Catch Me If You Candy - Cozy Mystery Review

 Goodreads:   Catch Me If You Candy (A Bakeshop Mystery #17) by Ellie Alexander

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Halloween has arrived in picturesque Ashland, Oregon, and all of the ghouls and goblins have descended on Main Street for the annual parade. It’s a giant street party and Torte is right in the mix.

Jules Capshaw and her team have been baking up autumn delights and trick-or-Torte bags filled with sugar cookie cutouts, spiced cider, and mummy munch. It’s the end of the season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which means that the costumes for the parade are going to be out of this world. The elaborate guises even extend to pets. The grand marshal of this year’s parade is no other than a regal pug aptly named King George. Jules is delighted to get to share the experience with Carlos and Ramiro, but things take a dark turn when she discovers a dragon slumped in front of the bakeshop.

Jules is distraught when she realizes the dragon is dead. She’s also shaken because a few days before the parade, her mother's Mahjong partner Helen discovered a warning note about a dragon in an antique game set. Jules hopes it’s just a random coincidence, but as the clues begin to unfold it becomes evident that there’s been a murder on All Hallow’s Eve. Can Juliet sift out the truth before the killer comes after her?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This is one of my favorite series so of course I have to pick up the newest book!

My Impression:  I really enjoyed this book which wasn't a big surprise as this series has been a winner for me from the very first book.  I really enjoyed spending Halloween in Ashland and it being Ramiro's first American Halloween was an extra bit of fun.  Mixed in with all the Halloween fun is more than a little drama between two canine actors and their very devoted owners.  

The food descriptions are absolutely amazing and make me wish that Torte was a real place.  I love the characters in this book.  They've had a nice amount of growth as the series has gone on but not so much that they are unrecognizable.  I also like seeing a bit more of Jules' mom as she finds her footing in her new retired life.  

There were a few issues with pacing as the mystery developed and I can't say that this was my favorite book in the series partly because of this.  That said, this was a fun read with lots of Halloween fun, great characters, and an interesting mystery.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I've enjoyed every book I've read by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy foodie cozy mysteries this series is a must read.  You could jump in with this book with no issue but I think it'd be even better if you started earlier in the series so you could get to know the characters.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *