Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies! Today I'll be sharing an adorable cozy mystery with you: Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander. It's the fifth installment in her Bakeshop Mystery Series.
According to Goodreads:
Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bakery where the pastries are delicious…and, now, suspicious.
It’s almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin’ at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules’ team whips up crèpes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year’s confectionery belle of the ball! Life couldn’t be sweeter—unless murder taints the batter.
Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for—literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead…right after sampling a slice of Jules’ decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?
My Review:
Juliet Montague Capshaw is my new favorite cozy mystery sleuth. She's living the dream in a Hallmark-Movie-worthy small town that hosts a world-renown Shakespeare Festival, and she has the best career in the world. She has recently had the surprise of her life as her estranged husband Carlos is visiting Ashland, and there is a glimmer of hope for them even though Carlos has been hiding a secret for the entirety of their marriage. She's also expanding her business: Things are looking up for Jules...until there's yet another murder with a connection to her business.
The mystery is fantastic. The deadly "murder weapon" is completely new to me, and I even read a few articles about it because it's very interesting. But even more than the mystery, what I truly adore about this book are the characters. Jules's friend Lance is so much fun (every girl needs a Lance in her life), and the support she has from her mom and her dream team at Torte (Andy, Julie, and Stephanie) are as entertaining as they are reliable. Told in the first person, I love Jules's voice. I enjoyed this mystery so much that I intend to read all of them soon. The titles are fun, aren't they!
This is the sixth installment that will be released in June of this year.
It makes me happy when I find a cozy mystery series, especially during the winter and horse show season which begins this weekend. I also want to mention that the book has several tasty recipes to try, and I've decided to surprise my older daughter with a Mango Chai Latte Friday.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Fudge and Jury from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Have you read any fun cozy mysteries lately? If so, please share in the comments section!
Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill
These are my kind of books Ricki Jill, I love a tasty murder mystery! I recently read the Coincidence of Coconut Cake and loved it, thank you!! I also love finding a new series, this sounds like a fun one!
ReplyDeleteI love when books include recipes - it is just a bit of extra fun for me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.