Cast Iron Alibi by Victoria Hamilton is book nine in the A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. I have only read the last two in the series but was able to get caught up quickly.
When a local womanizing contractor is murdered with a vintage pie iron belonging to Jayme all eyes are on her visiting college friends.
Hamilton gives plenty of suspects, not only Jaymie's guests but also some of the locals could have done him in. The main characters are likeable and the supporting ones also draw you in. The setting will have you wanting to visit the area to shop and go on a dinner cruise.
You get it all, friend and family relationships and plenty of twists and turns.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing, in return for an honest review. This is the ninth in this cosy mystery series but easily read as a stand-alone. When she arranges to host her college friends to her family’s summer cottage, shes excited about seeing the women with whom she shared her college years. When they arrive, including with uninvited guests, things don’t go as Jaymie hoped. There’s interpersonal drama, fights and sniping. When a local man is killed and one of Jaymie’s vintage cooking irons is identified as the murder weapon, Jaymie is determined to clear things up. Having a reunion is hard enough without adding murder to the mix. With the cottage located on an island between Michigan and Ontario, this was a nicely written travelogue to the area and makes you want to visit. I see why many follow this series, as Jaymie is a strong, positive protagonist. The story is well written and the characters are clearly defined. That being said, her college friends are just too mean, petty, and obnoxious to spend time with. So, this is an entry best suited for those who already follow the series.

A special reunion with friends from college was bad from the start. There was a lot of unpleasantness and some women were downright mean Jaymie knew things were not perfect but thought they had been friends. Now it seems the whole gathering was a mistake. Then when a murder occurred it seemed possible one of the group was responsible.

I like Jaymie, the protagonist, and would enjoy another story with her without all the rude characters. The vintage part was fun and interesting and I will certainly give this series another try. Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Cast Iron Alibi
(A Vintage Kitchen Mystery Book 9)
by Victoria Hamilton

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: November 5th 2019 by Beyond the Page


Goodreads synopsis:
In the new Vintage Kitchen Mystery from the author of Breaking the Mould, when an over-amorous handyman is found murdered, Jaymie will have to use every tool at her disposal to nab the culprit . . .

“I have loved this series from the first book . . . it’s like returning to a favorite nook for a cup of tea. It will delight, entice, and drive a reader to want to solve the murder.” —Goodreads on No Grater Danger

Looking forward to her girls-only college reunion vacation, Jaymie’s on cloud nine at the idea of lazy trips to the beach, dinner cruises on the nearby river, and snug sleeping in the vintage trailer she’s renovated. But no sooner does the group reconnect than her hopes turn to tension as petty squabbles and old acrimonies surface, along with tagalong friends, unexpected guests, and stalkerish ex-husbands. And when a local toolbelt Romeo with an eye for one of the women is found murdered, his home ablaze, the simmering hostility in the group suddenly shifts to secrecy.

Local law enforcement is zeroing in on the victim’s best friend and girlfriend as the most likely suspects, but Jaymie’s inquisitive instincts are telling her one of her former classmates may have been involved in the foul deed. Forced to navigate her fraught relationship with a local police detective and determined to uncover the myriad secrets her college friends are hiding, Jaymie knows she’ll have to dig deep to figure out whose alibi is cast iron, and whose is flimsy as tin . . .

***

4.75 Stars

This is the ninth book in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery by Victoria Hamilton.

This book had the perfect recipe for murder. A group of college friends meet to go over old times but there is someone in the group who is there for another reason. And that rationale turns into murder. This was just so good! I felt such a kinship to Jaymie and wanted to dive deep into the entire setting and characters.

The death of a local lothario in a house fire looks like a random incident until facts start to trickle out and Jaymie begins to think maybe one of her girlfriends might be behind the deed! Can you imagine suspecting your friends of murder?! I had no idea where this was going the entire time I was reading. When Jaymie’s cast iron skillet winds up missing and is identified as the murder weapon, I was floored. This was looking less and less like a murder of opportunity and instead a calculated mind wanting death to appease some wrong.

I was clueless the entire time. The whodunit aspect of this really stumped me. I look forward to digging into the eight previous books in this series. Such a warm hearted read for a murder mystery! If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out!

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.

Jaymie Leighton Muller has invited several of her college friends to her family's summer cottage on Heartbreak Island between Michigan and Ontario. The reunion of sorts had been an annual event until life intruded and the gatherings became fewer and fewer. Jaymie has high hopes that the absence would make them eager to see each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. One brings and uninvited friend and there is constant sniping at each other. Before long, someone is murdered, but it isn't one of the college friends, it's a local.

While I loved the storyline the amount of characters seemed overwhelming, thus the 3 stars. But stick with it, you won't be disappointed in the end.

A Cast Iron Alibi is an intriguing story with lots of possible characters to blame for the murder. Lots of twists that will make you keep second guessing. At times the story seem to drag a bit. But if you jeep reading it will all work out.

Cast Iron Alibi is the ninth in the series. I have not read all of them. This can be read as a standalone story. There is a list of characters at the beginning listing the major characters with a brief description. Also provided is a list of characters specifically in this story.

The story takes place in upstate Michigan and the surrounding area. I liked experiencing a small traveling vacation between Canada and Michigan. It reminded me of upstate New York and the proximity to Niagra Falls, Canada.

I did dislike many of the characters. The college roommates where not my favorite people. I would think seriously about having many of them in my life after college. There was so much pettiness among them.

The author had many suspects and including husbands that should not have been in town was a great diversion and casted suspicion all over the place.
I did learn a lot about Canadian treats by looking up butter tarts and following a rabbit hole on other treats I had never heard of before this book.

My overall impression is Jaymie has a huge heart and tons of compassion. She is beginning to stand up for herself and I like how she is progressing.

I would quickly get these people out of my life: Brandi, Gabriela, and Tiffany. They just seem like a ton of work and no joy in return. Jaymie has too much going for her to get sucked into their day-to-day lives. These women need to take responsibility for themselves.

I was about to pack it in about 1/3 of the way into this book. I really didn’t care for the characters. I stuck it out and was able to see Jaymie and a few others shine through their compassion for each other.

This was my first time reading a book in this series. It was easy to get into though, and the story swept me along. Good cozy mystery overall.

Jaymie Leighton Muller has grown so much over the years and now she's a wife and mother. Though her life has changed, one thing hasn't - her "talent" for solving murders. When a "girls week" vacation bring college friends together, things go terribly wrong when a murder occurs.

I enjoyed the book and it's portrayal of the changes friends go through over time. The author writes about very "real" emotions and situations in the book - some good and some tragic - but always offers hope. The mystery keeps you reading and engaged until the very end.

I'm looking forward to the next mystery!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

If you are a cozy mystery fan, there’s really not much to dislike about Cast Iron Alibi! Author Victoria Hamilton skillfully crafts a cozy filled with humor, eclectic characters, secrets, rivalries and, of course, homicide.

Vintage kitchenware collector and columnist Jayme decides to host a college class reunion while her husband and step-daughter are in Europe. The reunion quickly turns ruinous however, when unexpected guests arrive and tensions rise and rivalries escalate. When a local handyman is found dead with Jayme’s own kitchenware besides his lifeless body, Jayme’s suspicion shifts onto her own group of friends and their spouses. Will she uncover who did the deadly dead or will the wrong person take the fall?

This is the 9th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries. I’m not sure how I missed the other eight, but I certainly will be reading every book in the series!

Cast Iron Alibi is the 9th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series written by Victoria Hamilton. It will be released on 11/5 and focuses on Jaymie's all-girls-trip with her college pals. Clearly, shenanigans were going to ensue, and I was on board with all of them. What a fun book!

For those unfamiliar with the series, it focuses on amateur sleuth, Jaymie, who's married with a young daughter and lives on the Canadian / US border. She collects vintage kitchen tools, writes a column for the local paper, and gets herself into bunches of innocent trouble. When an annual (although skipped the last 3 years) trip with her friends is re-scheduled to occur at Jaymie's remote family cabin, things begin to get murky. The women have changed a lot in the last few years, and Jaymie's regretting her decision to host the event--especially when random husbands and friends keep showing up, despite it supposedly being just the friends from college.

Murder, of course, happens to a local contractor in his fifties too. Which friend knew of and offed the guy? He wasn't very nice, and he'd been cheating on his pregnant teenage girlfriend, but Jaymie doesn't let murder go unpunished. Between befriending a detective, reprimanding a few new girls, and missing her husband (who took their daughter to visit family in Germany), we have a well-rounded and clever mystery to solve. The cast is large, but the guide at the front of the book helps and long-time readers know which people are just friendlies and townies. There are at least 10 new characters who could be guilty, but Hamilton effectively reminds us of everyone's role, so we can understand the red herrings and potential motives.

Overall, the story was strong. It takes longer than usual for the murder to happen, but in this case, it works... as we really get to know each of the girlfriends visiting Jaymie, e.g. who's happy, who's miserable, who's cheating, who's lying... in the end, I was hoping 2 of them were innocent, as they were strong characters with good range and possibilities for the future. I won't reveal any spoilers, so you'll have to read the book for yourself. Kudos to the author for another great edition in this series. 4.5 stars rounded up... looking forward to the next one in 2020. I believe the title might be revealed soon too!

Jaymie Muller and her family reside on Heartbreak Island. A collector of vintage kitchenware and blogger, she's happily helping her husband Jakob raise his young daughter. The couple made some extra income renting out the family cottage to vacationers.
Jaymie and her college friends like to reconnect occasionally. This year their reservations at the campground were canceled, so Jaymie offered the cottage as an alternative. Things went south as soon as the ladies plus an extra started to arrive,and continued the same way. Some of the ladies were not as she remembered. Did they change or was she remembering them wrong.
There were good times and spats. Family members of some of the ladies popped up, more drama. Then a local romeo is found dead at a fire scene with a piece of Jaymie's kitchenware next to his body.
Jaymie and her true friends investigate why someone tried to frame her and just as she figures it out, the killer knows that she knows.
This tale has a mystery, humor, strong family, eclectic characters and a touch of romance. It was an interesting cozy that I enjoyed reading.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse.

I'm completely new to this series, but I'm going to fix that! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters, setting, and storyline are all very enjoyable. And vintage kitchen? Who doesn't love that?! I'm looking forward to catching up on this series and reading more.

This is the 9th book in the Vintage Kitchen series and is as intriguing as the others! It is best to read them in order to enjoy the characters and story. Jaymie Leighton collects vintage kitchen stuff, writes articles, and is working on a cookbook. All of her college friends are coming to town for a week of girl-time. Plus some additional people Jaymie was not expecting! Of course old rivalries, personalities, and secrets complicate the week, plus the death of a cheating local handyman. Jaymie ends up involved and works to figure out what is going on! Very enjoyable Le cozy mystery!

I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the series. In fact, I’ve enjoyed the whole series. It has been fun watching Jaymie grow and mature, find out who she is, find love and marriage and even embrace motherhood. The mysteries are always interesting, complicated enough to keep you interested, and convoluted enough to keep you guessing.

Jaymie Leighton Mueller is looking forward to a class reunion of sorts with several of her college friends. In the fifteen years since college, they have gotten together for a camping trip almost every year – except they have missed the last few years – life just interfered. Now, they are back on track and Jaymie can’t wait. Jaymie has, as we all do, forgotten the stresses of the relationships and has romanticized and idealized them instead.

The gathering this year will be a bit bittersweet for Jaymie because her beloved husband, Jakob and her stepdaughter Jocie will be in Poland for the ten days of Jaymie’s gathering. Jocie’s mother was Polish and Jakob and Jaymie want her to have that family in her life.

The gathering of Jaymie, Gabriela, Brandi, Rachel, Melanie, and Rachel – all of the friends from college – is joined by two unexpected guests, Courtney and Tiffany. One was invited by Brandi and the other invited herself. Not a particularly auspicious beginning for their adventure.

It seems that there are troubles in everybody’s marriages – well except Jaymie’s – and husbands show up to shadow the ladies. None of them is welcome and tensions tighten.

When a murder and arson occur, it seems that at least some of the ladies know the victim – and he isn’t a very savory victim, to say the least. The police quickly arrest the man’s friend – and it sure seems he could be guilty – but – Jaymie isn’t convinced. So, she’s off sleuthing out the facts – she either wants to be satisfied that the man who was arrested is the perpetrator – or she wants to find out who really did it. Could it be the husband of one of her friends?

I hope you’ll enjoy this well-plotted, well-written mystery as much as I did. I hope you’ll also enjoy meeting the ladies because we might see more of one of them in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jaymie Leighton is thrilled to be getting together with her friends for a girls only college reunion but things are not as idyllic as she expected. Since they are staying at the family cottage she was excited to show off her restored vintage trailer and expected everyone to kick back and have a good time. However, everyone is not exactly as she remembers. One brings along a guest and boy do all of these ladies have drama. One is just interested in hot guys and Jaymie suspects she has been hooking up with a local handyman. Of course he turns up dead and she begins to think Brandi or perhaps her husband had something to do with it. Good addition to this series and a strong series. Jaymie is a great character and I look forward to the next in this series.

This small-town, multi-character, whodunit is a part of the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. Set in a small town, the main character, Jaymie, has planned a college reunion filled with fun but the fun reunion is derailed early on by unexpected guests and the murder of a citizen of the town. This book is not really my favorite but I know that there are a lot of followers of this series. I am a bottom line kind of girl so the in-depth background on characters and the very descriptive writing made it difficult for me to get into the story.

Victoria Hamilton's books always make me happy. It is like visiting with old friends which is what Jaymie is doing in Cast Iron Alibi, the newest in the Vintage Kitchen series.

Jaymie's college roommates are coming to the Island for a reunion at Jaymies family's cottage. One friend brings her new friend, another has a sister in law show up and then of course, there is a murder on the island. Who is involved? How are her friends and the new people they have brought into the group involved? As Jaymie begins to find bits and pieces of the story, she discovers she just may not know her old friends as well as she thought. A great read that moves quickly, it will make you want to have a friendship reunion. Or maybe not.

Thanks NetGalley, Beyond the Press Publishing and Victoria Hamilton for the chance to read this book for a fair and honest review.

Nice feel good book. It flowed very well. was easy to read. Nice characters. Good storyline. What’s not to love.