This book was so good!! A very interesting cozy mystery, with great characters and a fast moving plot!! I loved that it was a nice balance of cozy and mystery. This book kept my interest, and was a fun new fresh cozy mystery book! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!!

This was such an interesting take on a new cozy mystery series. I applaud the author for capitalizing on the cannabis industry and its legality in certain states and turning it into a cozy series. I mean if you can have multiple cozy series about people owning bakeries, why not throw pot into the mix. I do wish that this installment had gotten to the baking and owning a shop a little bit faster. I know it was having to set up the scene for additional series installments, but I think I would have liked it even better if we could have seen the shop up and running. Overall, I still enjoyed and will definitely be reading any additional installments.

Here is a fun new mystery series by Emily George. Chloe Barnes, who is an awesome baker, moves back to California after a break-up with her boyfriend in Paris. She moves in with her grandmother who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Shortly after moving back, Chloe’s Aunt Dawn, talks her into starting a cannabis bakery. While Chloe is beginning to explore the prospect of starting a bakery and trying out new recipes, she ends up trying to solve a murder because her aunt becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. When Brendan, a bully from high school, tries to hit on Chloe and she turns him down, he becomes nasty. Aunt Dawn arrives and then hits Brendan with her shoe. Unfortunately, Brendan is found dead shortly after the incident. Due to the incident, Aunt Dawn ends up being the prime suspect. However, Chloe knows that her aunt would not kill anyone and is determined to prove it!

This brand new mystery series is a fun read loaded with quirky characters, who live in a small town. Recipes are included at the end of the book. I cannot wait to read the next installment in this new series!

A Half-Baked Murder was a cute cozy, culinary mystery in which Chloe decides to open a cannabis café, while having to sleuth since an old acquaintance ends up dead and her beloved aunt is a prime suspect. This was the first book of a series, and I will most likely read the next ones.

I loved every characters, especially Chloe and her aunt Dawn, and the setting of Azalea Bay. The reason why I would not give 4 stars to my review is that I thought the mystery was not as well-developed as expected. There were plenty of interesting suspects, but I could not see the ending coming because it barely made sense in my opinion. It kind of felt like an afterthought; you could remove the mystery from the book and it would still be the same. Other than that, it was a great beach.

I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Half-Baked Murder by Emily George is the first in the Cannabis Cafe Cozy Mystery series and I love the premise of it. Chloe, a professionally trained pastry chef, comes back to her hometown to care for your grandma (who raised her) and has cancer. While there she eventually decides to open a marijuana cafe with the help of her aunt… and, of course, figures out who is the actual murderer so her aunt doesn’t go to jail.

The characters were fantastic and well developed. Aunt Dawn is quirky and has lived a fascinating life, Chloe’s grandma is a tough old bird, and I can’t wait to read about more of grandma’s posse in upcoming books. The love interest seems pretty perfect… and I’m sure his troubled past will come back to haunt him… which will make for another great story in the series. And all the people that Chloe went to high school with, that still live in town, make for a wider pool of suspects and characters to get to know.

As for Chloe, she was okay. She’s 28 and has gone through a traumatic break-up. Her world is upended and she has a lot to figure out. Totally get that and will allow it for the first book. But!!! There was so much dedicated to the story of her deciding if she wanted to open the cafe, that I found myself skimming.
And my number one pet peeve for a cozy mystery is when the main character continually goes over the list of suspects… which happened A Lot in this book.

But the characters, cannabis cafe, and charming town will have me coming back to try out book two in the series.

I loved the characters in this small town mystery so much. The mystery of who the murderer could be will keep you hooked until the end! Chloe is an awesome FMC, and then add in Aunt Dawn and Grandma Rose, I loveeeed them all. I absolutely LOVE the idea of a cannabis cafe 😍 GENIUS. I think it’s awesome how marijuana is approached in this book as more medicinal than recreational because the medicinal side of it all is truly fascinating and mind blowing! I read the Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder ARC this past summer and this book gave me similar vibes but at the same time so different and I loved it! The two could be book cousins, so if you read and enjoyed TPSOPM, go check this one out!

Dollycas's Thoughts

After her life in Paris falls apart pastry chef Chloe Barnes returns to Azalea Bay, California. Her grandmother has just been diagnosed with cancer and is beginning chemo treatments so Chloe is happy to be coming home to take care of her and all the side effects chemo brings.

She does have to find a way to support herself, thinking maybe she can work at her friend's B&B but her Aunt Dawn has another idea. She wants to partner with Chloe and open up a Cannabis Café. Baked by Chloe will challenge the pastry chef to use her training to create luscious baked goods enriched with THC. She will not be baking just any pot brownies, her creations will be amazing. Plus she knows her pastries will help cancer patients like her grandmother and others dealing with chronic pain and stress.

Getting her business off the ground doesn't go as planned though. She runs into a horrible man she knew in high school who soon after is found dead and Aunt Dawn is the police's top suspect. Now Chloe has to come up with a recipe to find a killer so she can clear her aunt of the crime while baking up delicious treats as she prepares to open her bakery. Hopefully, both she and Dawn are around for the grand opening.

_____

Ms. George has created some strong characters for this series. and they develop very well over the course of this story. As a breast cancer survivor, I easily identified with Chloe's Grandma Rose. I knew exactly the way she felt after chemo. Sadly, pot brownies are not legal here and they would never taste like Chloe's.

Chloe was eleven we her mother left town, because motherhood "didn't suit her". She had never known her father.  She grew up with her grandparents who gave her many pearls of wisdom. This quote was great, something I highlighted immediately in the text.

"Nobody is going to gift you the future you want, Chloe. It's a house you must build yourself. Your grandfather and I will teach you how to mix cement and lay a strong foundation, but you're responsible for turning a pile of bricks into a life." 

She also had her Aunt Dawn who never had children of her own and "dabbled in everything from tarot to tree-shaping to competitive duck herding." Now she is into "dog-dancing". I have said a lot of characters are a hoot, well Dawn is a hoot and a half. Quirky, lovable and the woman has a huge heart especially when it comes to her niece Chloe. The loved these characters have for each other is so heartwarming.

The author has also introduced a fresh theme featuring cannabis when making it legal is still a very controversial issue. She explains things clearly and the medicinal uses and relief it can provide. I appreciated the time she took and the way she presented it within the story. She also took the time to explain the process Chloe goes through to use cannabis in her recipes and the amounts used. A recipe for Cannabis-Infused Butter (Cannabutter) to be used for baking is included in the book.

The mystery she tangled her characters in was very well-plotted, and written with a very quick pace. The suspect was downright creepy and didn't have many friends. There were plenty of people that could have killed him. I started to wonder how he survived as long as he did. Chloe worked hard to sort through all the clues but her quest was made even more difficult because her aunt was definitely hiding something. I did enjoy that Rose's hunky next-door neighbor worked with Chloe to reveal a very important clue. That important clue leads to a very exciting ending. I was holding my breath as the pages flew.

A Half-Baked Murder is a fantastic debut for this series. The theme is unique. The characters are lovable and engaging. The mystery kept me guessing and the subplots were fun and interesting. I am so excited for this series to continue.

To be honest, the mystery feels like an afterthought to an otherwise interesting and well-written romance about a girl coming back home to start over. The cafe, the characters, the found family of D&D playing friends were all more compelling than solving the murder of an unchecked school bully who grew up and got what he deserved 🤷🏻‍♀️

If I were the author, I would let go of the "cozy mystery" aspect and just focus on the small town life and the romance and the struggles of starting up a niche business. This would have made an excellent romance novel, it makes an average cozy mystery.

I think there's a new wave of cozy mysteries that are inclusive or deals with topics like cannabis and how it can be used for a variety of things.
This is the first cozy I read featuring a cannabis cafe and I enjoyed it. It's a good start for a new series, the characters are likeable and setting is lovely.
The mystery is a bit slow and and I enjoyed it even if I guessed the culprit.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A fun first in series! I loved the characters and the setting and the main character's unique business idea. This well-planned mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Although I won't be trying out the included cannabis recipes they were still interesting to read.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

This was a fun start to a new series; I found the cannabis aspect refreshingly new. Our MC was fun and her family was just lovely. The mystery wasn't as strong as it could have been, but I look forward to reading more in the series and seeing if things pick up.

Returning home to Azalea Bay is bittersweet for Chloe Barnes. While she's happy to be home after leaving a cheating ex in Paris, Chloe looks after the one woman whose raised her since her mother walked out. Grandma Rose has always been Chloe's rock, but with a breast cancer diagnosis this is Chloe's chance to be there for Grandma Rose. She's not alone, though, as she has her Aunt Dawn as well. Aunt Dawn has always been a free spirit, and loves Chloe more than anything. Aunt Dawn wants Chloe to make use of her talents as a great chef and baker, so she convinces Chloe to open a cannabis cafè. During the excitement of possibly opening a new business, the town bully gets murdered, and Aunt Dawn is suspect number one. Now Chloe must juggle getting her café ready, recipes planned, getting approval to use cannabis, and prove Aunt Dawn's innocence. Oh, and there is a cute new neighbor, Jake that makes Chloe's insides turn to mush. I have to admit, this one had me guessing right up to the end on who the murderer could be. I loved that about this book, because it literally could have been anyone. Emily George, aka Stefanie London, has brought a brand new mystery series that is refreshingly different than most cozies. It circles around family, trust, and touches points on the stigma of cannabis usage whether it's for recreational or medicinal reasons. Also, this wouldn't be a foodie cozy if it didn't have recipes in the back of the book. There you will find some of Chloe's cannabis recipes as well as some of her favorites.

5 ⭐️ I loved this new cozy, 🍃-themed mystery so much!!! Chloe and her family are such a comfort family for me now, and I really hope there will be more books in this series to explore more about this town!

In A Half-Baked Murder, we are following Chloe who is a chef that just moved back to her hometown of Azalea Bay from Paris. Her hometown is a cozy little beach town and she is reuniting with lots of old friends, and her family. She has primarily returned because her grandma is sick, and Chloe wants to be there for her. When she arrives, her and her aunt come up with a business idea of opening a 🍃 bakery with many different THC and CBD treats!

However, when Chloe arrives, she has a nasty encounter with the town jerk. Within hours, he turns up 💀 and pretty much everyone in this cozy town is a suspect! Chloe wants to make sure the real culprit is found, so she launches her own private investigation with help from friends, family, and the sweet Jake.

I absolutely adored this book and highly recommend to everyone. So many important topics were covered in this including the destigmatization of 🍃, mental health and eating disorders, sexism, and so much more. There’s even a sweet little romance on the side!

I especially recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about the uses of 🍃 because this book will give you insight into this important topic alongside an interesting mystery!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Half-Baked Murder releases on 2/21/23 🫶🏻

An interesting start to a new cozy mystery series. After a disastrous relationship in France ends, Chloe returns home to Azalea Bay and her family. As a trained pastry chef she is at a loss of where to go with her career until her Aunt suggests they open a weed café. While Chloe is contemplating doing this, a man she knows is murdered, and her Aunt is a suspect. Chaos ensues!

This is a fun cozy mystery, with interesting characters. I felt there could have been more development with the secondary characters. And, at times, I truly felt Chloe was making some poor choices. I also wanted to know more about Chloe's Mom. I felt she had a huge impact on Chloe and it would have been interesting to have more knowledge about their relationship. I did have fun experiencing small town living in Azalea Bay. Overall, this was a fun read.

Also, the intricate details about baking with marijuana were fascinating. You can tell a lot of research went into this information.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC.

Chloe Barnes had left her small hometown of Azalea Bay, California to train as a Paris pastry chef. But her culinary & romantic dreams are shattered & a phone call brings Chloe back home to reunite with her cancer-stricken grandmother. Soon upon her arrival, Chloe's quirky Aunt Dawn urges her to use her Michelin-star cooking skills to open a cannibis bakery. As Chloe is checking out the vacant building, a creepy acquaintance named Branden makes unwanted moves on Chloe that are thwarted by Aunt Dawn. When Branden is found stabbed to death in a nearby park the next morning, Aunt Dawn becomes the prime suspect. Chloe works hard on becoming a budding entrepreneur as well as doing some sleuthing to help clear her aunt.

A Half-Baked Murder is a promising, unique debut in the culinary cozy mystery field.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

I'm always glad to find a new cozy series and this one is a winner. Set in the small California coastal town of Azalea Bay, it features Chloe Barnes. She had her life planned out and it was in Paris. She was doing very well as a pastry chef and was newly engaged. Over night it all blew up, she returned his ring and said now what? The answer came when her beloved grandmother falls ill and has to undergo chemo. Chloe was raised by her grandparents when her flaky mother took off, leaving her behind. Turned out to be the best thing and now Chloe heads for home to help take care of her grandmother.
That was as far as her plans went until her aunt Dawn presents her with just the right plan. Because of the side effects of the chemo Chloe has become known for her skill at cooking with cannabis. She's very good at not only yummy brownies but many other foods and beverages. Dawn talks her into leasing a cafe space on the main street to serve up her creations. As she sets about getting the cafe up and running she encounters conflict from a guy from her past. Soon he becomes the murder victim and the police are focusing on her Aunt Dawn as the prime suspect. Of course that wasn't possible so Chloe sets out to catch the killer.
As a cozy this has the small town, the likable main character and assorted supporting cast and the food - oh, my, the food - plus a well constructed puzzle to solve. It also has lots of information on the world of cannabis and its medical and recreational uses. I hope the series has a long run.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Emily George has created a new series for lovers of cozy mysteries, set in the beautiful beachside town of Azalea Bay in California, we get to know Chloe Barnes, pastry chef extraordinaire who’s life has suddenly changed bringing her home from Paris where she has lived and worked to make a name for herself for the past five years, but with her wedding cancelled and her dearly loved grandmother sick Chloe is home and determined to do well.

With all of her training in Paris and the help from her quirky aunt Dawn Chloe decides to open a cannabis café in the small town, this is going to be a lot of work but she knows that it will help a lot of people as she adds her special touch to pot brownies and creates the most gorgeous of cannabis treats.

A couple of days home and she has a run in with a past acquaintance who ends up dead in the park the next day and the police suspect Aunty Dawn as the killer and there is no way Chloe is going to stand by and let their family name have mud thrown at it. Chloe becomes a good sleuth checking up on clues and working hard to get the café up and running and experimenting with her delicious French cooking added to THC. It is not long before Chloe seems to be getting to the truth and she finds herself and her family in danger, will they get to the truth and will they all be safe?

I loved this story and the fabulous characters that live in Azalea Bay, Emily George has created the best characters and setting to make this a blockbuster series, not only did she have me guessing all the way through I was learning a lot about the help that cannabis can do with people and their medical problems, how much help it can be and the delightful deserts, drinks and meals that can be created with THC.

I do highly recommend this book and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.

Really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to this series. Such an interesting premise and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I’m going to buy a physical copy of this as well.

Current issues are involved in this cozy mystery. One may appeal while the other will not. Of obvious note is cannabis. Something that has me curious as to the effectiveness for pain and sleep issues. The mystery kept me guessing. Several interesting characters. The typical police/protagonist conflicts. Potential romances and a dog or two add to the tale. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A bully bites the dust!😯

The murder mystery and lead character Chloe's amateur investigating were good, interesting. Chloe is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who has returned home from working in France to care for her ailing grandmother. She's a bit rudderless until her aunt comes up with a plan for using Chloe's culinary talent to open a baked edibles shop in town. And the author goes into great detail about the preparation of cannabis-infused food. Great to know she is so knowledgeable but I did not think the how-to content was necessary; it did not advance the mystery part of the plot that drew me to pick this up.

George maintained suspense through most of the novel, especially about Aunt Dawn and her activities. I believe this is a first effort by the author and it's polished and well-written.

Overall, I liked the story but was not so enamoured that I will definitely continue with the series.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.