The Maggie Miller Mysteries, set in the small town of Table Rock, Arizona, are great fun, featuring Maggie who is the owner of a small Beignet café. This series is light quite humorous, and the protagonist, Maggie Miller is likeable, albeit a bit pushy and indefatigable when it comes to solving mysteries. The third installment, Beignets and Broomsticks features Maggie who, on Halloween night, discovers the body of a regular customer who had been studying witchcraft. As Maggie gets herself in the middle of the investigation, she finds several things that don’t quite add up. It is to her benefit to solve the murder, and, as is Maggie’s style, she puts her nose into everything.

Maggie and the other characters are well-developed, and even readers who haven’t read the previous novels will be able to enjoy this novel. However, this is a fun series and those who enjoy light cozies will definitely want to go back and read everything in the series. This series is great reading for sitting on the beach or traveling on an airplane, and is suitable for all ages since it doesn’t contain graphic sex, violence, or profanity. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this novel.

I love Halloween and cozy mysteries, so this title jumped out at me. I was very happy with the story and writing, which were both well done. Anything a little witchy is always going to be a winner with me, but this was especially great!

Great cozy mystery centering around Halloween. It's the perfect read to pair with your favorite hot drink this time of the year. I enjoyed Maggie and her cafe. The dessert descriptions were making me drool. I haven't read the others in this series, so I would like to go back and see how it all started.

In the third book of the Maggie Miller Mystery series, Beignets and Broomsticks, J.R. Ripley does it again with a Cozy perfect for a relaxing afternoon of guilty pleasure. Murder, mayhem, a surplus of suspects and a cursed espresso machine make for a read as delightful and airy as a plate of fresh beignets.
Halloween, a time for costumes, candy, revelry and murder? While delivering a warm batch of beignets to the apartment of regular customer, Nancy, a secretive writer, Maggie stumbles upon her cold, dead body, slumped in a chair, with a cashmere scarf wound tightly around her neck.

Once again Maggie Miller is caught in the middle of murder. Maggie kicks it into high gear as only Maggie can, with an unwanted yoga class, bonding with her nemesis Veronica Vargas, a visit to the Sacred Church of Witchkraft and an exorcism. When Maggie discovers the body of the local treasure hunter, she is like a dog going after a dropped beignet, determined to find the truth behind the killings.

And for a little extra flavor, add in the handsome Detective Mark Highsmith and attractive reporter Brad Smith to achieve that special blend of romantic conflict et voilà, you have a satisfying blend of mystery, humor and excitement with a dash of sweetness and light.

Review: BEIGNETS AND BROOMSTICKS by J.R. Ripley

There are many "best aspects" to this author's cozies, one of which is the ability to bring settings alive and vivid. You don't have to live there, or even have visited, to watch these locales come alive. You don't have to know these characters to enjoy them or to find them true to life.

Maggie Miller owns a beignet cafe in little Table Rock, Arizona, a struggling small-business owner in a town seemingly devoted to "the weird." Maggie has a gift for amateur sleuthing, and a foil in Detective Mark Highsmith. She may be sidetracked, but never shunted from her sleuthing path, until the truth is outed.

Table Rock, Arizona is a cute town in northern Arizona. New cafe owner Maggie Miller decides to offer her new pumpkin spice beignets as a giveaway to drum up business during the Halloween festivities. The evening is a success until Maggie finds the body of one of her regular customers, Nancy Alverson, in her apartment. The next day, Maggie gets an envelope from Nancy with a USB drive containing the draft of her latest manuscript. With the help of journalist friend Brad, Maggie decides to figure out who killed Nancy. This was a quick fun read.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Severn House with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Maggie runs a beignet shop in a small town in Arizona. The local business owners open their doors on Halloween to give treats to the kids, and Maggie has one of those businesses. After closing up, she has some extra beignets, so she drops by a regular customers place to give them the treat. Unfortunately, Maggie stumbles across a murder scene. Her regular customer had been killed, and Maggie wants to know who did it and why.

The 3rd book in the Maggie Miller mystery series. This is the first book in the series that I have read. A quick and fun cozy mystery with small town atmosphere, quirky locals, and witchcraft.

The story is told from Maggie's point of view. She is mostly likable, and there are plenty of small town antics involved in her story. She has a few friends and family in the story, but she also has a few people that aren't exactly friendly. Since I haven't read the others in the series, I'm not sure about Maggie's background. It seems she is restarting after a divorce, and her beignet business is part of her new life.

Good for fans of cozy mysteries. I'm originally from Louisiana, so I was immediately drawn to beignets being in the title. To be honest, I was a little disappointed the story took place in Arizona, rather than Louisiana.

Beignets and Broomsticks: A Cozy Cafe Mystery Set in Smalltown Arizona by J. R. Ripley is the 3rd book in the Maggie Miller mystery series, and my first book in this series. I have really enjoyed J. R. Ripley's Bird Lover's Mystery series, so I was excited to read this book, and was not disappointed. I did not feel lost since I have not read the first 2 books in the series. Maggie Miller moves to Table Rock, Arizona after her divorce and starts a bakery and coffee shop. When Maggie finds the body of one of her customers, the mystery begins. I also enjoyed the humor in this book. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery, I recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Maggie and her staff at the bakery are excited to be able to dress up and pass out free treats during their town's annual Halloween event. When one of Maggie's regulars is noticed as missing from the event, Maggie decides to bring her some treats since she happens to live just across the street. But when Maggie approaches her apartment, a strange discovery is made. The detective's girlfriend come fleeing down the stairs screaming at Maggie not to go up... and when Maggie most certainly goes up, she finds her missing friend, strangled to death.

With the help of her friends and coworkers, and a strange man who calls himself 'Herman the Swede,' it seems like the nearby Church of Witchkraft might have something to do with all the strange happenings, maybe even the cursed espresso machine that Maggie thought would be a good addition.

A mysterious church, pentacles, an expose being uncovered, self-proclaimed wizards, and a strange financial group lingering around gives the readers plenty of suspects to consider.

The main character, Maggie, has a personality to love. I like the way she describes things and it gives the right amount of humor to the story.

Special thanks to #NetGalley and #JRRipley for allowing me an advanced review copy of this title. #BeignetsandBroomsticks

This is the first book in this series that I have read and I was quite happy with the story.


Maggie is a fun character and her beignets sound delicious.
I liked that the story takes place at Halloween, it is my favorite time of the year.

On Halloween night, Maggie runs a promotion, offering adult and kid Halloween treats. When a regular doesn't show up for her treat, Maggie decides to bring them to her. Unfortunately, Maggie walks into a gruesome scene and soon finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

Maggie can't help but ask questions when she receives a mysterious package from the victim in the mail.

I was pleasantly surprised with the story and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Classic cozy from Ripley, whose "bird series" is a favorite of mine. I didn't realize until later that this is not the first in this series, which features Maggie and her cafe in Table Rock, Arizona. That wasn't a problem because I was swept into the very engaging mystery of who strangled Nancy Alverson with a cashmere scarf (geez!). You'll meet some very entertaining characters as Maggie moves to try to solve the crime. There's a whole group of people engaged in New Age practices, as well as witchcraft, in the area. Nancy was looking into it - is this why she was killed? No spoilers but this isn't too twisty and it's also not too twee. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. This is definitely a good read.

An entertaining and engaging cozy mystery. Charming (or odd, actually) small town in Arizona, fittingly named Smalltown, adds to the interest. Amusing bits along the way to solving the latest murder mystery.

I have long been a fan of J. R. Ripley's bird lover series so I decided to try this book. I was not disappointed as I found the tale was located in the red rock country of Arizona with the attitudes of the new age. While the term witchcraft is used it is not paranormal. It is Halloween and cafe owner Maggie Miller is serving her special cinnamon beignets to the residents of the town. On a whim, Maggie decided to take the leftovers to a regular customer and finds her dead. Frightened, she called the local sheriff. Not satisfied with the information she received from the sheriff, Maggie joined forces with a newspaper reporter to look into the affair. On this journey, Maggie will meet some quirky denizens that live by the new age beliefs. There will a few twists and turns as the story is revealed. The ending is unusual. I recommend this book.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Severn House for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was a delightfully engaging mystery! The story was well written , the mystery had just enough twists to keep the reader engaged and immersed in the story. The characters were well developed and the setting perfectly set the stage.

I enjoy the Bird Lover's Mystery series by J.R. Ripley, so when I saw that he had another cozy series, I knew I had to give it a try! Beignets and Broomsticks is the third book in the Maggie Miller Mystery series. I haven't read the other books in the series, but I was easily able to follow the story. So, it's not necessary to start with book 1 in the series.....anyone jumping in at this newest book will be fine.

Maggie Miller runs the Beignet Cafe in Table Rock, AZ. Maggie is trying to make her new business take off. Unfortunately her competition, Karma Koffee, is right across the street. Brainstorming for menu additions to bring in customers, she's purchased a used Belgian waffle maker and even an espresso machine. And because it's October, she adds a pumpkin spice beignet to the menu. On Halloween night, she decides to take leftover candy and beignets to Nancy Alverson, a loyal customer who lives in an apartment above Karma Koffee. Imagine her surprise when she not only sees a local woman running from the building, but discovers Nancy dead in her apartment. The woman has been strangled to death with a cashmere scarf. Maggie is also shocked to find Nancy's apartment filled with books on witchcraft and the occult. Turns out, Nancy was in over head, writing an expose on a strange occult group, The Sacred Church of Witchkraft, located on the edge of town. Was Nancy silenced before she could print her expose? Or is there more to the story? Maggie will not be satisfied until she knows the truth!

This story was a fun, entertaining read! The characters are quirky and the Halloween-theme plot was great! I like Maggie as a main character.....she a bit neurotic and flighty at times, but intelligent as well. The mystery is engaging and moves at a nice pace with plenty of twists and suspects. The strange witchcraft angle was perfect for the Halloween theme. I also love the front cover art!!

I have to admit a bit sheepishly that when I started reading I had no clue what a beignet is. I looked it up and found out it's a fried dough pastry that's a traditional treat from New Orleans. There is a French Quarter Beignets recipe on Foodnetwork.com for anybody who wants to try making them! Sounds yummy!!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/p...


Definitely another winning cozy series from J.R. Ripley (a pseudonym for author Glenn Meganck). I will definitely be back-tracking to read the first two books in this series!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

It was a cute book and a fun easy read. The story kept my interest.

Maggie just can't keep her nose on her own side of the street. If there is a mystery that needs solving, Maggie is your girl.

Table Rock is a quirky town full of equally quirky people and Maggie fits right in! Still in the trial and error phase of her Beignet Cafe', Maggie is busy coming up with new flavors and with her recent purchase, she is venturing in to the espresso business as well.

When she heads across the street to deliver some beignets to Nancy, who is living above Maggie's competition, Karma Koffee, she literally runs into VV, the town prosecutor and worst enemy of Maggie. When she sees Nancy dead with a cashmere scarf around her neck, she thinks the worst.

When she is threatened it only makes her more determined to find out who killed Nancy and why. And what does any of this have to do with the strangers in town or the Witchkraft Center just out-of-town?

Maggie will have to whip up more than beignets to solve this one! Maggie is becoming more confident in herself and her abilities and this series is devoloping nicely!

Netgalley/Severn House   March 2018

A different take on including witchcraft in a mystery. Well written story that kept me guessing with a few surprises and a lot of humor.. Loved the crazy waffle maker and "haunted" espresso maker. The main character and her coworkers remind me of myself and friends if we were to run a cafe, disaster city.

What could be better than a warm beignet? How about a pumpkin flavored one? Maggie Millers little seasonal donuts are flying off the shelves of her cafe. But when one of her customers, Nancy Alverson is found dead, strangled to death, Maggie trades her chef’s toque for a deerstalker. Halloween is fast approaching, is that the reason Nancy was reading so many books about witchcraft, or is there a more sinister connotation? What an enjoyable cozy read! The story is told around Halloween, but readers will enjoy this story any time of the year