Business is booming at The Cookie House and Kate McGuire couldn't be more pleased. In Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder, Kate had spread her baking wings and preparing more and more different and tasty cookies. While helping her friend Maxi dig three new flower beds behind her flower shop, Flowers Maximus, when they top to rest. Oliver, Kate's dog, continues to dig and much to their surprise he unearths human remains. Maxi thinks it might be Gentleman George Bly, the pirate king of Coral Cay.

An excellent adventure along with some delicious sounding cookie recipes.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Baker Kate McGuire has relocated from Manhattan, New York to Coral Cay, Florida to start over and to escape from her former fiancee who has trouble accepting the fact that they are over. She is a Junior Partner and 49% owner of the Cookie House with Sam Hepplewhite who is the 51% owner and head baker. Kate's friend Maxi Más-Buchanan has her flower shop right next door, Flowers Maximum.

While digging in the backyard of the flower shop, Kate's dog Oliver a "vicious" golden doodle guard dog that seems to love and be cared for by everyone in town, also starts digging and finds a body. This starts off 'pirate fever' in the community as everyone thinks that the body of Gentleman George Bly, the Pirate King of Coral Cay has been unearthed. Kate and Maxi name him "Alvin" and set off to learn more about who he was and better yet how he ended up in Maxi's back garden. When Coral Cay Police officer Ben Abrams reveals to them that "Alvin" was between 25 and 45 years old and that he could not have been in the ground over a year, possibly it was only 6 months - the ladies realize that it could not be the pirate who was supposed to have disappeared 400 years prior. They realize that it was someone closer to home and the murderer is very possibly one of their fellow shop owners and their friend.

A fun read with enjoyable characters. Looking forward to Mystery #3.

This new Cookie House book is as good as the first, a little quirky and amusing, it continues to entertain.
Kate and Maxi continue to snoop as well as do their jobs when a body appears in Maxi's yard, dug up by Oliver, the dog who adopted Kate.
Along with the body, a furor develops as he's mistakenly identified as 'gentleman George,' a pirate who is supposed to have a large treasure buried near, bringing forth treasure hunters. Kate's ex pops up on the scene, much to her dismay and irritates her to no end, as he encourages the hunt for the pirate by offering funds to the town's business owners to help the search for the real 'Gentleman George.'
Continuing to run their businesses, research George and try to ID the body, the ladies also do their part for the town's 'annual Pirate Festival.'
They eventually find out who the body is, after several false starts with the help of Manny and John Quincy, who get the information after John Quincy finds another body.
They also found out about Gentleman George..a whole 'nother tale.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC and offer my opinion gratis.

For lovers of culinary cozy mysteries there is a relatively new series on the horizon, the Cookie House Mysteries. If my experience with the second book in the series, Sugar and Vice, is anything to go by, we're going to be raving about this series for years to come!

Kate is settling into her new life in sunny Coral Cay. She's busy baking up a storm as part-owner in The Cookie House, and getting ready for the Pirate Festival. However all plans go awry when her friend and neighbour, Maxi, uncovers a skeleton in her yard. Could it be the 400 year old bones of notorious pirate, Gentlemen George Bly, or something more recent and sinister?

I leapt right into Sugar and Vice without reading the first book in the series. Quite often I do this, and sometimes I feel a little lost and sometimes I land right on my "reading" feet. In this case it was the latter. Within a chapter I was feeling right at home in Coral Cay, and cursing myself for not picking up this series sooner!! Coral Cay is the perfect picturesque, sunny, island. The townsfolk are friendly, and they live off the tourist trade. There is a little shop for everything, and as I read, I was wishing I could visit this town, and step into The Cookie House, and all the other shops in the centre of town. Eve Calder has a way of describing the town and occupants so well, that you just want to dive right into the book!!

I love the uniqueness of the mystery. The skeleton, who Maxi nicknames "Alvin", when her husband calls it "Exhibit A", is a complete unknown. The police, nor Maxi or Kate, are all grasping at clues trying to figure out who it was. The whodunnit is cleverly plotted and it kept me guessing right up until the end! Combine it with the mystery of pirate George Bly and you've got a very fascinating and unique cozy mystery, and one readers won't forget in a hurry!

I highly recommend Sugar and Vice be on your Winter/Spring reading list! This is a delightful series for lovers of culinary cozy mysteries, and those that are looking to read a first class whodunit. The delightful locals, and not to mention Oliver, the adorable puppy that wanders the island and lives with Kate, will have you coming back for more.

Very fun read. I love it when a current mystery is entangled with an old mystery. This story had lots of twists and turns and while I kind of knew the Who-done-it, I had no idea how massive the story was. Very enjoyable! Looking forward to the next one!

I enjoyed this second addition to the series. Kate and Maxi make great friends, and a great team.
In Sugar and Vice, it’s Pirate Days, and everyone is gearing up for the tourists and a great time.
Unfortunately, when a dead body turns up in Maxi’s backyard, everyone has a guess as to who it might be. From long lost relatives to maybe an actual pirate, everyone keeps guessing, but it’s up to Kate and Maxi to dig up the truth.
I think this series is filled with colorful characters, witty humor and intriguing mysteries.
I’m looking forward to seeing Kate and her friends again.

Description
In Eve Calder's Sugar and Vice, things are heating up at the Cookie House when star pastry chef and amateur sleuth Kate McGuire finds herself in the midst of a shocking murder mystery.

OUT OF THE OVEN
Lately, Kate has a lot on her dessert plate. She’s launching a cookie-of-the-day challenge in the heart of Coral Cay, providing sweet treats for the reception of the town’s handsome new veterinarian—not to mention dealing with tourists in town for a pirate festival and the surprise arrival of her former fiancé, Evan, who seems determined to win her back.

AND INTO THE FIRE
And if that’s not enough, a skeleton has been found—in the backyard behind her best friend Maxi’s floral shop. Kate knows Maxi could never hurt a fly. Maybe the remains belong to Sir George Bly, a long-dead pirate whose name has become urban legend—until now? It’s time for Kate to use every trick in the recipe book to prove Maxi’s innocence, and find the truth about the skeleton, before the last of the cookies crumble…

My Review
Sugar and Vice is a winner! The perfect cozy mystery to read.

The story starts off with Kate amateur sleuth having issue with her gardening gloves - I can actually relate. Of course things get a little hair when a skeleton is found in the backyard of Maxi's floral shop. Kate has her hands full if she is going to prove that Maxi is not the killer.

The characters are well-crafted and enjoyable. This ARC was provided in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sugar and Vice. Can't wait for the next one. I definitely give this a 5 Star...

2nd in Cookie House Mystery series--amusing read overall. Despite occasionally slow pacing, there's real tension in terms of figuring out the identity of the discovered corpse. Reading the first book in the series would be helpful but isn't a requirement for enjoying the book. Recommended to cozy enthusiasts.

Kate McGuire left a fiancé and her restaurant career behind in NYC and hasn’t looked back once. Acclimating to life in Coral Cay, Florida has soothed her soul and she is now a partner in the local bakery, life is good. Helping her best friend build some planting boxes, she and Maxi take a break and the island’s dog, Oliver, helps out by digging up bones. Not just any bone, but those of what appears to be the bones of Gentleman George, a legendary Pirate that was said to have called Coral Cay home.

Maxi is excited about the discovery, but it turns out the bones are not that of the pirate, but have been planted in the past year. Kate and Maxi decide they need too ind out who the bones belong to, and their book club decides that they want to find out what happened to Gentleman George. There’s a whole lot going on in Coral Cay as Kate’s ex fiancé arrives in town trying to win Kate back and the tourists descend on the island for the annual pirate festival. But will they find any answers or will they join the pile of bones?

A fun read. Having lived in Florida and lived through a few Gasparilla festivals, I was transported back to South Florida and was along for the sleuthing. A fun cozy with witty book quotes from the book club members throughout the story. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of SUGAR AND VICE (Book 2 of the Cookie House Mysteries) by Eve Calder in exchange for an honest review. Kate McGuire has settled into her life in Coral Cay, Florida, as co-owner of the local bakery and as a new dog owner. Kate is helping her new friend Maxi install a raised garden when Kate’s half-grown labradoodle takes an interest and decides to help them dig. Soon, Oliver has uncovered a skeleton wearing what appears to be a pirate outfit. Is it the remains of Sir George Bly, a pirate and privateer who helped establish the Cay? The publicity arising from the discovery of the remains arrives just in time for the town’s annual pirate festival. Drawn to the mystery of what happened to Gentleman George, Kate and her friends begin to research the infamous pirate. Also, if the body isn’t Sir George, who is it, and how did it get in Maxi’s garden? At the same time, Kate is unexpectedly besieged by male admirers: her ex-fiancé has arrived in town with goal of winning back Kate’s affections; a recently-separated but not yet divorced wealthy older gentleman named Harper Duvall starts pitching woo (and roses) in Kate’s direction; and the town’s new veterinarian is very nice and very nice looking.

I liked this book. Though I have not read the first book, I had no problems connecting with the characters. I hope to read the first book, AND THEN THERE WERE CRUMBS, soon. I recommend this book and series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring small towns, small business owners, bakeries, pirate mysteries, and puppies.

I enjoyed this book. I really liked the interaction between the characters. I liked the bit of history in trying to find out the history of the pirate, George Bly. But I really liked the investigating that went on into who the skeleton was that was found. The townspeople and everyone just came together and all helped find out the information. #Sugar and Vice #NetGalley

This is a perfect cozy mystery filled with a beautiful Florida island setting, warm, interesting characters, and most of all, lots of delicious cookies. Kate, a partner in the Cookie House bakery and her best friend Maxi, who owns the flower shop next door are digging in Maxi's garden to put in a vegetable garden when they (or really Kaye's dog Oliver) find a body dressed in pirate gear who they believe to be Sir George Bly, a pirate from the 16th century who was rumored to have been buried with his treasure. But when the body is investigated it turns out to have been buried less than a year ago. While the local book club, including Kate and Maxi, agree to investigate the pirate's story, Kate and Maxi are more interested in the body in the backyard and how and why he got there and once again the two friends are on the case. I loved this story, the wonderful small town setting where everyone knows your name, the true friendship between Kate and Maxi and, most especially the cookies! Don't try to read this while you are hungry - you will be raiding your own cookie jar while wishing for some of Kate's treats.