Source: Publisher
Description: Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, where theater director Lance’s production of Perfect Crime has been met with rave reviews. As with everything, Lance has put his own spin on the long-running Broadway classic, opting for an intimate staging and drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment on a stormy fall night where a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous crime scene feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce.
Life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains on the day of the soirée, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. But Jules and Lance are not to be deterred. After all, the show must go on. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. Once the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity, but when the lead actor stumbles in with a fatal stab wound, Jules wonders if she’s just witnessed the perfect murder.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I've been reading this series since the beginning and always pick up the newest release.
My Impression: I always look forward to my visits to Ashland, Oregon and the Torte crew and this was no exception. Fall is in full swing and Jules is preparing for maternity leave. This book focuses more on the theater side of Ashland with a toxic director and a whole host of actors and crew with some interesting and disturbing methods of working. When the director is found dead the only real surprise is how did he make it this long. Because this focuses on the theater side of things and because there are a number of temporary staff members (whose names we don't even learn) we don't get quite as much of the inside the bakery team feel. There are quite a number of yummy food descriptions and Andy's spiced lattes sound amazing!
There are quite a lot of misdirection and red herrings which makes for a fun investigation and I always enjoy anytime Lance is on the page. This series is heavy on the description and the small details and subplots. While this adds to the cozy community feel for longtime readers it can slow the pace and I would imagine be a bit tedious for readers who aren't already familiar with the Ashland world. This is a fun series with fabulous food descriptions and likable characters. While maybe not the best for standalone reading it is a consistently enjoyable series.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely - I've really enjoyed what I've read by this author and will continue to read her mysteries.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries this series is one you definitely need to try.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries this series is one you definitely need to try.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
No comments:
Post a Comment