"Stop reading cozies!" I keep telling myself.
And then I see a cover and read a blurb and think "OK just this last one because it sounds good!" And then I read it and it's enjoyable but doesn't quench my thirst for a fast moving, biting thriller and I still need something with teeth but that's not the author's fault so now I have to give myself a talking-to for not rating a book based on what I wanted to read when I got it.
Repeat x 100. It will continue because, depending on the author, I am probably going to read it.
Anyhoozle, I muchly enjoyed the audio version of this book, mostly given the accent and Lyndsay's grandmother's 'isms'. There was one that I forgot to note because I was going to quote it, but I've forgotten it. I'll add it later, but it was cute.
My nit with cozies is an amateur (often elderly) solving a crime and besting a trained law enforcement professional. In this book the execution is entirely more believable because the police have their sights set on a suspect and don't seem interested in looking any further. If the accused is going to be cleared, the case has to be solved and the murderer given to the (obviously incompetent) investigating officers on a plate. Full of currants, because in case the author didn't mention it in every chapter, the narrator runs a Caribbean bakery.
So much here is believable- a curmudgeonly neighbor who doesn't want competition for his standard, American bakery is murdered and the police decide that his chief competitor is the culprit. Lyndsey (and her mother and her brother-attorney) have to investigate and solve the case, otherwise she'll be tried in the press, will lose money and be convicted though she's innocent.
This story took so many turns and invented so many suspects that I got dizzy. I want to never be a person with so many enemies that finding my killer is difficult. it is heavy with characters, twisty but also moves slow (to me) and is repetitive, to echo the previous reviews. The buildup seems long and drawn out, but the ending, to me, was satisfactory. I didn't suspect that person, but it works.
I doubt I will read more books in the series- I can't see more than one murder being solved out of this bakery. I... I would avoid that bakery.
Now the Peach Coast mystery series? I enjoy it and and will continue that one.

I was excited to read this because I thought it would be super cute. A cozy mystery set in NYC surrounding a newly opened Caribbean bakery? And seeing a book about a family from Grenada was very different in this space.

Sadly the story didn't really engage me. Lyndsay is framed for the murder of a rival bakery owner and has to clear her name because the police aren't even trying to look for the killer. That part tracked. It took so long for her to actually decided to do something in this slow-paced story. Also despite being 27 Lyndsay reads more like 21/22. She keeps harping on childhood bullies, high school, and having to have dealt with those same people in college.

As someone with family from the English speaking Caribbean who even has family friends who live in Little Caribbean, I side-eyed so much of this book. Some things were done well and some things were done so wrong. The descriptions of food and the close connection between the family were the highlight of the book. And I had to resist the urge to go eat something while listening because I didn't have any food to compare. Some of the mentions of popular musicians were completely off. Trust me non Caribbean/Caribbean diasporan readers when I say the only ones who consider Harry Belefonte the Calypso King are white people. And hearing the uncle say "you all" instead of "allyuh" hurt me a little.

If I didn't switch to the audiobook I probably wouldn't have continued. It already started off very heavy-handed with the over explanations of the Murray family's background. And throughout the text kept reminding readers of what proud immigrants they were. Which got repetitive and old real quick! But also the audio narration was so horrible when it came to character's who weren't US born that I found myself cringing as the narrator used an unidentifiable accent and mispronounced popular terms constantly. When she butchered the pronunciation of the names Bunji and Machel that also hurt me. Do better Macmillan! Cast these audiobooks with people from that background so the pronunciations and narrations feel authentic.

On a side note I've seen quite a few white readers complain about this and I'd just like to note that it's a cultural thing to refer to refer to parents as "mommy" and "daddy" not a sign of the main character's maturity level.

I had seen this one on the library to request while it waited for publication and when I saw it on Netgalley as an audiobook I jumped at the chance to get it sooner! Luckily, I was approved and started it the next day. You know how I love my cozy mysteries haha.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Lyndsay Murray. She is the owner of a new bakery in her community and her family has also helped make her dream come true. There is someone in her community who would like to see her business crash and burn. She stands up for herself for once and from that point on, she becomes a suspect. Even though it got her in a mess, it was nice to see her come out of her shell throughout the book. She can be a real firecracker when she needs to be! I also liked that family was important to her and she kept them safe the best she could under the circumstances.

Family is a big deal in this book and I think that is why I liked the other characters so much. A lot of them were a part of hers. It’s always a great edition to a book when you can get to know the main character through their family. I will say that some were a bit in the background, but I am hoping that since this will be a series there will be more to them.

Some of the characters I would have liked to punch, like the detectives. They were just so persistent in believing it was Lyndsay. I’m glad she ended up showing them up when it came to their own job.

The book is definitely more plot driven which isn’t a problem for me when it comes to cozy mysteries. I don’t mind not having overly developed characters, minus the MC. It was still a very entertaining read and I managed to get through it in a day. The narration was well done for the audiobook! I was also very surprised by the outcome of the murder and didn’t see it coming, although there were some things that I had guessed right.

Overall, this was a great cozy mystery. I can’t wait to see what mess Lyndsay finds herself in when it comes to the sequel.

Disclaimer: this is an honest review. I received this as an ARC from netgalley.*

This book was interesting and I enjoyed the plot. However, it was VERY repetitive and it made me want to DNF. I pushed through but the ending just did not justify the read for me. Two stars.

Janina Edwards was the perfect narrator for this Caribbean family’s murder mystery. The emotion and intonation was perfect for each character and I enjoyed listening to the audio version very much!

Deliciously murderous!
Absolutely loved this series debut by Olivia Matthews! From the characters to the recipes Against the Currant was a great new cozy mystery!

The story follows Lyndsay Murray, her family and their business (Spice Isle Bakery) as they try to clear their name and solve a murder (or two)! It’s full of twists, suspense, sleuthing and a possible romantic interest. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book in the Spice Isle Bakery Series! (Hard Dough Homicide coming May 2023)

Both print and audio versions of this book were fantastic! Janina Edwards Did a great job narrating and distinguishing between characters.


Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.