ARC Review: Coconut Drop Dead by Olivia Matthews

Coconut Drop Dead
Author: Olivia Matthews
Series: Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (December 26, 2023)

Description: The case in Olivia Matthews's Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.

Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event’s food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She’s looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.

The day's festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay’s cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay’s help to make sure a killer faces the music.

My Thoughts: Lyndsay Murray and her family are busy with the Caribbean American Heritage Festival when Camille Abbey falls to her death down a flight of stairs. Camille is the lead singer of DratonFlyZ an up-and-coming reggae band. Lyndsay's cousin Manny was close to Camille and wanted to be closer. Lyndsay decides to look into the death to see if it was murder.

When Camille's death is judged to be murder, and the police seem to be taking their own sweet time to investigate, Lyndsay and her family decide to do their own investigations to answer their questions and help Manny grieve.

There are a number of suspects from the manager who was often at odds with Camille and the ex-boyfriend who was her fellow songwriter. Maybe the backup singer who was displaced for Camille had decided to get rid of the competition. 

Besides investigating, Lyndsay is also busy with the upsurge in business the festival brought her bakery and the new catering opportunities the festival also brought. She's also wondering about her relationship with detective Bryce Jackson who seems to want to date her. But she still hasn't forgiven him for thinking that she was a murderer and worse that her mother was. 

Lyndsay has changed a lot since she and her family opened the bakery. She has grown more self-confident and assertive. Successes at solving two mysteries have been good for her self-esteem, While this case has its complications, Lyndsay and her family are up to the task of solving the murder.

I enjoyed the vivid and colorful descriptions of the bakery with all of its wonderful spices. There were so many delicious sounding dishes served there. A couple of recipes are included at the end of this story. 

Favorite Quote:

"You're Lyndsay Murray the Grenadian Nancy Drew. I've read about you in the Beacon."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.