Weekend Book Reviews

Mistletoe Cake Murder by Lena Gregory is the fifth book in the All Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series.   The All Day Breakfast Cafe series is one of my very favorites, and this book did not disappoint.  Gia and Savannah are in the final preparations of Savannah's wedding.  The tasting with the caterer is interrupted by an arguing trio - a bride, her son, and her husband to be.  When the fussy bride is found murdered, they add "solve a mystery" to their to do list.  The suspects are many, and time is running out to solve the mystery or be out a caterer for the wedding.  It is a fun, slightly romantic holiday themed book.

Ellie Alexander's Bake, Borrow, and Steal is the fourteenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series.   Juliet and the staff at Torte are challenged with creating all of the food for a gala unveiling a lost work by William Shakespeare.  As if that were not enough she also has to create a working desk made entirely of chocolate.  Against all odds everything comes together except the unveiling of the manuscript which has been swapped for a forgery.  That discovery is quickly followed by an attempted murder and an actual murder.  The best parts of this book were the descriptions of the food and the town.  The identity of the murderer was a bit too obvious in this particular book.  Still I love a good visit to Torte and will be back for the next book.

Strawberries and Crime by Elle Brooke White is the second book in the Finn Family Farm Mystery series.  This is a very lighthearted, laid back, cozy mystery.  For me with this book and these characters, it works just fine.  Charlotte is settling in as the owner of Finn Family Farm.  She has her hands full with strawberry season which is about to be ruined by a blight.  Worse than that is a murder of the only farmer not affected by the blight.  There is a fair amount of silliness which I appreciate.  I do read to escape after all, and Finn Family Farm is the perfect escape.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews.  I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own!