No Return is Leavenworth, Washington just prior to Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest. Everyone is gearing up for the festivities and eagerly awaiting new local brews offered by Nitro. Sloan, while excited for Oktoberfest, is slowly wearing down from the craziness of managing Nitro, the divorce from Mac, her feelings for Garrett, and stress from working for a competitor of her in-laws.

To make matters worse, a production crews arrives on scene to film Oktoberfest in all its authenticity. With the production crew comes Mitchell Morgan, a highly sought-after movie star. He has set his sights on Sloan, who is not at all interested. Her troubles with Mitchell are just beginning, however, after he’s found dead at the bar.

I really enjoyed the multiple threads woven into this story. It's not just a murder mystery. We get to see the author develop the main characters and do a lot of world building in order to make all the events tie in together properly. I love Sloan's character. She's strong and doesn't put up with anything. She gets along with almost everyone in the book. I love how the author wrote a genuine emotional connection between Sloan and her in-laws and we get to see what happens when a divorce is imminent. I was very engaged in this story. The death/murder mystery kept me guessing. I found the entire book to be well thought out with wonderful pacing.

I was provided a review copy of this book.

My Rating: