Beasts and Baking: The Weary Dragon Inn, Book 4

The Weary Dragon Inn #4

by S. Usher Evans, Deborah Balm (Narrator)

Spring is on the horizon, and the Weary Dragon Inn is getting its annual deep clean. But before Bev can even finish scrubbing the windows, Carpenter Earl's workshop goes up in flames. Earl's convinced the local kids are behind the mischief, but when more buildings come crashing down under mysterious circumstances, Bev's on the case once more.

The cozy follow-up to Secrets and Snowflakes, Beasts and Baking is the fourth installment in the Weary Dragon Inn series, following amnesiac innkeeper Bev and the curiosities that occur in the quaint fantasy village of Pigsend.

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor

Audible Audio

First published February 27, 2024

About the author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.

Reviews

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bev is back and the town of Pigsend is buzzing with another head scratching mystery!

Buildings around town are being destroyed at an alarming rate and in various different (and questionable) ways! With the town rallying around the shop owners, it’s up to Bev (with the help of her magical companions and a delightfully mysterious trio) to help rebuild, sleuth out clues and solve the mystery before it’s too late!

📚 4th in the Series
🔍 Cozy Fantasy Mystery
🍞 Rosemary Bread
✨ Magic
🔐 Secrets
🫶 Found Family
🧠 Amnesiac Innkeeper
♥️ Lovable Characters

I love the Weary Dragon Inn series so much and am beyond excited to see what happens next in Magic & Molemen!

Thank you S. Usher Evans for the gifted copy!

[Chels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll never be tired of Pigsend.

In this crazy adventure, buildings are mysteriously being destroyed. Luckily the newest visitors at the inn are very willing to help pick up the pieces. I loved everything about the three grannies and I kinda wish I could take them home with me.

As per usual, Bev is assigned to figure out this mystery but things do not go in the direction I was thinking! I was very pleased with how things wrapped up! We even got a glimpse of Merv near the end (who is easily my favourite character, after Biscuit of course).

Again, I'm really looking forward to the next book!

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I love this series and I love the grannies! I hope we see them again sometime ❤️ Also… dragons 🐉

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best cozy fantasy series hands down

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 27. Bev is back again, with only 3 guests who are traveling. The town baker is acting mysteriously, buildings are being burnt down, and the Queen's magic seeking soldiers are back again. Bev has to act quickly to help protect the town from a mystical beast and the soldiers. Again - a well done story and the next book isn't out yet - however, I just signed up for the author's newsletter and I'll have the prequel for my bedtime reading tonight. so its still a win for me!

[Ashleigh Mattern · Rating 4 out of 5]

And with that, I've caught up with the series and need to wait for the next instalments to come out! Luckily, S. Usher Evans has a fast publishing schedule and I don't need to wait too long. I'm curious to know if she wrote these all at once and is timing the publishing, or if she really is that fast at writing. I enjoyed Beasts and Baking more than the third book in the series. It still followed the same format as the other books, but I had more trouble working out the answer to the mystery. I also thoroughly enjoyed "the Grannies!"

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series of cozy fantasy mysteries. In this fourth instalment, which can probably be read as a standalone, Bev is investigating a series of destructive incidents, which each claim a building. I loved the twist and reveal behind who was behind all the events. Once again, I had no idea who the culprit was.

I also really liked how Biscuit took over helping with the investigation. The dog that's actually a magical sniffer is a fun creature and adds a whole new twist on the concept of familiar, since Bev is Biscuit's familiar. A fun twist, that adds a little something to the intriguing worldbuilding.

In terms of the bigger picture, I've enjoyed the few hints the author has provided about Bev's backstory. As a character suffering from amnesia, the few small memories she's managed to retrieve have proven very intriguing. I'm definitely curious to find out more, and sincerely hope it will be revealed in the next book.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving back into Pigs end, and mystery solving Innkeeper Bev's world is always a treat. In this installment, Bev hosts a trio of Grannies that are strangely robust eaters. Soon after they come to town, the local woodworkers shop explodes and burns down! Followed by a neighbors barn, and a few other buildings around town! Bev has to find the culprit before the Queen's magic hunting soldiers do!!

I just love this series. It offers up cozy whimsical vibes, and the mysteries are never straight forward. The author is good at misdirection, so it's not as easy to guess the ending as some mystery writers. Biscuit the dog continues to be an endearing helper at Bev's side, and we meet more of the town in every book. I am looking forward to reading the next one. Also, we seem to be getting closer to learning more of Bev's pre-Pigsend past!!

[Jeanette C. Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

The town of Pigsend is quiet and Bev is busy spring cleaning. She doesn't usually have guests this early in the spring but when 3 older ladies appear wanting to rent rooms she won't turn down the money. But of course nothing stays quiet in Pigsend for long. First Carpenter Earl's workshop burns down. He's sure it's a group of three young teens who hang around together but Bev doesn't think so. Then Alice's barn is blown up. Is it the same person? Burning first and then blowing up? Bev searches for clues while her three guests spring into action helping rebuild the buildings with more energy and strength than they look capable of. A great read. Even though they are the typical type of mystery I read I'm really enjoying this series.

[aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this book did what I was hoping the series did and that is push it into a must read cozy fantasy series. For the first book I could see a spark there and now it has become a series I really want to continue reading even if our library doesn't have them. This book finds Bev and the cozy town of Pigsend in a bit of a pickle as their buildings continue to get burned down or destroyed. Leave it to Bev to pop in and attempt to solve the mystery all while still having time to bake her amazing rosemary bread. I'm at the point where I'd recommend this to basically anyone.

[Chetana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

While I am still loving this series, I felt that the mystery part of the story was a little lacking. But as usual there is more movement in the "finding out who Bev really is" part of the mystery so i am happy. And this book had a return of a certain adversary and that was a change. I am on to the next book as it seems that we might see more of my favourite citizen of Lower Pigsend if the title of the book is anything to go by.

[Mattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun romp in Pigsend! I loved the glimpse into the lives of the children of Pigsend and I appreciated getting to know Bardoff a little better. He's quite the idealist compared to the very practical townsfolk and farmers of Pigsend, but I loved being able to see how his teachings actually influence the children.

I loved the addition of the mysterious "Grannies" as Bev took to calling them and I hope they return in later books!

[Jane Shand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mystery for Bev to solve. A few new people come to town and seem a little ... off to Bev. Buildings are being destroyed, are they responsible somehow? What is going on was not quite what I expected, so that was good! Very enjoyable and definitely cosy. I hope that by the end of the series we get to know who Bev really was. Evans gives us little hints and snippets each book and I'm sure they will begin to add up.

[Lorewarden]

I liked this quick read although it was a little more direct and less circuitous than previous mysteries. Bev is forced by the town into investigating some collapsed buildings, and while she does poke around she kind of has the mystery solved just by running into it. That being said, still an enjoyable cozy read, and I really like the brief but interesting progression of the mystery of who Bev was before she moved to Pigsend that happens in each novel.

[Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun little cozy series. I love all the townsfolk and wild, magical mysteries that pop up. It was interesting to see a little more of Bev's possible background getting revealed. Around the 80% mark I was sure that I had it figured out, but the author had more surprises up her sleeve. Delightful read, and I need to go back some lavender scones and rosemary bread now.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Bev. Man, I love these stories. Every one seems to intruduce more fun characters from Pigsend. And we seem to be getting closer and closer to finding out Bev's backstory.
I really enjoy how laid back these stories are. They're so much fun and just a couple hindered pages makes for a quick read, or reread. 

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute series. It is great for listening while driving or knitting because it doesn't require super concentration - it's light and enjoyable and doesn't have too many characters or very complex plots. This is #4 and so it's generally more of the same style as the first three books. Definitely better to read in order in my opinion.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books keep getting better. Every book introduces more characters that I love. The found family is the sweetest and with get just a little bit more of Bev's past. Every one I read just leaves me anxiously waiting for the next book.

[Mahkala Burdenmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoying these cozy fantasy reads! I enjoyed this one even more than the first one in the series. Went from the first one to this one and didn't feel like I missed out on too much by skipping books 2 and 3 (not available on my Libby).

[Lykka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old ladies turned out to be dragons, one of the teen boys was the reason everything burned down, and the ending felt unfinished. Sure, the plot wrapped up nicely, but I swear it's missing a chapter just because of how it stopped

[AngryPixi · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this latest book in the series. Bev is the most relatable main character, I love the town, the towns people, the mysteries to solve, and oh Merv is a gem!

can't wait to spend more time in pigsend, and hopefully soon some time in lower pigsend!

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buildings in town are being destroyed and Bev has to figure out why. I love this world and all the magical beings that live there.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry in The Weary Dragon Inn series. This one kept me guessing quite a bit, with a fair amount of red herrings to boot. Looking forward to Bev's next adventure!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another mystery comes to Pig's End, and more of Bev's past unravels. I love spending time in Pig's End, but Bev's personal mystery definitely keeps me hooked.

[Bryan Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great entry in the series. I wish I could be relaxing by the fire in Bev's Inn and reading the next book. That would be perfect.

[charli · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love silly grandmas!!!!!!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight as always! I never get tired of Bev’s adventures & the goings on of Pigsend! Looking forward to starting Magic & Molemen next! 💜

[Cori'sCorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Audio Length: 06:25:00

[Doug Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love This Series

The weary dragon inn series and its characters are lovable and fun and mysterious, and the fourth installment does not disappoint.

[Phi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a perfect little cozy read on a rainy day. I absolutely adore this world and the characters. This is an incredibly lovely series!