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Black Cat Cafe #1
BlueBuried Muffins
Annie Fisher is scared. She’s scared of the mess her boyfriend, Max Parker, is in the middle of and she has to get out of his house. She puts a whole state between them and drives like a madwoman from Cooper, NY to her hometown of Catfish Cove, NH where she hopes she’ll be safe.
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
***Blueburied Muffins is approx. 200 pages and is volume 1 in the Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series. Lyndsey’s books can be read and enjoyed in any order.
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
***Blueburied Muffins is approx. 200 pages and is volume 1 in the Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series. Lyndsey’s books can be read and enjoyed in any order.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
February 16, 2017
Although I really liked the characters, especially Annie, her Aunt, and her mom, I only gave 3 stars because the mystery was really easy to figure out. I was trying to get Annie to see all the obvious clues. ;) I would read more in this series if I could find them through my library or they turned up free (that's how I got this one). If you would like a nice, quick, easy read that's pretty good, then this would be good one to choose. :)
March 27, 2022
This book started good, and I do like the characters, however I got tired to the police never being called when they should have been and some unrealistic reactions to some incidences. I will try another one since I do like the characters and setting so much.
February 22, 2017
A pleasant read - but I knew who had done it almost as soon as the character was introduced. There were a few continuity problems - like characters suddenly being there - also as if there were back stories going on that the reader was expected to know about - only this is the first in a series. Other than those, I enjoyed the story.
June 11, 2021
Sugar and spice and everything deadly
This story had it all. Love, romance, history and a dead body. From start to finish, it had me hooked. A great cast of characters. I can't wait to see where this storyline goes.
This story had it all. Love, romance, history and a dead body. From start to finish, it had me hooked. A great cast of characters. I can't wait to see where this storyline goes.
February 29, 2024
This was an enjoyable cozy mystery where the main character, Annie, moved in a hurry back to Catfish Cove, but her history and the reason why she had to leave so suddenly, followed her. And...resulting into a murder.
I loved to read it. It wasn't difficult and somewhere in the middle of the story, you got a clue to know who was the murderer of her ex - boyfriend.
Allthough it's a mystery with a murder, the baking and the Black Cat Café got more attention in the story. At times it felt that resolving the murder was more of a sideline, but I felt okay with it.
But there were some plot holes in it: Annie wasn't to bothered that Max was killed, the police wasn't always called when needed, Annie's father Roy was involved in the killing or the drugs affaire, but it never got really explained how and then the mystery of Annie's birth mother. Who is she? Allthought it's obvious...
I loved to read it. It wasn't difficult and somewhere in the middle of the story, you got a clue to know who was the murderer of her ex - boyfriend.
Allthough it's a mystery with a murder, the baking and the Black Cat Café got more attention in the story. At times it felt that resolving the murder was more of a sideline, but I felt okay with it.
But there were some plot holes in it: Annie wasn't to bothered that Max was killed, the police wasn't always called when needed, Annie's father Roy was involved in the killing or the drugs affaire, but it never got really explained how and then the mystery of Annie's birth mother. Who is she? Allthought it's obvious...
June 6, 2020
Well I got a new series to read now
It was good is all I can say. Annie moved back to Catfish Cove to help out her aunt Leona at the newly opened Black Cat Cafe. Annie fix her relationship with her mum Mia but I donno whats the deal with her dad Roy , he is like a total ass hole in here.
Annie also got a love interest Jason Carpenter who just appeared out of the blue in the book and turn out is not related to the crime. Total Coincidence LOL. Anyway I do am interested in how their relationship will go in the next book
It was good is all I can say. Annie moved back to Catfish Cove to help out her aunt Leona at the newly opened Black Cat Cafe. Annie fix her relationship with her mum Mia but I donno whats the deal with her dad Roy , he is like a total ass hole in here.
Annie also got a love interest Jason Carpenter who just appeared out of the blue in the book and turn out is not related to the crime. Total Coincidence LOL. Anyway I do am interested in how their relationship will go in the next book
March 27, 2018
This was a fast read. I totally loved it. Stayed up to finish it in the same day. I loved the Black Cat cafe and her finding "Smokey" the black cat which is why she names her cafe after finding him hiding in a cabinet. This book may be short but it packed a great mystery. I got to know all of the characters and the town really quick. I am deff gonna be reading more!
July 6, 2019
The first in a series, Annie Fisher has left Catfish Cove to go to Cooper NY to make a new life, but when she hears a threatening message on the answering machine for her boyfriend, she takes off and runs back home. But Max follows her and it is not a good thing for either of them.
Max's partner is threatening Annie to give her what he wants and Max has warned her to trust no one.
In all this, she is helping her Aunt to open up the Black Cat Cafe. This restaurant on the water is getting opened and things start to go wrong.
I found the premise of a grown woman first running away from home, and then running back to home a bit off putting. It didn't mesh with her later actions. The cast of characters was good but the setup of the world just didn't make a lot of sense to me - hence the 3.
Max's partner is threatening Annie to give her what he wants and Max has warned her to trust no one.
In all this, she is helping her Aunt to open up the Black Cat Cafe. This restaurant on the water is getting opened and things start to go wrong.
I found the premise of a grown woman first running away from home, and then running back to home a bit off putting. It didn't mesh with her later actions. The cast of characters was good but the setup of the world just didn't make a lot of sense to me - hence the 3.
January 25, 2015
Waste of time
The "heroine" runs out of the apartment she shares with her boyfriend, jumps in her car and heads to her home town because her aunt's cafe has been torched. When she arrives home (after a 2 year absence, BTW) her aunt welcomes her back and invites her to partner in a new cafe which has already been built. Nobody seems to be bothered by the burned out cafe.
There is a perfect, fully furnished and rent free lakeside apartment just waiting for the heroine, of course. Then, her boyfriend shows up dead inside the new cafe - and this all takes place in the first few pages of this book!
This book is full of cardboard characters and a plot so thin it reads like an outline. Don't even bother to download it for free.
The "heroine" runs out of the apartment she shares with her boyfriend, jumps in her car and heads to her home town because her aunt's cafe has been torched. When she arrives home (after a 2 year absence, BTW) her aunt welcomes her back and invites her to partner in a new cafe which has already been built. Nobody seems to be bothered by the burned out cafe.
There is a perfect, fully furnished and rent free lakeside apartment just waiting for the heroine, of course. Then, her boyfriend shows up dead inside the new cafe - and this all takes place in the first few pages of this book!
This book is full of cardboard characters and a plot so thin it reads like an outline. Don't even bother to download it for free.
August 8, 2019
First in The Black Cat Café cozy mystery series set in New Hampshire and revolving around Annie Fisher, on the run from a scary message.
My Take
I do like that title, lol, but I don't think much of Annie's loyalty. Look at her reason for abandoning her boyfriend and tell me you don't agree?
Annie's reaction to first discovering the body at the café was weird. I'd've thought she'd have mentioned her connection to him immediately?? A much more minor conflict is Annie's hostility towards her mom, quickly resolved, especially when Annie tells her she's the only one she trusts. What's with that? Why not trust Leona first? Nor does she trust her old boyfriend, the police chief, as evidenced by her, Leona, Mia, and Martha's plot to capture the bad guy. Oy, talk about a bad, overused meme!
It's also annoying that Annie leaps to conclusions so quickly. Oy. Sure, I appreciated how supportive the women characters are of each other, but that support detracts from the story when everything is all too obvious.
Everybody keeps breaking into Annie's apartment, and she never talks about calling the cops. These incidents barely get a "how rude". A kidnapper who gives his victim time to collect herself?
Cole did do a good job of keeping me mystified as to what was happening and who was involved in this action-packed story filled with stereotyped characters.
A cute story using third person protagonist point-of-view from Annie's perspective, but it's too silly with no depth.
The Story
Running home after hearing a mysterious message, Annie Fisher quickly resumes life in Catfish Cove, only to discover that trouble has followed her.
The Characters
Annie "Red" Fisher is a photographer who'll be helping her aunt Leona at the café. Smokey is the kitty Annie adopts. Sally is Annie's beater of a car with 300,000+ miles on her. Her jerk of a dad, Roy, is retired from the fire department. And I'm wondering how he can afford all he owns... Mia is the adoptive mother from whom Annie is estranged. Stella is Mia's black lab.
Max Parker is the boyfriend from whom Annie fled; he owned an art gallery in Cooper, New York. He also had a son. Vincent West is his partner.
Catfish Cove is...
...Annie Fisher's hometown where Annie's aunt "Nani" Leona/Leonia owns and runs The Black Cat Café, Take It or Leave It, and includes a freebrary. The café is part of the Cove's Corner complex where Jake Wallace is a potter with the shop across the hall, Clay Design, which is next door to The Fabric Stash owned by Martha.
JC is Annie's oldest friend working at the police station, who's dating Tyler Johnson, the new chief of police and an old boyfriend of Annie's. Dylan is JC's son.
Danny Davis is a handyman with PTSD issues. The mysterious Jason Hunter (he "finds" things) owns an estate that includes Cobblestone Cottage, a rent-free accommodation IF the renter keeps an eye on things. Judge Warren Hunter had his hand in Annie's adoption records. Leona volunteers at the Second Chance Animal Shelter, which is managed by Karen. Baxter is the dog Leona will adopt; Roxy is a lab-pit mix.
Detective Neil Jaffrey is investigating the art gallery and its owners.
The Cover and Title
The cover is cute with its pastel blue background. The title at the top and the author's name at the bottom sandwich a graphic collage of the story with its yellow-and-black crime scene tape crisscrossing in the back, a black cat with his back arched and that very long tail curling over his back, and a cupcake with swirls of blueberry and chocolate icing with three blueberries on top. The series information is in black below the muffin.
I'm guessing the title is related to the café and its baked goods, including BlueBuried Muffins.
My Take
I do like that title, lol, but I don't think much of Annie's loyalty. Look at her reason for abandoning her boyfriend and tell me you don't agree?
Annie's reaction to first discovering the body at the café was weird. I'd've thought she'd have mentioned her connection to him immediately?? A much more minor conflict is Annie's hostility towards her mom, quickly resolved, especially when Annie tells her she's the only one she trusts. What's with that? Why not trust Leona first? Nor does she trust her old boyfriend, the police chief, as evidenced by her, Leona, Mia, and Martha's plot to capture the bad guy. Oy, talk about a bad, overused meme!
It's also annoying that Annie leaps to conclusions so quickly. Oy. Sure, I appreciated how supportive the women characters are of each other, but that support detracts from the story when everything is all too obvious.
Everybody keeps breaking into Annie's apartment, and she never talks about calling the cops. These incidents barely get a "how rude". A kidnapper who gives his victim time to collect herself?
Cole did do a good job of keeping me mystified as to what was happening and who was involved in this action-packed story filled with stereotyped characters.
A cute story using third person protagonist point-of-view from Annie's perspective, but it's too silly with no depth.
The Story
Running home after hearing a mysterious message, Annie Fisher quickly resumes life in Catfish Cove, only to discover that trouble has followed her.
The Characters
Annie "Red" Fisher is a photographer who'll be helping her aunt Leona at the café. Smokey is the kitty Annie adopts. Sally is Annie's beater of a car with 300,000+ miles on her. Her jerk of a dad, Roy, is retired from the fire department. And I'm wondering how he can afford all he owns... Mia is the adoptive mother from whom Annie is estranged. Stella is Mia's black lab.
Max Parker is the boyfriend from whom Annie fled; he owned an art gallery in Cooper, New York. He also had a son. Vincent West is his partner.
Catfish Cove is...
...Annie Fisher's hometown where Annie's aunt "Nani" Leona/Leonia owns and runs The Black Cat Café, Take It or Leave It, and includes a freebrary. The café is part of the Cove's Corner complex where Jake Wallace is a potter with the shop across the hall, Clay Design, which is next door to The Fabric Stash owned by Martha.
JC is Annie's oldest friend working at the police station, who's dating Tyler Johnson, the new chief of police and an old boyfriend of Annie's. Dylan is JC's son.
Danny Davis is a handyman with PTSD issues. The mysterious Jason Hunter (he "finds" things) owns an estate that includes Cobblestone Cottage, a rent-free accommodation IF the renter keeps an eye on things. Judge Warren Hunter had his hand in Annie's adoption records. Leona volunteers at the Second Chance Animal Shelter, which is managed by Karen. Baxter is the dog Leona will adopt; Roxy is a lab-pit mix.
Detective Neil Jaffrey is investigating the art gallery and its owners.
The Cover and Title
The cover is cute with its pastel blue background. The title at the top and the author's name at the bottom sandwich a graphic collage of the story with its yellow-and-black crime scene tape crisscrossing in the back, a black cat with his back arched and that very long tail curling over his back, and a cupcake with swirls of blueberry and chocolate icing with three blueberries on top. The series information is in black below the muffin.
I'm guessing the title is related to the café and its baked goods, including BlueBuried Muffins.
August 27, 2020
Rating: 🌟🌟
Its ok. It's like watching a period drama in today's world.
It's a book of inaction. The only action is in the kitchen whipping up great muffins and chilli 🌶.
Everyone is getting involved in solving the crime except for the authorities. What does the chief of Police in this 2000 strong population town do? Nothing!
What do you when you are warned not to trust anyone? Tell atleast another 4.
And this one truly takes the cake.. What does one do when you discover the body of your boyfriend? Serve coffee ☕.
None of the characters stand out. Annie is irresponsible. She's a runner. Tyler,the police chief is ineffective. She has a bestie JC who isn't even there in the story line. Jason pops up why? Roy, her dad lambasts her for joining in with the wrong crowd but no mention of him getting hold of a corrupt private detective Neil. So all these guys are there but non contributors.
The tiniest, thinnest plot line I've read in recent years. Even Enid Blytnon's Five Find Outers had more depth.
Recommended: if confusion is your cup ...... then go for it.
Its ok. It's like watching a period drama in today's world.
It's a book of inaction. The only action is in the kitchen whipping up great muffins and chilli 🌶.
Everyone is getting involved in solving the crime except for the authorities. What does the chief of Police in this 2000 strong population town do? Nothing!
What do you when you are warned not to trust anyone? Tell atleast another 4.
And this one truly takes the cake.. What does one do when you discover the body of your boyfriend? Serve coffee ☕.
None of the characters stand out. Annie is irresponsible. She's a runner. Tyler,the police chief is ineffective. She has a bestie JC who isn't even there in the story line. Jason pops up why? Roy, her dad lambasts her for joining in with the wrong crowd but no mention of him getting hold of a corrupt private detective Neil. So all these guys are there but non contributors.
The tiniest, thinnest plot line I've read in recent years. Even Enid Blytnon's Five Find Outers had more depth.
Recommended: if confusion is your cup ...... then go for it.
March 31, 2017
A Quirky and Yet Enjoyable Read
Catfish Cove sounds like a nice place to live. And I did like the basic story. Aunt's cafe burns down so her niece comes back to help her rebuild the business at the same time try to mend fences with the people she hurt when she up and left two years before without a word.
While I did like the story I felt like I have no clue who the main character is. In fact I had to go back to find out her name. The other characters I can name and even describe their personalities. Not Annie Fisher, name I had to look up. A very non descript main character. She has red hair and carries her camera everywhere.
And people were getting into her apartment and she never seemed that upset or got better locks. It's like she just thought that was par for the course.
I hope the next book will give me a better idea of Annie and have a little better mysteries. I had the first one solved in the first chapter. The murder took till all the players checked in.
Still a fun read and I on to the next book
Catfish Cove sounds like a nice place to live. And I did like the basic story. Aunt's cafe burns down so her niece comes back to help her rebuild the business at the same time try to mend fences with the people she hurt when she up and left two years before without a word.
While I did like the story I felt like I have no clue who the main character is. In fact I had to go back to find out her name. The other characters I can name and even describe their personalities. Not Annie Fisher, name I had to look up. A very non descript main character. She has red hair and carries her camera everywhere.
And people were getting into her apartment and she never seemed that upset or got better locks. It's like she just thought that was par for the course.
I hope the next book will give me a better idea of Annie and have a little better mysteries. I had the first one solved in the first chapter. The murder took till all the players checked in.
Still a fun read and I on to the next book
April 10, 2022
I knew this cozy mystery tale (1st in a series) would be an easy and quick read. I was hoping for a bit more finesse and juiciness in the writing. It was a cute story, yet predictable and maybe The Hallmark Channel should start offering cozy murder mysteries. Lyndsey Cole could write for them. There’s always the right time to sit down with a cozy murder mystery book. This series will provoke my yearnings for indulgent bakery items. I’ll give another book a try for that reason alone.
December 14, 2017
I was a bit disappointed in this story. I like stories that are off the beaten track and have complex character development. However, this wasn't terrible and I may read more of this series in the future. The main character and her aunt were nice but bland characters, so I hope that as the series continues, the author will build upon their basic goodness and throw in a few quirks to make them memorable.
November 26, 2024
Feel good story for sure but I didn't like the way it was written. The emotions of the characters disn't feel to real for the situation. Also felt a little rushed to my liking. The ending was also quite predictable. A book with a lot of potential but falls short unfortunately.
January 30, 2021
BlueBuried Muffins
What a delightful group of people! I did enjoy getting to know Annie and her family and friends. Just a little bit wacky and fun.
What a delightful group of people! I did enjoy getting to know Annie and her family and friends. Just a little bit wacky and fun.
June 23, 2016
2.5 stars?
It all started with a threatening message on Max's voicemail.
Annie Fisher fled her life with her boyfriend, Max, in NY, heading home to NH, where she hasn't been for two years, estranged from her parents for reasons that are revealed later (truthfulness about her adoption). Her aunt's cafe was just burned down, so she helps her as she starts anew: new location, new name, new menu. But when Max ends up dead in a booth, Annie wonders what his cryptic note means: Don't trust anyone...did he have someone specific in mind?
I think Cole may have rushed some of the story to keep it short, which detracted from the character development. Too many things had to be conveniently easy, and there were times when it took a second to sort out that Cole had jumped Annie ahead. IMHO, the techniques Cole uses to create a mysterious aura around Annie's past didn't really work...almost made me feel like I missed book 0.5 in the series or something. Annie's reaction to finding Max in the booth made it feel like they barely knew each other, when I got the impression they had been living together in NY.
Plot-wise, I wonder if book 2 in the series starts off just after this one...Cole said they can be read in any order, which rather precludes that theory, but I didn't feel like this one was completely done.
Also, maybe I've read too many cozy culinary mysteries, but where's the recipe for Chubby Chickpea Salad? Thought for sure I'd find that tucked in the back somewhere.
It all started with a threatening message on Max's voicemail.
Annie Fisher fled her life with her boyfriend, Max, in NY, heading home to NH, where she hasn't been for two years, estranged from her parents for reasons that are revealed later (truthfulness about her adoption). Her aunt's cafe was just burned down, so she helps her as she starts anew: new location, new name, new menu. But when Max ends up dead in a booth, Annie wonders what his cryptic note means: Don't trust anyone...did he have someone specific in mind?
I think Cole may have rushed some of the story to keep it short, which detracted from the character development. Too many things had to be conveniently easy, and there were times when it took a second to sort out that Cole had jumped Annie ahead. IMHO, the techniques Cole uses to create a mysterious aura around Annie's past didn't really work...almost made me feel like I missed book 0.5 in the series or something. Annie's reaction to finding Max in the booth made it feel like they barely knew each other, when I got the impression they had been living together in NY.
Plot-wise, I wonder if book 2 in the series starts off just after this one...Cole said they can be read in any order, which rather precludes that theory, but I didn't feel like this one was completely done.
Also, maybe I've read too many cozy culinary mysteries, but where's the recipe for Chubby Chickpea Salad? Thought for sure I'd find that tucked in the back somewhere.
February 13, 2015
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book through the Chatting About Cozies website. Sat down for a few minutes to read today and ended up finishing the book in one sitting - delighted to have discovered this author.
Annie Fisher leaves her life and ex, Max behind in New York and heads back home to Catfish Cove, NH to help her aunt reopen her café that had been torched by an arsonist. The day before the café's Grand Reopening Annie stumbles upon Max's dead body in a corner booth. Annie soon discovers that Max was caught up in some nefarious activities and a whole crew of people have followed Annie to Catfish Cove to get back what they claim Max had stolen from them.
In a change from the normal cozy plot - this one does not center on Annie trying to clear a friend who has been wrongfully accused of Max's death. Instead, she, her Aunt Lenora, mother Mia and neighboring quilter Martha put their heads together to discover what Max had been hiding.
A great cast of characters and two loveable pets, Smokey and Roxy make for a promising start to what I hope will be a long lasting series.
Annie Fisher leaves her life and ex, Max behind in New York and heads back home to Catfish Cove, NH to help her aunt reopen her café that had been torched by an arsonist. The day before the café's Grand Reopening Annie stumbles upon Max's dead body in a corner booth. Annie soon discovers that Max was caught up in some nefarious activities and a whole crew of people have followed Annie to Catfish Cove to get back what they claim Max had stolen from them.
In a change from the normal cozy plot - this one does not center on Annie trying to clear a friend who has been wrongfully accused of Max's death. Instead, she, her Aunt Lenora, mother Mia and neighboring quilter Martha put their heads together to discover what Max had been hiding.
A great cast of characters and two loveable pets, Smokey and Roxy make for a promising start to what I hope will be a long lasting series.
April 16, 2019
Wish I hadn't bothered...
This is really badly written. Almost childlike. There was no real character development and I just didn't care enough about any of them.
The ending was rushed a and might as well have been, "and she woke up and it was all a dream".
I also couldn't understand how everyone was able to just let themselves into this girl's apartment and she never once asked how they got in. Did the whole town have keys cut???
Really, quite boring. And the fact that all these 'druglords' were going batsh*t crazy over...
...wait for it...
...'pot', is just laughable! And the bad guys all making their confessions to these women running a coffee shop. Really? 😕
Won't b o their with anymore in this series...
This is really badly written. Almost childlike. There was no real character development and I just didn't care enough about any of them.
The ending was rushed a and might as well have been, "and she woke up and it was all a dream".
I also couldn't understand how everyone was able to just let themselves into this girl's apartment and she never once asked how they got in. Did the whole town have keys cut???
Really, quite boring. And the fact that all these 'druglords' were going batsh*t crazy over...
...wait for it...
...'pot', is just laughable! And the bad guys all making their confessions to these women running a coffee shop. Really? 😕
Won't b o their with anymore in this series...
January 17, 2021
Photography is dangerous
An entertaining read. Kept me interested and guessing. Enjoyed reading and enjoyed the clean lines. No off color language to skip over and disturb the story line!
An entertaining read. Kept me interested and guessing. Enjoyed reading and enjoyed the clean lines. No off color language to skip over and disturb the story line!
November 24, 2020
Annie Fisher is scared. She’s scared of the mess her boyfriend, Max Parker, is in the middle of and she has to get out of his house. She puts a whole state between them and drives like a madwoman from Cooper, NY to her hometown of Catfish Cove, NH where she hopes she’ll be safe.
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
Heather's Notes
I liked this story. I also liked Annie for the most part, although when you get a note that says "trust no one" maybe you should not trust every new person you meet. I also am almost positive her aunt is her real mom. Hello, how many times can you tell someone "they have the exact same shade of unusual read hair", before that seems obvious. Since they don't figure that out in this book, I will have to continue reading to find out if I am right. I also liked Jason, who looks like he is going to be the hero, so reading more shouldn't be too hard :)
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
Heather's Notes
I liked this story. I also liked Annie for the most part, although when you get a note that says "trust no one" maybe you should not trust every new person you meet. I also am almost positive her aunt is her real mom. Hello, how many times can you tell someone "they have the exact same shade of unusual read hair", before that seems obvious. Since they don't figure that out in this book, I will have to continue reading to find out if I am right. I also liked Jason, who looks like he is going to be the hero, so reading more shouldn't be too hard :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2017
Annie Fisher is scared. She’s scared of the mess her boyfriend, Max Parker, is in the middle of and she has to get out of his house. She puts a whole state between them and drives like a madwoman from Cooper, NY to her hometown of Catfish Cove, NH where she hopes she’ll be safe.
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
Great! Riviting! I never would have guessed. 5 stars
She decides to start a new life, a life she ran away from two years ago but is finding herself missing as soon as she gets home. Annie immediately has a place to live, a job at her Aunt Leona’s new café—Black Cat Café—and plenty of boyfriend prospects. Unfortunately, she also has plenty of bad things follow her.
Like Max Parker. Only the next time she sees him he’s dead. Suddenly everyone she runs into turns into a potential suspect. There are ghosts from her past and new neighbors that make her hair stand on end. And right in the middle of everything is Annie with Max’s last warning to her—Don’t trust anyone. Will those words prove to keep her safe or put too much distance between Annie and those trying to help her?
Great! Riviting! I never would have guessed. 5 stars
January 27, 2018
Annie Fisher hears a threatening message on
her boyfriend’s answering machine. What could
Max Parker be into to get such a message?
Annie packs up and drives home to Catfish Cove,
New Hampshire to start a new life without Max.
Annie’s Aunt Leona has both a job for her and a
place to live. Aunt Leona’s cafe burnt down and
she is about to open a new one. Annie and Aunt
Leona find a small black kitten scratching to get
out of the cafe......thus the new name the Black
Cat Cafe. The cafe will feature her Aunt’s blueberry
muffins as one of their products.
When Annie unpacks her car, she finds one of her
paintings that consists of a black cat & blueberry
muffins. But it doesn’t hang correctly because one
side is heavier than another. What is in the picture?
Then Anne and Aunt Leona find a dead Max. There
is a note telling Annie...do not trust anyone!!
An exciting new series with intriguing characters
that are believable involved in a puzzling plot
that keeps you glued to the book from start to finish.
Recipe for blueberry muffins at the end of the book.
her boyfriend’s answering machine. What could
Max Parker be into to get such a message?
Annie packs up and drives home to Catfish Cove,
New Hampshire to start a new life without Max.
Annie’s Aunt Leona has both a job for her and a
place to live. Aunt Leona’s cafe burnt down and
she is about to open a new one. Annie and Aunt
Leona find a small black kitten scratching to get
out of the cafe......thus the new name the Black
Cat Cafe. The cafe will feature her Aunt’s blueberry
muffins as one of their products.
When Annie unpacks her car, she finds one of her
paintings that consists of a black cat & blueberry
muffins. But it doesn’t hang correctly because one
side is heavier than another. What is in the picture?
Then Anne and Aunt Leona find a dead Max. There
is a note telling Annie...do not trust anyone!!
An exciting new series with intriguing characters
that are believable involved in a puzzling plot
that keeps you glued to the book from start to finish.
Recipe for blueberry muffins at the end of the book.
May 23, 2019
Cozy
Blueburied Muffins is a 1st in series cozy mystery centered around a small lake town cafe and the characters that inhabit it. It is a cute introduction to the series. Annie left home two years prior, due to some not yet totally revealed angst with her adoptive parents. She has now returned to escape something dangerous involving her boyfriend, Max. The drama follows her and Max is discovered stabbed to death in the cafe. Annie and her relatives step n to investigate.
The mystery was fine, but I couldn’t help thinking that Annie was completely devoid of emotion. She didn’t seem to be sad that Max was killed. Even if she had left him, I would imagine that grief should come into play. There were many little things like that where I felt that the characters were strictly surface. In all it was a light read, and I imagine as the series continues the characters will develop more depth.
Blueburied Muffins is a 1st in series cozy mystery centered around a small lake town cafe and the characters that inhabit it. It is a cute introduction to the series. Annie left home two years prior, due to some not yet totally revealed angst with her adoptive parents. She has now returned to escape something dangerous involving her boyfriend, Max. The drama follows her and Max is discovered stabbed to death in the cafe. Annie and her relatives step n to investigate.
The mystery was fine, but I couldn’t help thinking that Annie was completely devoid of emotion. She didn’t seem to be sad that Max was killed. Even if she had left him, I would imagine that grief should come into play. There were many little things like that where I felt that the characters were strictly surface. In all it was a light read, and I imagine as the series continues the characters will develop more depth.
October 23, 2019
The mystery part of this book reminded me of Wait Until Dark. Man dies. Significant other is pursued. She has something left by the dead man, but doesn't know what it is or where it is hidden. She is befriended by someone she thinks she can trust, who turns out to be on the other side. But without the grace of Audrey Hepburn, or the level of terror depicted in the movie.
Then, there is the coziness, a cute little town by the water. A tempting cafe where you wish you could stop for a treat. A charming aunt. A carefree heroine (except for the pursuit part). And some romance thrown in.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. No big surprises - I always thought there was something off about that relationship. Some interesting hints of the past that I am sure will be covered in future volumes. I fully expected recipes of some of the cafe items at the end of the book, and was somewhat disappointed they were not included.
Then, there is the coziness, a cute little town by the water. A tempting cafe where you wish you could stop for a treat. A charming aunt. A carefree heroine (except for the pursuit part). And some romance thrown in.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. No big surprises - I always thought there was something off about that relationship. Some interesting hints of the past that I am sure will be covered in future volumes. I fully expected recipes of some of the cafe items at the end of the book, and was somewhat disappointed they were not included.
September 11, 2019
I Could Have Been Doing Dishes Instead...
This was just a terribly written book. It read as if the author was just writing down thoughts as they came to her: 'Hey! She'll leave her boyfriend!' What now? 'She finds a furnished apartment!' Seriously?
She just up and leaves her boyfriend because her aunt needs her - even though she's apparently cut ties with anyone from her former life, including her former boyfriend. She miraculously has a lovely apartment to move into, and becomes partners with her aunt, in a building owned by her father, who is a nasty man who hates cats. I don't trust people who hates cats.
There's just so much wrong. I rarely read self-published books (as I've stated before) and here we have another example of why that is. Sorry, but I won't be reading any more by this author.
This was just a terribly written book. It read as if the author was just writing down thoughts as they came to her: 'Hey! She'll leave her boyfriend!' What now? 'She finds a furnished apartment!' Seriously?
She just up and leaves her boyfriend because her aunt needs her - even though she's apparently cut ties with anyone from her former life, including her former boyfriend. She miraculously has a lovely apartment to move into, and becomes partners with her aunt, in a building owned by her father, who is a nasty man who hates cats. I don't trust people who hates cats.
There's just so much wrong. I rarely read self-published books (as I've stated before) and here we have another example of why that is. Sorry, but I won't be reading any more by this author.
April 30, 2025
The story opens with our heroine rushing home to help out her aunt, whose cafe has burned down. Murder follows. Deceit and treachery. There's a lot packed in to just over 200 pages.
This book gets only 2 stars because I felt we were dropped into the middle of something. Another 20 pages could have explained why our MC Annie left home quickly a couple of years back and why she seems estranged from her family. It could have explained more about the cafe burning down and why she also left boyfriend Max so quickly.
Dad Roy sneers a lot in this book. Anytime he has dialog, he sneers his way through it. And with a cafe, you would think that perhaps the signature Blueberry Muffins would warrant a recipe. Nope. I would have liked to see a recipe for that, and the chickpea salad.
Not enough good with the writing style to make me curious for subsequent releases.
This book gets only 2 stars because I felt we were dropped into the middle of something. Another 20 pages could have explained why our MC Annie left home quickly a couple of years back and why she seems estranged from her family. It could have explained more about the cafe burning down and why she also left boyfriend Max so quickly.
Dad Roy sneers a lot in this book. Anytime he has dialog, he sneers his way through it. And with a cafe, you would think that perhaps the signature Blueberry Muffins would warrant a recipe. Nope. I would have liked to see a recipe for that, and the chickpea salad.
Not enough good with the writing style to make me curious for subsequent releases.
January 14, 2021
Photographer Annie Fisher gets caught up in a twisting, turning dangerous adventure that her boyfriend Max Parker is involved with.
She flees Cooper, New York and heads to her hometown in Catfish Cove, New Hampshire, hoping to escape trouble and help her Aunt Leona at her new business, The Black Cat Cafe.
Shocked to find a dead body in the cafe, Annie must learn who she can trust. She gets help.from her mom Mia, Aunt Leona, best friend JC and sweet store owner Martha among others.
I loved the hometown feel of the book and the many characters. I didn't figure out who the killer was until the end. There were too many unanswered questions at the end which will hopefully be answered in the next book.
She flees Cooper, New York and heads to her hometown in Catfish Cove, New Hampshire, hoping to escape trouble and help her Aunt Leona at her new business, The Black Cat Cafe.
Shocked to find a dead body in the cafe, Annie must learn who she can trust. She gets help.from her mom Mia, Aunt Leona, best friend JC and sweet store owner Martha among others.
I loved the hometown feel of the book and the many characters. I didn't figure out who the killer was until the end. There were too many unanswered questions at the end which will hopefully be answered in the next book.
February 4, 2024
3/5 ⭐️
I think it's a pretty chill book to read while you're baking (literally what I was doing). It's a light murder mystery in a small town, with little to no action but heavy on interaction with the other residents. I guess if you love murder mysteries, you won't like this that much. Especially since the solving part is a bit too frustrating when the clues are right there in front of them (and being too chill when your life is being threatened 😆). But if you love small town stories, whether it's romance or not, you'll find this a worthy read. I'm just confused because I just realized it's a 13-book series and it seems like someone's dying in every book. How in the downward dog is that not alarming the FBI? A small town with a population of 2,350 and every year or so someone's being murdered? 👁️👄👁️
I think it's a pretty chill book to read while you're baking (literally what I was doing). It's a light murder mystery in a small town, with little to no action but heavy on interaction with the other residents. I guess if you love murder mysteries, you won't like this that much. Especially since the solving part is a bit too frustrating when the clues are right there in front of them (and being too chill when your life is being threatened 😆). But if you love small town stories, whether it's romance or not, you'll find this a worthy read. I'm just confused because I just realized it's a 13-book series and it seems like someone's dying in every book. How in the downward dog is that not alarming the FBI? A small town with a population of 2,350 and every year or so someone's being murdered? 👁️👄👁️
May 4, 2019
The first book in Lyndsey Cole's Black Cat Cafe mystery series, Blueburied Muffins, feels like the first of many enjoyable adventures with Annie Fisher. When somebody burns down her aunt Leona's cafe, Annie heads home to Catfish Cove, New Hampshire. With Annie's help her aunt is opening a new cafe called, Black Cat Cafe, Take it or Leave it. Things get off to a rocky start, however, when Annie's ex-boyfriend, Max Parker, is found dead! Annie has her new kitten, Smokey, for comfort, as well as her new landlord. This mystery has many possible suspects and a great group of secondary characters. I look forward to following along as Annie has more adventures in future books.
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