Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: A Bakeshop Mystery (Book 18)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 20, 2024)
Description: 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?
My Thoughts: This is the eighteenth Bakeshop Mystery, but the first I have read. In this episode, Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain over the New Year. Jules is busy with her bakeshop and planning things for them to do and see.
Events at Mount A, the local ski resort, will feature prominently. But during a midnight snowshoe trek, they see a guide lead two people off the trail and see the ski patrol come to rescue them. The next day is a much anticipated event called the Downhill Dummy. Local groups and businesses create dummies to send down the ski jump in anticipation of spectacular crashes. But things go immediately wrong when the same guide who led his group off trail is hit by one of the dummies and killed.
Now Jules Capshaw needs to fit a murder investigation into her already packed schedule. She quickly learns that the resort is in financial trouble and plans a fundraiser to help the owner make payroll. But is the owner on the up and up? Or does she have a hidden agenda? And what about the woman wandering around with a clipboard? And the environmentalist willing to do anything to stop the resort from selling off some land for clear cutting?
This was an entertaining mystery with interesting characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. Newcomers, like me, will want to read other books in the series to learn more about these intriguing characters.
Favorite Quote:
Favorite Quote:
"Baking is my escape from grief. I can't quite put words to it, but the kitchen is where I seek solace. I thought that might change with time, but it hasn't. You know how they say that time heals all wounds? Don't believe that lie -- it doesn't." He ran his finger around his wedding ring, his voice cracking softly as he continues. "Time changes us. Time morphs us. But for those who have loved and lost, grief comes with us. So whenever I find myself overcome with sadness or flooded with memories, this is where I come too."I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
Was drawn in by the title!
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