A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander
Posted on February 19, 2024 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Readers,

Do you use your local library very much? I will admit that there were times in my life when I didn’t. I don’t think that I appreciated everything that libraries can do for a community. When I moved eight years ago, one of the first places that I headed was the local library. They had a book group that met one time a month in the afternoon and I decided that I should try it. (By the way, I decided that for anything thing new I tried I needed to go to at least three meetings to decide if the activity was right for me. An arbitrary decision but it worked out to be a good choice.)

The first meeting that I went to was to discuss Alice Hoffman’s A Marriage of Opposites. It was a great book with lots of different things to talk about. Apparently, I was not the only one who enjoyed the book. The meeting was very well attended and there was lots of discussion. I won’t go into it now but there are comments from that discussion that I can still remember, mostly because they were so amazing. I told everyone about the things that went on in that meeting. I couldn’t wait to go back. Now, there have not been any sessions to rival that one since, but I always enjoy going. One of the other regular attendees and I have only agreed on two books in the last 3 or 4 years. And our agreement was that we felt neutral about those two books. It always makes for a good session when there are varied opinions about a book.


Today’s book is A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander. The book’s publication date is tomorrow. The book takes place in Ashland, Oregan, the home of Jules Capshaw, who is a baker who owns Torte, the local bakery. The town is home to Mount A, which is home to a ski resort. The book revolves around the murder of Fritz who had been annoying the ski patrol, the resort owner, and just about anyone who encountered him. He seemed to be a know-it-all who didn’t care or listen to rules. His body was discovered during the “Downhill Dummy” event, a special event that the whole town and many visitors attend. The ski resort owner was quick to point out someone she thought was the murderer and the police and ski patrol captured him.

But was he really the murderer? What was Fritz doing on the mountain? With Jules busy because her husband’s family from Spain was visiting, she didn’t think she had time to look for a killer, but she couldn’t keep away from it. Besides, when the police chief is dating your mother, you might be able to get some insights.

It seems that this is book 19 in the series of books subtitled, A Bakeshop Mystery. I had no idea. I did think when reading the book that it was not the first in the series (because so much was mentioned of things from the past.) I would never have dreamed it was the 19th. I think it can be read without the others in the series but it was obvious there were some things from the past that I didn’t know.

Because I was given the book to give an honest review, I would pass on this book. I did finish it, so it wasn’t awful, but I found all of the descriptions long. The bakery had a lot of employees and they each did different things, and I just didn’t care that much. It didn’t add to the story. It seemed that there was a lot of extraneous information.

Having said that, I might try the first book and see if it is better. It could be that #19 was just a dog in the series. The first book is Meet Your Baker.

Thanks for reading!

I have enjoyed pretty much every book in this series and this was no exception. The mountains have long been a background of this series and skiing is frequently mentioned as Jules' long time barista is a big fan of snowboarding. However, this is the first book where the ski resort has really been front and center in the mystery. In fact, Jules and family come into contact with the victim when on a nighttime snowshoeing tour.

The victim is not a likable guy. Instead, its kind of amazing that he managed to survive long enough to get offed fairly early in the book. I enjoyed following along for the investigation with Jules and spending time with the usual Torte crew as well as Lance and the other Ashland residents. As well, I enjoyed spending more time with Ramiro and his family.

While you can easily jump into this series at any point it is best read in order as the relationships of the characters is very important. As well, this series has the cozy mystery tendency to have a lot of side stuff going on. We see Jules bake, spend time with Ramiro's family, spend time at Torte and go on adventures through Ashland. While this is an absolute delight to long-time readers I imagine it could be a bit tedious if you are coming into the series part way through.

This was a fun read in a thoroughly enjoyable series. I was pulled into the book from the first page to the end and this is proving to be a series that never disappoints.

Wonderful series that just gets better. The characters have really developed and I like to read what they are all doing. Highly recommend this series!

A Smoking Bun is the 18th book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series and volume number four in my personal library. Readers can easily jump into the series here or enjoy this book as a standalone. In A Smoking Bun, we see another feature of the Ashland, Oregon setting – the mountains and related winter activities like snowshoeing and skiing. Jules Capshaw was excited to welcome her stepson Ramiro’s family for a visit from their native Spain.

Jules is distracted from the fun, first by shenanigans from Fitz, an arrogant mountain guide who leads his group astray, then by a fatality on the ski jump during what was supposed to be a lighthearted competition. Of course, Jules takes on the challenge of finding the killer with her sidekick Lance. A Smoking Bun is a lot of fun for fans of cozy mysteries or just good stories.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of A Smoking Bun from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 18th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. Jules Capshaw is taking some time-off from the day-to-day management of the family bakery in Ashland, Oregon. Her stepson's family is visiting from Spain and Jules has several fun activities planned, including a moonlight mountain top snowshoe trip. The beauty of the night is dimmed when an obnoxious skier leads an unauthorized ski tour requiring an emergency rescue. When that skier is killed at a community event on the ski slopes the next day, there are many suspects and possible motives, including the best friend of one of Jules' employees.

Jules and her best friend, Lance, are on the case and their scenes are so entertaining and always have me wishing for more. Since Jules is on vacation, there are some nice scenes with her, Carlos, and her family enjoying the sights of Ashland, but not as many of her and her team at the bakery. There are many scenes that foodies will appreciate with Jules putting together different desserts. I was surprised by the solution to the crime and a few things mentioned at the end of the book already have me anticipating the next book!

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

A Smoking Bun is the is the eighteenth Bakeshop cozy mystery by prolific author Ellie Alexander. Due out 20th Feb 2024 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This installment sees the crew at Torte heading into the mountains for snowshoe tours and a local fun ski event, "downhill dummy" with effigies strapped to skis and sent flying downhill. It's all fun and games until a local non-lamented mountain guide get squished by one of the flying dummies. Who killed Fitz Baskin? Jules and co. are soon unearthing clues and motives alongside baking and pastry making.

The plotting, characterization, and dialogue are representative of the genre; lighthearted, somewhat over-the-top, and used to move the narrative along. It's not a realistic procedural. There's no gritty unpleasantness, no brutality (even the violence is mostly off-scene), no blatant sexual aspects, and the language is squeaky clean and used appropriately. Although this is the 18th book in the series, it works fine as a standalone.

For fans of the genre, it's a well written and very pleasant diversion. For readers who enjoy this Bakeshop series, I can heartily recommend the author's Sloan Krause brewing mysteries. She has either a truly impressive grasp of baking, brewing, and coffee culture or she's got experts on tap to consult for her background research. Lots of "foodie" fun to be found in both series. With so many books, it's a great candidate for a binge / buddy read, or possibly for a mystery book club long-term project.

Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was a wild case and I always love it when Jules and Lance go sleuthing together. If anything, he’s probably the best dressed sleuth around, lol. He’s not all show and stage though since sometimes he did have some valuable intel to share or ideas to sleuth out.

I wasn’t ever really sure until the actual reveal of whodunit and there were some great scenes working up to that. I loved the final scene with everyone who loved the ski lodge gathered together for food and fellowship. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next in Ashland!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Jules Montague, proprietor of Torte bakery and several other small businesses in her hometown of Ashland, Oregon, is nervous. Her stepson Ramiro has been living with her and her husband Carlos for the better part of the school year so far, and his mother Sophia is about to travel over from Spain with the rest of her family to come visit. While Juliet and Sophia did not have the best relationship to begin with, they’ve come to appreciate each other as positive figures in Ramiro’s life, and have slowly become both penpals and friends.

As such, she wants to make sure to show Sophia and her family a really nice time while they’re in Ashland. Having scheduled the visit to coincide with Ramiro’s winter break, she and Carlos are intent on filling the holiday with pleasant activities for the whole family. The first of these is a Starlight Snowshoe Trip on local ski hill Mount A.

While their guide, Hero, is professional and competent, their trip is marred by the antics of another guide, Fitz Baskin. Hero is forced to cut short their expedition in order to rescue Fitz, leading to a scene later back at the lodge. Fortunately, Sophia and her family seem unbothered by the interruption. Regardless, Jules is determined to make sure that the next item on their itinerary is a success. The Downhill Dummy event has all manner of local groups building thematic dummies to launch down a ski slope, with the winner being the dummy with the most spectacular crash. Torte will finally be entering this year, as will Ramiro’s soccer team.

At first, things go according to plan, but when one of the dummies suddenly spins out of control, the very worst happens. A bystander is caught underneath it and crushed to death. Everyone is appalled, but Jules’ amateur sleuth senses begin to tingle when she discovers that the victim is Fitz. When the lodge owner accuses an employee of Fitz’s murder, Jules knows she’s going to have to get involved if she has any hope of salvaging this vacation for her extended family.

I love the care and compassion Ellie Alexander puts into the depiction of a blended family that not only needs to overcome emotional history but also the stresses of far-flung geography. Jules and Sophia’s commitment to doing what’s best for Ramiro should be a model for all parents. The mystery here, too, was nicely done, with twists I did not see coming but was wholly absorbed in reading.

There were seven food and drink recipes for items deliciously described in the novel, and I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Chicken and Chickpea Buns

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1⁄2 cup finely chopped carrots
1⁄2 cup finely chopped celery
1 large bunch chopped cilantro (stalks and leaves)
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 lb ground chicken (or substitute with canned chickpeas for a vegetarian option)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Prepared bread dough (you can use Torte’s bun recipe or store-bought dough)
Black sesame seeds
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to the temperature recommended for your dough (usually around 350-375°F or 180-190°C).

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, cilantro, and garlic. Sauté until they soften and the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. If using ground chicken, add it to the pan with the sautéed vegetables. Cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until it’s no longer pink and cooked through. If using chickpeas, add them to the pan and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Stir in the tomato paste, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, ginger, ground coriander, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Remove from heat and let the filling cool.

While the mixture is cooling, roll out your dough on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into circles using a round cutter or the mouth of a glass.

Place a spoonful (about 2-3 tablespoons) of the chicken and chickpea mixture in the center of each dough circle. Fold the dough over to create a half-moon shape and pinch the edges to seal the bun. Place the filled buns upside down on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the tops of the buns with the beaten egg for a shiny finish. Sprinkle each bun with black sesame seeds for added flavor and texture.

Bake the buns in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
END QUOTE

I had trouble finding regular prepared bread dough in my area so decided to use pizza dough, which was an absolutely genius substitution if I do say so myself! Using pizza dough here makes for a pillowy soft savory treat with just a hint of tooth to the crust. Definitely follow the baking time and temperature for your dough regardless of what kind you choose. In my case, for example, I had to oil my pan instead of using parchment paper because the instructions that came with my pizza dough said to.

The filling is very tasty and, if you have extra once you’ve used up all your dough, goes perfectly on top of rice or pasta. Don’t be afraid of all the spices: they blend together really well! I’m still not capable of making good-looking buns (and shamefully forgot to sprinkle on the sesame seeds till after these came out of the oven) but they definitely made up for in taste what they lacked in appearance. The buns also reheat surprisingly well in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, if you find yourself with a lot more of them than you can finish in one sitting. I will definitely be experimenting with this dish again.

Next week, we fold up some sweet treats while looking into a murder further south down the West Coast. Do join me!

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Jules is a baker and runs a bakery. she is married to Carlos and his son Ramiro is staying in the U.S. with them for a while. His family is coming for a visit and then doing some traveling.. Jules has a lot of things planned. First night snow shoeing to look at the stars. Hero takes them on the tour and he sees Fitz taking a tour group where they should not be going. Hero calls the ski patrol and his finds their way back to the lodge. The next day is the Down Hill Dummy which are sponsored by business's.. This is where the murder of Fitz takes place and the sleuthing begins. Jules is the amateur sleuth in this story and she is good. No spoilers here. I didn't guess who done it until the end.

A Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery
By Ellie Alexander
St. Martin’s
February 20, 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

As Ashland, Oregon closes out the holidays and begins the new year, the tourist-attracting town celebrates with their annual Downhill Dummy competition. Contestants craft creatively dressed-up dummies and send them down ski jumps on decorated sleds, with the hurtling entries giving their creators bragging rights for the year. Torte Bakeshop owner Jules Capshaw Montague is herself eagerly anticipating a visit by the family of her husband’s son, who are traveling all the way from their home in Spain. Jules adores young Ramiro, and she finds the entire Torres family to be equally charming and supportive of his bond with Jules and his birth father. While taking Ramiro and his Torres relatives on a midnight snowshoe trip up Mount Ashland though, they encounter a reckless ski guide who endangers the women he’s hosting. Jules’s own guide Hero and bakeshop friend Shawn each have angry confrontations with the arrogant Fitz Baskin, so when he is killed during a dummy ski jump suspicion falls on them as likely culprits. A witness’s accusation against Shawn forces Jules’s police detective stepfather to take the young man in, which sets the bakeshop staff off on an investigation to clear him and hopefully find the true culprit.

Food is the language of love for Jules and her husband Carlos, which is why she retreats into the kitchen as she contemplates the many suspects who battled with the aggressive ski guide. She and Carlos first met and fell in love while cooking on a cruise ship, so of course she uses the preparation of food to calm her as she plans how they can solve a murder. Jules doesn’t trust the reasons why Fitz’s clients were on the mountain, and the trail of clues leads back to the mountain lodge’s owners and plans for a possible sale. Ashland’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival being on a holiday break means that its director Lance Rosseau has plenty of time to lend his dramatic assistance when not planning a one-man show, and Jules’s own bakeshop family are similarly ready to lend their coffee and flour-covered hands.

This is the 18th of the series, and this latest installment comfortably welcomes readers into the genial, Shakespearean-centric town. The focus on Shakespeare celebrations actually takes a sideline as it instead features its appeal as a skiing and snow sports destination site, welcoming in tourists with hot chocolate treats and exciting-if chilly adventures. The introduction of the Torres family is a delight, and they are immediately embraced by Jules, her mother, and their entire Torte family. While no recipes are included the elaborate descriptions of Jules and her team in the kitchen will be enough to have mouths watering and readers envious of those able to taste them in this charming fictional world. The relationships between the Ashland residents continue to develop and plotlines from the earliest books of the series still follow through, making the setting feel authentic and very much as if it were a real, evolving community. This entertaining cozy mystery will have readers wanting to huddle up near a warm fire with the snowy adventures that allow winter to be celebrated throughout the year.

I always enjoy my visits to Ashland + Torte with Jules and the gang - I find myself quite invested in these characters and their adventures after 18 books! I found I enjoyed this mystery more than the last few in this series and overall highly recommend this one to cozy mystery fans!

We are back in Ashland, Oregon with Jules Capshaw. Her boyfriend Carlos' family is in town from Spain to visit after Christmas. Jules has taken vacation time to enjoy every minute of their visit. First on the agenda is a Stargazing midnight snowshoe trip. It is cut short by someone needing rescue by the Ski patrol. Fitz is causing mayhem on the mountain by not following the rules. Not staying on paths and this time stranding skiers.

Next is the dummy race. When someone is hit by the Ski patrols dummy it's not an accident. Shaun of the ski patrol is a suspect. Jules decides to find out what happened and who the real killer is.

I enjoyed this book. The writing always hooks me even though I've only read a handful of this series. I really need to start at the beginning and read them all. I do love the characters. It would be nice to know who is who and their backstories. I enjoyed following the clues with Jules. I had no idea whodunnit. This book made me really hungry while reading it. 😋 I can't wait to see what happens next for Jules.

Enter the world of a bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon where coffee and pastries reign supreme. In this 18th outing in the series, Juliet and Carlos are hosting family members from Spain just before New Years. Part of the entertainment they are planning for their guests are events at the local ski lodge, including a fun dummy ski jump contest. But plans go awry when a young man is found dead at the bottom of the jump. Juliet, as always, wants to help the police chief, who just happens to be her step-father, solve the crime. In the meantime, there is plenty of delicious baking going on at the shop. A nicely plotted cozy mystery which keeps the reader guessing till the end.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This is the classic Ellie Alexander mystery I remember! After being highly disappointed by the past few installments in this series, I was a bit hesitant to pick up A Smoking Bun. But I'm so glad I did! This was a fantastic cozy mystery filled with delicious-sounding bakes that had my mouth-watering, and a mystery that, while I guessed the murderer early on, was a lot of fun to solve and find out the truth alongside Juliet! I also really loved meeting Ramiro's family and the moments between Sofia and Juliet were very touching.
The only two reasons I removed a star is 1) because I wish the Torte crew had been able to be a little more involved in the book. I missed seeing Andy and Sterling and Stephanie and the rest of the crew as they were more in the background for this book. And 2) because Juliet has ended the past few books with the same questions swirling around in her mind, and it's getting annoyingly repetitive. She doesn't really talk to Carlos about having kids, just stews about it herself. I wish she'd communicate with Carlos!
But overall, a very enjoyable cozy!

A Smoking Bun is #18 in this bakeshop mystery series by Ellie Alexander and takes place in the mountains most of the time. Jules, husband has family visiting from Spain and there is never a dull moment in this book. Of course there is a lot of delicious food and of course a murder for Lance and Jules to help solve. Good times are had with Carlos’s family and closer bonds are made . Will there be a family in Jules and Carlos future? Stay tuned for book #19 📚Ellie Alexander has written another winner and I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Smoking Bun and I would highly recommend this book to read. P.S. Love is in the air for two couples at Torte and maybe we will see wedding bells in future books for this series. 🙋‍♀️🇨🇦🙏❤️📚👏👍🧁

I love the Torte books, though this isn't one of my favorites. It just feels like the cast of characters is TOO sprawling. I don't feel that connected with Ramiro's family, the snow patrol, the lodge people...So much time is spent with all of them, but not enough time is spent with any of them, if that makes sense. I guess I just don't care enough about any of them, and yet the mystery isn't personal to Jules and her own family. So that makes it tough to get invested in the solving of the crime. The pacing and characterization just don't feel quite up to the series' standard here for me.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is another fun installment in the long-running and much loved Bakeshop Mystery series set in southern Oregon.

This time, Carlos's family, including his ex-wife and her new husband from Spain, are visiting for the holidays. Among other enjoyable family events planned, there are several set at the local ski mountain and lodge, including the annual Downhill Dummy event where the murder takes place. Naturally, baker Jules Capshaw gets involved in solving it.

This series features an absolute top-notch cast of recurring characters and, once again, a clever, involved plot.

Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans!!

I have been provided with a review copy of A Smoking Bun from NetGalley for an impartial review. This was just a great read. I just had so much fun reading this story.

Jules is hosting a holiday get together including Ramiro's family from Spain. During the festivities they are at the ski resort for the Downhill Dummy event. Of course someone is killed and Jules is right there trying to help the Professor figure out who killed. Can she catch the person responsible before someone else is killed? I really wish there was a Torte nearby, I really want to try the treats I keep reading about! I hope this series continues for a long time, I love going back to Ashland, OR and reading about the awesome characters in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This is such a fun cozy mystery series, and always leaves me with that comfy feeling and my stomach growling with all the delicious food described.
In this book Carlo's ex-wife, husband and daughter are traveling to Ashland to visit their son Romiro who has been staying with Carlos and Jules for the last few months. I love the little family Jules and Carlos have made, along with the second family Jules has with all the of people that work in her bakeshop.

I love how everyone gets along, as things could be a little awkard with her husbands exwife and family visiting, but things go super smoothly and they all feel like one big happy family. I thought the Downhill Dummy competition sound like a super fun and something I would love to see first hand. The mystery aspect of this story was super good! There were plenty of suspects with plenty of reasons to want this person dead, and so many twists and turns in the story that I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed.

I can't wait to continue in this series and see what happens next!