A very enjoyable cozy with a winter theme.
This is the first book I've read in the Pancake House Mystery series. I had no challenges reading it so it would do good as a standalone.

Since the book blurb mentions who the victim was I don't feel as I am giving any spoilers.

Marley and her husband Brett are hoping to enjoy a winter get away at Holly Lodge and they are charmed by it and the activities the lodge offers. They do witness a few arguments and suspicious activities but don't think much of them until their host Kevin goes missing and they find his body hidden in a snow bank and it's evident that he was a victim of foul play. The authorities are called in and the investigation is underway. There were only a handful of staff and visitors at the lodge.

Marley and Brett cut their holiday short and head back to their hometown of Wildwood Cove. Back there, they discover that Kevin had lived in Wildwood Cove and met his wife Rita there. They also discover that Ambrose, one of the lodge's guests currently lives there and another guest, Lily is staying at the town's B&B. It seems Marley has a thing about solving murders, but it's the holiday season and she gets sidetracked with the town's Festival of Trees and generally getting ready for the holidays. But she does manage to continue sleuthing and the final denouement was a surprise to me.

I did enjoy the holiday festivities and enjoyed meeting the other residents of Wildwood Cove. I'm surprised that this is being published after the holidays as it would make a nice holiday read.

I did receive an ARC from the publisher via Net Galley, however, the opinion expressed is my own.

I enjoy this series by this author. It is like visiting with friends. I always enjoy the mystery and it kept me guessing again. The characters are interesting. This one starts off in a different location than usual, but ends up in their normal town.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I look forward to the latest Pancake House Mystery but this one was a bit of a let down.

Marley & Brett are newlyweds taking a week vacation at a mountain lodge. Marley finds one of the owners dead, which sends them back to Wildwood Cove earlier than expected. Good for the readers because their lives at the Flip Side and Brett's contracting business are much more entertaining. The town hosts a Christmas Tree decorating contest which had some great decorating ideas.

A cozy read with some good looing recipes, and great lead and supporting characters. .

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I love the Pancake House Mysteries, but this one was a mixed bag for me. I'd give it 3-1/2 stars. Taking Marley OUT of the Pancake House and putting her and Brett at a remote lodge for the first third of the book felt strange to me. I missed the Flip Side and her regular Wildwood Cove community and cast of characters. Things picked up once Marley and Brett got back to Wildwood, though, and I enjoyed watching the mystery play out--though it felt too coincidental having some of the main cast of characters also head back to Wildwood Cove from the lodge.

One thing the author does really well is use the past trauma from the death of Marley's family members to add tension to mountain driving scenes in this book. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and I hope Marley stays put for that one!

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

This was a good continuation of the Pancake mystery, but it could also have been a stand alone if you haven't read the others. At times I was sure where it was going and it dragged a bit for me. It was overall a good cozy for a nice afternoon on the couch. there wasn't anything new or special about it, but sometimes you want to read a book where you know what you will get. This is that kind of book.

I thought this was a fantastic holiday whodunnit full of intrigue, suspense and a little romance on the side. The characters were likeable and intelligently written. They all made good suspects and baffling red herrings. The plot and setting was reminiscent of a locked room mystery, but I loved the way the author gave it a twist and added another smaller mystery. When the murderer was revealed, I was surprised. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Newlywed, a dead body, twists and turns, it's all fun for Marley and Brett. Enjoyed the chance to catch up with them in this fun series.

I was so excited to catch up with newlyweds Marley and Brett. They are such a fun couple and I love how they work together to solve this mystery.
There’s always something intriguing about a murder investigation set during a blizzard. The side story with the Festival of Trees and the missing ornaments was really cute and I liked how Marley made it work without making anyone feel bad.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this fun series.

It was so much fun to dive back into this cozy mystery series. I enjoyed reading getting updates on the characters. This can be read as a standalone, but i would recommend reading the others to because they are so much fun.

Marley and Brett are taking some time to get away and relax together. Marley’s up for some snowshoeing and drinking cocoa by the fireplace. What she wasn’t up for was finding the body of the hotel owner under a snow bank.

With the romantic mood ruined, Marley is ready to head home, only to find that some of the key suspects have ties to town. She can’t let it go and begins digging a little, only to find herself snowed in at the hotel again with a murderer. Can Marley finger the guilty party before they strike again?

I really enjoy this series, as well as the other this author writes. Fictional towns and characters become familiar when an author is talented and each book feels like a visit with old friends. The mysteries are solid and have enough red herrings to keep you changing your mind on whodunit right up to the big reveal. Definitely an author to read to your cozy list.

4 stars
A Room With A Roux
by Sarah Fox
What a good book. This is the first book I have ever read by Sarah Fox but it will not be my last. Room With A Roux is also part of a series but I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone book. I instantly loved Marey and all of the side characters. I enjoyed the beach/mountain settings and her dog Bentley. This is a fun book with a few red herrings thrown in to make it harder to figure out the mystery. I cannot wait to read more of this series!
Fox has written a true cozy mystery with no sex or swearing.
I highly recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Marley is running the Pancake House and preparing for Christmas! Marley and Brett decided to have a getaway to a lodge not far away. The relaxing getaway goes bad when they find the owner dead.
This was a fun read. Lots of suspects with twist and turns made discovering the true killer hard.
#ARoomWithARoux #NetGalley

A quick getaway to a nearby lodge turns murderous when the owner of the lodge is found dead and buried in a snow bank. Marley and Brett, who found the body, are on the case. There are so many suspects - from the wife who inherited everything to a disgruntled groundskeeper to an interested land developer. And then there's a writer who is acting suspicious and who wrote a book about a murder just like this.
Between running Pancake House, getting ready for Christmas and looking into the murder Marley has her hands full. The murderer is completely unexpected and i didn't figure it out until the very end. Great book, and wonderful series.