A dash of holiday spirit, a pinch of cheer, sprinkle with mystery, join our sleuths as they crumble through their sweetest case yet!
Life is batter when you're solving crimes! Download A Cookie of a Miscreant today!
- - - The Case of the Crumbled Cookies by Lisabeth Earley
Gingerbread Dead by Cielle Kenner (Paranormal) Stranded during a blizzard, Eve Bellamy expects nothing more than a tow truck and a warm bed. Instead, she stumbles into Aurora Station, the North American hub of Santa’s Christmas operations. As a baker, she’s enchanted by Santa’s Bakeshop, where elves whip up festive confections faster than you can say “gingerbread.” But when a long-held secret upends their holiday preparations, Eve must team up with a dashing detective to uncover the truth. With time running out and Christmas on the line, she’ll need all her baking skills—and a sprinkle of holiday magic—to save the day.
Cookie Thieves and Cops by Rune Stroud (Paranormal)
Christmas Crisis by Felita Daniels
Festive Frosting Facade by Ella Marzano (Non-Paranormal) In the charming fishing town of Cascade Cove, a festive Christmas Fair Weekend turns dark when a wealthy influencer is found dead. Suspicion falls on local baker Clara Thompson, who becomes the prime suspect. It's up to bait shop owners, Rick and Lydia Reddy to dig deep and uncover the truth. Join them on a captivating journey filled with secrets, rivalries, and unexpected twists, set against the charming backdrop of a small town where everyone has a secret to hide.
Whispers of St. Isidore by Murry Eiland (Non-Paranormal) St. Isidore, California. Linda is helping her parents prepare for the holidays when she finds an old pistol in the cellar. Her parents were always pacifists, as far as she knew. She suspects that they are hiding the truth from her. When she starts looking through family albums, it seems her parents were radicals, and talking to family friends suggests that the past was not as innocent as she believed.
I really enjoyed this small snippet of one day in the new life of Eve. It drew me in and left me wishing for more, I like the different characters and the whole idea. Always a keen baker myself I am really looking forward to trying the recipe in the back. Only downside of this story is I want it too be longer and get to know the characters more. I’m looking forward to reading more of this author and hopefully getting back to Eve and the bakery again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
Solving mysteries is a fun experience for many readers as we lend our skills to discovering the outcome of the case… and celebrate when we can guess at least some of “whodunit”! Here we have an anthology of wonderful mysteries to entertain us. I have included a review of “GINGERBREAD DEAD” to give you an idea of what you can expect to find. Grab your copy and enjoy these clever stories. Enjoy!!
Titles included in the anthology are:
😍 REVIEW OF “GINGERBREAD DEAD” BY CIELLE KENNER (PARANORMAL) Driving during an unexpected blizzard, Ivy Garland’s car slides off the road in the middle of nowhere. She is startled to hear the sound of a snowmobile approaching! Nick Saint introduces himself and takes her to a group of buildings covered in snow. A partially obstructed sign identifying where she was only showed “North D - - - Base” since snow covered the other letters, so she assumed it said North Dakota Base, probably a military installation. Dr. Sweet, a tiny woman, came in with a tray for her and said Life has a funny way of leading us where we’re supposed to be. What did she mean by that? The next morning, Nick brought her breakfast and Dr. Sweet chatted with her about her destination. Ivy was hoping to open a bakery in Chicago, so Dr. Sweet invited her to take a look at their bakery here. To her surprise, the decorations outside made it look like Santa’s village. And there were Elves carrying packages in every direction. They entered “Santa’s Bakeshop” and Belle Silver, the head baker, gave her a tour. The gingerbread cookies were amazing with a secret ingredient only known by Belle who stated that if anyone wants to know what it is, they’ll have to pry it out of her cold, dead hands… and the whole room went quiet. Then they put Ivy to work until a shout drew their attention to Belle, who had slumped to the floor, her hand still clutching a spoon -- but it was too late to save her. And Belle’s secret ingredient no one knew was not in her pocket anymore! Detective Jake Frost was called immediately and began questioning each of them. Definitely behind schedule now, would they catch up with the baking which had to be finished by the next day? And would it matter if they didn’t find Belle’s secret ingredient? Can Ivy recreate the recipe based on her experience and having sampled it earlier? They were so close, but something still wasn’t perfect. Ivy was cleaning up when Nick came in, insisting she come to dinner. He chose a small table away from everyone, and Detective Frost joined them. She told them how she had lost her bakery to a developer. But her ending up here means there is something very special about her or the base would never have revealed itself. As she tried to sleep that night, a thought from dinner came to her! She ran to the bakery… and the killer turned toward her raising a dough hook and ready to strike. Had she found the answer too late?
🔍👀 THE CASE OF THE CRUMBLED COOKIES BY LISABETH EARLEY (NON-PARANORMAL) Holiday mystery filled with festive cheer, friendship, and second chances.
🔍👀 COOKIE THIEVES AND COPS BY RUNE STROUD (PARANORMAL) Stolen gingerbread cookies even have Sheriff Rowan puzzled. Can he catch the tricky thief?
🔍👀 CHRISTMAS CRISIS BY FELITA DANIELS (NON-PARANORMAL) Money is raised for a local women’s shelter but the gift cards all disappear! Can Samantha use her F.B.I. training to find what happened to the funds?
🔍👀 FESTIVE FROSTING FACADE BY ELLA MARZANO (NON-PARANORMAL) A bad end to the Christmas Fair Weekend when a wealthy influencer is found dead. In a town where everyone seems to be hiding a secret, can the killer be found?
🔍👀 WHISPERS OF ST. ISIDORE BY MURRY EILAND (NON-PARANORMAL) Finding an old pistol in the cellar has Linda questioning her “pacifist” parents who may have been hiding the truth.
Eve is on her way to Duluth to visit her sister. The storm is intense and her car slides off the road. As she's trying to reach someone she hears a motor. It's a snowmobile. The gentleman on it helps her on and off they go. She passes as a sign and assumes she's near a military installation. Nick takes her home and Dr Sweet comes in to help her. The next day she goes to the bakery and starts helping. Then the main baker falls. Detective Jack Frost is called. He starts his investigation. Eve can't help but think that she's more injured than the big bump on her head. Dr Sweet notices her semi pointed ears and tells her she is where she's suppose to be. Now she's drawn into an investigation. Will she be able to help?And what will she do when asked...stay or go? A cute holiday story with a delicious recipe at the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Eve Bellamy’s plan to leave Seattle and start over in her hometown gets derailed when a snowstorm and car accident strands her in North Dakota. Finding herself among the elves at the North Pole annex is only one of things she has to grapple with. When the head baker dies taking the secret of the gingerbread recipe with her, Eve is determined to help figure it out. Along the way, she might catch a killer and find a new place to call home.
Gingerbread Dead is Cielle Kenner’s entry in the Cozy Mystery Tribe Anthology A Cookie of a Miscreant. An enjoyable quick read with a likable heroine. The secret ingredient in the gingerbread recipe was a definite surprise to me and I’m looking forward to trying it out. The hidden North Pole annex was brought to life in a believable way and the story moved at a great pace.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is review is solely for Gingerbread Dead, having received a copy of the story for review.
4 stars. This story was the perfect cross between cozy Christmas vibes and murderous mystery vibes. I loved the bakery in the North Pole focus of it, and the smattering of Christmas-themed characters were fun. The story is too short to say much more about, but I would say you'd enjoy it if you like quick-punch mysteries and themes of baking and Christmas.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Note to self to come back to this to read the other stories!
This is a review of Gingerbread Dead since that it the only story I received.
This is a cute little Christmas mystery. Eve is driving in her car when she goes off the road. What happens next is just so adorable and cute.
It's a VERY quick read, and the mystery and the solution to the mystery all take place basically within 24 hours, maybe a tad bit longer but close enough.
It's a cute story, no naughty bits so nice and clean. It's a wee bit unbelievable but if you forget about that *after all it is a story* then it's a fun story to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Case of the Crumbled Cookies, by Lisabeth Earley
This was good fun!
In this longish short story, there’s some clever sabotage going on in a cookie baking contest, and Gwen Lawson, helped by two friends, investigates who’s behind it.
There’s so much to love. The three friends have a delightful, funny friendship. The rivalry among two of the competitors is interesting. The mystery isn’t particularly complicated, and it matches the story’s general lighthearted tone. The ending’s really sweet, too. Plus I don’t think I’ve every read of someone who kept a llama as a pet!
What a charming little read. It kind of reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie; with Christmas magic. And I love the winter/Christmas themed names. I do wish there was more to the story. Everything literally takes place in like a day, and that doesn't give us readers a chance to get to know the characters, or follow along with the mystery. Hoping this turns into a series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Eve gets stranded in a snow storm and ends up in a snowbank. Lucky for her a man stops to help her and she ends up at Santa's North American Base. She thinks she has been seriously injured and is dreaming but she can see Santa's elves busily working. Eve is a baker and the bake shop can always need helpers so she is assigned to work there. The first day in the bake shop and the head chef dies while mixing a batch of cookies. This was a short read and can be finished in one hour or so. I enjoyed this short story and am looking forward to reading the next one.
When I selected this ARC, I expected a murder mystery romance. While packed with mystery and a Hallmark charm, I felt the romance was missing. In my copy the heroine was named Ivy, and in my opinion changing her name deprived this read of some of its Christmas magic. I also think adding a back story for the detective would have enhanced the romance and added to the magic of Aurora Station.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I can’t wait to finish reading this book! I just finished reading Gingerbread Dead and it’s just the best! Eve was traveling to her sister’s for Christmas while searching for a new direction for her life. Little did she know that the snowstorm she encountered would spin her life in a direction she never would have expected! Short read but it really packs a punch! It really is a perfect Christmas read!
This is a good idea for a cozy mystery. The heroine in this story gets lost in a snowstorm. She ends up in a ditch but that's not the end of it. She finds herself in Santa's land south. What happens next is the mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Eve is on the way to her sister when she gets stuck in the snow and is rescued by Nick Saint. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for a cozy afternoon. A really sweet cozy mystery full of warmth and Christmas. A wonderful book to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a great story to get you in the Christmas spirit. The description of Santa's village made me want to be there. Even with the murder in the cookie kitchen, This is a quick read and I read it with a nice cup of tea. It seemed to go with the theme. Enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Eve, heading back to her home to restart her life, ends up smack dab in a murder mystery in North Dakota involving a head baker and a secret ginger bread recipe. This is a quick, Yuletide-themed, cozy mystery with just enough twists in it to make it an interesting afternoon-read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This review is for Gingerbread Dead only. I enjoyed reading this book, it has an entertaining storyline and I can't wait to read more from this author. I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
Great compilation of a group of stories from a group of writers. There were a couple of them that were paranormal in nature. To the most part they were lighthearted.