A Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange

A Mystery with Recipes #9

by Isis Crawford

Bernie and Libby Simmons, caterers extraordinaire, are hosting a televised cookie contest just in time for Christmas, but unfriendly rivalries cook up cutthroat competition.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Holiday, Food

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Isis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.

A pseudonym used by Barbara Block

Reviews

[Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

my first gripe, this book has "christmas" in the title and there's absolutely no seasonal nonsense whatsoever. I read christmas cozies for the seasonal nonsense. a lot of reviews have already covered my other gripes - the bickering was excessive, well beyond cute. the sisters trespass and break into people's homes, they show up demanding answers, all things they have absolutely no business doing and really should be arrested for. amber's behavior was inexplicable. the resolution was bizarre and mildly offensive.

[Naomi]

I give this book ZERO STARS in my rating. It's absolutely dreadful, and I don't understand how the author actually has several published books - maybe they're not as rubbish as this.

For starters - exactly how old is Millie? The first page says she got her amazing cookie pans nearly 50 years ago when she was 22, that would make her 72 (or nearly 72) right? But wait ... on the second page the author declares her to be 82. Ummm, is my math wrong?

I thought the dialogue was weak, and the characters are only portrayed through this dialogue - admittedly I wasn't even able to get halfway through this book (and it's only small), so I don't know if the characters actually develop further. I don't want to know, it's going back to the library.

I always feel a little reluctant to try a new author, this book is a prime example why.

Sorry for the crappy review Isis Crawford, but your book isn't good. Also, your editors need a kick in the bum. A published book shouldn't have this many mistakes in it.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 134.

This started off cute, but man did it go downhill fast. The two sisters are beyond irritating, and I just absolutely could not handle another 150 pages of their immaturity. I have no idea how old they are supposed to be, but they act like they are 12. The dialogue was also laughably bad, and even though I started off wanting to know who killed Millie I just didn't care anymore by the time I threw in the towel.

It seems like this is actually a semi-popular series, and I have to say I am quite surprised by that if this is any indication of how the rest of the books are.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book but there were a lot of Christmas Cookie Exchange Club ladies to try and keep track of. Definitely some surprises at the end. Recipes were included but not the one I was hoping for - Millie's Majestic Meltaways.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just Ok. Not the worst thing I've ever read. I got tired of the sisters bickering all the time. I am a sister and I know the two of us bicker but good grief - when you are in a strange house and you know there's someone else there? I'm thinking the bickering would take a back seat to getting out of the house safely. The book kind of dragged in the middle and I felt kind of lost as the sisters seemed to drive around and around going to different people's homes and accusing them of things without really any evidence.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read other books in this series and enjoyed them more than this one. The mystery was good enough, but the motive was weak. I kept thinking that Libby and Bernie were going to discover other evil things the killer had done. I will read the next one in the series, and hope they get better.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually don't write reviews for books that I don't enjoy, because I am not in the game of crushing writing souls. However, I am so frustrated by reading books by authors who clearly have publishing contracts and produce work that is mediocre or below. These books reveal how low the standards can be, when quality books can't get publishers. (Yes, I acknowledge that I am an author who has yet to find the elusive publisher, but I am also the reader of many works by authors who deserve to have their books read, and can't get a foot in the door). This is a prime example, which at the very least needed a good editor (from page 1 to page 2 the age of one character changed by 10 years). It also needed character development, plot development (was this a murder mystery, a kidnapping, or just a strange event), and maybe even some research into proper ways of conducting an investigation even for private investigators willing to bend the rules. I mean, if you are in someone's house, and hear movement upstairs, then perhaps you shouldn't bicker on the way up about shoes and fashion, so that you advertise that you are coming. I am sure Ms. Crawford doesn't want my advice, but I will give it anyway--demand an editor to make your books shine.

[Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did force myself to finish this book. I kept thinking that the book just had to get better. Wrong. I rated it as a 2 star only because I finished reading it but 1 star really is all it deserves. This was the first book I read in this series. It will be my last one. I am not taking chances on a book like this one again. The bickering drove me crazy. How can people be thinking about a mystery when they are so busy bickering? Since I was reading a cozy mystery with Christmas in the title, I expected more Christmas in the day to day story lines. Didn't get it. The story line just wasn't even a story that I could buy into. I had high hopes for this series because I liked the idea of all the holiday mysteries.

[Marjorie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I, personally, did not finish this book because the dialogue drove me crazy!! All the arguments between th sisters who kept interrupting each other, I found annoying. There are a lot of these "Catered" books and I am sure they are popular. I just found it annoying. "To each his own."

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh! The constant back and forth arguing between the sisters is just downright annoying and ridiculous. It is more in line with the mentality of nine years old than mature women in their thirties. It detracts from the story and in no way adds any cuteness or humor.

[James Henry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like a kick to the groin: quick but incredibly painful. And that has to be the stupidest twist I've ever read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

#9 in the Bernie and Libby series. There's a baking competition and Bernie and Libby are judges. But one of the contestants (Millie) dies in an accident, and her niece Amber (who works for Bernie and Libby) wants her aunt's recipes. But they are no where to be found. Neither are the cookies that Millie made and was taking to the competition when she had the accident. Would someone cause an accident just to knock Millie out of the competition?

There was a huge editing mistake in this book. Amber tells Bernie and Libby that Millie's recipe book is in the compost bin. When Libby and Bernie get to Millie's house, they look in her safe. Then later, someone reports hearing a different person say the recipes are in the compost bin. I went back and read the original passage twice and it certainly did cause some disjointed confusion on my part.

The repartee between the sisters eventually got on my nerves. I liked the idea of the mystery, built around a baking competition (being a huge fan of Great British Bake Off), but it never quite delivered for me. And I have no idea how Libby and Bernie actually run a bakery and catering service when they are rarely there.

I'd read #4 in the series and gave it 3 stars. Perhaps earlier in the series is better. This book was ok (besides the editing issue) but nothing to making it a must read.

[Sharon Bezrutczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libby and Bernie once again solve a mystery with the help of their father and friends.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

To save myself time. I agree a lot with Naomie, facts and editing. When and how did Shelia’s husband actually die. I did finish it, even though I had figured The Who Done It, wasn’t impressed with the way Terry was written in. I may try making the Christmas Mice at the end of the book. Maybe, I’ll be more impressed.

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange by Isis Crawford is the 9th book in A Mystery with Recipes series featuring sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons. TV cooking show Baking for Life is holding a cookie contest in Longely with members of the Christmas Club Cookie Exchange participating. One of the members dies in a suspicious car accident and when her cookies and recipes go missing, Bernie and Libby investigate. It seemed unbelievable that anyone would kill for the sake of a cookie recipe or winning a contest. The mystery moved very slowly and the bickering between the sisters was childish and became annoying. Rather than investigating a noise or clue they would argue about t first. Not one of the better books in the series.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christmas? I was looking for a holiday book. This wasn't it. Had no Christmas in it.
The story is pretty lame. The sisters who try to solve the mystery of the death of one of the TV show baking contestants make the rounds of the members of the local Cookie Club trying to solve the "who done it". Most of the dialog could have been left out and gets very tedious. I ended up skimming alot just to get through the book. The final solution to the mystery has little to do with the rest of the book. I won't be reading another of Isis Crawford's books.

[Briansmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It’s the only book in this series I have read. The author didn’t handle well the fact that many readers,like me,may pick up this book without prior knowledge of the setting, the characters, and any back stories. I just wanted a cozy Christmas mystery. I was confused for about half the book, but I did stick it out.

Author note: Please! Give an EARLY IN THE BOOK synopsis of the characters and any pertinent info. Series readers will just skip it; newbies will be GRATEFUL.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about this particular book but I just can not get into this story. I even forced myself to read 194 pages. But to be honest, I have had to force myself to open this book each time I look at it. And I really don't care what 'is' happening or what is 'going' to happen in this story. I am finally putting it away and moving on to another story. Sorry Isis Crawford. Maybe your next book will be a better one for me.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a reader friendly cosy book. Very wordy for a not so good story. I really didn't like the two main characters. As detectives they finally worked out the mystery but the book just had them driving around a lot. Very un PC ending that I found insulting to the LGBTQ community.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

not very interesting and no humor.

[Anne Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

cheesy

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only problem is that the winning mint melt away recipe wasn't in the back. Hmm... Sure sounded good! I like the elderly ladies angle.

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange was a poorly put together story. I'm not sure how the author was able to convince herself that she should submit it.
The sisters constant bickering was like getting an ice pick shoved in my ear. The illegal activities of the sisters and huge age discrepancy that happens between pages 1 and 2 had me scratching my head.
Not sure what Iris Crawford thinks Christmas means but it's missing from the story. The title should have accurately been The Catered Cookie Exchange.
The recipes at the end of the book were not mentioned at all in the story. I kept thinking the recipe for the melt aways was going to be included or any tasty treat that was mentioned. Nope!
I'll be taking a hard pass from any other books by Isis Crawford. Not worth my time.

[Sandra Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk why I struggled with this book and it was interesting. This time around Millie who is the aunt of Amber one of Bernie and Libby staff. She is murdered and her recipes goes missing. So not only are they a hot ticket item but Amber wants the mystery solved. Their happens to be a competition going on where Bernie and Libby are the judges and it’s on tv and Millie and the ladies from the cookie exchange are contestants so could these ladies be involved. Millies death was interesting but than the rest kind of gave me a eh vibe. The ending was a bit interesting in the sense it felt like the went through the suspects and than was like wait we gotta pick who did it.

[Janelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wished I hadn’t forced myself to finish reading this book. The dialogue is over-written, incredibly tedious, annoying, and repetitive. The book has several typos and proofreading errors. Worst of all, it introduces the perpetrator at the very end of the book, thus robbing the reader of any chance to try to solve the mystery. This is the worst thing a mystery book can do, in my opinion. I know it was published in 2013, but using a “transvestite” as a twist is beyond poor taste. This book had an interesting premise and I was invested in the rivalries among the members of the cookie exchange club. But overall the execution just made me feel like I wasted hours of my time.

[Jennifer Yeo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't normally write bad reviews but this book has so many grammatical errors and misquoted sayings that I can't let it go. The story is a typical light cozy mystery, which I enjoy from time to time but the errors made it painful to read.
Who did the editing? Is English not their first language?
It was embarrassing to keep finding errors. Usually, I let spelling errors go, but this was constant and very distracting.
I have not read anything else by this author and sadly, will not be reading any more.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting Christmas mystery. It involves a cookie exchange club and a baking competition. The victim was in a car accident, and her cookies and recipes are stolen. The rest of the story involves finding the cookies, the recipes, and a person. I was surprised by the outcome. The food sounds delicious, like in the other books in this series. I still like the characters. Brandon wasn't in this one much, though.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another good read in the series. I see that a lot of people give these books bad reviews. I however do not agree. I still love the relationship that the two sisters have. Even though they are always finding themselves in bind. I yet again had no idea who the killer was until the end. I look forward to continuing this series.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just basically sisters Libby and Bernie doing their usual investigation of a murder. None of the women who were members of the Christmas Cookie Exchange club were likeable. The whole plot of who killed Millie a Christmas Cookie Club Exchange member and who stole her recipe book was a big "who cares"? Really bored and disappointed in this one.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this wonderful series very much. The two sisters Libby and Rennie work together in their family owned bakery. There is a television crew filming a bake off show. One of the contestants is injured and later dies. There are several people who are suspected. Meanwhile the contestants cookies and cookie recipes have disappeared. The characters are what makes this series such fun.