Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. It published August 20, 2024.
What a great installment in this series! I really enjoyed all of the aspects of it. The mystery, the food, the character development. It had me coming back for more as often as possible!

What an amazing read. So many things are happening, a mystery someone killed, but then many happy things are brewing in this book, Sticks and Scones. Ellie Alexander did not let me down. I have read all her books. I may be a little behind, but I am so enjoying each book as I read it. I read from the beginning and know what happens. Looking forward and unwork for Torte Bakery and Jules and Carlos and all the characters in the book. Thank You so Much, NetGalley.

I love this series and I will always read them. I love each installment in this town. . As mishaps turn deadly at the Fair Verona Players' latest show, Juliet skillfully blends her baking prowess with a knack for amateur sleuthing—because nothing says "murder investigation" like lemon curd cupcakes.

Sticks and Scones is the next Bakeshop Mystery installment. Jules' friend Lance has started a new theater troupe, the Fair Verona Players, and is the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival with his new troupe. What no one expected was for the drama to leap off the stage when the lead actor is found dead in the vineyards' cellar. Jules, Carlos and Lance are all invested in finding the murderer while they bake up a storm as usual at Torte. It's an entertaining murder mystery, highlighting the delicious sweet and savory treats featured in its pages while we watch the mystery be uncovered.

I would have enjoyed the book more if half if if has not been spent building up to the surprise ending, which could not have been a surprise to anyone. It is frustrating when the heroine is so clueless.

This is the latest entry in the Bakeshop Mystery Series, set in beautiful Ashland Oregon, home to the famous and highly regarded annual Ashland Shakespeare Festival. It’s a beautiful location for a cozy mystery series.
Juliet is back with her bakery Torte and all her friends. There’s been a murder at Uva, the winery she owns with her husband. Juliet and her friend Lance, who’s the head of the Shakespeare festival, step in to investigate to protect the reputation of the winery and the festival.
Even after so many books, the stories are fresh and interesting. I love watching the different characters mature and change. I highly recommend this book! 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sticks and Scones: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander is a delightful cozy mystery that will charm fans of the genre. The engaging characters, especially the strong-willed bakery owner, make for a fun and relatable read. The small-town setting is full of warmth and delicious details. While the pacing was a bit slower than expected at times, the mystery kept me reading until the end. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) Perfect for readers who enjoy a mix of suspense, charm, and a little bit of sweetness!

If you’re a long time cozy mystery series reader you look for how the author keeps the stories fresh. I’ve read all of Ellie’s series and I’m always impressed how she’s able to introduce new characters without them being the obvious suspect. Think Law & Order, you know the biggest guest star is the killer.

The supporting cast of this series is among my favorite cozy backup players. I love any time Lance, Jules’ best friend and OSF director, enters the story. Once they get together you know the fun’s about to begin. This go round sees Lance starting a new theater troop at Juliet and her heartthrob husband Carlos’s own UVA winery. Strange things are happening on stage and behind the scenes and when an unpopular actor winds up dead it’s up to Jules and Lance to help the Professor, Thomas, and Kerry to figure out what happened.

This was an entertaining outing and kept me guessing right to the end. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come with the promise of some new Torte team members both at the bake shop and at home.. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Although I love good heavy duty thrillers by my favorite authors, sometimes I get too much suspense and want to read something a little lighter. There are dozens of good cozy mystery series by excellent authors. My favorites tend to be culinary mysteries, and they generally include recipes. One series I like to read is Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Series, The 20th installment of this fun series is Sticks and Scones where Jules’s best friend, Lance, the artistic director of Ashland’s Annual Shakespeare Festival, is debuting his new group of actors, The Fair Verona Players, in a presentation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew to be held at Uva Winery, with Jules’s bakeshop, Torte, serving the food. The main actor, Jimmy Paxton, is arrogant and obnoxious, and has offended almost everyone in the troupe, as well as Jules and some of the investors in the project. Unfortunately, after his amazing performance in the play, Jimmy is found dead in the wine cellar of Jule’s and her husband’s winery. Jules has always been sort of an amateur sleuth and investigates to solve the murder.

It’s also fun to read about favorite characters that have become well-known throughout a fun series. Alexander has done an excellent job of developing the main characters and by this installment, they are loved and feel like real friends. Alexander also does an excellent job of spinning a story that is believable, as well as suspenseful. Jules, et al are in danger some of the time, and as the story unfolds, there are several suspects that have reasons to murder Jimmy. However, after twists and turns, there is a surprise ending.

All told, this is an excellent book, and it includes some mouthwatering recipes. Although this novel can be read as a standalone, readers will want to start at the beginning and read all of the books in order. Because they are cozy mysteries, they contain no profanity, violence, or sexual innuendo; they are suitable for everyone who likes a good mystery.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Sticks and Scones is the 19th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and Ellie Alexander has penned another entertaining story. Juliet's husband Carlos, and her BFF Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, have joined together at their vineyard, Uva, to host The Fair Verona Players, Lance's newest theater troupe. They are performing a "gender bending" version of The Taming of the Shrew. The problem is that the main actor, Jimmy Paxton is egotistical and extremely annoying. During rehearsals there are a lot of accidents and Lance is worried someone is trying to sabotage them. The first performance is a hit, but Jimmy ends up dead following the curtain call. Who is responsible for his death, as there is no shortage of suspects.

This long running series is one I have enjoyed from the first book. The cast of characters have become like old friends, growing and changing along the way. The mystery is a good one, and with a huge pool of suspects, it took awhile to sort out. I had a feeling who had killed Jimmy, but the motive alluded me. Once again, Lance and Jules team up to do their sleuthing, sneaking around and playacting to solve the crime. They are a hoot together. The stories involving the staff at Torte evolved in a way I wasn't expecting, but fit the growth of the characters. Overall, this was another entertaining cozy mystery, with just enough personal stories to match up with the mystery. I continue to enjoy this series.

This is book 19 in the Bakeshop series set in Oregon and the small town that revolves around Shakespeare. This time there are some major changes at the bakery and Juliet's life.
It’s late spring in Juliet's charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights—lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.

Meanwhile, Juliet's friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva's vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on "The Taming of the Shrew," but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she's going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.

Absolutely Loved this book! But honestly I have never read a book by Ellie Alexander that I didn't enjoy!

Juliet's friend Lance is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva's vineyard will get a boost from Juliet's delicious baked goods and homegrown wine. But stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. And one actor and several theater staff could be criminals. Jules must solve the crime as she protects her business.
This book (number 19 in the series) is the first book I've read in this series. It includes plenty of flashbacks to previous books, so I didn't feel lost.
The author includes many food mentions and menus and several recipes at the end. I often felt hungry as I read!
Although the mystery wasn't super engaging, it was interesting.
I found myself wanting to see the theater show! And I would read more books in this series.

3.5/5.0 Stars

STICKS AND SCONES – Bakeshop Mystery – Book 19 – by Ellie Alexander

‘It’s late spring in Juliet's charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights …’

And, of course, a murder mystery to be solved.

The storyline around the murder is pretty good, but it’s the characters that keep me coming back for more—Plus, the bonus recipes are in the back of the book. Yes, Please, And Thank You!

I love the ending, and can’t wait to read book twenty, KILLING ME SOUFFLÉ, scheduled for release on February 25, 2025, though subject to change.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin’s Press, for providing me with an eBook of STICKS AND SCONES at the request of an honest review.

Another wonderful adventure in Ashland, Oregon with Jules Capshaw and the gang at Torte. This series just continue to get better with each book. The characters are well developed and you will come to care for them and the relationships they have developed. The murder mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Lots of clues and teasers as you flip through the pages to see if you can find out who is guilty. This one will leave you a little sad as you see some of the characters grow and consider leaving the nest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Ellie Alexander has created another great Bakeshop Mystery cozy with well-crafted characters and recipes. All of the core characters have a heart like Jules, but only Lance has panache and a dash of devil-may-care making Lance the perfect person to head up an acting troupe. In addition to being the artistic director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and head of his new production company the Fair Verona Player, Lance is Jules partner in crime solving. In addition to Jules and Lance there is the Torte team which is one great big family. Then there are the other characters such as the victim who is an egomaniac but when on stage, he is one heck of an actor, as well as Tom the investor who is an insufferable wine snob with one too many opinions that he can’t seem to keep to himself. To round it out there is a drab seamstress, a love struck stage assistant, and more than a few people who are not necessarily sad that the understudy is stepping in. Know who else is stepping in? Lance goes straight into investigatory mode and while he doesn’t drag Jules, he gently tugs her into joining him. The story holds your interest and character interactions do a great job of eliciting emotions. For example, I literally rolled my eyes when Jules has the “opportunity” to interact with Tom at the local pub. Other times I found myself chuckling over Lance’s comments about morning jogging. Last but not least is the sighing brought on by the way Carlos tends to Jules when she is feeling a little “off.”

This is a cozy thriller with the sweet addition of being near my hometown. It was fun to read about parts of Ashland that are familiar and the parts dreamed up by the author. The characters are endearing. I’m also a sucker for recipes at the end of the book. A great cozy read.

Sticks and Scones is another fantastic addition to Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Series. I’m thrilled to see what comes next, especially with Juliet's news revealed at the book's end! I can't wait for Book 20!

This installment had more of Lance, whom I love. His scenes are always entertaining. The mystery was fun but did seem a bit secondary to Jules’ journey and character development, which I didn’t mind. Lots of changes coming to Ashland! Another well done installment!

I enjoyed reading this and thought it was a good story. Good character development and good story line. I think my library patrons would like this title.