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The HSP Mysteries #1
Peppermint Cream Die
Till the Batter End
Kayla Jeffries is an HSP—highly sensitive person. She avoids stressful overstimulation by living in a peaceful oceanside community in California and running a bakery from her home. But when Kayla discovers her friend Trudy Dillingham has been strangled, she vows to do anything to bring the killer to justice, including taking on the stress and sensory overload involved in playing amateur detective.
Using her HSP talents of attention to detail and the ability to read other people’s emotions, Kayla starts digging into Trudy’s past. But between nonstop orders for the Christmas holidays and a budding relationship with handsome restaurateur Jason Banks, the festive season is more overwhelming than usual. Can Kayla ignore these deadly distractions to figure out who in her quiet little town has a hidden zest for murder?
Kayla Jeffries is an HSP—highly sensitive person. She avoids stressful overstimulation by living in a peaceful oceanside community in California and running a bakery from her home. But when Kayla discovers her friend Trudy Dillingham has been strangled, she vows to do anything to bring the killer to justice, including taking on the stress and sensory overload involved in playing amateur detective.
Using her HSP talents of attention to detail and the ability to read other people’s emotions, Kayla starts digging into Trudy’s past. But between nonstop orders for the Christmas holidays and a budding relationship with handsome restaurateur Jason Banks, the festive season is more overwhelming than usual. Can Kayla ignore these deadly distractions to figure out who in her quiet little town has a hidden zest for murder?
- GenresCozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 13, 2020
14 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Carol E. Ayer
20 books131 followersA lifelong Californian, Carol E. Ayer currently lives in between San Francisco and Sacramento. Visit her website at https://www.carolayer.com .
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 8, 2020
"I'm also the one who found her and I'm trying to figure out who would have wanted to hurt her. Any ideas?"
"Me, for one."
Peppermint Cream Die by Carol E. Ayer is the first book in The HSP Mysteries and my first read for Ayer.
The main character Kyla is an HSP, that is a highly sensitive person. In other words, she struggles in certain situations like extreme stress or even extreme lighting and sounds.
I never knew that there was something as being an HSP and that was an interesting discovery for me. It also contributes to Kyla's character, making her sensitive to certain things while also helping her read others' body language.
Peppermint Cream Die opens with Kayla having a chat with her friend Trudy only to leave her to finish some stuff and discover a couple of hours later that Trudy died, or worse that she'd been strangled.
During the conversation prior to Trudy's death, Trudy tells Kayla: "I like your sensitivity and compassion, but sometimes you need to break through your fears and do things you don't want to. You might end up having the best adventure of your life, or, at least, an excellent learning experience."
Reading this on the first page, I felt it was like a kind of foreshadowing of what's about to happen to Kayla and how she'll need to work around her HSP to solve a murder.
Despite their being a police investigation, Kayla takes it upon herself to uncover what happened to her friend Trudy only discover that Trudy had a secret "wild" past life that may or may not have caught up with her.
"The lack of eye contact and way she was fiddling with her necklace made me think she was lying and that she knew exactly what the fight was about."
With Trudy gone, Trudy's cat Sugar lands in Kayla's lap and Kayla is worried about the new house guest. But a second death lands another cat in Kayla's one-person household and it's Sugar's sister. You'll love what she names the second kitty.
Despite being an HSP, Kayla is a baker, well cake-maker. And she loses herself in her baking and designs and just reading about what she's doing I fell in love with the cakes too.
Every time I sit down to Peppermint Cream Die, my mouth watered and I craved chocolate – and I used it as another reason to nibble on something :D
In the book, Kayla isn't struggling with a lack of suspects but more of an abundance of suspects as it seems Trudy had wronged many people in the past.
"Kayla, what has gotten into you? I thought you lived for staying at home, baking, reading, and walking on the beach. Now suddenly you're investigating crimes and you're the victim of break-ins."
One of the reasons I picked up Peppermint Cream Die was because of its title and the cover. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I can't resist anything with peppermint.
There was a time in the book when I struggled a bit with Kayla and felt that there was additional focus on her baking and business, which I felt wasn't needed.
Plus there is lots of description especially with how the days are moving forward – with no progress in the book or solving the murder. That said, the ending of Peppermint Cream Die was super-fast-paced and action-filled.
The book comes with a touch of romance as Kayla meets Jason but I felt their interactions and relationship was quite childish especially since both are over 30.
Kayla struggles with HSP but at the same time goes to lengths – greater than the police – to uncover the reason behind her friend's murder. There were a few flaws with Kayla's character like being childish with the romance. I also disliked the repetition of events Kayla had to go through when relating events to her friend Isabella.
On the other hand, I loved the ending. It was amazing with a grand finale and confrontation. It had me rooting for Kayla and her friends.
Peppermint Cream Die is a great holiday read.
Overall I enjoyed reading Peppermint Cream Die and would like to see more of this series in the future.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
Note: I got a free copy of Peppermint Cream Die as part of a blog tour by Lori's Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This did not, in any way, affect my review.
"Me, for one."
Peppermint Cream Die by Carol E. Ayer is the first book in The HSP Mysteries and my first read for Ayer.
The main character Kyla is an HSP, that is a highly sensitive person. In other words, she struggles in certain situations like extreme stress or even extreme lighting and sounds.
I never knew that there was something as being an HSP and that was an interesting discovery for me. It also contributes to Kyla's character, making her sensitive to certain things while also helping her read others' body language.
Peppermint Cream Die opens with Kayla having a chat with her friend Trudy only to leave her to finish some stuff and discover a couple of hours later that Trudy died, or worse that she'd been strangled.
During the conversation prior to Trudy's death, Trudy tells Kayla: "I like your sensitivity and compassion, but sometimes you need to break through your fears and do things you don't want to. You might end up having the best adventure of your life, or, at least, an excellent learning experience."
Reading this on the first page, I felt it was like a kind of foreshadowing of what's about to happen to Kayla and how she'll need to work around her HSP to solve a murder.
Despite their being a police investigation, Kayla takes it upon herself to uncover what happened to her friend Trudy only discover that Trudy had a secret "wild" past life that may or may not have caught up with her.
"The lack of eye contact and way she was fiddling with her necklace made me think she was lying and that she knew exactly what the fight was about."
With Trudy gone, Trudy's cat Sugar lands in Kayla's lap and Kayla is worried about the new house guest. But a second death lands another cat in Kayla's one-person household and it's Sugar's sister. You'll love what she names the second kitty.
Despite being an HSP, Kayla is a baker, well cake-maker. And she loses herself in her baking and designs and just reading about what she's doing I fell in love with the cakes too.
Every time I sit down to Peppermint Cream Die, my mouth watered and I craved chocolate – and I used it as another reason to nibble on something :D
In the book, Kayla isn't struggling with a lack of suspects but more of an abundance of suspects as it seems Trudy had wronged many people in the past.
"Kayla, what has gotten into you? I thought you lived for staying at home, baking, reading, and walking on the beach. Now suddenly you're investigating crimes and you're the victim of break-ins."
One of the reasons I picked up Peppermint Cream Die was because of its title and the cover. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I can't resist anything with peppermint.
There was a time in the book when I struggled a bit with Kayla and felt that there was additional focus on her baking and business, which I felt wasn't needed.
Plus there is lots of description especially with how the days are moving forward – with no progress in the book or solving the murder. That said, the ending of Peppermint Cream Die was super-fast-paced and action-filled.
The book comes with a touch of romance as Kayla meets Jason but I felt their interactions and relationship was quite childish especially since both are over 30.
Kayla struggles with HSP but at the same time goes to lengths – greater than the police – to uncover the reason behind her friend's murder. There were a few flaws with Kayla's character like being childish with the romance. I also disliked the repetition of events Kayla had to go through when relating events to her friend Isabella.
On the other hand, I loved the ending. It was amazing with a grand finale and confrontation. It had me rooting for Kayla and her friends.
Peppermint Cream Die is a great holiday read.
Overall I enjoyed reading Peppermint Cream Die and would like to see more of this series in the future.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
Note: I got a free copy of Peppermint Cream Die as part of a blog tour by Lori's Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This did not, in any way, affect my review.
November 13, 2024
One of the Facebook groups that I'm a member of recently had a Facebook party to celebrate the release of "Peppermint Cream Die" by Carol E. Ayer and although I was not familiar with the author's name I was intrigued by the title as it reminded me of the Peppermint Bark candy that I've enjoyed giving as a gift over the years (and yes, purchasing a little extra to have at home over the holiday season). I've also discovered that attending a FB release party is a lovely way to spend time with an author and it's always a joy to add to the list of authors that you'd like to read.
This is the perfect title to share with someone that needs a little encouragement and inspiration to think of something she/he is passionate about and then to turn that passion into becoming an entrepreneur. Kayla Jeffries turned her passion into Kayla's Home-Baked Goods by the Sea leaving the San Francisco Bay area where she had always lived and moving and renting a little cottage in Seaside Shores, a non-gated planned community on a hillside overlooking Oceanville Bay. How enticing to think of becoming an entrepreneur, working from home, and taking walks on the beach for a break. Little did Kayla realize that she might one day also become an amateur sleuth.
I was also appreciative to learn that "HSP" means "Highly Sensitive Person" in the series title of The HSP Mysteries." I found the last paragraph of the author's "Acknowledgements" to be very meaningful as follows:
This is the perfect title to share with someone that needs a little encouragement and inspiration to think of something she/he is passionate about and then to turn that passion into becoming an entrepreneur. Kayla Jeffries turned her passion into Kayla's Home-Baked Goods by the Sea leaving the San Francisco Bay area where she had always lived and moving and renting a little cottage in Seaside Shores, a non-gated planned community on a hillside overlooking Oceanville Bay. How enticing to think of becoming an entrepreneur, working from home, and taking walks on the beach for a break. Little did Kayla realize that she might one day also become an amateur sleuth.
I was also appreciative to learn that "HSP" means "Highly Sensitive Person" in the series title of The HSP Mysteries." I found the last paragraph of the author's "Acknowledgements" to be very meaningful as follows:
"Lastly, I want to recognize my fellow HSPs...may your life be at the exact level of stimulation that is just right for you. Never forget that the world needs your gentle nature."A very special Christmas cozy mystery (that could be enjoyed at any time of the year) that I found to be an interesting and multi-faceted story and I'm quite delighted in the discovery of this "series opener." I definitely want to enjoy more of Kayla's adventures.
December 14, 2020
Peppermint Cream Die by Carol Ayer has Kayla Jeffries investigating the death of her friend, Trudy when not baking up tasty treats for her clients. It is a challenge for Kayla who is an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), but she is determined to get justice. The killer believes Kayla has something he wants. He will do what it takes to recover it and tie up loose ends. Peppermint Cream Die introduces us to Kayla Jeffries who recently moved to Seaside Shores in California where she has started Kayla’s Home Baked Goods in her cozy cottage. She bakes up delicious treats for her clients and friends. We get to learn about HSP and how it affects Kayla. We see how loud noises affect her along with stressful situations. I had not heard of this condition before nor have I seen it in a cozy mystery prior to this. I found Peppermint Cream Die easy to read. I would have liked more time devoted to character development so I could learn more about Kayla. Kayla finds Trudy dead in her home which devastates her. She becomes determined to find out who harmed her friend. Kayla talks to various people, overhears some promising clues, and keeps detailed notes. Kayla shares information with her best friend, Isabella who is dating the investigating officer (allows her to get some helpful intel for Kayla). I liked the action in the story that helped propel the story forward toward the suspenseful reveal. Kayla begins dating Jason and they spend quite a bit of time together. Their romance is prominent in the story along with Kayla’s baking. I would have preferred the mystery be at the forefront. The ending is sweet and left me smiling. Peppermint Cream Die is a charming cozy mystery with a bevy of baking, a cute cat, scrumptious peppermint pie, a steady suitor, a bellicose killer, and a Merry Christmas.
September 10, 2020
PEPPERMINT CREAM DIE has all the cozy beach town charm you'd expect with a fresh, new kind of heroine. Kayla Jeffries owns an ocean-themed baking business, but that's not what sets her apart. Kayla is an HSP - a highly sensitive person - a trait I didn't know much about before finding this series. Due to her HSP nature, Kayla has to make sure she doesn't become overstimulated by the outside world. She prefers the company of animals or being alone. She doesn't like loud noises or big groups of people. She'd rather be at home than at a party. I found myself relating to her a great deal because of this. Rarely does a cozy feature an introvert, so Kayla was a refreshing change. I also learned a great deal about a topic I wasn't familiar with!
However, just because she's an HSP doesn't mean Kayla will sit on the sidelines when it's important to her. After Kayla discovers her friend Trudy murdered in Trudy's home, Kayla takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her dear, grandmotherly friend. What she uncovers has Kayla questioning everything she knew about Trudy...
Full of mouth-watering treats, adorable feline companions, an investigation full of wild twists, and a sweet, budding romance with a local restauranteur, PEPPERMINT CREAM DIE has it all!
I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book and have reviewed this voluntarily.
However, just because she's an HSP doesn't mean Kayla will sit on the sidelines when it's important to her. After Kayla discovers her friend Trudy murdered in Trudy's home, Kayla takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her dear, grandmotherly friend. What she uncovers has Kayla questioning everything she knew about Trudy...
Full of mouth-watering treats, adorable feline companions, an investigation full of wild twists, and a sweet, budding romance with a local restauranteur, PEPPERMINT CREAM DIE has it all!
I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book and have reviewed this voluntarily.
February 16, 2021
Sleepy, quiet communities aren’t supposed to be this dangerous.
The character development was well done. Not only was Kayla a well-rounded and complex person, several of the secondary characters she spent the most time with were as well. I enjoyed slowly peeling back the layers to all of them. No one was quite who they appeared to be at first glance, but every new revelation about them made sense and only served to endear me to them even more. There’s something wonderful about getting to know multiple characters as well as I did, especially when their personality quirks began to affect the folks around them in all sorts of unexpected ways.
With that being said, I found the cast of characters to be a little too large in general. It was one thing to get to know Kayla and those closest to her, but the storyline sometimes veered off into long descriptions of characters who rarely if ever showed up again. While I usually appreciate a lot of details in the mysteries I read, in this particular case it could have been toned down a bit so that the most important residents of Seaside Shores would have more time to shine. This is a minor criticism of something I otherwise enjoyed reading.
Some of my favorite passages were the ones that described the many tantalizing desserts Kayla made for her clients. Not only did they sound amazing, seeing how she responded to all of the variables that come with baking sweets gave me so much insight into her personality. Her calm reactions to the occasional kitchen mishap and her quiet pride when a recipe turned out even better than she hoped were both a great deal of fun to read. On a lighthearted note, her successful baking projects also made my mouth water!
Peppermint Cream Die was a satisfying read. Anyone who has a sweet tooth should check it out.
The character development was well done. Not only was Kayla a well-rounded and complex person, several of the secondary characters she spent the most time with were as well. I enjoyed slowly peeling back the layers to all of them. No one was quite who they appeared to be at first glance, but every new revelation about them made sense and only served to endear me to them even more. There’s something wonderful about getting to know multiple characters as well as I did, especially when their personality quirks began to affect the folks around them in all sorts of unexpected ways.
With that being said, I found the cast of characters to be a little too large in general. It was one thing to get to know Kayla and those closest to her, but the storyline sometimes veered off into long descriptions of characters who rarely if ever showed up again. While I usually appreciate a lot of details in the mysteries I read, in this particular case it could have been toned down a bit so that the most important residents of Seaside Shores would have more time to shine. This is a minor criticism of something I otherwise enjoyed reading.
Some of my favorite passages were the ones that described the many tantalizing desserts Kayla made for her clients. Not only did they sound amazing, seeing how she responded to all of the variables that come with baking sweets gave me so much insight into her personality. Her calm reactions to the occasional kitchen mishap and her quiet pride when a recipe turned out even better than she hoped were both a great deal of fun to read. On a lighthearted note, her successful baking projects also made my mouth water!
Peppermint Cream Die was a satisfying read. Anyone who has a sweet tooth should check it out.
October 9, 2022
Kayla Jeffries, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), runs a home bakery business and her elderly friend, whomis like a grandmother to her, helps to get her started and is also one of her best customers. Until she makes a delivery to the woman's house and finds her dead. She lives alone of course and the police think that she just died. Teacher over sensitivity Kayla is able to "sense" things and noticed details at the normal police wouldn't. She believes that her friend has been murdered and decides to investigate. This is a top notch book and I can't wait to see what the author does for the rest of the series. It also introduced me to an HSPs which I never knew about
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January 3, 2024Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
The HSP Mysteries (Book #1)
Miniseries
The HSP Mysteries (Book #1)
December 18, 2020
If you're looking for an entertaining holiday themed cozy mystery, check out Peppermint Cream Die. When Kayla's elderly friend is murdered, she can't sit idly by even though investigating puts her in danger. While Kayla's digging into her friend's murder, she finds shocking things out about Trudy. Did these things lead to her murder?
In Peppermint Cream Die, you'll find out a bit about HSP since Kayla is a Highly Sensitive Person. With HSP, things that wouldn't bother some people, like hearing a leaf blower or an alarm, make them extremely uncomfortable and upset. If you don't know anything about HSP, I think you'll find yourself wanting to know more. Several of us in my family are HSP; some to a greater extent than others. Kayla's is definitely on the high end of HSP. Her job as a home baker is perfect for her because it is quiet, and she can take breaks when she gets overstimulated.
Kayla's baking helps her during her "investigation" into Trudy's murder since she can take baked goods to the suspects and get them to open up. I did think that she was a bit blunt with some of her questioning and was surprised that the killer didn't come after her as soon as they found out Kayla was investigating.
The setting of Peppermint Cream Die is lovely. I would love to live by the ocean even if the water is too cold to swim in where Kayla lives. Like Kayla, I find it very calming.
It was fun getting to know the characters in the story though it was disappointing to learn, along with Kayla, that Trudy wasn't exactly who Kayla thought. I appreciated that this cozy is squeaky clean, and of course, I love the cats!
The plot moves at a steady pace, and the mystery isn't easily solved since there are a lot of suspects. This pleasant cozy mystery gets 3.75 stars from me!
In Peppermint Cream Die, you'll find out a bit about HSP since Kayla is a Highly Sensitive Person. With HSP, things that wouldn't bother some people, like hearing a leaf blower or an alarm, make them extremely uncomfortable and upset. If you don't know anything about HSP, I think you'll find yourself wanting to know more. Several of us in my family are HSP; some to a greater extent than others. Kayla's is definitely on the high end of HSP. Her job as a home baker is perfect for her because it is quiet, and she can take breaks when she gets overstimulated.
Kayla's baking helps her during her "investigation" into Trudy's murder since she can take baked goods to the suspects and get them to open up. I did think that she was a bit blunt with some of her questioning and was surprised that the killer didn't come after her as soon as they found out Kayla was investigating.
The setting of Peppermint Cream Die is lovely. I would love to live by the ocean even if the water is too cold to swim in where Kayla lives. Like Kayla, I find it very calming.
It was fun getting to know the characters in the story though it was disappointing to learn, along with Kayla, that Trudy wasn't exactly who Kayla thought. I appreciated that this cozy is squeaky clean, and of course, I love the cats!
The plot moves at a steady pace, and the mystery isn't easily solved since there are a lot of suspects. This pleasant cozy mystery gets 3.75 stars from me!
December 29, 2021
I enjoyed learning about HSP and what people with it deal with. Kayla was an enjoyable heroine to get to know. I love the fact that she is a baker with an ocean themed bakery business. I loved the hometown feel of this cozy. I also enjoyed the growing romance between her and Jason. The side characters were interesting and I did not guess the killer right away. I also enjoyed the holiday theme. The only thing that could have improved this book was having some recipes included,such as the one for the peppermint cream pie repeatedly mentioned in the story.
December 28, 2020
Peppermint Cream Die has interesting characters and twists and turns. I enjoyed this first book by Carol E. Ayer!
May 10, 2021
Good storyline but very focused on the HSP qualities of the main character and it could be a little distracting.
November 24, 2025
What a fun book! Peppermint Cream Die is the story of thirty-something Kayla Jeffries. She is an introvert and HSP--highly sensitive person. She experiences sensory overload when it comes to certain sounds, smells, and other sensory stimuli. Thanks to an inheritance from her grandmother, Kayla was able to move to Seaside Shores, CA and start Kayla's Home-Baked Goods by the sea. The holidays are coming and as she bakes her creations, she is happy to have a bf, Isabella Valera, and a new boyfriend, Jason Banks, in her life. Then shockingly her friend and neighbor, eighty-nine year old Trudy Dillingham, is murdered! It was fun to meet the different "suspects" as Kayla did her sleuthing. As a cat person, I liked her commitment to her cats. I also liked the references to the San Francisco Giants and the Sacramento A's since I live in Northern California. As a retired special education teacher, I wish there were more books about people with differences. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
October 31, 2024
you can tell the book was written by someone older but genuinely still love the Christmas vibes.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews