The title describes the book perfectly. If you like food, quilting and a well written cozy mystery, this is a book you should read. It's lovely!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. The author has combined themes adeptly!

Book Review: A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford

Rating: 3 stars

In A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford, sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons find themselves catering a seemingly tranquil quilting showcase until murder disrupts the peace. The plot unfolds as they navigate through a web of mysteries surrounding the death of a quilting circle member, Ellen Fisher.

The book delves into the world of quilting, delicious food, and a quaint setting, setting the stage for what promises to be a cozy mystery. The author weaves a well-paced narrative that keeps readers engaged in uncovering the truth behind Ellen's demise. Despite being the 18th book in a series, this installment stands strong as a standalone, making it accessible to new readers.

While the writing was good and mystery plot well plotted, the characters fell flat for me. The juvenile bickering between the sisters, Bernie and Libby, felt forced and detracted from the overall story. Additionally, some of their actions felt unrealistic and left me questioning their decision-making processes, such as stumbling upon a dead body, tampering with evidence at the crime scene, venturing to search the deceased man's house, all without notifying authorities of their discovery. It left me amused and slightly incredulous.

Overall, A Catered Quilting Bee is an okay read that balances a captivating mystery with cozy elements. The book's cute cover and well-constructed plot make it an enjoyable choice for fans of the genre. However, the character development and some aspects of the narrative may leave readers wanting more depth and realism in the interactions between the protagonists.

If you're looking for a light-hearted mystery with a touch of quilting charm, A Catered Quilting Bee offers an engaging storyline that will keep you guessing until the final reveal.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Sisters Libby and Bernie Simmons know very little about quilting, but they’re experts when it comes to catering. Thus they’re thrilled to be able to provide refreshments for the Longely Sip And Sew Quilting Circle’s first ever exhibition, held at the local library. The eclectic group of quilters is far from what the Simmons sisters imagined they would be, but on the whole the circle members seem harmless, if a little eccentric.

That impression changes when one of the quilters is found dead in her own home, having apparently committed suicide. Cecilia Larson, the glamorous kindergarten teacher who hired the Simmons to cater for the circle, refuses to believe that her friend Ellen Fisher killed herself. The two women had just been discussing exciting plans for the near future, including the continuing recognition Ellen was getting for her quilts. Having heard of the Simmons’ reputation as investigators, Cecelia wants to hire them to look into Ellen’s death. The police and medical examiner may have ruled it a suicide, but Cecilia knows that something far more sinister is at play.

Intrigued, Libby and Bernie accept the case, and soon discover that Cecilia was right to be suspicious. Quiet, industrious Ellen had had a lot more turbulence going on in her life than anyone expected. But who would have wanted to kill her, and been calculating enough to frame her murder as a suicide? The more the sisters investigate, the more they uncover about Ellen and her seemingly wholesome circle of quilters – and the bigger the target they place on their own backs, as a ruthless killer prepares to strike again.

This was an intriguing installment of the Mystery With Recipes series, as Isis Crawford examines how well we can really know our friends and neighbors. The banter between the sisters was even more on point than usual, as they bluffed and charmed their ways in and out of various predicaments. Their retired police chief father Sean was, as always, the level-headed foil to their shenanigans.

There were three recipes included here, and since I love olive oil cakes, I absolutely had to try out this one:

QUOTE
Betsy’s Orange Olive Oil Cake

1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
¼ cup Grand Marnier (or similarly flavored orange liqueur)
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting the finished cake

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and then spraying the bottom and sides with Pam or a similar cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and eggs, and whisk vigorously until well blended. Add the milk, orange juice, and orange zest and whisk to incorporate. Fold in the sugar and mix until blended. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix just to incorporate. Do not overmix, or the cake will be tough. The batter will be on the thin side. Don't worry. It's supposed to be.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking for doneness after 60 minutes.

Remove the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool for about 1 hour before releasing the clamp on the springform pan and removing the pan’s sides.

Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar before serving.
END QUOTE

I was so excited to make a new kind of olive oil cake that I actually bought a springform pan for the very first time to use with this recipe! I did coat the sides with a little bit of olive oil instead of using a spray. And since I didn’t have any orange liqueur to hand, I cheated by adding a little orange extract to moonshine: it was a perfect substitute.

What threw me about the result of this recipe is how the texture less resembles a Western-style cake – much less any of the olive oil cakes that I’m such a big fan of – than it does one of my favorite traditional Malaysian desserts, kuih bakar. This recipe makes for a very soft, almost custard-like cake, which is delicious but quite different from what I expected. My mind automatically associates this texture with pandan and sesame flavors, so it was something of a surprise to taste orange and olive oil instead. It was a pleasant surprise, however, and likely a conundrum that people who aren’t familiar with kuih bakar won't have to contend with. This is definitely an unusual dessert that’s perfect for when you want to make something tasty that's also a little bit out of the ordinary.

Next week, we head south to investigate another suspicious death while whipping up a tasty vegan-friendly dish. Do join me!

A delightful mystery with tasty recipes. The characters are engaging, the setting is inviting and the plot will keep the reader guessing.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Caterers and sisters Libby and Bernie Simmons are hired to caterer The Longely Sip and Sew Quilting
Circle first ever exhibition.when once again murder is on the menu . When one of the members is found handing from a plant hook in her sewing room, police are quick to rule it a suicide ,except for her best friend who believes the she was murder . Can Libby and Bernie find out the truth .

Another winner from Iris Crawford , the plot is quick and holds the readers attention. This is the 18th book in the series , but it can be a standalone

I just reviewed A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford. #ACateredQuiltingBee #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

3.5 Stars

Bernie and Libby Simmons are sisters, and together they own A Little Taste of Heaven catering company. They’re really excited about their latest job and think it should be fun. They’ve been hired by teacher Cecelia Larson to cater an exhibition for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle at the local library. One of the members, Ellen Fisher, was putting the finishing touches on her entry for the show, but was found dead in her sewing room. It’s ruled a suicide, but Ceclia tells Bernie and Libby that she doesn’t think that’s true. The Simmons sisters agree to look into Ellen’s death, with some help from their dad, who is a retired police officer. They find out there was more to Ellen’s life than it first appeared and hope it will help them prevent a killer from striking again.

This book is a fun mixture of mystery, food, and quilting. I enjoyed the characters of Bernie, Libby, and their father Sean, but would have liked to know more about their backstory. The three of them make a fun sleuthing team. The author’s writing style and the frequent humor makes this a quick, light read. The clues were there, but I was still very surprised when everything was revealed. The solution was much more complicated than I had expected and some parts are far-fetched. However, I was happy that the story is wrapped up nicely at the end. This is a culinary cozy, so as expected, it includes recipes and they all sound tasty.

A Catered Quilting Bee is the eighteenth book of the series, but I’ve only read a couple of the prior books. It’s been a long time since I had read them, so it was like starting a brand new series. It took me a while to get to know all the regular characters and didn’t connect with all of them. The book was entertaining, but I think readers who follow the series more closely will enjoy it more.

~ Christine

Bernie and Libby are getting together the menu for the upcoming Sip and Sew Quilting Circles event being held at the library. The group of ladies hired them to career the event and the girls are excited to do so. When one of the members is found dead from what looks as suicide everyone is in shock. Cecilla, one of the members, doesn't think it is suicide and asks the girls to investigate. The ladies dive into the mystery, can they figure who the killer is before someone else ends up dead?

This is a fun and cozy read! I really enjoyed this book. I love a cozy mystery, and I thought Crawford di a great job.

A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford is the latest installment in the adventures of Bernie and Libby. A member of the local quilting group appears to have killed herself and Libby and Bernie work to figure out if she was actually murdered and if so, why.

I normally enjoy what Bernie and Libby get up to but this book was very hard for me to stay interested in. Something felt different about the characters and it just didn't hold my attention.

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

"For sisters and business partners Bernie and Libby Simmons, catering a quilting showcase is about as tame as it gets—until murder put them in a bind!" Three people ended up dead.
Who killed them? Was it just one person or multiple people?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

This was a new to me author. In the very beginning I was concerned that I would be lost, having not read the previous books in the series. The author did a great job of keeping me informed enough that I was okay. While I probably would have been more invested in the town if I had read the other books, I don’t feel it’s necessary. Some parts of the mystery I had figured out, and some parts of it I didn’t. I liked that it was a nice combination of mystery and humor. I would definitely try this author again.

A Catered Quilting Bee is book #18 in the Mystery With Recipes series by Isis Crawford.

This is a long running series and my favorite part is seeing how the characters and relationships have developed. It can be read as a standalone mystery. I enjoy the characters and the premise of the series. Reading and quilting are two of my hobbies so reading about quilting is a win for me. The mystery had twists that kept me guessing until the end. There are three yummy looking recipes at the end.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

A Catered Quilting Bee is part of a long standing series with two sisters Bernie and Libby who have a catering shop/company, and as well seem to do quite a bit of sleuthing on the side. This time they are involved in hunting down the killer of Ellen Fisher. To me it seemed Bernie and Libby spend a considerable amount of their time on the sleuthing and this time round any way they are  well paid for it.

Their Dad is a retired policeman and has the ability to gather in for them information from some friends that seem to provide good leads. There is quite a bit of cat and mouse chasing about, a past heist that comes into play, and some questions about who really is Ellen Fisher.

I enjoyed the story, I was suspicious of the killer from the beginning, I felt there were a few tip offs and the tone of the book towards a certain group sort of helped. However the way it would all roll out was still unknown and I enjoyed the ride.

This was a really wild mystery with several layers going for it and a decent amount of suspects. Our fave catering duo attacked this case with their usual flair and comedic lines throughout. Sean’s detective friend Clyde must have the patience of a saint for the stuff he always let the girls slip by, lol. All in good fictional fun though!

That was some showdown and impressive escape by the sisters who added a little information to Clyde’s explanation of everything at the end. And what case is complete without a toast, right? Till next time, Simmons sisters!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

A Catered Quilting Bee has more murders than I expected. Even though the catering/investigating sisters were a bit annoying, this is a fairly satisfying cozy mystery.

A quilting group hires Bernie and Libby to cater their upcoming even, then to investigate the death of a member who was found hanging from a plant hook in her own sewing room. It was officially declared a suicide, but they have their doubts. The investigation doesn't begin until two weeks after the death and Bernie and Libby have no connection to the dead quilter or any of their suspects, so I didn't feel any sense of urgency to their investigation. They're a little curious and they're being paid by the quilting group. The book is full of dialogue and squabbling between the two and there's no backstory provided for readers who are starting the series with this book.

This was a fantastic cozy mystery. I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun. Very much recommend this book.

Who knew quilting could arouse such murderous feelings! Sisters Bernie and Libby who were meant to be catering an event for the quilters, found themselves investigating the murder of Ellen- and then more- all connected to an antique quilt. The sisters are a hoot (but never over the top) because they're just so different. They do, however, have a dad who was a police chief and noses for lies. There are some good red herrings in this classic cozy which while it is part of a long running series will be just as enjoyable as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC . AND- recipes !

This is part of a series, but it can stand alone, though there isn't as much backstory as I expected this far into the series. The pace is perfect for the cozy mystery genre, and there are enough red herrings to keep readers guessing. Crawford's latest is a quick, fun read overall. The recipes are a nice addition!

Once again an excellent cozy to be added to the series! Business partners and sisters, Bernie and Libby Simmons are up to their necks in a mystery again! They are delightful characters. Great story plot that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Wonderful! Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.