Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews, is the first in Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries and is an engaging cozy mystery.

This story follows Lyndsay Murray, who has just opened a West Indian bakery that showcases food using recipes passed down through her family. The bakery opens in the Little Caribbean neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Opening the bakery has been Lyndsay’s life-long dream, and it has finally happened. She is supported and helped by her family members.

On the bakery’s opening day, things take a turn. While the bakery is a hit and customers are loving their baked goods when Claudio Fabrizi creates a problem. He owns another bakery in the neighborhood. He does not want any competition, even though Lyndsay’s bakery specializes in different items. He came into the Spice Isle Bakery threatening Lyndsay and her bakery. He and Lyndsay fight in front of a crowd of customers in the bakery. The next day, Claudio is found murdered and Lyndsay is at the top of the suscept list.

My favorite this about this story was the family dynamic. I loved how close the family was and how willing they were to support each other. The grandmother was probably my favorite character, I could just see her sitting there listening and advising everyone. The pacing of the book was well down with the story unfolding in a more complex way than I expected.

I loved the descriptive writing in this story, I could clearly see the bakery and each setting throughout the town. And of course, all of the food descriptions were amazing! I found I was hungry after reading this book and enjoyed the recipes at the end.

This was a great start to this cozy mystery series, a great read for any fan of small business, cozy mysteries! Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a digital advanced readers copy for providing my opinion voluntarily.

What a wonderful new series from Olivia Matthews. I am already looking forward to the next in the series.

Lyndsey Murray immediately won me over as a reader. How many of us could or would take a leap of faith to open a bakery without being a good baker? Lyndsey followed her life-long dream and had the support of her family in improving her skills. The family aspect of this story is outstanding.

In fact, the family even becomes involved, as Lyndsey allows them to help, in clearing her name as the killer. Their love and support of each other is my favorite part of what is sure to become a new favorite series for me.

I can’t forget to mention the food and culture in this book. I learned so much about the West Indian Culture. Now I want to try all of the food mentioned!

Janina Edwards did a phenomenal job narrating this story. The accents, the voices, and inflection. This was a wonderful audiobook and I can’t wait to listen to more of her work.

Thank you to Dreamscape for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

This is the first book in the new Spice Isle Bakery Mystery Series. This book is based in Brooklyn and we are introduced to a great cast of characters. Lyndsays dream has come true by opening a Caribbean bakery and running it with her family. However, when the owner of a rival bakery ends up murdered she must work to clear her name. I enjoyed this as an audiobook- both the story and narration were great and I look forward to the next in the series. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot speak to the Caribbean rep - though, after reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, it gave me the impression that it wasn't well done, particularly the accent of the narrator chosen for the audiobook. Choosing a Caribbean-American narrator was too much effort? Again, Black Cake was right there.

Anyways. The reasons why I dnf'd:

1. the sheer naivete and ingenuity of the main character that almost bordered on stupidity and I couldn't get over it; that whole speech about community and the need to point out that yes, they were Caribbean but hey they had their American citizenship and they integrated well and wanted to share their culture with... ugh, please. Just spare me. When these themes are shoved down your throat in such a blatant way, it means you as a writer are failing. You aren't able to create nuances, to show it and have it come to the surface to the pages instead of telling it point blank. Nope.

2. the way in which Claudio Fabrizi was your typical cookie-cutter overbearing villan with no layers whatsoever just pissed me off. It was so extreme and cartoonish I was picturing foam at his mouth and his face as read as a tomato, it was so utterly unbelievable and annoying.

I couldn't bring myself to keep going. Noppity nope.

I ADORE this book! The Murray family is so enjoyable, I wish I knew them in real life! This is the perfect cosy crime novel! It gives the feeling of Mrs. Pollifax & #1 Detective Ladies Agency. I CANNOT wait to read more!

I like the narrator and I love the main character. I definitely identify with a character that isn't always the most confident in a room. It felt very believable that she had to follow her dreams in order to cultivate her strength. I love close family ties in a story. I also love close community ties. It is just fun to read about people that know everyone and share things with their families. The mystery was secondary to me, but not in a bad way. I just really liked spending time in the bakery and with her family, so that was my favorite part.

Against the Currant
4 Stars

I've been sitting on this review for a couple days because I didn't want to rush into a low rating and regret it. In the end, I'm going with 4 stars.

Against the Currant is the first in a series, I assume the series is going to follow the FMC throughout, but I could also see it moving on to another family member making it a standalone, intertwined series. I'd actually love for the next book to follow the FMCs brother. Anyway, Lyndsay Murray is opening a bakery with her parents and grandmother. At her soft opening another business owner in town stops in to make a big deal about how she is trying to steal his business and she better not go through with opening the bakery. Well, she does and then the rival baker ends up dead. Not sure who actually killed him, but the police think that Lyndsay looks good for the crime.

This book was entertaining, but certainly not my favorite read. I love the idea but for some reason Lyndsay just really grated on my nerves. I understand wanting to clear your name but good geez some of the crap she did was just stupid and clearly made things worse. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm glad for the opportunity from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media to listen to this story. 

#AgainstTheCurrant #OliviaMatthewsAuthor#JaninaEdwardsNarrator #NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia#CozyMystery #Culinary #MurderMystery #WhoDoneIt #MysteryThriller #Bakery

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. The story was a good murder mystery and I enjoyed the characters. It perfect for the Hallmark mysteries type story plots.

3.5 stars

This mystery was very PG and would be great for readers who don't love the darker content. Lyndsay was a tad naïve but still very likable. Her meddling family felt authentic and added some fun to the story. Any book that gives me yummy recipes is a winner to me!.

Against the Currant is the first book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries by Olivia Matthews. This book is set in the Little Caribbean area of New York as Lindsay Murray is in the process of opening her dream bakery along with the rest of her family. The book opens with a couple of conflicts between her and Claudio Fabrizi, the owner of another bakery in the area. When Claudio is discovered murdered the morning after the bakeries soft opening, Lyndsay becomes a suspect based on the confrontations that had happened previously.

Within the twists that the author provides in the story, the reader is treated to a unique glimpse into the rich cultural heritage that this family brought with them when they came to the mainland from their home in Grenada. As the story continues, Lyndsay is drawn deeper into the mystery as evidence continues to mount up pointing to her involvement but soon becomes clear that there is a definite effort to frame her for the murder which leads to a revelation of motive and culprit that will seemingly stop at nothing to have things go their way. This is an excellent first book in series and I hope to see many more installments that continue to build on the foundation put in place here for Lyndsay and her entire family and circle of friends.

The narrator of this book has done an excellent job of voice creation for each of the unique characters, including appropriate accents. The reading pace is just a touch fat and the dialogue gets a bit muddled in some places.

I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lyndsay Murray is finally realizing her lifelong dream of opening a family-run traditional West Indian bakery in Brooklyn. Too bad a rival baker, Claudio Fabrizi, has made it his mission to harass her out of business, as he has done with all new competing bakeries! Things look bad when Claudio turns up murdered by a serrated bread knife on the same day that he and Lyndsay have a very public altercation on the soft opening of her family's bakery. The cops like Lyndsay for the crime, even though she's innocent and one of the cops is her crush from high school! Can she solve the case and clear her name, and save her family's business?

This is cute enough, and I really, really enjoyed reading about the tight-knit community of Caribbean folks in Brooklyn. Does the mystery yield any surprises or break any new ground? Nah, but I wasn't expecting it to do so. It was refreshing that Lyndsay took charge of her destiny and (kind of) saved herself (yay, kickboxing!), but it would have been nice to acknowledge that Black people sometimes get railroaded by the cops, rather than having many characters say that Lyndsay should just wait for the cops to discover that they have the wrong person in mind. I also don't understand why Lyndsay has a lifelong dream of opening a bakery if she cannot bake.

A decent listen (Janina Edwards is pleasant to listen to; I saw some reviews that suggested she was not the best choice for Caribbean accents, but I don't have much basis for comparison), but I won't be running out for the second book in the series.

Two and a half stars rounded up.

P.S. Do people really play Billy Ocean in the club these days?!

I am a sucker for culinary mysteries. This one even had recipes at the end. I of course was hungry while reading about all the delicious Caribbean food. I loved the close family in this one. Also the support of the community. The twist for the mystery was awesome. If you are a fan of culinary cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was cozy enough with mystery vibes, but it missed the mark on being a page turner. There are a lot of extra details that didn’t pertain to the story, which made it seem longer than necessary. Lyndsay Murray is the main character, she’s likable enough but seems much younger than she is supposed to be in the book. I would estimate maybe 20 or 21, instead she’s almost 30. Otherwise I enjoy the family stories and how they all work together and priories their history.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of Against the Currant in exchange for a review.

Janina Edwards brought this story truly to life and made it a joy to listen to. In this book we have a close knit family who is opening a bakery and Lyndsay the majority owner and daughter of the family is now suspected of murdering the owner of a rival bakery. After the police decide to focus on her instead of looking at all suspects Lyndsay and her grandma decide to take matter into their own hands and solve the case themselves. Granny is truly the best part of the book and was my absolute favorite. I would say this book is a great cozy mystery and though its not my favorite genre it was a nice change of pace.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not care for the narrator's style or the story and stopped listening after about an hour.

DNF at 40%. I have tried another book by this author and her writing style just doesn’t work for me. I know this will be a favorite for others but not the book for me.

I have read quite a few culinary cozies and had high hopes for this one. The Spice Island connection hinted at flavorful food which intrigued me. Food was mentioned like Currant Rolls and Coconut Bread ( recipes included) but I would have preferred more descriptions of these delicacies.

The mystery was definitely more in focus and well done.

Narrated by Janina Edwards who did a good job and added to the reading experience.

DNF @ 53%

I wanted to like this but unfortunately it just didn't do it for me. The story was super cliche and uninteresting to me and VERY repetitive. I actually thought I was reading the same chapters more than once on accident because it felt like the same types of information were repeatedly getting "revealed". I also was completely uninterested in the cop character seemingly being set up as a love interest. Finally, the audiobook narrator was pretty good but I didn't love the accents she kept putting on for the non-American characters.

I did really enjoy some of the characters and the close-knit family atmosphere. And of course all the food sounded delicious! But that wasn't enough to keep me going so it's a dnf for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*

In AGAINST THE CURRANT, Lyndsay Murray has finally realized her dream of opening a Grenadian-style bakery with her family. Between her keen business sense, her parents' and brother's baking skills, and her grandmother's extensive network-- the bakery seems to be destined for success. However, after a very public confrontation with an aggressive rival baker, Lyndsay finds herself at the top of the suspect list for his murder. As the circumstantial evidence piles up, Lyndsay realizes the detectives aren't looking at anyone else and takes matters into her own hands.

The protagonist, Lyndsay, did get on my nerves in one aspect-- when it came to her 'shyness' and history with bullies. Lyndsay was nothing but a strong, capable young woman who confronted many situations and people competently throughout the book; but she was constantly lamenting about her apparent introversion and inability to handle said confrontation. I just wish that if her meekness was supposed to be a large part of her character, that had been shown during the course of the book and we, as the audience, would get to see her grow into the ability to stand up for herself.

However, that said, this book has all the charm of a cozy mystery. Particularly, I enjoyed Matthews' skills with describing sights and smells, baked goods or food, and style choices that made each character feel individualized. AGAINST THE CURRANT is the perfect choice to curl up with some coconut bread and read on a lazy day. The narrator was engaging, the plot well paced, and Matthews left plenty of opportunity for sequels by introducing a whole cast of colorful characters.

Against the Currant is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in a newly opened Caribbean bakery. Lyndsay Murray’s dream has always been to open a bakery/eatery featuring food and recipes from Grenada where her family came from. It’s finally opening day and everything is going wonderfully until in storms Claudio Febrizi, another local baker who does not want any competition. He causes a scene in front of a bakery full of customers and Lyndsay ends up arguing with him and asking him not so nicely to leave. When Claudio turns up dead the next day, Lindsay finds herself as the number one suspect.

Lyndsay and her family are close and it was nice to see their connection and how supportive they are to each other both in work and in their personal lives. We get a sense of family, but of community too. We see how the community can band together to support local businesses and culture.

I loved the bakery setting. Yes, it’s not exactly unique for a cozy, but the food sounded so delicious!! I think I’m going to try to make the currant rolls. There’s a recipe for them in the back of the book, but I listened to the audio, so don’t have a printed copy. I did find a similar recipe at CaribbeanPot.com.

Lyndsay is a good lead. She’s determined to make the bakery a success. She also kickboxes to stay in shape – a skill that may come in handy as an amateur sleuth. I could have done without her dwelling on how she was treated in school though, how timid she was and how she always got bullied. She’s 27-ish, has 14 years of kickboxing under her belt and is running a business – it’s time to let go of high school.

The mystery was put together well. It makes sense that Lyndsay has to investigate – it seems the cops really aren’t looking at anyone except her. I don’t know why the cops settled on her so quickly when Claudio was so disliked by so many people.

I listened to the audio, which worked well for me. I can’t really comment on the narrator’s accents, but she read at a good pace and differentiated the characters well.

Overall this was a fun one and I enjoyed the introduction to West Indies food and culture. I’ll be looking forward to the next in the series.