Cover Image: 15 Minutes of Flame

15 Minutes of Flame

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15 minutes of Flame was a very charming cozy mystery. Perfect for Halloween readers who want a bit of a spooky mystery. Even though, this is a standalone, there were some plot of the other books in the series given away in this one. But if you don't mind that, it is a perfect fall read.

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15 Minutes of Flame is the third Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery by Christin Brecher and it's most definitely my favorite. This book ran a duel murder mystery: one in the present day and one from the past that was currently being investigated, complete with archaeologists, historians, and many interested parties from within the island itself.

Stella found herself in the middle of another mystery that left me turning the page for more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading a story that focused on the history of the island, even within a fictional setting. Brecher wove a terrific tale set in a wonderful place I would love to visit in real life: Nantucket Island. Someday I'll get there.

In the meantime, I'm left wondering what's going to happen when a certain someone runs off to Iceland. And what about Andy? I truly hope a follow up book will be written. (Don't worry - it's not a cliffhanger, I promise!)

Thanks very much to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions stated in this review are my own.

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15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher is the third installment in the cozy Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of this series does contain it’s own mystery to be solved so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There is though some character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

The Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series introduced readers to Stella Wright who lives in Nantucket and owns her own candle shop, the Wick & Flame. Stella sells candles in all kinds of scents looking to create the perfect candle for every customer coming into her small store.

Unfortunately for Stella she also has had a couple of cases of tracking down a murderer and hopes to never have to do that again. However, now a friend of Stella’s has inherited an old run down property that used to be another candle shop. When exploring the property Stella finds and old skeleton that seems to be yet another murder victim from years ago.

The Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series is another cozy series that I have followed from the beginning and in this case have wanted the series to grow on me and hoped to enjoy them more. I believe the series is just not as quirky and humorous as I am normally drawn to and everything in here is what I feel is just alright and doesn’t seem to stand out to me as much as some others. I do love the setting of Nantucket and the interesting theme of the candle shop but with a just ok feeling I’m not sure I’ll return to the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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I enjoyed this mystery story with all of the characters. The main characters is Stella Wright's Nantucket when there a mystery that she can solve she will find out who done it. She has solve two other mystery in the town that she lives and own and candle store in town. Her town is celebrating Halloween and the Girl Scout are putting on a fundraiser.
They are using a creaky home that Stella friend has inherited for a Halloween haunted house as there annual fundraiser. But when Stella finds a mystery in the back yard in a board up building that used to be a candle making shop.

This was a fun story to listen to and also read. I had fun trying to guess who might have done it. It was quite different than most mystery book that I have read because there was two mystery within the story. Both were fun guessing. The author also had quite a few laughing parts that I enjoyed. I also got the audio and the narrative did a good job.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

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The author gives us two engrossing mysteries steeped in history, lore, and romance. The author does a nice job of weaving the modern day mystery with the historical mystery. Both mysteries have numerous red herrings, plenty of clues, and a long list of suspicious suspects. Most of the characters are amusing, full of wit, and quirky that makes them relatable and at times larger than life. Other characters can use some more development to make them seem more relatable and unforgettable.

I think that Stella is turning into a fun amateur sleuth, one of the things that I like about her is that she's not a reluctant investigator, and that she enjoys helping with the investigations and is usually honest about it. I did find myself wondering about Stella and Peter’s relationship since they didn't spend a lot of time together in the book. I am wondering if Andy could be a romantic option and if the author might be thinking of giving us a love triangle in the next book.. I had an issue when Stella drinks shots in exchange for information, after having some wine with friends, then she runs around questioning people and finding clues, then after drinking some coffee she immediately becomes sober again there is no way she's up on her feet having meaningful conversations.

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley for my honest review.

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This was a great Halloween cozy and one of the best described haunted house settings I have read in a long time. Stella is a great sleuth and a unique way of solving the mystery of the skeleton. I highly recommend this book and series.

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This is such a fun and different take on a cozy mystery series. I loved the first book in this series and was super excited to get this one. I highly recommend this book!

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This is the third installment in this series and I was not disappointed in what has become one of my very favorite series. I have grown very attached to Stella and her town of Nantucket. This story had an extra spooky vibe as Stella discovers an old skeleton while helping the local girl scouts set up a haunted house. Though Stella makes some questionable dangerous decisions, I did love following her sleuthing and putting together the very jumped pieces with her. The combination of a 100+ year old mystery with a present day one really kept me on my toes and an extra layer of suspense. There were also some tidbits about types of candles used on the island throughout history and I loved how they were incorporated into the plot in such a significant way! My only complaint is the ending seemed to wrap up was too quickly for all the build up. And more romance (which is always just my humble opinion). I am always eagerly awaiting more from this wonderful Candlemaker series.

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 3 in the series.

I somehow missed book 2, but that's okay, I was able to read this is a stand alone story.

This one was a Halloween story, so right up my avenue, since that's my favorite holiday. It was fittingly a bit creepy, but also a little kooky, with a touch of cheese, haha. My only concern is that Stella seems a bit harder in this book than she did in the first one. Did something big happen in book two that I missed? She was almost a b%$& at times.

I'd definitely like to see Stella go back the way she was in book 1. Also, my pet peeve with most cozies is that the main character rarely spends much time at their job, so I'd like to see more of Stella's candlemaking business.

That said, I loved the setting of Nantucket and island life, and I am looking forward to more.

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Great installment in this series. I enjoyed this better than the last one, and I absolutely love the Nantucket setting. Brecher did an excellent job with her details, and I loved following the characters and the mystery.

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I really loved this third book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

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An absolute join to read! This series combines the art of candle making with well-planned cozy mysteries. I enjoy the setting and the characters are engaging. Looking forward to the next book.

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This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was definitely not disappointed. The characters were realistic and the story was written. I really think my favorite character was stella. The ending was a bit of a surprise. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

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Absolute joy to read! Halloween, Cozy-feels, Candle Shop as the backdrop and a Haunted House in the mix. Stella was a wonderful character and I admirer I hadn’t read the other stories in this series, plan to.

Don’t matter the time of year, this one can be read ALL YEAR ROUND, but Halloween is just another cozy layer to this well written story!

Thanks for allowing me the pleasure!

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Stella is helping prepare for the town's Halloween fundraiser and discovers an old candle shop in a shack. Also in the shack is the long dead body of a Quaker woman. This reopens an old mystery and old wounds. The book has great possibilities, but some pats are just impossible to believe. Who would ever think going down a well alone in the middle of the night is a good idea? The mystery was good and kept me guessing. I just wish the main character was more likable.

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15 Minutes of Flame is the first book in the Nantucket Candle Maker series featuring Stella Wright. This was a perfect reading choice given the Halloween season. Stella had agreed to help put together this year's annual Halloween fundraiser which will take place at an old creepy abandoned home in Nantucket. When she discovers the skeleton in a boarded up shack on the property, suddenly rumors of ghosts and murder take flight.

As the police and historians look into the matter, Stella herself cannot help but be intrigued. Was the woman's death over 100 years ago related to a theft and possible suicide of the woman's best friend? What of the man they both loved? And then a more modern murder shakes everyone up--how could it be tied to the death of the woman found in the shack? Or is it? The police and Stella have their hands full as they try to unravel the clues in this cozy mystery.

I enjoyed every minute of 15 Minutes of Flame. Author Christin Brecher had me from the first sentence. I felt right at home in Nantucket and enjoyed the descriptions of Stella's candles. I would love to browse her shop and pick up a few of her themed candles! Stella is a great character--smart and resourceful. I did question her judgement a couple of times, however (of which my husband got an earful--and I will likely be talking about for some time to come because it hit on one of my pet peeves). While I never felt I was lost or missing something by starting with the third book in the series, I do have to wonder if there is some history between Stella and Andy. I suspected just about everyone in the book at some point or another and felt the author did a good job of weaving the history of the island in while building up suspense and keeping the readers (and characters) on our toes. I definitely hope to read more in this series at some point.

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15 MINUTES OF FLAME is the third book in Christin Brecher’s “Nantucket Candle Maker” cozy mystery series. Although this is the third book in the series, it was the first I’ve read. I believe 15 MINUTES OF FLAME works as a standalone novel, even though it’s part of a series. Stella Wright may be the owner of the candle store Wick & Flame, but in this story, she is also a likable amateur sleuth. Stella is helping put together a Girl Scouts’ Halloween fundraiser when she stumbles on a human skeleton in a historic building. This book is full of local history and spooky atmosphere.

Although Stella is a shop owner, and not a professional investigator, she becomes involved in a man’s death when her discovery is what drew him to the location and circumstances surrounding death. The murder is fascinating because it took place with lots of people in the vicinity, but with their view blocked, nobody was able to say exactly what happened. It soon appears as though a centuries-old murder begat a more recent one. The man who died was an academic and somebody who you wouldn’t think of as being at a high risk for danger, but Stella discovers he had a complicated romantic life and professional rivalries that may have endangered him. Stella’s boyfriend, Peter Bailey, is a reporter and able to aide her in hunting down much needed info. The list of suspects includes a diverse group – including people close to the victim, other academics, and even Stella’s own family members. Christin Brecher does a phenomenal job of keeping the fun, small-town cozy vibe, while also inject an element of suspense and paranoia. Almost everybody in 15 MINUTES OF FLAME seemed suspicious to me, and some of the isolated locations Stella was investigating gave me the chills.

15 MINUTES OF FLAME is a satisfying mystery with a mix of cozy and creepy, great storytelling, and intriguing characters. Even though the historical mystery the characters are so consumed with may be fictional, I was just as captivated by that as I was the murder. I look forward to Christin Brecher’s next “Nantucket Candle Maker” mysteries.

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This is the first book I have read by Christin Brecher and I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series! I have always been a fan of cozy mysteries and Christin Brecher gave me exactly what I was looking for when it came to a cozy. I loved that this particular book incorporated elements of fall/halloween by having a skeletons, ghosts, a haunted house, and a murder! I would highly recommend to pick this up during the fall or whenever you are itching for a little halloween spook in your life!

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This is a good, quick, light and fun read. It checks all the boxes that I look for in a cozy and I would recommend it to others.

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My favorite part about this book was the back and forth historical bits to the 1800's on Nantucket and how the mystery progressed, And it was a nice touch that something called a candle clock came into play. Stella digs into the history of Nantucket after skeletal remains are found in her friend's new fixer upper. I continue to enjoy the quirky characters and family that surround Stella.

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