3.5 stars: Catch Me If You Candy is the 17th book in the Bakeshop Mystery Series, set in Ashland Oregon. Jules is the owner of Torte, the local bakeshop and café. It is Halloween time and lots of costumed people and pets are dressed up for the annual parade. There is even a dragon as part of the festivities. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is winding down, with just one more production to go. The last performances will have a dog, and the honor goes to King George, a pug belonging to a friend of Jules' mother. Torte's staff has been baking up a storm to have goodie bags available for sale. The day is wonderful with lots of fun, until the dragon is found slumped against the door of Torte, the man inside dead. He is the local dog trainer that has been working with King George and others whose owners were hoping their dogs would be chosen for the part. The curious thing about the death was a note found in the drawer of an antique majong set that predicted the death of a dragon. Who is responsible for the murder and why?

I have enjoyed this series, but for some reason, this one didn't hold my interest as much as the ones in the past. I missed some of my favourite characters in this one, and something fell flat for me. There seemed to be a lot going on in this one and it seemed disconnected at times. The mystery was interesting and there was more than one suspect. Of course motive is what will point to the culprit, but it took right until the end to find it. There were a few twists and some red herrings until the crime is solved. This one has a lot of new characters as well, and I missed some of the regulars in the series. Overall, this was a quick read, with an interesting mystery.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC of Catch Me If You Candy! All opinions in this review are my own.

Catch Me If Your Candy is a solid cozy mystery. It is well-paced and has enough suspects to keep you guessing throughout the story. This was my first Bakeshop Mystery but it won't be my last!

I love visiting Ashland and Torte along with Jules and the other characters. This particular story line felt a bit "off" to me. I am not sure if it was the mystery or the extra characters involved in it. While the book was enjoyable and dealt with my favorite holiday, I just did not love it as much as previous books. I will still be back for the next installment of the series and hope things are back on track.

Wonderful series that just gets better. The characters have really developed and I like to read what they are all doing. Highly recommend this series!

A delightful cozy mystery! I enjoyed it very much. If you enjoy mysteries or stories with an amateur sleuth, and do not need the graphic reality with descriptions of gore and violence, this is a good choice. You can follow the clues to solve the mystery without any threat of nightmares.

I have been provided with a review copy of Catch Me If You Candy from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I was so disappointed to turn the last page and I immediately wanted more. I can’t wait to see what's next from this author.

Catch Me if You Candy is the 17th book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series and the third one I’ve read. Out of the gate, I can tell you that you can jump into the series at any point without getting lost. The more you get to know the cast of characters, the town of Ashland, Oregon, and its surroundings, the more you’ll want to return. Catch Me if You Candy takes place at Halloween and, of course, the whole town turns out and everyone is ready to make a splash. The creative staff of Jules Capshaw’s bake shop, Torte, whips up Halloween-themed treats. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is wrapping up its season and this year’s parade will feature costumed canine actors whose owners are fighting to be the top dog.

With all these festivities, it’s no wonder a murderer was able to make their move in plain sight – and right in front of Torte – making Jules feel responsible for solving the crime. Fortunately, she’s got plenty of help. Start this series anywhere. You’ll find yourself backtracking to see what you missed.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Catch Me If You Candy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun cozy coinciding with Halloween, my favorite holiday!


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ellie Alexander's "Catch Me If You Candy" is a delightful romp through Halloween in Ashland, Oregon, where sugarcoated treats meet chilling murder on Main Street. Jules Capshaw, owner of the Torte bakeshop, finds herself in the center of a macabre mystery when a costumed dragon collapses dead outside her door. With a cryptic warning note as the only clue, Jules, along with her trusty team and a dash of family drama, embarks on a quest to unmask the killer before things get a little too sour.

Witty as a Buttercream Quip: Alexander's writing is both charming and funny, liberally sprinkled with puns and references to Shakespearean plays that feel perfectly at home in the setting of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The dialogue is snappy and engaging, making even the most mundane scenes a pleasure to read.

A Mystery with Layers Like a Croissant: The whodunit aspect of the story is well-paced and intriguing. Clues are cleverly hidden and red herrings aplenty, keeping you guessing until the satisfyingly twisty reveal. However, the focus isn't solely on the mystery; the character relationships and personal journeys add depth and emotional resonance to the narrative.

A Cast of Quirky Characters: The characters are truly the icing on the cake in this cozy mystery. Jules is endearingly flawed yet relatable, and her supporting cast – from the sassy Ramiro to the ever-worried Carlos – is a colorful bunch that provides plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments.

Not Just Spooky, but Sweet: While the mystery and Halloween setting provide the chills, the heart of the story lies in the warmth of community and the joy of baking. The descriptions of the delicious treats from Torte are enough to make your mouth water, adding a touch of whimsy to the darker elements.

I absolutely LOVED this newest installment of the bakeshop series! We finally have a Halloween book in Ashland! It was glorious!

This was a fun seasonal read. I thought the MC was likable and believable. Sometimes in cozy mysteries like this one, I find the pacing to be too slow, but I didn't find that to be the case with this one. I enjoyed it and will read the other books in the series.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Book 17 in the series and I have not read the others. I think it stood alone okay. Defiantly cozy, instead of thriller, for a murder mystery. The Halloween theme is heavy, so better to read in October than December.

As someone who has been invested in this series since the first book, I was excited to see Ashland during Halloween. The atmosphere of Ashland never ceases to disappoint. The small town is filled to the brim with people who go out of their way to make every event within the city something special. The amount of details really made the town come to life once again. Jules and her team are once again a vital part of bringing so much of the life into the town events. The food that comes out of torte sounded wonderful, but there were times when the amount of details started to detract from the rest of the story.

This book seemed to focus on the growth and development of the town more than showing development in the storylines of our main characters. It was interesting to see glimpses of all of the characters and their lives, but I would have loved to see a few of them move forward in their lives. There are simply too many characters to keep track of that are really easy to become invested in. Jules and Carlos are at such an interesting point in their relationship at his point and I love seeing them in their daily lives. However, I really needed more of my favorite character, Lance.

The mystery is another part that should have been front and center of the book, but it felt disjointed and forced. There were times when I found myself having to take a moment to remember what was happening and who the suspects actually were. It felt as if there were meant to be other plotlines as the focus of the story, but as the story progressed, those points were dropped. The ending felt forced and abrupt, and I was left wanting more.

⅗ stars for another book that left me hungry!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved seeing Jules and the crew, but seeing a body after a parade when she and Carlos are walking home puts a damper on that. I’m always trying to figure out the whodunnit with Jules, because my guesses are wrong lol! I loved seeing the progress of certain relationships in the bakery and a hint to more to come.

This book was sweet, cozy, and warm, with murder thrown in at the same time (haha). I really enjoyed all of the bakery descriptions and the small little town during fall time. I also have a pug so I really enjoyed reading about the dogs. In my opinion the murderer was a little random but I enjoyed the story none the less.

What a fun installment to an excellent series! The Torte crew continues to be one of my favorite cozy character groups. It's bittersweet to be all caught up with this series, but I'm so happy that there's another one coming out soon!!

The Halloween Parade, Spooky Treats, and Seasonal Drinks.. loved it!!

Book Review: Catch Me If You Candy: A Bakeshop Mystery
Stars: 3.5 of 5
Author: Ellie Alexander @ellie_alexander
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press @stmartinspress
Thank you @netgalley foe the ARC

Halloween has started in Ashland Oregon and everyone is descending onto Main Street for the annual Halloween Parade. Most everyone is in costume and a “victim” had been found right outside of Torte Bake Shop. An investigation begins and just as usual Jules and Carlos are right in the middle of it.

The story starts out well but ends up having too much going on. It was hard for me to keep up with the characters and all that was going on. I realize this may be because is it book 17 in the series and this is the first one I have read. The end was very interesting also somewhat predictable.

The book did fall a bit short for me but it is still a fun filled sweet Halloween mystery story.

I am excite that I found this series as I love a sweet good mystery series. I am ready to start reading book one and more. I also love the fact that the author lives in Northern California. Ellie Alexander is from the Pacific Northwest and many of her books are set in that geographic location. I love it as I know those areas very well.

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I was nervous about starting with #17 in a series but gave it a try. Plenty of descriptions to keep me from being lost and a fantastic story. Best part? There are 16 more of these - to date, I’ve gotten through the first 8 of the series now and reading them as quickly as I can. Great characters and best part is the continued development of characters in the series - love it!!

I'm a late joiner to this series but I've generally enjoyed each one and I found it very easy to pick up pretty late into the series. I didn't love this mystery as much as the previous ones I've read, as the dog actor storyline and the mahjong storyline seemed pretty disjointed and the book didn't evenly focus on them. This made the resolution of the mystery feel a bit random and quick. Regardless, the book definitely made me crave great tasting coffee, sweets and savory items so I'd recommend not reading this book when you're hungry.

I have read a few in this series. They are always well written and able to engage the reader. This time there’s a murder right in front of Juliet’s shop, Torte, on Halloween night. She feels it’s her duty to find out who
killed Anton the dog trainer. Can it be someone in the puparazzi?