A Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
18th in Series
Setting – Oregon
St. Martin’s Paperbacks (February 20, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250854423
ISBN-13 : 978-1250854421
Kindle ASIN : B0C1X6KS2Q
Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!
The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain and Jules can’t wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.
The annual competition is a favorite amongst snow lovers. Contestants strap makeshift dummies to skis and send them hurling down a death-defying ski jump in hopes of catching big air. The team at Torte is in the mix this year with their own replica of a tiered cake and a baker who closely resembles their fearless leader. It’s a fun and festive atmosphere as dummies sail past the crowd to huge cheers and applause. Until one of the dummies takes a deadly detour and lands atop Fitz Baskin.
Fitz is a guide on the mountain and his icy dealings have made for frosty relationships with everyone he encounters. Suddenly there are more suspects than snowdrifts as Jules dives into the investigation. She unearths a web of secrets and motives that threaten to shake the rustic mountain lodge to its core. Can she catch the killer before they strike again, or will the truth be buried forever under fluffy layers of fresh snow?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Winter in Ashland Oregon means there are all kinds of fun things to do, especially if you go up on Mount A where you will find a rustic lodge, backcountry trails, skiing, a moonlight snowshoe tour, and this weekend, the annual Downhill Dummy Competition. Jules is excited to share everything with Ramiro’s family as they arrive from Spain.
Jules has prepared a meal of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour but their evening doesn’t end the way Jules had hoped. The group is still planning to return to see the Downhill Dummy Competition the next day. Several groups including Jules’ Torte staff have created an entry for the event. It has been kept a secret from Jules but she is delighted to see the tiered cake with a baker who looks just like her attached to skis hit the ski jump and come flying down the hill.
The last entry hits the slope but it barrels down the hill and lands on top of Fitz Baskin, a guide on the mountain who has ruffled more than a few feathers. Jules finds herself in the thick of the investigation into who caused the dummy to go off course and kill the man. She finds plenty of suspects, secrets, and motives that could change everything on her beloved mountain.
Can Jules find the killer? or will the winter wonderland loved by so many be gone forever?
All my favorite characters return in this 18th Bakeshop Mystery with fun and interesting things happening in their lives. They have all enjoyed having Ramiro for the school year but now his mother, Sophia, stepfather, Luis, and twelve-year-old sister, Marta, are coming to Ashland to ring in the new year. Jules was a bit nervous but she and Sophia’s friendship has grown as they have been communicating regularly about Ramiro, his school activities, and how much it has meant to have him be able to spend so much time with his dad and Jules. Jules has such a big heart so the way she welcomed them, made them feel at home, and planned fun things for them to do was not unexpected. Ms. Alexander has created such genuine characters that is very easy to get invested in their lives.
The author blended an intriguing mystery with what was happening in the community and Jules’s life. The mystery was interesting but harder to solve as the suspect’s backgrounds are revealed slowly throughout the book. One character felt off to me from the start and as I continued reading my suspicions became more firm. Then, a nice twist lead to the big reveal where all my clues slid right into place. This was a fun one with so many things happening over the course of just a few days.
I always enjoy my little trips to Ashland and all the events. With the theatre dark for the winter, the murder and mayhem moved to the mountains. The Downhill Dummy, sans the murder, and the Moonlight Snowshoe Tour both sounded like good times. Of course, a lot of yummy food was made and eaten. Good thing the calories don’t transfer from the book, but they do give me cravings for things to try here at home. This time cheesecake was calling my name loudly.
I enjoyed the ending so much. Friendship and fellowship always stir up good feelings. Jule’s thoughts for the new year were heartwarming with things always evolving in her life. She feels changes coming and she realizes that she is ready for whatever that means as long as she is surrounded by family and friends. Something I find very true in my life.
A Smoking Bun was a captivating cozy mystery filled with characters that feel more like old friends with each book in this series. I am excited to return to Ashland to see what Ms. Alexander has planned for Jules and her friends and family next. Sticks and Scones is set to be released on August 20, 2024.
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About the Author
Ellie Alexander (aka Kate Dyer-Seeley), 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. She is the author of the Bakeshop Mysteries, including Meet Your Baker and A Batter of Life and Death, as well as the Sloan Krause mysteries.
Author Links – Website Facebook Twitter Instagram GoodReads
Coming August 20, 2024
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
