A Cup of Holiday Fear
(A Bakeshop Mystery #10)
by Ellie Alexander

Paperback, 304 pages
Published September 24th 2019 by St. Martin's Paperbacks


Goodreads synopsis:
It's Christmastime and everyone is heading to Torte, the most cheerful bakery in town. There's no place like home for the homicide...

Ashland, Oregon, looks as pretty as a postcard this holiday season. The halls are decked, stockings hung, and eyes are all aglow--mostly thanks to the buttered rum. Jules Capshaw and her staff at Torte are busier than ever. . . still, even the town's most in-demand bakers need to take a break. So Jules invites everyone to celebrate at the local Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast, a six-course extravaganza with Yorkshire Pudding, Christmas goose, and all the trimmings. But as the weather outside becomes frightful, things inside turn less delightful when one of the guests ends up as dead as Scrooge's doornail. Now it's up to Jules and her helpers to make a list of suspects--and check it twice--to try to find out who's naughty, who's nice, and who's guilty of murder... 


***

4.75 Stars

This is the tenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.

It is so easy to slip back into this series no matter where you left off. I am in love with Ashland and all its residents!

I could so easily see myself in Jules Capwell’s place when she found the body of the new owner of the Winchester Inn dead. She just wanted to help out the family as they offered their last Dickens Feast before retiring. As happens in situations like this, anything that can go wrong, did go wrong. Santa was drunk in the basement and all the specialized ornaments were broken. The couple’s son who was playing the role of Scrooge left in the middle of the food service and then the power went out. What a night!

Sometimes books like this give me stress because I can empathize with the characters and their plight. It was really hard to tell who might have wanted the annoying lady dead. I mean, come on, she was rude and exasperating but it didn’t seem like that would be a motive to kill her. Maybe in their minds. Then little by little the truth behind her lies started surfacing and then you discovered why everyone was out to get this vexing woman.

I really enjoyed the ending of this and the surprise that came for Jules. I should have expected it but I didn’t. That momment just made all the stress I had accumulated during the book all melt away in a wash of gooey happiness.

This series is just fun. Torte and all the people in Ashland make you want to keep running back for more time and time again. Definitely check this one out.

Highly recommended.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Ellie Alexander delivers another charming cozy mystery. The staff of at Torte take a break from the hustle and bustle at the bakery for a staff holiday party at the Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast. Naturally, the dinner is as delightful as it sounds until everything goes wrong with a power outage, an apparently drunken Santa, and a murder. I feel that Christmas needs a little murder to make it merry and this book is packed with delicious food, humor, and holiday merriment. A Cup of Holiday Fear is an excellent addition to the Bakeshop Mystery series. As always I can't wait for the next book! if you haven't read Ellie Alexander's Sloan Krause mysteries, those are a must read for cozy mystery lovers as well.

Juliet is back in this latest offering in a cozy baking mystery series. Although the book, setting, plot, and characters are charming, I do feel that perhaps a certain will-they-or-won't they should happen already. It seems highly improbable that this separation would last this long with frequent visits, without being resolved somehow. I enjoy the recipes at the end of the book as well as the preview for the next book, but I don't care for overly extended love situations.

A Cup of Holiday Fear was a quick read for me. It's the 10th in the series, but the first for me to read. This book can definitely be read as a stand alone novel.

I absolutely loves how Ellie Alexander painted the picture of Ashland with her words. It was such a treat to read this wonderful winter wonderland mystery. I will definitely be reading the other 9 books in the series and have already added the first in the series to my collection.

Juliet and her Torte staff are back in the bakery getting ready for Christmas while McBeths hotel Winchester puts on a Dickens dinner theater show every night up until Christmas. Juliet, "Jules", plans to have their Torte Christmas Party there. Only on that night some one is killed. Juliet can't help but try to help and figure out who did it. Book is filled with lots of bakers secrets and best of all yummy recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I think of cozy mysteries, the Bakeshop Mystery series is one of the first to come to mind. There is just enough murder and just enough mystery to keep the reader captivated.

Through the years, I have loved following along with Jules and the Torte team. Ellie Alexander has done an amazing job creating a beautiful depiction of the Shakespearean town in Oregon. Admittedly, Ashland is now on my list of places to visit since I am just a few hours north of there. While the quaint little town is a jewel in itself, the characters are where it is at. Each character has continued to grow through the books. The relationships between them are believable and have evolved wonderfully!

The story itself was intriguing, but not to complex. It is pretty easy for the reader to pick out "whodunit". However, the story is less about the mystery and more about the characters themselves. With that being said, I did find the story line to go at a great pace and it kept my interest throughout the entire book.

I am so happy to be able to continue reading this series. It definitely has made a special place in my heart.

One of my favourite cozy series having a mystery take place during Christmas time? Don't mind if I do! Chock full of holly jolly delight, I loved all the descriptions of Ashland all decked out for the holidays, as well as all the tasty goodies that Jules and the gang were cooking up at Torte. I like that we met some new towns people, and got to hear about the mouth watering Dickens dinner, and it's always a good thing when Lance and Jules are able to team up to solve the mystery at hand. Love this series and already looking forward to the next instalment. Perfect holiday read for fans old and new.

A Cup of Holiday Fear is the tenth entry into Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop mystery series. There is a reason they are called cozy mysteries: it is like coming home---that feeling, warmth and happiness. It is so good to be back with Juliet at Torte along with Andy, Stephanie, Bethany, Stirling, Rosa, Sequioa, and Marty, a new hire. It is Christmas in Ashland with all the celebrating and baking that go along with it. First is the lighting of the square with millions of sparkling lights, next off is the Dickens' dinner at the Winchester, a local bed and breakfast which will double as the Torte staff Christmas party. I was lovely as usual, despite an unpleasant guest seated at the next table over, who became known to them as Cami, the newly disclosed (to Juliet) new owner-to-be of the Winchester. Emma and Jon were going to retire and have some heartily deserved beach time. My but she was unpleasant. There were some problems at the Winchester that night, but as usual, Emma handle them with aplomb.

Juliet is a early middle aged woman who has returned to Ashland as co-owner of her mother's bakery/cafe. She had worked for years on a cruise ship along with her husband, Carlos, and was currently in Ashland taking a break from both, although she sorely missed Carlos. She has good friends and Ashland, and a satisfying life and it bleeds through every page of the book that walks the reader through baking and running Torte. Read it as much for cooking and baking tips as for the mystery. It is all a comfort, until there is a murder. Juliet is naturally curious and easy to talk to so she somehow gets drawn into the investigation. Since the Winchester is owned by good friends of her mother, that makes solving this murder, even more important. The reader walks through the clues alongside Juliet and solves it at her side. It is comforting. Such good friends. I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of A Cup of Holiday Fear. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #acupofholidayfear

A Cup Of Holiday Fear is set in Ashland, Oregon at Christmas time. Juliet and her mother own a popular bakery, Torte, located on the main street of Ashland. They hold their employee Christmas party at the Dickens Feast held at the local Winchester Inn. Everything goes wrong for the owners of the inn on that particular night – including the murder of the woman who is buying the inn. Juliet gets entangled in solving the murder.

This is a quick, entertaining read. The bakery and the interaction between the employees play a role in the story. Juliet’s background growing up in Ashland is also key to the story. A Cup of Holiday Fear is part of a series. They are stand alone books. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, you won’t be disappointed.

A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR, the tenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander, is a sweet Christmas holiday read that will surely put the reader in the mood for a full cup of holiday cheer. It was a treat to immerse myself in the holly season as protagonist and owner of Torte, Jules (Juliet) Capshaw, contends with keeping the townspeople of Ashland, Oregon filled with sugarplums and other tasty holiday puddings and treats. Ms. Alexander’s endearing series’ greatest strength is the character development of Jules and her close-knit family, friends, and employees. It’s been a pleasure getting to know them from the early books and then seeing them grow and develop over the course of the series. They’ve all become like close friends. A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR can be read as a stand-alone, however as an avid reader, I’ve loved the slow unfolding of the characters’ lives.

Another strength is the author’s ability to effectively capture the sights, sounds, and flavors of the setting. Her detailed descriptions make the reader feel like you’re living right there: tasting Jule’s special cookies and her barista’s coffee of the day; feeling the first snowflakes of the season; and smelling the pine trees as Jules and her best friend, Lance, hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. I love how Jules spreads holiday cheer even to Lance, who would rather be a Grinch than a jolly elf.

Lance isn’t the only one who wants to embrace being a Grinch, and when a woman is found murdered at the long-running Dicken’s feast at a local Ashland Inn, Jules finds herself embroiled in another investigation. I like Jules’ style of investigation. She’s never overly pushy and while she manages to question a lot of people, she still gives her full attention to her bakery. Of course she relies heavily on the fabulous coffee coming from her barista to keep her awake for hours on end so she can accomplish so much  There isn’t a stressful, why is she putting herself in danger, ending which is particularly nice after being cocooned in the holiday festivities. Yet, Ms. Alexander manages to create a satisfying mystery that kept me intrigued and turning pages.

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander is the tenth A Bakeshop Mystery. The author provides the necessary background information for those new to the series. We get a chance to enjoy the holidays with Jules, Helen, Professor, Lance, Thomas and the rest of the gang. Ashland is beautifully decorated for the holidays and there are festive activities, carolers, and the smell of Torte’s tempting treats wafting through the air. Lance is not feeling the spirit of the season which Jules intends to rectify. She gets Lance to join the Torte staff at the Winchester Inn for the Dickens Feast where a nasty woman ends up dead after the house is plunged into darkness. It turns out that a homicide is just what Lance needed to get him to enjoy the holiday season. There are several suspects including the owners of the Winchester Inn, an employee, and their son. Jules asks questions with Lance’s assistance and does a little snooping. Readers will have no problem solving the case before the solution is revealed. I enjoyed the descriptions of the holiday descriptions. I could envision Ashland all decked out with snow falling, carolers singing and shoppers going from shop to shop. Torte creates scrumptious goodies for the holidays which is described in detail. I like that we get to catch up with the Torte staff (Andy, Marty, Bethany, Stephanie, Sterling) and enjoy the Dickens Feast (what a unique event—when there is not a murder). I liked the focus on friends and family. Jules and Helen made sure that no one would be alone during this special time of year. I found Jules comment about Richard Lord’s ugly Christmas sweater to be amusing (all of his attire left something to be desired). It was nice to learn more about Lance in this book. We find out why the holidays are not his favorite time of year. I also enjoyed learning the history of the Winchester Inn and Jules parents. A Cup of Holiday Fear will put you in the mood for Christmas with an ending will leave you smiling. A Cup of Holiday Fear is a cheering cozy mystery with Christmas carolers, scrumptious sweets, original ornaments, a horrific homicide, tree trimming and surprising secrets.

It's the holidays in Ashland, Oregon. Juliet Capshaw and the gang at Torte are ready to celebrate the holiday and provide festive cheer and delectable treats for everyone in Ashland. However, not everyone has festive cheer on their minds... When the staff get together for a Christmas party at the Winchester Inn they don't expect their night to end with a dead body! With the holidays inching closer and a murderer on the loose, Jules must put all her detective skills to the test before the holidays are ruined.

I love every visit to Ashland. The staff at Torte are always cooking up something mouth-watering, and Jules (along with her friend Lance) are always getting up to something interesting. If Lance is involved, it's something mischievous too!!!

This time the mischief involves solving the case of a murdered guest at the Winchester Inn. Jules and Lance are certain the murderer isn't a school friend, but what do they do when all signs point to their friend? Well they hunt for clues of course - and only in the most stylish of ways if Lance has anything to say about it!

I really like the amateur detecting duo of Jules and Lance. They're best friends and not romantically involved at all, and I find this is what sets these two apart from other series. There is a strong bond between them, and I love the constant bantering between Jules and Lance.

The setting for the murder is just delightful (in-a-I-love-a-good-setting kind of way!). It's the Dickens Feast at the Winchester Inn, and I could just picture the scene of a perfect holiday feast. It completely had the feel of an Agatha Christie novel, set at Christmas, and just waiting for Hercule Poirot to enter and say "the butler did it"!

From beginning to end, A Cup of Holiday Fear is a delightful holiday mystery. It hits all the right notes with quotable Shakespeare and simply delectable, mouth-watering treats. Add in the holiday atmosphere and an unfathomable Christmas mystery and it's easy to see why this one is topping my holiday reads this year!

If you haven't picked up the Bakeshop Mysteries, you need to add these to your reading list. While I highly recommend starting from the first book, Meet the Baker, it is possible to jump right in with A Cup of Holiday Fear. Ellie Alexander gives you enough background information that you won't feel lost. I do warn you though... afterwards you will be wanting to read the backlist in this series for the wonderful mysteries and fantastic recipes!

This is the tenth installment of A Bakeshop Mystery. As you can imagine from the title and the cover this is a Christmas themed cozy mystery. I just adore the cover artwork.

Jules invites her crew and friends to celebrate the holidays at the local Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast. One of the guest winds up dead at the dinner. Jules is interested in finding the killer.
I found the book well-written, entertaining and a great way to escape the harsh realities of day-to-day news. I always enjoy my time in Ashland. The characters are evolving as relationship shift. I wish the author would resolve the Carlos/Jules relationship.

As always, Ellie Alexander makes the town and people of Ashland come alive in this latest instalment of The Bakeshop Mystery series. All the staff at Torte are back and working like a well-oiled machine in the newly-renovated Torte.

The descriptions of the food, baked treats and drinks on Torte’s menu always makes me *drool*. The baker in me loves the descriptions of Jules and her team preparing their goodies. Like Jules, I also find the process of baking relaxing so Alexander’s food passages are always among my favourite (not to mention the recipes at the back).

The victim is a newcomer to Ashland and not someone that was particularly liked. In fact, she was in town to buy the Winchester Inn and had planned on firing the entire staff. She fought with more than a couple of the townspeople and so there are several suspects for Jules to wade through. The mystery is well-integrated into the story and hums along at a quick pace. I did manage to work out who the killer was pretty early on but it was fun to watch Jules (and her trusty side-kick Lance) work things out on their own.

Speaking of Lance, he continues to be one of my favourite characters in this series. He can always be counted on to provide some dry, witty humour and he’s always up for a little adventure (even when Jules is not!). We learn a bit more about Lance’s background, including the reason he’s not a big fan of the holidays. In fact, he generally stays away from Ashland altogether during the Christmas season but is stuck in town this year. As his best friend, Jules is determined to make him enjoy the holidays.

I think that’s one of the reasons this series works so well for me. Now that it’s on its tenth book, I’m so familiar with the characters that it’s wonderful to visit them again and see how they’re all doing. It’s like catching up with old friends. Alexander has done a wonderful job developing all the characters throughout the series.

I’m so glad I broke my “No Christmas stuff until November rule” to read this book (seriously, only a few authors could make me do this). If you love cozy mysteries, tasty baked goods or Christmas stories, then you definitely need to add this to your To-Be-Read list!

*** Thank you to St Martin’s Paperbacks for providing me with a e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander is the 10th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series, and another great addition. I love this series, and have read them all. When a new book comes out it's like visiting old friends. It's Christmas time, and Jules and Helen are taking the Torte employees to a special Dickens Feast, at the Winchester Inn. When everything that can go wrong, does, including a murder, the mystery begins. The plot and characters are well written, and this book will keep you guessing and wondering about all the suspects. I am growing tired of the Jules and Carlos saga, hope it concludes soon. I suggest you read the books in order, to get the full effect. I recommend this book for all cozy mystery lovers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Thank you.

This has been a favorite series from the beginning and this latest book is no different. I love the cast - every member of Torte feels like a friend and while Jules can sometimes be a bit too perfect the feeling of hanging out with friends more then makes up for it. I've actually missed the last couple of books in this series so I was anxious to catch up with Jules, Andy, Sterling and the rest of the crew. As expected they're coming up with all kinds of tasty drinks and treats and stumbling across the occasional dead body.

I really liked the addition of the Winchester and the Dickens Feast as the setting and getting some history of Jules' parents in the early days of Torte was really fun. The mystery was a fun one with lots of twists and turns and a bit of a surprise ending. If you enjoy small town cozies with characters that feel like friends and a setting you wish was real then this a great series to pick up!

Cami, the new owner of the Winchester Inn, might be a real pain in the neck but murder? Jules, our intrepid heroine, is the owner of Torte, a delightful bakery in Ashland, Oregon. It's Christmas and there's lots of activities going on so when Cami is killed, Jules must balance her work and her life with her need to find the villain. Her BFF Lance was not in a festive mood but give him a chance to solve crime.....I'd only read one of the previous installments in this long running series but it worked just fine for me as a semi-standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great Christmas themed cozy.

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander is book ten in the Bakeshop Mystery series. I love this series.
Christmas is coming and Jules has reservations for Torte's Christmas party at the annual Dickens Feast at the Winchester Inn. This is a staple event in Ashland every year bringing in tourists and business. When Jules learns the present owners have sold the business, she is sad but has been reassured the new owner will keep things the same. But at the feast, the new owner is seated close by and Jule's learns the Inn will be leveled. The feast starts off fine but then it goes downhill, ending with the new owner dead. Jules sets out to find out who did it before Christmas.
There are plot twists keeping you guessing to the end. The cast of characters are great. There is a hint of romance and humor.
This is a easy to read cozy. There are recipes included.
You will be put into the Christmas mood when you go to Ashland.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and St, Martins Paperbacks and have given an honest review.

Another great addition to the Bakeshop Mystery series! This Christmas themed cozy is wondrously atmospheric (if you thought Ellie Alexander's descriptions of the Ashland area were lovely before, you'll really enjoy her descriptions of it as a winter wonderland). The mystery isn't very high-stakes in this one, and no beloved characters face life or death situations, but the story is well done.

It's always fun to return to Ashland and Torte! This holiday outing was no exception. I love the setting (both the touristy theater town and the bakery itself), the characters (for the most part--get rid of Richard Lord, who is just a caricature of a person by this time), and the plotting. This book would be 5 stars for me EXCEPT for the several times that Alexander stops the story to give detailed instructions for making a recipe. The recipes are in the back of the book, for the few people who want them. Don't interrupt the story to have Jules think ridiculous things like, "I've learned the best way to achieve that is by grating the butter. I simply freeze sticks of butter for thirty minutes in the wlak-in freezer. Once the butter is frozen solid, grating is a breeze. Another pie tip that I learned in culinary school years ago was..."

Seriously. There were 8 or so times when all action came to a halt so that several pages could narrate Jules baking something. In hideous detail. I don't remember this being an issue in previous books in the series, so maybe an editor is falling down on the job? Or maybe I have just blanked out the memory of those boring passages.

The rest of the book is great, an enjoyable way to spend a cozy couple hours with some hot cocoa, a donut, a fireplace, and a snowstorm outside.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jules Capshaw, owner of Torte bakery, and her staff are gearing up for another busy holiday season. They take a much needed rest as a group and attend the annual Dickens feast at the Winchester Inn. Also attending the feast are the current owners of the Inn, Jon and Emma McBeth, and the new owner, a demanding developer from LA named Cami. Cami proceeds to annoy each and every employee at the Inn over the course of the night however no one expects her to end up murdered. Of course Jules can't help but start to form theories and conduct an investigation of her own. With Lance's encouragement Jules dives right in to help catch the culprit and save the Winchester Inn.
Although this is the tenth in the bakeshop mystery series, Ellie Alexander still manages to create a warm and inviting atmosphere with brilliant imagery and a diverse cast of characters that her readers have grown to expect and admire. A visit to Torte, especially during the holiday season is nothing short of magical. She manages to expertly balance the overarching mystery with personal character development in the plot, with enough recipes thrown in to keep everyone's mouth watering. I especially enjoy Jules' relationship with both her mother and the staff at Torte. I highly recommend this series to cozy mystery readers and for those looking for a warm holiday read.