Fun ethnic culinary cozy
Ms.Matthew's cozy is a fun read. It showcases food that most people would not be exposed to in small town USA and a tight knit community of people who have immigrated to Brooklyn, New York and formed a smaller version of their homeland, but not an exclusive one.
It has mystery, family and a developing romance. Lynds works with the police in the tight community to get the answers they may not have been able to get. Suspects and motives. Who-dun-it? I recommend for a fun read.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer mt opinion in the same.

"The case in Olivia Matthews's Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.

Brooklyn's annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event's food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She's looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.

The day's festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay's cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay's help to make sure a killer faces the music."

Anyone lucky enough to get giftcards for books for Christmas should definitely buy this and then spend the day reading it.

The guys at Spice Isle Bakery are back with the Caribbean American Heritage Festival! Everyone is excited to be joining the food vendors at the festival.

And things are about to get spicy! When one of the lead singers is found dead. Manny is positive it was murder so Lyndsay needs to find out who quickly!

Always a mouthwatering time at the Spice Isle Bakery. This is one really lovely and sweet cozy series!

Netgalley/ St. Martin’s Press December 26, 2023

Family. Family ties. Family and the bond of love. That's what keeps me coming back to this series. While the mysteries are intriguing and well written, Lyndsay/Lynds' bond with her extended family and friends, not to mention customers of their bakery, is what makes this series unique. Well, aside from the fact that I always feel like I need to call up some reggae when I read and bask in the virtual sunshine of the Caribbean. Other mysteries have close knit families but this one seems to operate as one, making decisions and acting only when the family as a whole agrees to act. On the surface that may sound great but, of course, it isn't always simple. In this case, when the woman Manny has been fallen for is killed, he's bound and determined to find not just answers but find them right now. Immediately. Lynds is caught up in his emotional determination, of course, and the investigation begins after a family meeting.

I won't detail the plot as the blurb handles that just fine, but will note that I found myself saddened at the death of DragonFlyZ's lead singer, Camille. I wanted to know who killed her. Even though we only interact with her briefly before she is murdered, she comes across as one of those special human beings we'd all like as a friend. The more we find out about her from Manny, her family, and band-mates, the more this feeling sinks in. I'll leave it to the readers to see if they agree. Lynds' family is tight knit and loving, fair yet cautious, if that makes sense. I love the bluntness of the grandmother which tones down what might be the too-sweet-for-words sense the family's togetherness might otherwise leave us feeling. Let's just say she suffers no fools. Dev has left his law practice to be a part of the family bakery and we learn a bit more about him this go-round, too, as we do Manny. As for Lyndsay, her almost-relationship with Detective Bryce Jackson seems to be simmering along nicely, at least based on the ending. I've lost count of how many times she's turned him down for a date. Come on, Lynds, he's a keeper! Grin.

Bottom line, while the focus is on finding out who killed Camille, the side-stories are satisfying and keep your interest. You'll even get to know some of the regulars at the bakery, even the cranky ones. Lynds may have earned the unwanted nickname of the Grenadian Nancy Drew but there's much, much more to her. She is learning to step out of her bubble, so to speak, this go-round, and learn to protect herself.... though it's nice to know Bryce probably isn't far away with his gun. Seriously, I don't know much about kick-boxing but it sounds like a great self-defense technique. True, Lynds is sometimes too blunt and manages to unsettle Camille's devastated family but, well, even families have their secrets. Band-mates aren't always lovey-dovey, either, and broken relationships have been known to turn violent, so there are several suspects. You'll enjoy watching Lyndsay sort it all out. Thanks #NetGalley and StMartin'sPress - #StMartin'sCozies for letting me bask in a virtual Caribbean aura for a bit. Lyndsay and her family are a fun bunch to know and I look forward to my next visit.

Lyndsay Murray, who some people in her community call the Grenadian Nancy Drew, is looking forward to celebrating a neighborhood festival when a tragic accident occurs. It hits close to home and family so Lyndsey has no choice but to get to the bottom of it which frustrates one local police detective.

Once again author Olivia Matthews brings to life the West Indian community with her description of tastes, aromas, family and music and had me craving a pastry from the Spice Island Bakery.

Coconut Drop Dead is book 3 in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries series but can stand alone.

I enjoyed Coconut Drop Dead. This cozy mystery kept me guessing as to who the killer was. I enjoyed the underlying possibilities of romance and loved the main characters. All the mentions of Caribbean food left me wishing for a bakery like Lyndsay's. Her family is delightful and Bryce sounds swoon worthy. If you enjoy tv shows like Death in Paradise, you'll want to read Olivia Matthews Spice Isle Bakery series.

This third book in the delightful Spice Isle Bakery series is another fun read.

The characters, especially the family members and the two detectives, are the best part of this series. I love how family-centered the sleuth, Lyndsay Murray, is, and how the family works together at their West Indian bakery in the Bronx.

The mysteries are intriguing, too, and, finally, I was glad that the detectives weren't focused on the family this time.

Highly recommended!!

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, Minotaur and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A Caribbean festival thar goes dead wrong.

Lyndsay is excited to promote her Caribbean culture and food with her friends and family. But festivities are cut short when the reggae singer drops dead at the festival. Police think it just a tragic event but she has other ideas.

Watch as she uses her Caribbean magic to get to the truth. A fun addition to this delicious cozy series.