Cover Image: 15 Minutes of Flame

15 Minutes of Flame

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Member Reviews

I liked the first two adventures of the series, the first one better than the second. Although I am going to be rating this the same on the websites ( because of a woeful lack of .5 stars being available on Goodreads and other apps), I liked this best.
I highly recommend reading the previous ones before getting here just to keep the feel of the community alive, but even if you start the series here, you will not go amiss. We have our Nantucket candle maker, Stella gearing up for Halloween season. She is even helping kit up a house to be the scary sideshow. The same house incidentally that she lost her heart to in the previous book.
One thing newbies should know of our protagonist is the confidence born out of growing up in the same town all her life. Her curiosity drives her into investigating an open door and then in a random sequence of events uncovering a skeleton. This, in turn, brings some old scandals to the forefront and has (almost)everyone involved.
It was an intriguing concept to investigate an older crime by people who do not have the technical background to do so while at the same time, that very investigation might be the cause for a crime in the present. It was well executed and kept me hooked until I read the end. I am still not sold on the main couple, but am ignoring the urge to focus and/or harp on it!
I look forward to the next strange predicament that Stella will land herself in, given the way this book ended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review was entirely based on my own reading experience.

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‘15 Minutes of Flame‘ is the third title in the ‘Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery‘ series. I have not yet read the two earlier books (that’s on the schedule to get caught up on) and I didn’t feel the least bit lost. So, although I’ll try my best to read a series in order, sometimes it’s just not possible – I’d call this one standalone material, but I imagine I’d have enjoyed it more with the background from the earlier stories… that’s just the type of reader I am.

Stella is planning on helping out the Girl Scouts’ fundraising this Halloween season with a haunted house tour – and she has the perfect building. Creepy, ancient, crumbly, and spooky it’s the perfect spot. Right up until Stella discovers a skeleton wearing crumbling, ancient bloodstained clothes sealed up where no natural death would have left a body – within a wall. As the experts set out to discover what happened to this woman, Stella will begin her own investigation with surprising results. Soon a modern-day murder will add even more questions to the situation. Are the murders somehow connected?

There are intriguing historical facts woven in alongside a very present-day murder with fascinating results. Red herrings, twists and turns galore, this one kept me guessing right up to the reveal. No, there are no more clues to give for you should try to solve this mystery on your own. I enjoyed the main characters very much and will definitely get caught up on this series before the next release. If you love puzzling out a mystery, a bit of history, secondary characters who bring a story to life, and a hint of ancient candlemaking, then you’ll love ‘15 Minutes of Flame‘.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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15 Minutes of Flame is the third book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series by Christin Brecher. It can be read as a stand alone.
Halloween is almost here and Stella has agreed to help on a fundraiser. What more perfect place to hold it other then an old abandoned building. Stella stumbles upon an old building in the back yard and discovers it had once been a candle shop. While trying to remove a sign in the building, she finds a skeleton of a Quaker woman, She once again is drawn into a mystery. Then when a murder happens while investigating the death of the Quaker, she is now involved in a murder investigation. Will she make it to trick or treat or not.
This easy to read cozy has plot twists galore, likeable characters, humor, a great setting, and romance.
I was given an ARC by Kensington and NetGalley for an honest review.

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Who could imagine that a 100 year old skeleton hidden in a shack on Nantucket would lead to murder today? Well, Brecher did for this third installment in a nice cozy series featuring Stella, a candlemaker. Stella was helping to clean out the old store so that it could be used as a haunted house and now she's on the spot because it turns out this isn't the only skeleton in town. The publicity the find gets is a bad thing-because the bad feelings from then impact today. There's a bit of Nantucket history blended in with the cozy aspects. Stella and her boyfriend Pete investigate but she's also aided by some of the other store owners in town. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is nice because it has a slightly more complicated plot than you usually find in a cozy.

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Stella Wright is taking a break from her Nantucket candle shop to help with a girl scout Halloween fundraiser. The event is being held at a friend’s old house, which is rumored to be haunted. The fun jokes about ghosts and goblins abruptly stop when Stella discovers a skeleton from a decades old murder in an outbuilding. When the investigation into the old bone leads to a new murder, Stella is determined to find out the truth in both cases.

This is the third book in a series, but the first I have read. The first chapter smoothly introduces most of the important characters in the book, but I was surprised at the lack of depth in the characters as the story continued. I liked Stella’s friendship with Emily and the way they used the way they would treat each other to help determine events between Nantucket women from many years ago would have acted, which helped in solving the cold case. That part was so well done, I wish there had been more scenes like that one. Maybe if I had read the prior books I would feel differently, but overall I really didn’t care for Stella. I liked her independence, but she was so pushy. I couldn’t believe it when she made herself at home in someone else's house while he was in the other room watching TV. Later I was shocked when she climbed down into a well, which was an active crime scene, in the dark, by herself to look for clues. At that point, I knew she wasn’t someone I could relate to.

In addition to the cold case and the current murder investigation, Stella tries to find time to spend with her boyfriend, Peter. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any chemistry between them and because I’m new to the series, I kept thinking she was dating Andy because they seemed to have much more of a connection. The author may have been hinting about further developments there for future books, but I’m not sure. Even when the murder investigation didn’t keep my interest, I enjoyed the setting and reading details about current life in Nantucket as well as in the past. I also liked learning about candles and wish there had been more focus on Stella's candle shop. I really enjoyed the section about candle clocks and read more about them after finishing the book. Hopefully Stella's behavior in this installment is an exception. If so and if more depth was added to the characters, I think the setting and the candle-making aspect of the series would make it one I would follow.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

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When Stella is exploring a shack located on the property of the home the Girl Scours are using for A Halloween fundraiser, she finds a skeleton behind an old sign. Forensic anthropologists are called in to help Identify the 100 year old skeleton which leads to the possibility of another body in a well. When one of the anthropologists is murdered after finding a map as well as a skeleton in the well, Stella investigates both the old and new murders.
Interesting combination of historical and contemporary murders.

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4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Nantucket Candle Maker mystery series by Christin Brecher.

There was a little bit of candle stuff in this book but really not enough to satisfy me. Don’t get my wrong, the mystery in this was compelling but I love everything candle related and I just wanted more.

I did have a bit of a niggle since I wasn’t sure all that happened in the seconds around the murder could have happened in such a short amount of time. But this is just me. Not like I had a stop watch and timed it all or anything.

Basically, Stella finds a dead body in the wall of a house she really wants to buy but is hesitant to take the plunge on. This turns out to be a local lady, a Quaker, with a bit of a story to tell that involves a serial killer and a hidden treasure that has had the town searching for clues for years. Just as they find the embroidered map on a piece of linen, the map is stolen and one of the men excavating it is murdered.

If you are not paying attention, this could be a bit of a mind bender. But overall it is a great read. I plan on reading other books in this series just to get my candle fix.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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.

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Although this is the third book in the series I went ahead and started with it. I do think I would have enjoyed it more had I started with book one so I will be going back to read the first two books. I still very much enjoyed this one I just felt like I missed some nuances. I loved the start of the story and how the skeleton was found. I thought the mystery was fascinating and I loved all the information about candles! If you love candles and cozy mysteries then this is a good one to check out!

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"15 Minutes of Flame" the 3rd Instalment in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series by Christin Brecher. I was super excited to receive an advanced copy as I love this series and I wasn’t disappointed as this was even better than the last!

I really enjoyed this instalment in the series and visiting Nantucket again.

The Protagonist Stella is well developed, likeable and I loved her friendships with the folks in town. Another favourite of mine is Tinker the cat (my first cat was named Tinker as well) who was part of this instalment too. I liked the addition of Clemmie the barista and how she played a role in the story.

I found that the story was well paced and I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting and crime scenes are strong and really drew me in. The ending was good and I didn’t guess the killer till Stella did.

We didn’t see as much candle making in this story but there are instructions for making your own candle clock at the back along with Clan Chowder recipe.

Highly recommended to all my cozy friends! I really hope there will be a book 4 soon!

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN

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An entertaining and engaging cozy mystery. Skeletons and a dead body make for mysteries old and new. Fun guessing the culprit. Nice friend relationships.

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3rd book in the series, and the best so far. Really fun story! Lots of suspects, lots of twists and turns, and tons of fun! Excited to read the next installment!

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I really enjoyed reading this book. Although its the third book in a series, I didn't find it hard to get up to speed with the characters. The author did a great job providing the needed backstory.

This was an interesting book. I particularly liked having a historical mystery to solve as well as a contemporary mystery to solve along with it. It had a nice Fall setting and a Halloween theme. I have to admit, I'm a total pushover for holiday themed cozies!


Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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All Stella wanted was an antique sign but what she got was so much more. Now there are multiple murders and a mysterious map that has disappeared.

An enjoyable blend of two time periods when an innocent find turns into a deadly discovery. A diverse cast of characters adds to the story set in charming Nantucket Island.

I have not read the first two books in the series but had no trouble following this story. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

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This book is the third volume in the Nantucket Candle Maker series and can be read on its own. This is my first venture into this series and the story can be easily followed without knowing what happened in the first two books or anything about the cast of characters.

The main character is Stella Wright who owns a candle store on Nantucket. In this particular book, she spends most of her time at the Morton House, which is where she discovers a historical skeleton or pursuing clues around the island. She does drop into her store from time to time and readers do learn a little about candle making and the history of candles. Stella is helping the local Girl Scout troop set up a haunted house in the empty Morton House when she discovers the skeleton of a murdered woman in an outbuilding.

Stella does have a personal stake in the historic murder since the skeleton is linked to a local mystery that involves local families on her island. The author ups the stakes by adding in a modern-day murder linked to the skeleton as the investigate heats up along with the search for buried treasure.

What I liked best about the book was the setting and the author’s descriptions of the island, island life, and the history. The characters were amiable enough, but seemed somewhat bland and flat. I liked the setting enough that I would be interested in the next book if not for my suspicions that a love triangle is looming on the horizon.

I may be misreading the situation, but the main two secondary characters are Stella’s boyfriend and her best friend who happens to be a male police officer. My patience has been exhausted by certain authors who write love triangles that drag on and on and on; so I am inclined to be suspicious about it. Possibly I am being unfair to the author here and she has no such intentions. On the other hand, if love triangles are your jam, you might want to keep an eye on this series.

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Stella Wright owns a candle store, Wick and Flame, on the island of Nantucket. It's almost Halloween and Stella has volunteered to help the girls scouts prepare for their haunted house fundraiser for the island's neediest. The creeky, abandoned house is owned by Stella's friend and he has kindly given them permission to use it. While exploring an old chandlery behind the house, she finds a skeleton hidden in the wall. She starts an investigation to learn more about the hundred-year-old skeleton and uncovers a dark mystery, involving robbery, betrayal, murder, and buried treasure. When one of the people called in to investigate is found dead and the treasure map goes missing, Stella becomes determined to solve the mystery.

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher is the third book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. This is my favorite of the series so far. The characters were engaging and the descriptions of Nantucket were lovely and rich with detail. I particularly loved reading about the island's whaling history and the role women played during that time. Stella is a very likable character, and I feel like she's someone I would be friends with in real life. She's smart, funny, brave, and has a penchant for solving problems and mysteries. The author has done a wonderful job of developing her character, and I can't wait to see what's in store for her in the upcoming books. I'm excited to explore her new house and see which direction her love life will take.
The mystery kept me on my toes until the dramatic reveal. The historical mystery is weaved effortlessly with the present-day murder. I enjoyed the conclusion of both mysteries. I thought this was a great addition to the series, and I eagerly await the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This book is well done and I enjoyed the characters. The idea of a candle shop as a backdrop is clever and not one I have read before.

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I have a weakness for finding skeletal remains hidden in a wall, chest, etc plots. This one starts off good when Stella finds the remains of a person dead over a century. Of course, this happens shortly before Halloween. I like the search for the identity of a killer who died decades ago as well as the search for the killer of a more recent murder victim. What I didn't like was one scene in the book where Stella crossed the two too-stupid-to-live line. I really wanted to see Stella spend a little time in jail to give her time to think how things could have ended for her. I haven't read the first two books in this series so I'm going to give it another chance.

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This was a new author for me and I have to say, I'm now a fan.
Stella Wright makes candles on Nantucket Island. She's busy with her business, her boyfriend Peter and volunteering. Volunteering with the Girl Scouts had her helping them prepare their haunted house fundraiser. The building they were using had an outbuilding in the back. When she snooped inside, she found a Cooper's Candles sign and told the owner about it. He told her she could have it, and when she took it, she got the shock of her life...a skeleton was in the hearth behind the sign.
Ms. Brecher's tale of the discovery is enhanced by great characters and descriptions of the artifacts they uncover in the quest for answers. They found out when, who and even why the victim was murdered a hundred years ago.....and another skeleton.
There'a battle for control between factions interested in the body...or are they interested in something else? This is a very entertaining book with intrigue, romance, some rotten characters and a group of good friends. I recommend it highly.
I requested and received a NetGalley Arc to peruse.

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4/5 stars

I received 15 Minutes of Flame through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

15 Minutes of Flame is the third installment of the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series, but the first in the series that I have read. In this installment we meet Stella, a candle maker on Nantucket who has a knack for solving crimes. Stella stumbles upon a skeleton buried in the wall and on the search to find answers, a current day Murder occurs. On the trail of solving two different murders, one from past and one from present, Stella takes us on a fun and entertaining adventure. Set in the fall, around Halloween, this cozy mystery gives you the perfect amount of spook to get you in the mood for the season.

Even though this is already an established series, I still loved it and felt like I knew the characters coming in. I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery itself. There really wasn’t much I didn’t enjoy about this book and I look forward to going back and reading the rest of the Nantucket Candle Maker series. I definitely recommend reading this well written cozy mystery even if you haven’t read any other installation in this series.

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This is such a great series. The way this author grows her characters is amazing. I can't wait to continue with the series.

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