Pumpkin Roll

A Culinary Mystery #6

by Josi S. Kilpack

Sadie Hoffmiller believes in her abilities as a cook and as a detective. She believes in the beauty of a perfectly baked pumpkin roll. She does not, however, believe in ghosts.

As Halloween approaches, Sadie is looking forward to spending her favorite baking season of the year making delicious New England recipes in Boston, Massachusetts, with her favorite leading man, Pete Cunningham, as they babysit his three young grandsons. When the boys insist that Mrs. Wapple, the woman who lives across the street, is a witch, Sadie and Pete are anxious to distract the boys from such silly ideas.

Sadie tries to befriend Mrs. Wapple, but when her foolproof plate of cookies fails to work its magic, she is left with more questions than answers. And Sadie has never been one to leave a good question unanswered.

The more she investigates, however, the stranger the answers become. And when Sadie learns the eccentric Mrs. Wapple has been attacked in her home, she knows times is running out. As the unexplained occurrences escalate, Sadie finds herself embroiled in yet another mystery with life-or-death consequences. Can Sadie discover whoever—or whatever—is behind the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Or will this be the last time Sadie takes the case?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Lds Fiction, Halloween, Adult Fiction, Adult

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2011

About the author

I wrote my first book while on bed rest with my third child in 1998 and haven't stopped. My most recent books have been Historical Romance through the Proper Romance line with Shadow Mountain Publishing.

I currently live in Willard, Utah with my husband, and children.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic installment of the Sadie Hoffmiller series. Sadie is at it again, although this time Sadie is much more cautious with Pete's top 3 "rules" governing her investigative practice. But true to Sadie's personality, she finds herself getting into more than one bind.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took Sadie on a trip to help watch her boyfriend's grandchildren. Well there all type of spooky things happened that peaked Sadie's interest. The book kept me guessing and when I thought I knew who the culprit was I was wrong. In the end I did figure it out although it was tough. Looking forward to the next book in series

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very boring book! I didn't feel lost because it was the first I've read and number six in the series. I just got bored because nothing really interesting happened. The main character(s) led a very plain life and I didn't care about anyone. I will not continue with this series nor will I recommend this to anyone!

[Katherine Tingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book pumpkin rolls you meet Pete and Sadie at Pete's grand kids house. One day while at the grand kids house they find the neighbor, Mrs. Wapple, digging for potatoes that are under the cement with extreme pain. When Sadie tries to help Delores Wapple she is attacked by Delores in self defense. When Sadie tries to get information about Delores, Sadie goes to an art show to talk to her sister, Gabrielle and is thrown out of the hotel. When Jane, Sadie's friend and enemy, shows up to help with the scene of murder of the neighbor Mrs. Wapple. Sadie goes to talk with Gabrielle and get taken hostage by Jane, the criminal mastermind. When Sadie realizes that Jane is the murderer Jane stabs Sadie. Jane then runs away to make sure she doesn't get caught. When Sadie returns Pete and the grand kids are worried to death. Sadie then finds out that Mrs. Wapple was just severely injured and that now she is OK.

An example of a simile in the book pumpkin rolls is, "If you start feeling like the're painting you into a corner..." (170). Two examples of Alliteration are, "inability to be involved" (196). And, "Sadie slid the phone back into her pocket" (227). One example of a metaphor is, "He had the hots for the woman he worked with" (230). Another example is "I'm happy to work my magic for you" (270).

Over all I really loved this book and it was so good but some of the best things about the book were that for one it was a mystery and I love mysteries. It had an amazing twist at the end that you would never believe. And in the end the bad guy gets away so you still have that suspense of not knowing if everyone is going to be OK. I disliked the edginess of the book even though I know that that's part of the mystery genre is about. I disliked the discription it gave when it came to the murdered people and the blood. And then I was disappointed that it was a murder mystery book without an actual murder.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I'm really losing my enthusiasm for these books. Kilpack is putting them out to fast and not giving her editors time to edit. There were several typos, including switching a name on me. I'm sure most wouldn't notice, but isn't that what an edit is all about? Perhaps I should try to get myself hired!!
Anyway, the mystery was dumb in my opinion, but maybe that's because I figured out who was behind it pretty early on. Also, I'm tired of Sadie always butting into people's lives and then everyone acting like it's okay. Even Pete, when he thinks she's being pushy just says he loves her and it's okay. I appreciate the fact that he loves her despite what he thinks is a flaw, I wish I always had that kind of acceptance in my own marriage, but at the same time, should we always let Sadie get away with totally obnoxious social behavior. Especially when it is putting her own safety at risk?
Who takes cookies to the neighbors of her boyfriend's son's? She's only staying there a week and the true homeowners are leaving very soon! Her determination to butt in ruins what would have been a nice time with her boyfriend's family. I couldn't stand to take Sadie anywhere if she's going to keep ruining my nice time, vacation, whatever.
Basically I'm bored and think Kilpack better come up with a new angle if she wants to keep going!!

[Angeli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumb. There are a few intriguing parts, but this book is probably not worth your read. The author is long-winded and loves to give extraneous details, which only end up frustrating the reader. The main character/detective woman is ridiculous, the recipes are a weird inclusion, and absolutely nothing about this book feels real as you read it. Definitely some weirdo-characters functioning in a pseudo-reality. Plus, there are loose ends in the book that the author never addresses. I don't think I will read another Kilpack book... ever.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh! This one was a bit creepy! Haha! That said, I can only handle fairly tame mysteries (if they get too intense or scary, I just can’t read them) and this still fits that bill. It’s definitely a bit different from the others as far as what the mystery actually is, but it was a fun change of pace. And I actually had zero guess on the perpetrator this time! It totally shocked me!
I liked that Sadie really didn’t want to get involved in things this time. Of course, she can’t help herself and still gets involved, but at least she’s not initially trying to make excuses for sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.
Poor Dolores! I really feel badly for her and the situation that drove her to where she is right now. Gabrielle should be ashamed of herself for letting things get that bad.
Jane is messed up. And so weird! Mr Forsburg needs help. Sean is cute, how much he wants to help his mom and be involved in these mysteries. It’s pretty cool actually. I liked that Pete was fully supportive of Sadie this time around. It seems like in the past he’s been kind of critical of her itch to solve a mystery, but this time he wants it solved as much as she does. And he’s so sweet to Sadie. It’s a cute, older-couple romance that I just kind of adore. I feel kind of bad for Heather and the grandsons. As is usually the case, the victims don’t deserve the anxiety and fear surrounding the mysterious events.
It’s a fun little mystery that I quite enjoyed listening to. My husband got caught up in it, too. But the lightbulb. I must have missed how that mystery got solved because I’m still puzzled about it.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I love reading a book during the season in which it takes place. There's just something about it that makes me really get into the story. Pumpkin Roll takes place in October and here it is October! Secondly, I love a good mystery, but when I'm a little creeped out because it's late at night and my husband's out of town and this story is getting stranger, and creepier by the minute,....ooh...that makes for a good book.

I think this is probably Ms. Kilpack's best yet of this series!!! I had absolutely no idea where the story was going--it had me guessing until the very (*surprise*) ending!! I did not see it coming.

I love Sadie. She is such a busybody, yet she really is getting good at her detective work. These books are so much fun and the recipes, as always, sound absolutely delicious!! I will definitely be trying them.

So...a quick recap...Sadie is in the Boston area with her boyfriend, Pete, babysitting his three young grandsons while his son and wife are away. A strange lady lives across the street, sparking Sadie's interest. And then mysterious and strange, unexplainable things began happening...

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATE - finished 3/15/2018: Amazing what happens when I can read one of these instead of waiting for a narrator to finish her sentences. I liked how different this one was from the others in this series. Now, Sadie’s investigations have become personal, but not through any fault of her own. Also liked the spooky Halloween aspect of it (Halloween’s my favorite time of year) and I may have to re-read this next October 😁

3/14/2018 - I started with the audiobook version of this, but I'm going to switch to the book. Listening to the audiobook of a mystery like this is too slow for my liking. Nothing against the narrator or author, but I get impatient when there's a mystery to be solved and I have to listen to every detail of someone moving from one room to the next to call 911 or something.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book in October and have read it about 10 times. This year I listened to it on audiobook and absolutely loved it. Clean read that is a fun Halloween mystery.

[Christa Hammond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for a book club. The storyline was interesting enough and the pacing was good, but that’s pretty much everything good I have to say about this one. The writing style was very immature (and under-edited) and the author seemed to hyperfixate on weird things like the importance of a mother being in the know on all details of her adult child’s life, or two widowers in their late 50s keeping any hint of physicality out of their committed relationship. I read multiple reviews that said they were surprised by the culprit and it seemed very obvious to me; I kept trying to figure out who else it could be and it turns out it was the obvious person all along. The main character kept doing reckless things and then getting surprised when bad stuff happened. Honestly probably would have DNFed 60 pages in if it wasn’t an easy read and if I weren’t motivated by the inevitable pumpkin roll that will be at book club.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Sadie is helping her boyfriend Pete watch his grandchildren something weird is going on. From the neighbor across the street that all the neighbors call her a witch to the unexplained events happening at the house they are staying at. From exploding lightbulbs to items appearing in the house with no evidence of how they got there. Someone or something whispering her name. In an effort to figure out what is happening Sadie tries to befriend the “witch”.

Also, Jane who Sadie met in the previous book comes and wants to help. Sadie doesn’t really want her help but since her son Shawn is interested in her she lets Jane help.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was much better than the previous one in the series. It was a fast read that kept my attention. It would have been a great October read. (I read it in November, so it was still fun since Halloween was so recent.) I enjoyed the romantic development between Sadie and Pete. The setting of Boston in Autumn was perfect.

I would have given it five stars, but too me the ending was not well foreshadowed. There were several elements of the book that were thrown in that I thought would tie together in the end but they didn't seem to add much. Red herring? Possibly, but I still was unprepared for the ending.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book in the summer without reading the synopsis. I quickly decided to save it for October. It really was a fun read this month.

It had been a long time since I read the previous book, so I didn't remember much about it -- like what happened with Jane and Portland. Those things came up periodically, but I was still able to enjoy the story. It took me a while to get into this one and I waffled between 3 & 4 stars. I ended up rounding up, because I think more of it my issues with the book have to do with my mood than anything else. I figured out at least part of who was behind this (although there were some things that weren't quite explained to my satisfaction), although I had the wrong why.

I will have to make sure to read the next book a little sooner so I remember what I need to about this one.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not a successful read for me. The main character is very off-putting and self absorbed and inserts herself too much in everyone's business for me as a reader to ever enjoy. She just wasn't happy unless she was involved in creating a mystery; and that's what the book felt like. A most disappointing and expensive paperback that I will not keep on my shelves.

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wash my hands of this series. I am tired of Sadie. I love Pete. But I looked at the other books, they get married and that's all that matters. It was just not interesting to me, I couldn't get into it like I did the others.

[Meegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love reading books by Josi S. Kilpack and this book was no different! I did NOT predict the ending AT ALL and was shocked when the culprit was revealed. I can't wait to read what happens next!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best so far of this culinary mystery series--and I've been pretty hard on aspects of some of the others. This time Sadie Hoffmiller returns to being the lovable busybody we came to appreciate in Lemon Tart. If she's toning down the nonsense in order to compromise with her sweetie, Pete, then more power to her. If Kilpack's making her seem a little tamer in order to play up the outrageous behavior of her would-be helper, Jane, then that works, too. Sadie and Pete are watching Pete's grandsons while their parents are out of town, and creepy things are happening at Halloween-time. The whole witchcraft thing is fun for a shiver, but fortunately is treated as the nonsense it is. Sadie's concern for a woman who needs help is admirable, even if her tactics are somewhat confrontive. The chief concern for the safety of the children is appropriate. And the stakes become high--when the outcome is revealed, you realize that it was foreshadowed from the first sentence of the book, but perhaps not in the way you may have guessed! I enjoyed the wit and the cultural references were good for a chuckle. Many of the recipes look worthy of a try-out. Thanks, Kilpack, for the good read.

[Robin Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadie Hoffmiller is no Agatha Raisin.

[Annell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this series of books! I love that the main character, Sadie Hoffmiller, is an everyday mom, who has a passion for cooking and solving mysteries. This book offers the usual humor and mystery along with a bit more of the spooky, which in turn makes for a great Halloween read. As always, I cannot wait to try out the recipes in this book, especially the Whoopie Pies. I also can't wait for the next book, Banana Split, coming in spring of 2012.

Also,

In conjunction with the release of Pumpkin Roll, the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad2. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of my blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3, 2011.
Good Luck!

http://dragonflowersandbooks.blogspot...

[Kristy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book and wow was it terrible. For starters the main character is a 56 year old lady who grinds her own wheat and balks at those who eat canned green beans. It was hard to find anything in common with her. She's supposed to be a crime solver but spends most of the book butting into the lives of her boyfriend's son's neighbors. The mystery itself was weird and confusing. When it came to the big reveal of who the bad guy was the mystery made even less sense. One redeeming quality of the book is that there are various recipes throughout so you can cook what she cooks. Kind of a fun idea but I'm wary of recipes that come from a lady who refuses to use cake mixes.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had just finished a hard reading book and needed an easy read. This was it. Only 374 pages with some being New England recipes. That was the best part.
Sadie Hoffmiller is a private investigator that happens to love to cook. The story is set in a little town close to Salem, Massachusetts. She is helping to babysit her boyfriend's 3 young grandsons. There is a woman across the street that the boys claim is a witch! So yep, things start to happen and Sadie has to figure out who is the mysterious lady/witch.
I only gave it 2 stars though it was fun to read. I may look for more books by this author.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some VERY creepy, bone-chilling parts to this book; this is definitely the spookiest book in this series yet, I think. It really disturbs me that there really are people out there who are completely psychotic in their behavior. After reading this & after staying awake last night because of numerous sounds, I think I'll lay off mysteries for a bit. I'm just glad I didn't read this during Halloween! :)

[Kathleen Quinlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was fun for her to incorporate the mystery around Halloween. I was pretty surprised at who the "bad guy" was. Seriously, these books are not any kind of (how do I put this without offending) high literary material, yet I keep not being able to figure out the twist/who the killer is/whatever, and I pride myself on being able to do that. So that keeps me guessing and makes it even more of a fun read.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great installment of the Sadie Hoffmiller story! This one was good, not my favorite, but still worth it to read. The plot twist was good, but I felt like there were a lot of plot holes and the motive could have been more explained and thought through. Scary to think there are people that obsessive in the world!

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may have been my favorite of all. While I somehow figured out the twist before it came (something the "villain" said to Sadie), I found it very fun. I love scary mysteries, and this one was definitely that!

I am excited to see how this plot plays into future Sadie books.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Full review Sept. 14, 2011 www.ldswomensbookreview.com

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loves this book. Had such a hard time putting it down to sleep or get work done. I definitely did not have any clue how this story would turn out. Love mysteries like that.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. kind of scary in some spots which suprised me. great twist and loved that it was set during halloween. makes me want to visit boston during halloween one of these days.

[Helynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment begins with Sadie’s question to Pete, her gentleman friend who is also a policeman: What is the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath? Oh dear, Sadie. What are you getting yourself into this time? It’s autumn, and Sadie and Pete are staying a suburb of Boston where they are tending Pete’s three young grandsons while the boys’ parents are away for a few days. As she prepares a sumptuous pumpkin roll for the kids, Sadie notices a rather strange woman next door. She learns this woman has a reputation for being a witch (and we’re not far from Salem, Massachusetts after all). Sadie now has an official investigation business going, and although she is far from her home base of Garrison, Colorado, she cannot stop herself from blustering into another crime case. But whether or not there is any witchcraft involved, this intrigue turns scary and almost deadly. There is a particularly nasty nemesis who pops up, and one can tell that he/she is probably going to resurface in subsequent adventures. As usual, there are a few plot gaps here and there, and I had a little trouble towards the story’s end keeping track of the action: who did what to whom and how and why, etc., Nonetheless, in the tradition of the five previous Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mysteries, this was still an enjoyable read. Actually, I listened to the audio version and really appreciated the female reader, who has a smooth and cheery delivery and sounds just the way I would expect Sadie to sound. The only problem with the audio version is that it does not include the recipes. See the hard copy of the book for Sadie’s recipes for pumpkin roll, Boston baked beans, molasses cookies, cinnamon bowtie rolls, and whoopie pies.