Member Reviews
I received a digital review copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. This was my first time reading a Pancake House Mystery book. I felt that the book was alittle on the romance side, which was not what I was expecting. There are several side stories going on and I was more in the mood for a straight up mystery. This book will be available late October. |
Pancakes, Waffles, Murder and Mystery This cozy mystery takes place in a small town along the Pacific coast. It is an interesting mystery with lots of plot twists, suspects and motives. The characters are just as intriguing and believable. While this book is clean and cozy, it is not 'squeaky clean' with some PDA and off screen intimacy. I would rate it G, some may not. I loved the story and am interested in reading more of this author's work. I received this book for free and this is my honest review. |
An exceptional cozy mystery. I really enjoyed how the past and present wove together throughout the story and nicely fleshed out backstory. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review. |
This is the fourth installment of the Pancake House series. When Wally the Waffle King's flyers announcing his upcoming grand opening are left on her restaurant's door step, Marley McKinney thought she had seen it all. When Wally parades through her restaurant, the Flip Side, like a proud peacock proclaiming that his food will be better than hers, Marley is afraid that her customers will desert her for the competition. But before the Waffle Kingdom opening, Wally is found murdered inside. There is no shortage of suspects, each having their own reason for wanting him dead. When someone else is killed, the stakes and the mystery grow even higher and everyone wonders who will be the next victim Although I haven't read the prior books in the series, it was easy for me to jump right into the storyline. The mystery was well-paced and held my interest until the very last page. The killer's identity was a complete surprise! There is also a subplot involving a family secret that comes to a satisfactory conclusion. There was just the right amount of a romantic element; it did not overshadow the mystery. At the conclusion of the book, the author includes recipes served at the Flip Side and they all sound delicious Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy of this book. My review is voluntary. |
Yeast of Eden is the 4th book in Sarah Fox's Pancake House Mysteries Although I wish I'd started reading at book #1, the author provides plenty of background so that it's easily a stand alone read. I will be going back & reading the 1st three books because I enjoyed this book enough to want to know all the details from the beginning. The title hooked me & the name of the pancake house, The Flip Side, is just so clever. Her descriptions of the food made me wish the Flip Side was real & just down the street so I could go there. The description of the restaurant had me picturing a smaller, cozier version of Cracker Barrel. This is the only cozy I can think of where the amateur sleuth( Marley McKinney) actually spent her days working & taking car of day to day tasks. I really enjoyed that she didn't just drop everything else & spend all day sleuthing. Marley seemed very real to me. I loved how she greeted & cared for her pets, Flapjack the cat, & her befriend, Brett's dog Bentley as soon as she got home. I also liked that Marley supported local artists. Her part time teen-age waitress, Sienna involved herself in Marley's sleuthing & I thought she was a great partner to Marley. I was left with a few questions at the end. What became of certain characters? Is it Tassy they found? Hopefully book 5 will tell us. I don't know if I missed the clues, but for me the killer was a complete surprise. This was a different kind of cozy for me. There's not much humor, & there is a lot of romance. There were times I thought it was a romance novel. The mysteries were good, I just thought there was a little too much romance. I really liked that there were 2 mysteries.to solve. The 2nd one was very sad, but very compelling. I think cozy fans will enjoy a trip to Wildwood Cove to see Marley at the Flip Side & I look forward to the next book. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. . |
Wally Fowler has returned to Wildwood Cove and he plans on opening a breakfast restaurant. He has been harnessing Marley and the crew at Flapjack. One evening Wally is found dead in his new restaurant and it appears he was murdered. Lisa and Ivan become a person of interest in the killing. Marley decides to explore Wally's death in order to clear her friends. Brett's Father has a hearted attack and his family all go to Seattle. Marley looking to decorate for Christmas finds a set of journals from a relative who disappeared about twenty years ago. Marley is looking for more information about her relative. These various themes are skillfully brought together to form the story. I highly recommend this book and series. Pancake recipes are included. Disclosure: Many thanks to Lyrical Underground for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own. |
Tammy H, Reviewer
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure. |
Marley McKinney owns the Flip Side pancake house. She does a brisk business with plenty of regulars. When she's arriving to work one day she sees a flyer on the ground behind her business and picks it up, then sees that it's an advertisement for The Waffle Kingdom, a new restaurant that is opening in town by an ex-resident just returned, Wally Fowler. When she goes inside she sees two more taped to the front of her restaurant windows. Irritated, she tries to let it go but later that morning when she's got a full house, Wally shows up with a man and a woman and announces to all and sundry about his grand opening and even invites Marley and her cook Ivan to come by that evening and see how he makes ice cream with liquid nitrogen. After he leaves, she sees her friends Lisa is extremely upset, and learns that Lisa blames Wally for getting her brother into drugs many years ago while in high school. After she calms Lisa down she reminds her that it's Ladies' Night at the local hardware store and they plan to meet there. But when Lisa doesn't show, Marley texts her and Lisa said she wasn't up to it. Later that evening Marley is going home and notices that Wally's tires are slashed and knocks on the back door of his business to tell him. Receiving no response, she goes around to the front and finding it unlocked, enters. What she does find is her Ivan, and he tells her to call 911. Marley, her innate curiosity getting the better of her, goes into the kitchen and sees Wally's dead body. It's a given that he had enemies all over town and no friends. But it's also apparent that Lisa or Ivan, or maybe both, are the main suspects in the murder, and Lisa asks Marley to help her find the killer because she's afraid they'll suspect Ivan of the crime. But it soon becomes apparent that Lisa's the one the police want, so Marley decides to investigate on the down low, hoping to flush out a murderer. But to make things worse, her boyfriend Brett's father has had a heart attack and is in the hospital out of town; she needs to stick around to take care of the pets and while she misses him terribly, she has other things on her mind that will keep her busy - like murder. Then while looking for Christmas decorations in the attic she finds an old trunk full of journals and a scrapbook, and discovers that a distant relative disappeared decades ago without a trace. Now she has another purpose - to try and find out what happened to the woman and also a young maid in another household who disappeared around the same time. Were they killed by the son of the mayor at the time? Or is there a more sinister answer? It's a diversion she needs right now, but finding a killer is taking first and foremost - that is, if the killer doesn't find her first... While I felt the book started out a tad slow, it picked up quickly and I found myself engrossed in the story. I loved the fact that there was an old mystery to solve also. It was basically a two-for-one in this book, and quite enjoyable to read. Marley, without Brett by her side, needed something to occupy her time at home, and when she found the journals it added a 'mystery lite' to the tale; I enjoyed it as much as finding Wally's killer. I felt that the clues were hidden well and while there were plenty of suspects, there wasn't anything that directly pointed to any one person...until nearly the end of the book, which is how it is supposed to be. When she finally figured it out, there was just the right amount of suspense going on while you watched as she tried to figure out how to get herself out of danger (as we know she will). It added that last bit of 'oomph' that kept everything moving to the final climax, and made for an entertaining book indeed. But it didn't end there as we still had the second mystery of the journals to discover, and I am glad to say I was pleased in that outcome too. All in all, when the ending came and the killer was discovered, it was a complete surprise as it was, of course, meant to be; and although I have only read one other in this series it is apparent that Ms. Fox is indeed a talented writer and I will go back and read the other two. I look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended. |
I've enjoyed this series from the start and thought this installment was just as enjoyable. The characters are all coming into their own, showing growth and development. I like Marley and think the author provides the reader with a likable and relatable protagonist. Marley has grown since we were first introduced to her both in her confidence in running the Pancake house as well as in her personal life. Her romance with Brett is progressing very nicely. However, she still has the uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time - especially when a dead body is involved. Once again she puts on her sleuthing hat to try and clear the name of one of her friends suspected of two murders. I thought the mystery was well done. There are actually two mysteries in this book which I liked - one involving a mystery that happened in the past and the one in the present day. Both are wrapped up nicely, with the mystery in present coming to a rather climatic conclusion. |
Odessa W, Reviewer
My mom loved this series. I had purchased the first and hadn’t read it but my mom did and kept telling me about how much she enjoyed. It made me want to read the series. She was not wrong and it doesn’t disappoint. This is a great addition to it and I would recommend it to others! |
Lyn F, Reviewer
'Yeast of Eden' is another spectacular offering in Sarah Fox's A Pancake House Mystery series. The characters are believable, and Marley is especially likable. The mystery was expertly written with twists that had me heading in all directions. There was a hint of humor and a lovely romance, all which combine to make a book I highly recommend. Do yourself a favor and get the entire series. |
Debra B, Reviewer
I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I cannot express how much I adore this series without sounding redundant. This is one of my top favs!! Although set in the Pacific Northwest, it reminds me of one of my favorite vacation spots, Gatlinburg, TN. Gatlinburg is full of pancake house and is amazing. In this installment of the Pancake House Mysteries, it's CHRISTMAS TIME!! Although it isn't really elaborated on, the decorating has begun and delicious holiday themed food is being served and OMG it sounds amazing. I will definitely be preparing the eggnog pancakes with the eggnog whipped cream. I digress. What I loved most about this book of the series is that there are 2 mysteries. Yes, you read that correctly, 2, with one of them being a historical mystery. When the antagonist of the book, Wally the Waffle King, turns up dead in his kitchen, the suspect list is infinite. As a direct competitor with the Pancake House and a former, unliked resident of Wildwood Cove, Wally has many enemies, but when Lisa and Ivan become prime suspects, Marley puts on her sleuthing hat. Also, is there more to Lisa and Ivan than just being suspects? In the attic of her home, she finds old journals and newspaper articles about missing girls, one of them being the sister-in-law of her late cousin Jimmy. She begins research on the girls and those involved and makes a shocking discovery. This book has everything, mystery, romance, sadness, joy, and a few twists that will keep you guessing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Fox has in store for us next time. Hopefully, we will have some wedding bells in the next book or two!! |
Yeast Of Eden is a fun, fast paced addition to this series. Marley is a fun loving character and her determination to find the truth makes her easy to like. As owner of The Flip Side, the local pancake house, Marley may have a little competition when the Waffle King decides to open his own restaurant. Unfortunately for the Waffle King, he isn't well liked and when he's found dead, Marley has to get involved, especially when her chef and her best friend become suspects. The story is well written and is full of surprises. I enjoyed reading this addition to the series and would recommend this book to any fan of cozy mysteries. I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley. |
Book number four in the series is another winner! I am never disappointed in this series. There are so many things I like about it, including the strong female lead character Marley, the small town setting and the inhabitants. This latest offering has a strong plot, with a well written whodunit, which kept me guessing and engaged right until the reveal. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading the next in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. |
Marley McKinney is getting ready for the winter holidays at her pancake house, The Flip Side. She finds a flyer stuck to her front window announcing the opening of a new waffle house by a resident who has a bad reputation, to say the least. Wally Fowler has come back to flaunt his wealth and put Marley out of business. But, somebody pushes Wally’s head into a vat of liquid nitrogen and kills him. When Marley’s friend and chef are suspected of the murder, she starts asking questions that may get her into trouble. I loved this story and how Marley worked with not one mystery, but also figured out a mystery from the past. The plot was intense and I couldn’t figure out the culprit until the very end. I loved how Marley’s relationship with her boyfriend progressed. It was a great reprieve from the intense mystery. The townspeople were great characters and great red herrings. I have loved every book in this series and I can’t wait for the next one. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. |
Love how the story develops through out this series. In this new installment, the author achieves a more fast paced plot and the addition of subplots and new characters makes it more appealing and engaging. Our main character, Marley, is running the Pancake House at a small town with great costumer turn up. When an infamous old resident, decides to come back to town to show is new riches due to an inheritance, his main plan is to open a Waffle House that will be the main competitor to Marley's business. There are a lot of people who would love to make him vanish from the town. Just before the big opening, a murder occurs and suspects are pilling up. So Marley will put her sleuthing skills to find out the truth and clear the name of two of her friends. |
Carol R, Reviewer
Marley's pancake house will have new competition as Wally Fowler has come back to Wildwood cove to open a new Waffle House ,also Marley is looking into a cold case after finding a diary in a old trunk in her attic of one of the two missing woman who vanished long ago. A very enjoyable read that kept you guessing until the end . Marley and Brett romance coming along nicely, I wonder what will happen next . Will definitely look out for the next book by Sarah Fox. |
Marley's 4th adventure in Wildwood Cove at the Flip Side Pancake House comes complete with Christmas decorating ideas and recipes for candy can pancakes, gingerbread crepes, eggnog whipped cream, and eggnog French toast, Marley finds herself investigating cold cases involving two missing women while trying to prove a present day case that Lisa & Ivan didn't murder the Waffle King, Wally Fowler. Marley's relationship with Brett intensifies as Brett copes with his father's heart attack on their job site. Plenty of suspects to keep the plots twisting. |
Cheryl S, Reviewer
I've read bits and pieces of this series and enjoyed what I have read. This new addition doesn't disappoint. Marley is such a fun character who is not overdone and you can really relate to with a credible and believable story.just like most of us in the real world. I really need to go back and read the rest of the series that I've missed, this one has convinced me to do just that. |
Nicki O, Reviewer
This gal was as busy as I am! So I can really relate to her going here, there and beyond busy every day. I like that she doesn't seem so nosy as concerned for her friends. And I like that she is looking into family history too. She just has fingers in so many pies. The whole story felt more believable than so many books I have read. The the twist...did not see the guilty one at all. Great, entertaining story with a bit or romance along with the mystery. |








