When Ramiro’s mother and family in town, Jules, find herself enjoying the visit. Enjoying the company and the snow, things are going well. Up until one of the mountain guides is found dead.

Jules just can’t help herself, and she finds herself digging in and dealing with icy suspects. Will Jules and the gang be able to sell the case before the town loses one of their favorite spots? Here’s to no killer icicles finding their way to ending Jules’ success in finding yet another killer.

I love all written things by Ellie Alexander, but this is my favorite series of all. Come for the mystery and sour, the baked delights and wine as well. Oh, and be ready for a few Shakespeare quotes sprinkled in as well.

This series is a comfort read for me. I know before I read it that I am going to experience all the wonderful things that I love about this series. The Torte family makes the books special. Everyone is unique and they all bring something different to the table. We cannot forget about Lance. He always puts a smile on my face. I can also count on Richard Lord to make an appearance and add a little chaos to Jules and her day. The Downhill Dummy competition is something I have never heard of before. I wonder if it is an actual thing. I was able to picture all the “dummies” flying down the hill on skis.
 
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A SMOKING BUN (Book 18 of the Bakeshop Mystery series) by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain, so Jules is eager to show off her beautiful Ashland’s winter wonderland and all of the cold-weather activities on offer. One such event is the annual downhill dummy race where teams strap themed mannequins to skis and fling them down the mountain and over a jump. When one of the mannequin missiles misfires and lands on the body of a mountain guide known for misbehavior, the silliness soon sobers. As usual, Jules is drawn into the investigation and navigates the new nefariousness. Hospitality falls to the wayside in lieu of catching a killer!

I liked the book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series and the series to fans of humorous cozy murder mysteries featuring small towns, tourist destinations, themed events, bakeshops, and Shakespeare.

#ASmokingBun #NetGalley

"A Smoking Bun" the 18th instalment in the A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.

The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain and Jules can’t wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.

I really enjoyed this story, seeing Ramiro’s family in Ashland and how much his mom and Jules respect and like each other. Visiting Torte and Ashland is like coming home to old friends and family lots of fun with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Needless to say I cant wait for the next book.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary
The week between Christmas and New Year is normally a quiet time in Ashland, Oregon. Not so this year for Jules, who is expecting extended family from Spain for the week. She has planned a midnight snowshoe excursion, a wine tasting, and meals with friends and family.

The most unusual event of the week is the Downhill Dummy, where different groups and businesses build a dummy, prop it on skis or a snowboard and launch it off of the ski jump at the local ski resort. The crashes are part of the fun. Until someone ends up dead in the wreckage of one of the dummies.

Everyone tells her to relax and focus on her guests, but when the best friend of her barista becomes a prime suspect, Jules knows that she needs to ask some questions.

My Thoughts
This was an exceptionally fun winter mystery. The characters are lovable, the mystery is well-crafted, the writing is engaging, and the plot is well-paced.

Jules is one of my favorite amateur sleuths. She’s a lovely, kind and compassionate person. Not to mention a talented baker and successful businessperson. She knows how to get people talking, and she reports what she knows to the police. She isn’t the type to take foolish risks, though that doesn’t mean she never finds herself in tricky situations. Her character is also well-rounded and constantly growing and learning.

The rest of the cast of regulars is equally endearing. If you follow the books through the series, which I have, they become like an extended family. It’s wonderful to spend time with them, and enjoyable to see how they grow. I especially appreciate Jules’ relationship with the Professor. He’s her mother’s husband, the chief of police, and a fascinating character. I love that Jules is able to cooperate with the police rather than having an adversarial relationship. They appreciate the skills she offers.

The mystery kept me guessing. There were numerous clues and red herrings, and just the right number of suspects. I had a favorite suspect early on, but the story had me doubting myself all the way to the end.

I love the detail that Alexander puts into her writing. From the pink pompom on little Marta’s hat to Jules’ glittery gold New Year’s Eve skirt, attention to wardrobe helps me visualize the characters. She gives the same attention to location. In my mind, I have clear pictures of the bakery, the town, and the ski lodge.

Most of all, I love the descriptions of the food. I enjoy hearing what everyone is preparing and really appreciate the baking tips included throughout. Because I was reading an eARC, there were no recipes included, but if experience tells me anything, it is that there will be recipes in the back of the book, and they will be delicious!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jules is excited to host Ramiro's family and for the Downhill Dummy race but of course nothing goes as planned. An unliked guide at the mountain ski resort where the race is held is killed and Jules, of course, must investigate. This part of the novel is classic cozy stuff but the real heart of the novel is the emerging relationships with Ramiro, son of her new husband Carlos, and his mom. And then there's the food! Know that, sadly, there aren't any recipes, but Alexander will have you craving curry and other treats. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While this is the latest in a very long running series, it's going to be fine if you're reading it as a standalone. It's a good read for fans of the genre.

The next Bakeshop Mystery finds Jules investigating the murder of a ski patrol member.

This one had a lot more personal plot, especially early on in the book. I wish it had been more spread out so that we got more consistent mystery throughout. Otherwise another good addition!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Winter in Ashland features skiing, snowshoeing and guests for Juliette and Carlos. While watching an event someone is killed and several ski patrol members are suspects. Jules and Lance begin to ask questions and find themselves caught in the mystery. I enjoyed this book in that it combined the mystery with regular activities and reflections from Jules. It also points to a community that works together and businesses that help each other out. I enjoyed getting to know Ramero's Spanish family. This was well written and plotted. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I love this series! I hopped into it with book 17 and now want to read the entire series! I love Jules' & Ramiro's relationship and can't wait to see where it goes and if they end up having kids. I also really enjoy the fact that her stepdad who is a police officer appreciates her sleuthing instead of trying to discourage her. Can't wait for the next installment!

#ASmokingBun
#NetGalley

Bakeshop Mystery series #18, but can be read independently. I don't read a lot of cozies having a low tolerance for cuteness, but this is a series I have always enjoyed. Part of it is probably because it takes place in Ashland, Oregon, home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival which I have visited on numerous occasions (and highly recommend - both town and festival).
In this installment of the series, it is the last week of the year, Christmas is over and all eyes move to the Mount Ashland Ski Lodge where fun and wild events are scheduled. As it is the slow season for her bakery in Ashland, Juliet is taking time off to be with the visiting family of her step-son from Spain. So when Mt. Ashland has the crazy "Downhill Dummy" event, in which locals create bizarre and themed dummies to send down the ski jump with an almighty crash (including one by her Torte staff), the whole family heads for the resort. And all is great fun until something goes terribly wrong, and a dummy crashes into and kills a person in the crash zone. And the game is afoot.
The characters are well fleshed out and all relevant previous happenings smoothly integrated into the story, so you never feel left out. Most everyone is highly intelligent, and even the villains are well-developed and never lean into caricature. The setting is a major character in itself, both the town and the bakery. The food descriptions are succinct and mouth watering. And Juliet's sleuthing is always quite reasonable, and with her father-in-law the lead detective in town, she is always working WITH the police, not knocking heads with them. It is an extremely balanced narrative, and I highly recommend it.

Jules Capshaw is excited that her stepson’s family is visiting Ashland, Oregon, from Spain and has all kinds of activities planned including watching decorated dummies being sent down a ski jump. Jules and company are enjoying the event until when of the dummies goes off course and kills a bystander. Jules quickly finds out that there are plenty of people who wanted to the victim dead, including the friend of one of her employees. Jules sets out to help the police find the killer while trying to not ruin her time off with family and friends.

“A Smoking Bun” is the nicely done 18th book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop cozy mystery series. I love the way that Jules bakeshop has evolved over the course of the series, adding more workers and businesses – and the character development throughout the books. I especially like the visit of Ramiro’s family in this book – it’s a complicated relationship that somehow works. The details of Ashland in the winter are wonderfully done – I loved the visits to the ski lodge where the mystery takes place. Speaking of the mystery – it is well done and well plotted with a unique murder weapon! There are plenty of suspects to choose from – I can’t say I was completely surprised when the killer was revealed but I was saddened. All in all well done by Alexander.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Back in Ashland, OR with Jules and Torte crew. As Carlos’ family from Spain comes to visit, Jules and Carlos take them up Mount A for snowshoeing and other fun events. When a universally disliked person dies during one event, nearly everyone who knew the victim had a motive to kill him. Jules and her friend Lance, along with the trusty Professor, figure out who the killer is in time to save the mountain’s lodge and before Carlos’ family vacation ends. It was a quick read and I’m curious how some of the more personal changes Jules is contemplating will impact future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I read this as an Advance Reader Copy. Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher. This is my honest review.

This is the 18th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and the first one that I have read. Now that being said, I really enjoyed it. It mentions a few things that happened in other books, but not so many that I couldn't follow what was going on and get invested in the characters.

It takes place in the beautiful mountains of Ashland, Oregan with a pastry chef named Jules. The Mount A ski resort near her home is popular with locals and tourists alike and when someone is murdered there, the whole town is in an uproar. Jules finds herself in the middle of the mystery and with the help of her friends and her stepfather who is the town's police chief, sets out to find the killer.

The mystery was interesting, the backdrop of the area was compelling and sounded beautiful. The characters were mostly likeable and I enjoyed the relationship between Jules and her husband and family. It also had some great cooking tips and wonderful descriptions of some mouth-watering food.

I can definitely see why the series is so popular and I look forward to reading more.

This is the eighteenth Bakeshop Mystery, but the first I have read. In this episode, Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain over the New Year. Jules is busy with her bakeshop and planning things for them to do and see.

Events at Mount A, the local ski resort, will feature prominently. But during a midnight snowshoe trek, they see a guide lead two people off the trail and see the ski patrol come to rescue them. The next day is a much anticipated event called the Downhill Dummy. Local groups and businesses create dummies to send down the ski jump in anticipation of spectacular crashes. But things go immediately wrong when the same guide who led his group off trail is hit by one of the dummies and killed.

Now Jules Capshaw needs to fit a murder investigation into her already packed schedule. She quickly learns that the resort is in financial trouble and plans a fundraiser to help the owner make payroll. But is the owner on the up and up? Or does she have a hidden agenda? And what about the woman wandering around with a clipboard? And the environmentalist willing to do anything to stop the resort from selling off some land for clear cutting?

This was an entertaining mystery with interesting characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. Newcomers, like me, will want to read other books in the series to learn more about these intriguing characters.

Another cozy Ellie Alexander book ready to make you want to curl up with a fresh cinnamon roll and a cup of hot cocoa! I loved the New Year's Eve theme of the book, and it was great to see the blended family of Ramiro's mother with Carlos and Jules. The setting of the ski lodge mountain was perfectly creepy for the wintry murder mystery and I did keep guessing who the killer was throughout the book. By the last 1/4 of the book I had the killer figured out but there was still enough secrets that were hidden to keep things interesting.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another fun visit to Ashland with the Torte crew. I loved the introduction of Ramiro’s family from Spain as well as the focus on the mountain and skiing, especially the fun activities they participated in at the lodge. I was surprised by the guilty party (I usually am) and the resolution on the whole. I thought, however, there was a lot more filler in this one that I wanted: several pages of step-by-step baking, more time chatting and world building, tons of time eating. Looking forward to the next one, particularly the developments with Richard Lord’s new venture.

Ellie Alexander has done it again. The Bakeshop Mystery Series is one of my favorites. Juliet and Carlos have settled into their lives in Ashland, Oregon. Carlos’ son, Ramiro, has come to spend a year as an exchange student at the local high school. Over Christmas break, Juliet and Carlos are hosting Ramiro’s mother (Sophia), step father (Luis) and sister (Marta). Juliet has planned many activities to showcase the area. During their nighttime snow shoe expedition, their guide has to leave them to rescue a group that has gone out of bounds. The group is lead by Fritz who claims to be a guide on the mountain but isn’t authorized. All ends well that evening but at the next event Juliet has planned, disaster strikes. Fritz is killed but is it an accident or murder???? The majority of this book takes place at the ski area. There is still interaction with bakery employees and towns people that we have met in previous installments. All of Ellie’s books can be read as stand-alone – although I did feel this one wasn’t as clear about the inter-relationships of the characters. But it doesn’t distract from the story. This is another five-star read from Ellie Alexander.

Our favorite baker is back at it with her detective skills! When Ramiro's family comes to visit, Jules has every detail planned, but plans are derailed when Fitz is murdered at a family fun event. As it turns out, Fitz has a long list of enemies, which means a long list of suspects.
A Smoking Bun is everything you want in a cozy mystery... beautiful setting, well-developed main characters, quirky side characters, and good food and coffee.

One of the things that I love most about Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mysteries is the way she weaves Jule's daily life throughout the story. A Smoking Bun, the 18th book in the series does an especially good job of blending characters, community, and mystery to give the story a wonderful personality. That "personality" is what takes book from a good cozy mystery to a great one. Ramiro's mother, sister, and stepfather join Carlo, Juliet, and her stepson for a post-Christmas winter break. Although Juliet is a bit nervous about meeting Ramiro's mom, the two women hit if off beautifully, but a lovely visit to Ashland, Oregan is somewhat marred when the group witnesses a death that turns out to be murder. In spite of hosting Ramiro's family, Jules feels compelled to investigate when a friend of one of her employees is arrested for the crime.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review a copy of the delightful ARC of A Smoking Bun.

#NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #EllieAlexander #ABakeshopMystery

A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander is another intriguing mystery in her series about Torte bake shop owner Juliet in Ashland, Oregon. She has a wonderful staff of baristas and bakers who have become friends: Andy, Bethany, Steph, Sterling, Marty and Rosa who runs her dining room.There are lots of delicious cooking and baking recipes included as usual.

Juliet and her husband Carlos and his teen son Ramiro from Spain who is spending the semester in high school with them are expecting a visit any day from Ramiro’s mother and her husband and his little sister for a New Year’s weekend celebration.

Juliet and Carlos also own Uva a nearby winery along with Juliet’s friend Lance who is the Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival headquartered in Ashland.

They are planning snowshoeing and skiing adventures at the nearby lodge on Mount Ashland. The snowshoeing is exciting but the next day during what’s called the annual downhill dummy competition someone gets murdered.

The police, led by The Professor, the lead detective who is also an old friend of Juliet’s deceased father and now married to her mother, takes charge, along with the two other police officers, her old friend Thomas and his wife Kerry who is also a friend.

But Juliet and Lance who consider themselves amateur sleuths also try to solve the murder and help the police. There are plenty of suspects: the lodge owner, a member of the ski patrol, a tour guide, and two strange women who have been lurking around the lodge and no one seems to know why.

The story gets more and more complicated and convoluted until we find Juliet and Lance on the second floor of the lodge pointing a fake gun at one of the strange women who is named Ruth. But she is pointing a rifle at them. What will happen? You’ll definitely want to find out.
This is absolutely a book worth reading!