Just in time for Halloween, a whodunit featuring sleuth bakeshop owner Juliet Montague Capshaw. Once again she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery when a man is murdered right in front of her bakeshop before/during/or after the annual Halloween parade. Prior to his murder, her friend Wendy found a creepy note in the expensive mahjong box she just bought from a local hospice shop. If Jules is going to get a good night's sleep, she is going to have to figure out how these two things intersect. I enjoyed getting to know the characters again, and the bakeshop goodies had me salivating.

Catch Me If You Candy takes us back to Jules's picturesque hometown of Ashland, Oregon. The Torte crew has just wrapped up a successful Halloween night when Jules runs into a dead body on her doorstep. Once again, she'll get herself into trouble while trying to solve the murder herself. Predictable, but delightful read from Ellie Alexander's bakeshop mystery series.

"Catch Me If You Candy" the 17th instalment in the A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. I really enjoyed this story, seeing Ramiro settling in to life and school in Ashland. Visiting Torte and Ashland is like coming home to old friends and family lots of fun with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Needless to say I cant wait for the next book.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Catch Me if You Candy was a nice way to welcome in the fall season. Set during Halloween, Ashland, Oregon, is closing down theatre season while looking forward to the next. Fierce competition among the animal stars runs rampant, could one be the killer of the dog trainer? Or is the killer connected to the note found in the Mahjong board? A nice read!

I love this series! Alexander continues to create pitch perfect cozies. The relationships between all the characters have continued to deepen and are so rich at this point. I wouldn’t have predicted who would be central to the community at the beginning of the series, which honestly delights me. The mystery here, which went in so many different directions and included a hilarious amount of dog-related shenanigans, is solid. Still understandable, but complicated enough to be engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. This is the second book in this series that I've read.

Juliet and the Torte bakery team are all excited about the town Halloween festival, which culminates in a huge costume parade.This year's grand Marshall is King George,a pug with thelead in the upcoming play in the by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. There's lot of drama surrounding how he won the role. After the parade, Juliet discovers a dragon lying in front of the bakeshop. This shakes her because earlier in the week, a note warning of the demise of a dragon was discovered in a friend's antique mahjong set. Juliet can't help but look into it. Can she figure it out with the help of her family and friends?

First, the food in this book sounds amazing. I wish there were recipes included.

The characters are enjoyable, and I like them a lot. The identity of the murderer was pretty clear to me early on, and the plot was convoluted to draw the reader away from the glaringly obvious killer. I'm not sure the likeable characters are enough to save the book and make me want to read more.

A cute cozy mystery, perfect for an autumn afternoon of reading. This title is one of a series of Bakeshop Mysteries, but can be read as a standalone. Lots of descriptions of baking. You may be hungry for a sweet treat after reading this one! Recommended for any lovers of cozy mysteries who want to add something fun to their Halloween TBR!

To my of thinking, this book's title would be better if it was entitled, "Catch Me If You Pastry". The book is centered around a delightfully sounding pastry shop/deli. The action is intriguing, and the author throws several red herrings you way. I'll not judge the book on the typos or missing words, as I was probably reading an unedited version. The thing I didn't care for was the page after page of detail describing how a recipe was made. I'm surprised that the actual recipes were not included. You can skip these pages and not miss a thing. The ending was wrapped up nicely and all questions were answered.

Set in Ashland, Oregon, the big tourist season is behind them and Halloween is upon them. Jules and her team at the bakery, Torte, do big things to celebrate the season. Taking time to watch the evening parade, Jules discovers a costumed individual dead in front of Torte. Investigations ensue. Many red herrings, lots of characters, many subplots. A resale shop, a classic mahjong set, dog actors and stage door dog moms and subsequent rivalries fill out the book. Jules continues to race out of the shop to confer with Lance, the theater director, about all manner of things.

This was not one of the better entries for this series - too many characters and plots to keep straight. Many subplots - it was difficult to keep all the alibis straight. As always the items being served at Torte sound divine.

Jules Capshaw is enjoying life in Ashland, Oregon. Her bakery is successful. She is married to the love of her life. And she has a rich circle of friends in this Shakespearean-oriented town.

Until one of her mother's friends finds a cryptic note predicting the death of a dragon. The murder occurs in front of Jules' shop during the famous Halloween festivities.

Jules sets out to determine who committed the murder. But that always seems to put the amateur detectives at risk.

My only criticism of this book was the inordinate amount of time spent describing in great detail how to make any product served in a bakeshop. I know that it's common in "cozy mysteries". But there can be too much of any good thing. When the details of baking begin to distract from the flow of the mystery, it's crossed the line.

But that's a minor complaint. Overall, this book was well written. The characters are interesting and well-developed. The solution wasn't a huge shocker, but it wasn't transparent. I highly recommend this book. You might get some great recipes in the process!

I really liked this book, especially because the murder Happens on Halloween and Halloween is my favourite time of the year. I also read the first book about the bakery and its owner.

I was given the opportunity by NetGalley and Minotaur Books to read an advanced reader’s copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by this author I have read. I love holiday-themed cozy mysteries and this ranks high in ones I would consider to be top-notch. It’s a good story with lots of interesting characters:

I’ll definitely read more in this series.

This one was so good! I think what I loved the most about this story was the atmosphere and all the descriptions of the Halloween decorations and festivities. It put me in such a fall mood and it made my heart happy! I loved being with the Torte crew again and can’t wait for the next one!

Jules and Company are back for a seventeenth installment of the Bakeshop Mysteries, this time set at Halloween! Jules' husband is sweet, her friends are wonderful, and the food is delicious. What could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately, murder! Someone is found dead on Halloween night, and Jules wants to get to the bottom of the crime. Clues abound, but it's up to Jules and her crew to figure out what TRULY happened on Halloween night. One thing's for sure: you'll be "dying" to find out! Jules and Company are back for a seventeenth installment of the Bakeshop Mysteries, this time set at Halloween! Jules husband is sweet, her friends are wonderful, and the food is delicious. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, murder! Someone is found dead on Halloween night, and Jules wants to get to the bottom of the crime. Clues abound, but it's up to Jules and her crew to figure out what truly happened on Halloween night. One things for sure: you'll be "dying" to find out! 😄

This was my first foray into the Bakeshop Mysteries, and was THOROUGHLY charmed. It made me want to have people over for dinner... or at least coffee and pastries. The entire ensemble cast was entertaining. I worried that, as a new reader, I'd be lost with all of the characters, but that was rarely the case. The descriptions of the food, including the preparation, were SO MUCH FUN. Fall is my favorite season, and I had a blast reading about beautiful fall scene after beautiful fall scene! As a usual romance reader, I appreciated the sweet scenes between Jules and her husband Carlos. It was lovely!

The mystery element of this story was entertaining as well! Pretty easy to follow with a satisfying conclusion. It kept me guessing until the end, which was suspenseful! I will 100% be back to Ashland to enjoy another of Ellie Alexander's Bookshop Mysteries!

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Catch Me If You Candy: A Bakeshop Mystery
By Ellie Alexander
Minotaur
August 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

In the Shakespeare-themed tourist-attracting town of Ashland Oregon, locals are preparing for the fall Oregon Shakespeare Festival with an over-the-top street parade and extraordinary Halloween costumes. Torte bakeshop owner Juliet Montague Capshaw is in the midst of preparations for their trick-or-Torte pastry-filled Halloween bags, and she’s thrilled to be introducing her stepson Ramiro to his first experience of their exuberant celebrations. Even pets are getting involved in the activities, since the parade grand marshal and contender for a lead role in the next Oregon Shakespeare Festival play is King George, an adorable and admittedly regal pug. Every star has a rival though, and in this instance it’s his understudy Pippa, a pampered poodle whose owner Jax is the epitome of a ruthless Stage Mom. George’s owner Marcia also happens to be part of Jules’s mother’s mahjong group, who bring along their own gorgeous and unique sets. Their friend Janet proudly debuts new antique pieces she recently purchased, but it’s notable less for the stunning dragon designs than it is for the ominous threat inside.

After a dragon-costumed body is found slumped outside of the Torte bakery, Jules can’t help but feel that the two incidents are related. So of course when the body turns out to be that of renowned dog training Anton Dudley, it has her believing that the theater may truly have become a dog-eat-dog world that resulted in his murder. Purple-dyed canine sabotage and a dognapping further heighten the threat level surrounding the animal-centric production, with multiple suspects who just happen to include family friends. Luckily the Torte bakery is in the safe hands of barista-extraordinaire Andy and her talented chefs, allowing Jules to investigate the ruthless puparazzi,a dog-hating casting director, and the origins of the mysterious mahjong set.

Seventeen books in, this series remains as fresh as the first by introducing new future paths for characters while also delivering many satisfying endings. Even though Jules doesn’t spend as much time in the Torte Bakeshop as she (and readers) might want, her staff more than capably produce mouthwatering treats while she and Carlos cook up chef-worthy comfort meals for one another in their home kitchen. It’s always a treat to prepare for the Halloween season through a mystery that celebrates the holiday with enviable costumes and decorations, but this is truly a novel that can be enjoyed any time of the year. Even those unfamiliar with mahjong will be intrigued by the history and designs of the game, which has grown in popularity as it engages a new generation of players. Romance, tantalizing descriptions of food preparations, and of course a fun mystery with theater-obsessed characters make this another enjoyable entry in a reliable cozy series.

Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries present a Masterclass in the cozy mystery. Set in picturesque Ashland, Oregon, the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (“OSF”), the series centers on Juliet/Jules Capshaw and her immediate family, and the mouthwatering bakery Torte that serves mysteries on the side. The coziness is enhanced by the strong relationship between the plot, the food and the season during which the action takes place. Catch Me if You Candy is no exception. The seventeenth book in the series opens with Ashland getting ready for the town’s Halloween costume parade all of which is described full of cozy feels. All goes well until Anton Dudley, dog trainer and in-house animal consultant at OSF, is found dead outside of Torte. Does his death have something to do with the highly competitive dog focused play set to open at OSF, or the antique mahjong set purchased at The Hospice Store? You’ll have to read to find out. The mystery can be figured out and you do not have to read every other book in the series in order to enjoy this one. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

I love this series and am always excited when a next book drops! I was also very pleased that it was a Halloween themed mystery! Delightful and delicious as always :)

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

Halloween is coming and in Ashford, Oregon, that means all out festivities where almost the entire town shows up in costumed splendor for the parade. However finding a body in front of Torte, the family bakeshop casts a pall over everyone's enjoyment. Reading another bake shop mystery is as full of delights as the bakeshop itself. Full of beloved and engaging characters who create the amazing treats sold there, the stories are always reliably constructed mysteries. Always a treat.

Fun cozy mystery. Loved the characters and story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I love the huge party atmosphere that Ashland has towards Halloween and it’s treated as a holiday that children and adults can enjoy together. There are lots of yummy treats and while it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I really love the descriptive baking that takes place in these books. Being an avid home baker myself, I’m always looking out for tips to pick up and you can tell Ellie Alexander knows her way around a kitchen as all the food scenes are described in loving detail.

The murder is pretty interesting as there is a mini-mystery beforehand with a mysterious note in an antique Mahjong set. Halloween, with its spooky vibes and costumes, seems like the perfect time to commit a murder and Jules, with a major assist from Lance, has her work cut out for her in solving this one.

The mystery of the Mahjong note and the murder are very evenly paced, and there’s lots of baking and personal development intertwined in the story. One thing I love about this series is that we get to check in with all the characters, even if it’s just a little tidbit, and they all seem to be moving forward with their lives, either professionally or personally, or both.

One feeling that I got from this story though is that there may be big changes in. the horizon. Whether it’s Jules and Carlos possibly becoming new parents, or Torte team members taking off on their own adventures, or whatever it is that Lance is doing sneaking around with Richard Lord, I feel that “something” is in the air. Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for a new book to find out the future of our beloved Ashland residents.

*** Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley