Welcome to my blog tour stop for Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander. This is a cozy mystery that released December 30th.
Be sure to check out the schedule for the list of reviews, interviews and guest posts by the author! The tour starts January 5th and runs through the 16th.
Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it’s criminal…
After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte’s customers turns up dead, there’s much ado about murder…
"Sure to satisfy both dedicated foodies and ardent mystery lovers alike."
―Jessie Crockett, author of Drizzled with Death
The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival’s newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her…but still. The silver lining? Jules’s high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can’t help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all…
"Alexander weaves a tasty tale of deceit, family ties, delicious pastries, and murder.” ―Edith Maxwell, author of A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die
My Review:
Pros: There was so much I really enjoyed about this book that I don't know where to start! The setting, Ashland, Oregon, is so well drawn and such fun! I loved that not only did we get to see the excitement of the theater world where the stage actors and directors were stars but we saw the negatives too. Not all the businesses were raking in money hand over fist and even the theater itself had financial worries. It added a nice authentic feel to the book. I liked Jules and her Mom right away. They had a good relationship and came across as truly nice people but they also had their worries which they tried to keep from each other. The food and coffee is almost a character in itself. The descriptions are so vivid and fleshed out that I find myself seriously wanting pastries or one of the coffee drinks. Jules reasons for being involved in the investigation make sense and she and her old friend Thomas, now a deputy, work well together. The mystery itself was well done and kept me guessing. It's not unusual for me to figure out the killer and the motive within the first third of a book but that wasn't the case with this one. The plot kept me guessing and the characters kept me interested.Cons: Richard Lord, Jules' nemesis, is made a little too evil to be true. There is a touch of incompetence which helps keep him from turning into a super villain but he's still a bit over the top. Also, there's a lot about the day to day operations of the bakery and food preparation in general. This wasn't a negative to me as I really enjoyed it but if you're not interested in food I can see it being a little tedious.
Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This was one of the best cozies I've read in awhile with a developed setting, interesting characters and a well plotted and well paced mystery. I'm really looking forward to the 2nd in the series!
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About the Author:
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.
Links:
Giveaway:
2 winners will get a paperback copy of Meet Your Baker, Chai Tea, designer baking liners and a Starbucks gift card.
Open to US addresses only.
Ends Jan. 21, 2015
Ends Jan. 21, 2015
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
The combination of mystery and a bakery as a setting sounds fun! I haven't read a lot of mysteries and am planning to read more this month, so I'll check this one out. And the fact you didn't figure out the killed within the first third of the book seems nice as well, I don't like it when a mystery plot is too predictable.
ReplyDeleteIf you like food this would be a great cozy to start with! I really enjoyed it!
DeleteDid this book make you hungry? I feel like that would be a major problem when reading. Lol.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's a cute read. Glad you really enjoyed it!
Happy reading!
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
Oh my I would've killed for a pastry! I was drooling!
DeleteIf I do read this, I'd likely end up skimming the food talk. :-) It sounds like this one has a lot of strengths though too. I am glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI don't think you will love it quite as much as I did if you don't care for the food but there's a lot of strengths!
DeleteI LOVED the setting! I only live 5 hours from Ashland so I'm looking forward to visiting this Spring or Summer! Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteOh I'm jealous! If I'm ever near there Ashland will definitely be on my list of places to visit though I'll be a little sad there isn't a real life Torte!
DeleteThank you for the great review of this cozy. Really whets my appetite to read it.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed it! I'm not sure what I enjoyed more - the mystery or the food!
DeleteThis looks like a fun read. I do love food in a plot.
ReplyDeleteOh me too! If a book involves a pastry chef that's almost irresistible to me!
DeleteThanks for the review. I haven't really read any stories like this before, so I think I'd really enjoy this book. :)
ReplyDeleteThis was a really good cozy! I definitely recommend it!
DeleteVery interesting blog. A lot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that attract others, but I'm most definitely interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope you do! It was a really fun read!
DeleteSounds like a fun book! I like the combination of baking and theater - especially since I was a theater geek in school, and I have a major sweet tooth. I may have to check this series out!
ReplyDeleteI think you would like this one Lark! I read this and then Twisted Thread so I'm in cozy heaven right now!
DeleteGood review, Katherine! I love the setting since I grew up in Oregon and have been to Ashland a number of times. It sounds like a good start for a mystery series.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one. I'd be curious to see how fictional Ashland compared to real Ashland. It's definitely on my to visit list!
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