Agatha Frost's Pancakes and Corpses
598262
The Peridale Cafe is a new venture for Julia
South.
Julia has returned home after living with her
soon to be ex-husband. He packed her bags,
left them on the doorstep and changed the
locks. Julia had always dreamt of opening
her own cafe and decided to move back home
and go for it.
Julie lives with her cat, Mowgli. Julia sister,
Sue and her Aunt Dot live in Peridale.
Julia manages to stumble onto a murder scene.
She is determined to figure out the culprit
before her new neighbor, Detective Inspector
Barker Brown does. The person murdered was
a customer at her cafe who routinely ordered
pancakes with fresh fruit as a topping.
Then a second murder occurs!!!
While all this is happening, Julia's cafe is being
robbed of bake goods. She doesn't report it
to the police instead sets up a scheme to catch
the culprit in the act.
A good cast of relatable characters, some quirky,
some hiding secrets but a group you want to
visit again. The fluid description made the
reader part of the small town atmosphere.
Combine mystery, suspense, adventure with
twists and turns plus a touch of romance for
a good read.
1833533
I have always enjoyed a story by Agatha Christie.  She has earned the reputation as one of the world's most popular writers.

"Towards Zero" starts off with a group of lawyers talking about a recent acquittal.  A senior lawyer makes the observation that murder is often the result of careful planning and unforeseen events.  He calls the time of the actual murder the "Zero Hour."

With this as the background we read the thoughts of a man who has been planning to kill someone.  We have the vaguest of hints as to the coming murder, but we don't have enough information to know who this man is or who he plans to kill.  Then we are introduced to a group of people.  We get to know them, their fears, and their follies.  Two people die.  The police are called in.  We're walked through their thoughts and findings until finally the murderer is uncovered and justice prevails.

Good mysteries are a kind of puzzle.  We have pieces which we try to fit together.  More and more pieces are revealed through the story.  A well done mystery concludes with the author putting in the last piece and the reader is satisfied.  Agatha Christie does this in "Toward Zero."

All in all this is a very pleasant story.  I had trouble putting it down.  If you like Agatha Christie stories I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
3117657
Gemma Rose, owner of The Little Stables Tearoom in the Cotswold village of Meadowford-on-Smythe, is excited to be doing her first catering job, even though it is for a funeral. Rex Clifford has passed, even though it appears his widow, Adele Clifford is feeling no loss. There is a major dust up at the funeral when the daughter, Rachel, suddenly disinherited, and the wife, Adele meet up.

That is nothing to when a stranger walks in and suddenly it appears that there may be another sibling from of all places, China. Gemma doesn't know what to make of this family, but she is receiving rave revues about her pastries. That is until...Adele falls face down into a pudding!

This book involves everyone we have grown to like in this series...the Old Biddies, Cassie, Mr. and Mrs. Rose, Devlin O'Connor, and of course our Muesli. New characters abound and you find that one you dislike instantly, and the other, just as cute, if not cuddly, as muesli.

There is a slight cross-over of the characters from Ms. Hanna's other well-received series "Bewitched By Chocolate" and the interaction was delightful.

This is a true British cozy murder mystery. Well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable to read. Give both series a read.

This book was gifted to me by the Author as an ARC. This had no effect on my review outside of my Thanks to the Author for thinking of me.
3748655
1st in a cozy mystery series.  Daphane is a cake decorator who stumbles on her neighbor's dead body.  Police decides the neighbor was murdered and Daphane begins to investigate, putting herself in harm's way.  Good mystery and good characters, I will continue with this series.  I borrowed this book from my public library.
3263801
I love Agatha Raisin, and am always excited when a new book comes out.  This is a good one for sure.  In it we have Agatha and her crew investigating a series of really gruesome deaths.  It takes them all over the place, including Las Vegas.  As they bumble along they uncover a sophisticated theft ring, bent coppers and fledgling meth labs.  What fun!  And through it all we have the intrepid Agatha.  She is a wonderful character that I have come to enjoy through Ms. Beaton's many books.  She is still truly the Queen of the Village Cozy genre.  And I love being along for the ride.
1656358
Agatha Christie serves up mayhem in six well-plotted stories.  Originally released in 1960 at a time when an annual "Christie for Christmas" had become an anticipated tradition for the reading public, the famous author broke with tradition and gave readers a novella length new Poirot tale which was used for the title and combined it with four older Poirot stories and one older Miss Marple story.

"The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding," according to the author's own foreword, recalls the pleasurable Christmases of her own at her brother-in-law's home (Abney Hall) in the north of England.  Christie was enchanted by huge country house Christmases that included stockings at the bed in the morning, the Church service with all the Christmas hymns, a dinner of gargantuan proportions, presents, and the final Lighting of the Tree.  Even in her older years, this was still a wonderful memory to her so she dedicated this book to the hostess who gave her such fond memories.  In this tale Poirot experiences these same treats as he pursues a red ruby stolen by a young woman who has stolen it and the affections of a prince betrothed to a woman in his own country.  In a secondary plot, the master sleuth also manages to intervene in the romance of his host's granddaughter and avert a practical joke in the form of a mock murder.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest," is a longer version of "The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest," originally published in 1939. In this Poirot and his erstwhile companion Hastings become involved in the murder of a man whose stabbed body is found stuffed inside the elaborate chest of a man rumored to be the lover of the dead man's wife.

"The Under Dog," originally published in 1951, concerns Lily Margrave, paid companion to Lady Astwell.  She seeks Poirot's help in solving the murder of her employer's husband who has been killed in the tower of his estate.  Though all circumstances point to a nephew who has argued with the deceased, the widow is sure someone else killed her husband.

"Four and Twenty Blackbirds," originally published in 1950, is the tale of a murder concerning eating habits.  While dining one evening, Poirot notices a lone man whom he discovers has been eating at this restaurant every Tuesday and Thursday night for a decade.  When he learns the diner came in on Monday night the week before, his little gray cells are activated and he is soon on the trail of a murder.

"The Dream," originally published in 1939, features a reclusive and eccentric millionaire who summons Poirot to his home to interpret his recurring nightmare of committing suicide.  An usual request for the dapper detective, but one which he handles with aplomb.

"Greenshaw's Folly" had appeared previously in a magazine in 1957 but this is its first publication in book form.  It is also the lone Miss Marple story in this collection.  Raymond West, Miss Marple's novelist nephew, is travelling with a literary critic whose hobby is collecting architectural monstrosities on film.  The two visit Greenshaw's Folly, a hideous Victorian mansion now occupied by Miss Greenshaw, a spinster who is the last of the Greenshaw family. West arranges for his wife's niece to help Miss Greenshaw edit her grandfather's diaries and while doing so, the niece witnesses the brutal murder-by-arrow of Miss Greenshaw.  The gardener, an avid archery buff, is accused, but it will take Miss Marple's acute perceptions of people to solve this murder.
2865289
The Pancake House Mystery series is off to a great start. I really enjoyed the Crepes of Wrath. The author starts off strong with the introduction of the protagonist Marley and some of the other main characters. They are very well developed and it feels like they are all friends, even though Marley has only been there a few weeks while her cousin Jimmy recuperates from pneumonia at the local hospital. When he checks himself out of the hospital early and comes home by taxi, disaster strikes as his body is found on the nearby rocks. With Sheriff Ray determining it was murder, Marley is thrown into a mystery. Marley is a great character, she is smart, strong, kind yet at a crossroads in her life. It is easy to see how she attracts so many new friends and fits into this lovely seaside community so well. With some red herrings thrown in, the mystery is well written, although I did figure out who the murderer was quite early in the story. This is a great introduction to a new series and I will be checking out he rest of them. There are also some great pancake recipes at the back of the book that I am going to try out. A great book for cozy mystery lovers, but make sure you already eat before you read it.
1258822
It's 4:30 on a cold February morning.  Goldie's husband, Tom, is out of town on police business.  Someone shoots out the front window of the house.  Not a pleasant way to wake up.  The scene then shifts to a transplanted castle where Goldie has two scheduled catering events coming up.  Descriptions of the old English castle were a little tedious in the beginning, but later proved to be essential to the mystery, so I'm glad I paid attention.  A map would have been helpful.  This was actually a very good mystery.  Plenty of separate investigations for Goldie to pursue.  I have to agree with some of the other reviewers here, that the characters do seem to be turning a little stale.  I wish Goldie would stop referring to her ex-husband as The Jerk.  It just seems rather juvenile.  The recipes, as always, sound scrumptious.  I didn't think I would be interested in recipes for the Elizabethan period, but Davidson has presented them in an updated form.  For instance, Kidney Pie has been turned into Shakespeare's Steak Pie.  I'm anxious to give that and the Plum Tart a try.  I guess this would be described as a "cozy mystery".  It was enjoyable, if not exactly riveting.  As Goldie finds comfort in food prep, I find comfort in reading about it.
3620684
Marcia Muller, Trophies and Dead Things (Mysterious Press, 1990)
Sharon McCone (in her tenth appearance) has what seems like a routine probate; a well-known Northern California activist and Vietnam War protestor (and acquaintance of her boss), Perry Hilderley, has died. While going through his things, McCone finds a superseded copy of his will, disinheriting his (divorced) wife and their sons, and leaving all of his assets to be divided equally among four people who seemingly have no connection at all to Hilderley. Who are they, and what connection did they have to him?
Muller is often referred to as the founding mother of the hardboiled female detective. All well and good, except there's not much hardboiled here. (My definition: a hardboiled detective is in true physical danger at any point during the story. Otherwise, it's a cozy.) Granted, everyone around McCone is in danger at least once, and some of them wind up dead, but she takes an almost Miss Marple attitude towards this at times; let's get them out of danger, give them a cup of tea, and get back to solving this mystery.
Not that a well-written cozy isn't a lot of fun, and this is a well-written cozy. It does get a bit slow now and again, but like the mysteries of Robert Parker, the McCone novels are that wonderful type of series where the background soap-opera-style info merges so seamlessly with what's going on that you can hop in at any point in the series and be caught up on what's gone on before in a few pages, tops. And it doesn't get in the way of the present story, which is the all-important rule in writing series novels.
If the book does have a failing, and this is something that the individual reader will have to decide, it's in the mystery itself. There really isn't much of a mystery, and Muller lays that on the table from the get-go. The main question here is about what the four beneficiaries of Hilderley's will have in common, and there are enough hints in the opening pages to give you an idea of what will be in the closing ones. But getting there is half the fun, and Muller gives us a wonderful cast of characters to ride with. In other words, with not much mystery and not much danger, Trophies and Dead Things has more of a feel of Jane Smiley than Agatha Christie to it; I had no problems at all with that. Others may disagree. But whatever it is, it's fun. ***
4608896
So recently I got some good deals on Amazon & Barnes & Noble gift certificates.

So, what did I buy?

Well, books of course!

I decided to try out this new baking/cooking mystery series.

Recently, I reviewed the first book in the series, A Peach of a Murder.

Today I will be reviewing the second:

Murder By The Slice by Livia J. Washburn

As I said, this is the second book in Livia J. Washburn's A Fresh-Baked Mystery series.

You can read my review of the first book A Peach of a Murder, here:  [...]

In the second book in the series, Murder By The Slice, we have many of the same characters:  Phyllis, Sam, & Carolyn.

Phyllis and Carolyn get roped into helping a local school put on their fall carnival fundraiser.  They are in charge of running the bake sale, and decide to do something a little more exciting:  a healthy-snack competition that carnival-goers can vote on, and a cake decorating auction.

Of course, once again, Carolyn and Phyllis become competitive with each other as they both want to win the snack competition and raise the most money with their cake being auctioned off.

As the carnival plans progress, Phyllis and Carolyn are forced to work with the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) that usually puts on the event.  It wouldn't be so bad except that the president of the PTO, Sharon, is quite a witch, with a capital B.  She never has anything nice to say, criticizes everyone, and is generally unpleasant.  The other members of the PTO dislike her and Carolyn and Phyllis too are not fans.

The day of the carnival arrives, despite the difficulties of working with Shannon, and just as the cake auction is about to begin a piercing scream disrupts the event, sending the attendees into a panic.  The cause of the scream?  Sharon Durston was found, dead, with a stab wound, and everyone is a suspect...

Will Phyllis and Sam again be able to solve this mystery?  Or will this killer be even more desperate than the last putting their own lives in severe danger?

Read Murder By The Slice to find out!

This was a cute second book in the series.  I enjoyed the characters in the first book, and am glad that this book too had the same characters.  While some series switch characters each book, this one does not, and Phyllis is very likeable.

I can't say this is my favorite baking mystery series though, but it definitely wonderful for a cute, fast read.  If you like baking recipes especially ones with unique recipes this would be a great series for you to try.  Also, it hasn't been easy for me to guess the outcome, so I think that aspect of the book is good too.  It's almost a bummer when you can guess the culprit from early on!

Also, while not an overwhelming theme in the book, the characters are Christian making this a Christian baking series.

Chances are I will read the next book in the series because it is enjoyable, but I won't be going out of my way to buy the next book immediately since there are some other things I would prefer to read first.

3.5 out of 5 stars.  Liked it, but not the most amazing series I've read.
4626781
The Mystery Writers of America Wickedly Good Meals And Desserts to Die For is a cookbook that everyone is going to want in their kitchen. This cookbook, edited by Kate White, is broken down in the usual manner: Breakfast, Appetizers, Soups and Salads, Entrees, Side Dishes, Desserts, and Cocktails. What's fascinating about this book is that all the recipes are from fantastic mystery writers. Over one hundred to be exact. The first recipe I came across--rum soaked Nutella French toast--told me this was a cookbook that a novice like me could master.

Each recipe is proceeded by a little history as to why the author chose to include it in this cookbook. This aspect gives it a personal touch that every reader can appreciate. White also includes a homage to departed authors such as Agatha Christie and P.D. James, as well as some fascinating facts on the art of murder and food. I also can't fail to mention the delicious photos taken of some of the recipes finished results. They will make you want to lick the page--but don't. It's just paper.

If you buy one cookbook this year, The Mystery Writers of America Wickedly Good Meals And Desserts to Die For should be it!
2189737
These tales, nicely set in a sepia-toned bygone era of London, are definitely what would be classified as "Cozy Mysteries". They're quick reads with snappy dialog (with all the somewhat pretentious politeness one might expect from people in this particular time and place) and I was at first a bit taken aback by the amount of detail Blacker included in the descriptive passages. The story entitled "Heartless" is a prime example. Several passengers, including Lady Marmalade, are on a train (and, by the way, you can practically hear the clickety-clack of the old passenger train rolling down the track and feel the jostling of the cars from side to side as you make your way down the narrow passage way to the dining car). At one point in the story, several people are in the dining car. The narrative describes in detail who is sitting next to whom, who sat down first, who exchanged their seat with whom, who ordered what off the menu, and who is saying what to whom in what seems like unimportant chit chat, and so on. Even little, seemingly inconsequential things are described: * She had taken her napkin and was folding it over her lap. * But I quickly learned that all of this is part of the fun. You know something's going to happen, someone's going to be killed, or something valuable is going to be stolen. When the crime happens, it becomes Lady Marmalade's job to figure out who done it. Now, suddenly, all of those details leading up to this point become crucial to solving the crime. So here's the deal: Are you as observant as Lady Marmalade? You've been given all the clues. You know as much about the situation as she does. Can you beat Lady Marmalade to the punch and finger the culprit? I dare ya.
1149117
Another wonderful installment (# 6) in the Peridale Cafe series.  Julia's life is coasting along nicely.  Her bakery is a success, there is romance in her life... life is good.  Then a coffee and donut franchise comes to town Even worse, partner in the business is the ex-husband she neglected to tell her current beau Barker, about. Everything comes crashing down when the owner of the donut shop is murdered and Julia finds herself as the main suspect. A well written story with quite a twist at the end.  Agatha Frost weaves a wonderful mystery in a quaint village with truly likeable albeit quirky characters,
1077715
Pastry chef and owner of Zydeco, Rita is back for another adventure. This time it is Mardi Gras time and Rita is trying to get into the swing of things, especially after her almost-ex-husband's death recently. When her Uncle Nestor and Aunt Yolander turn up unexpectantly for a visit, things turn ugly when her uncle and one of the guests have words. When said guest, Big Daddy Boudreaux, turns up dead the police automatically look at her Uncle Nestor as a suspect. It's up to Rita to try and clear his name.

This is one of those series that I squee-ed and ahh-ed over the first book in the series. While I do enjoy most first novels in a mystery series, I simply loved this one. It had all my favorite things - a cute town, a murder mystery and delectable culinary goodness. I was so thrilled that the second book in this series was as enjoyable a read.

Rita Lucero certainly had a lot on her plate in A Sheetcake Named Desire (the first book in the series) and it seems life has not calmed down one iota for her. But she handles everything with style and breeze, as she tries to find Big Daddy's murderer and handle things at the bakery.

I managed to solve the murder just before Rita, and this was a great, suspenseful page turner. I definitely can't wait until the next book, Arsenic and Old Cake, is released in February, 2013.
4116728
I have always enjoyed the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series.  I thought there were too many dead bodies in this book.  It seemed like Mel was always finding dead bodies everywhere they turned while planning Angie and Tate's wedding.  it wasn't a bad book but just not as interesting as the others in this series but I still enjoyed it.
314884
Jessica is a bit of a snip who is out to antagonize land owners for the historic right-of-way through their fields.  Just after meeting with her group of walkers, her body is found in the field with her head smashed in.  Naturally, this intrigues Agatha who decides to join the group of "ramblers" in an effort to solve the murder of Jessica.  As always, this is a well written who-done-it by M.C. Beaton.  Figuring out who the perpetrator is will take you clear to the end of this book and keep you guessing.
1199939
A fun mystery in a style I'd call "Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen:" murder, but no gore; polite interviews and lots of deductive reasoning unsullied by forensic procedures. It seems very old-fashioned and sweet. I especially love it that the narrator addresses comments to the "Dear Reader."