Killing Me Souffle by Ellie Alexander takes us back to Ashland and Torte where there are many changes taking place. First and foremost, Jules is pregnant with twins, therefore is off caffeine, challenging Andy to come up with enticing decaf blends. Secondly, Steph and Sterling have left Torte to got a resort on the ocean and opening a cafe called Seabreeze Bistro. And, Carlos, Ramiro, and she were off for opening weekend where her mom and Doug would be joining them. When they got there they were surprised at what they found, not at Seabreeze, but at the rest of the place. The manager, Erik, was not a pleasant man, and the receptionist, Jess, was often nowhere to be found. The maintenance man didn’t appear to be doing his job and there was a very eccentric artist lingering about the place. Plus there were fish delivery problems. They were surprised that evening when Lance and Arlo showed up, in conspiracy with Jules’ parents. The kitchen was good, but that was about all that was. Then, when walking, Jules came across Erik’s body where he had fallen from a cliff.

As always a good mystery. Lance wanted to investigate but thankfully didn’t get too far. Jules can’t help herself but thankfully Doug is there to monitor her. Everyone is thrilled (cautiously) that Erik is gone and the prospects for the resort are bright. As usual, there are many interesting characters flitting in and out of the story. That seems to be Alexander’s strong suite: her characters. It was an enjoyable read and a worthy entry into the lineage of this series.

I was invited to read Killing Me Souffle by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #EllieAlexander #KillingMeSouffle

I feel this series is kind of like Agatha Christie but make it *cute* I really enjoy all of the books and this was no exception, both character and plot driven, makes a great afternoon read with a cuppa!

Things are changing in Ashland, Oregon. Jules Capshaw, owner of the popular Torte bakeshop and winery Uva, is pregnant with twins. They have lost two of their favorite chefs to a new restaurant, and new hires are getting trained from the staff. A couple of the long-term chefs at Torte have stepped up to take on the training and more of the administrative duties, since Jules will have to cut back her hours through the pregnancy and when the babies come. So while Jules is depending on her friends and fellow chefs to take care of Torte, she and her husband Carlos head to the beach.

It’s at Whaleshead Resort that Sterling and Steph have been hired to take over and update the restaurant, the SeaBreeze Bistro. They are preparing for opening night, and Jules and Carlos have come to help with whatever the young chefs need. But as soon and Jules and Carlos show up at the resort, they can tell that trouble is brewing. There are complaints that Jess, the receptionist, is often not available. The handyman, Hoff, is also unreliable. The artist who was supposed to be putting up a an installation for the restaurant opening is late. The manager Erik is unprofessional, yelling and complaining. And the fisherman who brings fresh fish each day hasn’t been seen.

Jules can see that Steph and Sterling are stressed, but she jumps in and helps with the baking while Carlos helps Sterling with the savory dishes. But it’s just the presence of their former bosses that helps bring peace to the kitchen. And while the fisherman does show up with the catch of the day, there is still a feeling of chaos in the resort that Jules knows is making the opening so much more difficult for Steph and Sterling. But when Jules goes on a walk and finds Erik’s body, she knows that there will be more chaos until the killer is found.

Will Erik’s murder destroy Steph’s and Sterling’s dream of running their own restaurant, or will Jules be able to figure out the identity of the killer and save the day, with some help from best friend Lance and her stepfather The Professor, a semi-retired detective?

Killing Me Soufflé is book twenty in Ellie Alexander’s popular Bakeshop Mystery series. Although the story is not set at the bakeshop, all the usual characters are around and pitching in to help. Whether it’s a new brownie recipe or a special coffee (decaf, for the mother-to-be) or training new chefs or helping solve a murder, all your favorite characters are here and ready to contribute to the success of two of their own. As always, the book ends with some of the delectable recipes for dishes included in the story, including Sterling’s Sunday Sauce, Breakfast Lasagna, Peach Cobbler Muffins, Chocolate Soufflé , and Andy’s Decaf Chocolate Cherry on Top Latte.

I have been a fan of the Bakeshop Mysteries for years. I am always amazed at Alexander’s ability to change up the locations of the story to feature another aspect of her beloved Oregon and her depth of understanding of food, both sweet and savory. I always have a good time with Jules and Lance, but I must admit these books do leave me hungry for comfort food and amazing pastries. I’m always a little sad not to be able to go to Torte for a meal and a box of deliciousness to take home with me, but I’m always satisfied with the plotting of the crimes and the investigations. Killing Me Soufflé is another triumph of finding a killer and making a host of delicious desserts.

Egalleys for Killing Me Soufflé were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Killing Me Soufflé is the twentieth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. Once again, we find ourselves in Ashland for the latest mystery Jules, the main character, will have to solve. There are major changes is Jules' life, as she is pregnant with twins, and two of her employees, Steph and Sterling, have taken on a new career opportunity at a resort. Their new boss ends up dead, it quickly becomes clear that he was murdered. Of course, Jules investigates to help her friends with the terrible situation they find themselves in.

I absolutely loved Killing Me Soufflé. There is something special every time I come back to Ashland. It is so well described that I feel like I am traveling without actually leaving my home. The characters contribute greatly to the charm of the series, which has become a favorite. Once again, the mystery catches the reader's interest quickly, with a satisfying conclusion. Killing Me Soufflé is a great continuation of the series. Every time I was reading from this book, I was able to relax and stop worrying, enjoying the moment. Thank you Ellie Alexander for such a great series and a great book!

This is such a great series! I'm so happy to be back with Jules and Carlos, and even though we don't spend a ton of time at Torte on this one, I love seeing everyone who works there and seeing what they are up to!!
We get to head over to Whaleshead and the restaurant that Sterling and Stephanie are now running. I'll totally miss them at Torte, but hopefully, we get to see or hear about them from time to time.

So we arrive at Whaleshead to a bit of a kerfuffle. Their boss seems to be a bit of an overbaring duchebag and is making everyone's lives at the resort miserable. Thankfully, Stephanie and Sterling have Jules and Carlos to help them with the opening dinner when things start to go off the rails early on. And when their boss is found dead, there are literally no end of suspects because so many people hated him. This leads us on a twisty, rollercoaster ride as Jules and the police question suspects. With so many perfect suspects, I didn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed, and I loved the journey that got us to the end.

I can't wait to see whats up next for Jules, and at some point, I AM going to try one of those delicious recipes at the end of the book.

Ellie Alexander carries on with her pastry heroine in Killing Me Souffle. She and her husband visit her former employee chefs in their new venture on their own. Eric, who is in charge of the hotel and accompanying services, like the restaurant, is a bully and cheater. The hotel is failing and then Eric is discovered dead, tossed off a cliff. Whodunit? Suspects are many and clues few. Enjoy this murder with a pastry chef as investigator in chief.

Another decadent entry in the Bakeshop Mysteries from Ellie Alexander! When Torte's own dream team, Sterling and Stephanie, spread their wings to take over the aging restaurant at the Whaleshead Resort, there may be more on the menu than fresh fish and handcrafted pastries. Sterling and Stephanie are ready to set out on their own and put their own spin on an aging restaurant on the rocky beaches of Whaleshead Resort. With the help of Jules and Carlos, opening night is a success, as are the days that follow. However, success does not come easy - from fish mongers that won't deliver to their new manager, Erik, who is trying to sell the resort while they work. When Erik is suddenly found dead at the bottom of the cliff, it will take the work of the local police, the Professor, Jules and her sidekick, Lance, to track down the killer before settling down to try Stephanie's Chocolate Souffle.

Jules and Carlos are excited to attend the grand opening of Steph and Sterling's restaurant at a local resort. Things take a turn when the ornery owner is found dead. With the help of the usual gang, Jules manages to snag the killer and save the day.

Killing Me Soufflé by Ellie Alexander is another fantastic Bakeshop Mystery.
The book is easy to follow, fast-paced, and filled with fun characters that are easy to relate to.
Just the setting alone will keep you reading. Ellie Alexander has a wonderful talent when it comes to developing characters, settings, and plots.
A clever cozy mystery which I enjoyed on all levels.

Thank you Ellie Alexander ( @ellie_alexander ), St. Martin’s Press ( @stmartinspress ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read Killing Me Soufflé
(out now).

Sterling and Steph have moved on from idyllic Ashland to run a restaurant at a seaside resort on the Oregon coast—who has a less than pleasant manager, Erik. Jules and Carlos go to help their two protégés prepare for their opening night dinner debut and Jules finds Erik dead. It doesn’t take long for some familiar faces to show up and solve this case!

No notes—another great cozy by Ellie Alexander. Seriously though, Alexander’s cozy mysteries are so much fun to read. There’s love, drama, and recipes—what more could someone ask for in a story?

#KillingMeSouffle #NetGalley #EllieAlexander #StMartinsPress

The latest Bakeshop mystery finds Jules and crew going to the coast of Oregon to support Steph and Sterling with the opening of their restaurant. However, things take a turn when the much disliked manager of the resort is murdered. Jules finds herself drawn into yet another investigation.

Another good entry in this series! I was worried Alexander was just going to have Steph and sterling come back but thankfully it didn’t go that route. I am also wondering if she will start to wrap up the series once Jules gives birth. I wouldn’t be surprised because it seems hard to investigate murders with babies! But I will still happily read any future in this series!

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

Juliet and the family are off to Support Sterling and Steve in the opening of their new business venture. While the opportunity is solid, and apparently the manager of the property is quite the tyrant. When Juliet finds the manager‘s body, she puts on her sleuthing cap to try and find out who killed the man and why.

Can Juliet and the gang figure out what happened before they leave the resort? Or will this be her final vacation?

Ellie Alexander always hits it out of the ballpark each and every entry in this series! Actually, every single one of her books is fabulous, regardless of the series. Every book in this series read fine as a standalone, but I promise you you were going to want to go back and read every single one!

I feel like this series has kind of jumped the shark, but it's still a nostalgic pleasure read for me. I still like Juliet and her family a lot, and the side characters too. But now that Steph and Sterling have left Torte for another job, and Juliet's pregnant, it feels like too much is changing. And it all seems a bit too over-the-top. Steph and Sterling's glowing, unrealistic, not-a-single-problem debut weekend, the super dramatic personalities of Eric, Jess, Mary Beth, and all the other Whaleshead characters...I don't come to cozies for realistic fiction :>) But this is feeling more fairy tale than mystery. Still, the mystery plot is good, and I read through to the end. It's probably really a 3-stars for me, but this series is like an old friend, so I had to give it 4 stars in thanks for all the lovely reads I've had over the years.

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

Pregnant with twins, Juliet and her family head to the Whaleshead resort to support their former employees in their new culinary adventure. When Juliet finds a resort employee dead, she starts investigating. The murder is solved within the weekend and the story ends with a sweet moment for a few characters.

This installment felt different because Torte is only featured in the beginning, and everything is compressed into a weekend. I didn’t mind the deviation but I did miss Ashland and its other residents that usually pop up.

What goes with opening a new restaurant? A murder of course.
Sterling and Steph have left the nest of Torte. They are the new chefs at a seaside resort on the southern Oregon coast. Jules, Carlos and Ramiro visit for opening weekend.
Things don’t seem right at the resort when they arrive and soon someone is dead.
There are so many places spoilers could be introduced if a reader hasn’t read previous books in the series, so I’ll just say that I really enjoyed reading Killing Me Soufflé.
Watch out or the song might take up residence in your head.
This is a fabulous addition to the Bakeshop series. I love all the characters in this series. The books generally leave me feeling hopeful about life. We need more books like this. I highly recommend reading this book.
I’m glad to see Sterling and Steph succeed but sad that they won’t be as present in future books.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Killing Me Soufflé.

Killing Me Soufflé is book #20 in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.

These characters seem like old friends now. It was seeing Sterling and Steph leave Torte, but true to the family feeling, everyone is there to support them. The change of location was a nice way to freshen things up. Of course, things can’t go smoothly and there is a death for Jules to investigate. The mystery kept me guessing. There is plenty of good food and several yummy recipes at the end. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ellie Alexander for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Killing Me Soufflé coming out February 25, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love this author’s writing! I’ve only read the book before this one in this series, but I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries. I love the baking and recipes involved. The characters are really fun in this book. I think they really come together to solve the mystery. I love the cozy vibes of the Oregon coast. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

I enjoy this series and was pleased to receive this next installment. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

The author takes us out of Ashland to the atmospheric beautiful setting of the hills of Oregon. Stephanie and her chef Sterling have moved to a resort and taken over the job as chefs. They are preparing a feast and Jules and Carlos have come to help. At the event a murder occurs of their new boss and everyone is on the suspect list. As the investigation grows Jules is on the case even though she is expecting. The mystery grows as the victim is found to be difficult and many had motive. A enjoyable next in series.

This is one of my favourite cozy authors & series, so to get an early copy of her book is the best! A lot of changes are happening, Jules is expecting, Sterling & Steph have left Torte to run their own kitchen. Sadly their boss is terrible & then ends up dead! This book further proves that the Torte crew can take their sleuthing on the road.

Alexander does an amazing job of still getting her readers invested outside of Ashland (the enormously charming location we’re usually reading about). Her characters are some of the most well drawn & they feel as though they could walk off the page & have a conversation with you. The lush descriptions of being cliffside in Oregon, mixed in with the yummy sounding food, will pull you in. And then the taut mystery will keep you there, flipping the pages! This is one of the strongest cozy series out there & this latest entry fits in beautifully with all the others. I highly recommend it & anxiously await the next one.
🐟

Read if you like:
* Noodle Shop series by Vivien Chien
* Cheese Shop series by Korina Moss

I am new to the <i>A Bakeshop Mystery</i> series. For the 20th book in a series, the author did a nice job of introducing the main group of characters to new readers. Regular readers probably liked the change of scenery to a resort on the Oregon coast. I also liked that for a culinary cozy, the chef defers to the actual investigators and mostly snoops with permission. (Looking at you, Hannah Swensen.) But I felt like the name of murderer was just pulled out of a hat at the end of the book and that was that. The motive and clues didn't make sense to point to that person.

<spoiler>There was one (big) plot point I didn't understand. If Erik was running the resort into the ground, why didn't the cabin owners fire him? There isn't a board or an HOA that hired him? There isn't there an accounting firm that reviews the finances and budgets? If not who hired him? Who pays him? I found it hard to believe that the owners only were involved when a mega-corporation wanted to buy them out. </spoiler>

It bugs me when baking recipes are only in cups in 2025. Our protagonist is a professional baker who would use weights for measuring. Especially for a souffle.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.