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The Handyman's Last Bite
The Handyman's Last Bite
"Excellent storytelling gives life to a plot which is nice and twisty and characters who are well-developed and believable"
Gypsy Lee Miller had a successful career in Washington, DC, but felt adrift. Her friends thought she was nuts when she decided to go back Bay View Harbor on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Not a retreat, kind of a rethinking. At her cousin Linda's suggestion, she renovates a building to become the Bay View Harbor Bakery and the two become entrepreneurs. Business doesn't pick up rapidly but it is growing until Gordy, the local handyman, drops dead on the bakery floor.
Gypsy Lee's yoga instructor friend, Tessa, encourages her to delve into what happened. She doesn't need a lot of encouragement; if the bakery fails she'll lose everything she invested. Who knew she'd end up as an amateur sleuth? Gyplsy Lee and Tessa Gordy's footsteps to the posh Bay View Inn, a local fishing boat, and a glass blowing store owner Gordy tried to blackmail.
Gordy owed money to people and was fixated on not being well-to-do. He was also focused on a town real estate development project that might benefit the owner of the local inn. But why did he care whether she really owned it? Questions irritate the mayor and other important people in town.
With the bakery clients dwindling and sparse clues, Gypsy Lee continues to persist -- against police and Linda's advice -- to delve into what happened. Being known as the Killer Cupcake Woman is bad for business. But the questions she's asking bring unwanted attention in the form of bricks through her bakery window and bashed taillights.
She begins to think she's on the right path, But her actions aren't recipes for a long life.
Come to the charming town of Bay View Harbor on the Chesapeake Bay to meet an eclectic group of townspeople and begin the Bayview Harbor Mystery series. A fun culinary mystery.
** With recipes, including several from A Taste of Love by Leigh Michaels.
Cover View of the harbor from inside the Bay View Bakery, complete with a lemon-frosted cupcake with a bite out of it.
"Excellent storytelling gives life to a plot which is nice and twisty and characters who are well-developed and believable"
Gypsy Lee Miller had a successful career in Washington, DC, but felt adrift. Her friends thought she was nuts when she decided to go back Bay View Harbor on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Not a retreat, kind of a rethinking. At her cousin Linda's suggestion, she renovates a building to become the Bay View Harbor Bakery and the two become entrepreneurs. Business doesn't pick up rapidly but it is growing until Gordy, the local handyman, drops dead on the bakery floor.
Gypsy Lee's yoga instructor friend, Tessa, encourages her to delve into what happened. She doesn't need a lot of encouragement; if the bakery fails she'll lose everything she invested. Who knew she'd end up as an amateur sleuth? Gyplsy Lee and Tessa Gordy's footsteps to the posh Bay View Inn, a local fishing boat, and a glass blowing store owner Gordy tried to blackmail.
Gordy owed money to people and was fixated on not being well-to-do. He was also focused on a town real estate development project that might benefit the owner of the local inn. But why did he care whether she really owned it? Questions irritate the mayor and other important people in town.
With the bakery clients dwindling and sparse clues, Gypsy Lee continues to persist -- against police and Linda's advice -- to delve into what happened. Being known as the Killer Cupcake Woman is bad for business. But the questions she's asking bring unwanted attention in the form of bricks through her bakery window and bashed taillights.
She begins to think she's on the right path, But her actions aren't recipes for a long life.
Come to the charming town of Bay View Harbor on the Chesapeake Bay to meet an eclectic group of townspeople and begin the Bayview Harbor Mystery series. A fun culinary mystery.
** With recipes, including several from A Taste of Love by Leigh Michaels.
Cover View of the harbor from inside the Bay View Bakery, complete with a lemon-frosted cupcake with a bite out of it.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 17, 2026
Elaine L. Orr's new series, Bay View Harbor Mysteries is sure to be a winner. Her MC, Gypsy Lee Miller, has lots to learn about being an amateur sleuth, but she shows more brains that a lot of well-known series stars. When she left a successful career as an event planner in Washington, DC to reconnect with herself as much as her old hometown, Gypsy was sure that she and her cousin would have their new bakery up and running smoothly in no time. Things seem to be running along fairly well, but business is slow to pick up, and THEN, a customer dies right in front of them. The Handyman's Last Bite, 1st in a new series by Elaine L. Orr channels Gypsy Lee's natural Nancy Drew to find the killer before they go out of business. The police are investigating, but she and her cousin Linda are surviving on her life savings, and that won't last long at the rate their patronage drops to.
Gyspy gets a lesson in the complexity of amateur investigation including the fact that she can make things worse if she isn't careful. If she starts listening to her cousin and a cop friend from high school, and current crush, this series will turn out a good as Ms. Orrs earlier series that I love.
Gyspy gets a lesson in the complexity of amateur investigation including the fact that she can make things worse if she isn't careful. If she starts listening to her cousin and a cop friend from high school, and current crush, this series will turn out a good as Ms. Orrs earlier series that I love.
July 11, 2026
Gypsy Lee Miller has left the big city of Washington D.C., to return to the quiet and cozy town of Bay View Harbor located along the Chesapeake. A town where everybody knows your name and your business, just ask Mrs. Carnahan, if you can’t say anything nice, go sit next to her. What can I say, almost every cozy small town mystery has a Mrs. Carnahan. Almost every town also has a bakery, and this is where Gypsy Lee (I really like the unusual name) has joined forces with her cousin Linda, to provide the town with some truly tasty baked goods such as muffins, cookies, scones, and brownies. Recipes for several of the baked goods mentioned can be found at the back of the book. I struggled to make a choice to pair with my review but finally settled on the Oatmeal Apple Cookies.
Gypsy Lee’s plan was to work hard with her cousin to get the bakery to a profitable point while reintegrating herself into Bay View Harbor. It was a well thought out plan, at least until local handyman Gordy Steele takes a bite of a lemon cupcake and falls down dead. The interesting thing about Gordy is that he reminds you of the character Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons who “would gladly pay you tomorrow, for a hamburger today.” It seems that Gordy owed people money and people may have been paying Gordy to do more than just fix an awning or paint a kitchen. Suspects abound from the town mayor to a couple of poker buddies. The gossip is that a killer cupcake “did in” the handyman, so of course, just as the bakery is getting going, the rumor mill is causing the progress to come to a halt. Not to mention that it is a crime scene that will require a closing, testing of ingredients, and clean up before reopening. Well, this is Gypsy Lee’s life savings on the line, and she can’t possibly stand back and wait for justice or the police to get the crime solved. Even if the detective is an old friend, a handsome and single old friend. A friend who warns her multiple times to stay out of the investigation, but do you think she is going to listen. Honestly, what amateur sleuth in a cozy, ever listens. In her defense, Gypsy Lee is slightly encouraged by her yoga teaching bestie, Tessa, to get involved. Tessa is just one of the many interesting and entertaining characters.
This is a great series starter with a nice lineup of characters. There is even some character growth just in the first book alone from more than one main character. I was not surprised by who the culprit turned out to be, but I did think there were more crimes to be solved. My guess is that this is a subtle cliffhanger hook that will keep me in suspense until the next book comes out. Until then I will console myself with various cookie recipes straight from the Bay View Harbor Bakery.
Gypsy Lee’s plan was to work hard with her cousin to get the bakery to a profitable point while reintegrating herself into Bay View Harbor. It was a well thought out plan, at least until local handyman Gordy Steele takes a bite of a lemon cupcake and falls down dead. The interesting thing about Gordy is that he reminds you of the character Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons who “would gladly pay you tomorrow, for a hamburger today.” It seems that Gordy owed people money and people may have been paying Gordy to do more than just fix an awning or paint a kitchen. Suspects abound from the town mayor to a couple of poker buddies. The gossip is that a killer cupcake “did in” the handyman, so of course, just as the bakery is getting going, the rumor mill is causing the progress to come to a halt. Not to mention that it is a crime scene that will require a closing, testing of ingredients, and clean up before reopening. Well, this is Gypsy Lee’s life savings on the line, and she can’t possibly stand back and wait for justice or the police to get the crime solved. Even if the detective is an old friend, a handsome and single old friend. A friend who warns her multiple times to stay out of the investigation, but do you think she is going to listen. Honestly, what amateur sleuth in a cozy, ever listens. In her defense, Gypsy Lee is slightly encouraged by her yoga teaching bestie, Tessa, to get involved. Tessa is just one of the many interesting and entertaining characters.
This is a great series starter with a nice lineup of characters. There is even some character growth just in the first book alone from more than one main character. I was not surprised by who the culprit turned out to be, but I did think there were more crimes to be solved. My guess is that this is a subtle cliffhanger hook that will keep me in suspense until the next book comes out. Until then I will console myself with various cookie recipes straight from the Bay View Harbor Bakery.
October 1, 2026
I love the Jolie Gentil series, but this book (first in a different series) was not my favorite. The main character went way too far in investigating the murder. She also had access to things that she had no business with. And the news reporter was way too demanding. Given that this is the first in a series, I believe the author will work out the issues for a better second one.
June 11, 2026
An exceptional start to what promises to be a five-star series! Excellent storytelling gives life to a plot which is nice and twisty and characters who are well-developed and believable. Highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series.
June 21, 2026
A fun start to a new series! Gypsy Lee and her cousin have everything at stake in a small-town bakery, so when a customer drops dead in their shop, their investment is at risk. it behooves Gypsy to solve the crime and save their reputation. Interesting characters and plot twists.
June 25, 2026
New Series
A wonderful new addition to the many series Ms Orr writes.
Book one contains many twists and surprises..
Look forward to seeing what's next in this series.
A wonderful new addition to the many series Ms Orr writes.
Book one contains many twists and surprises..
Look forward to seeing what's next in this series.
July 26, 2026
Gypsy Lee and her cousin own a bakery and their livelihood is threatened after the town handyman collapses and dies there. Interesting characters and plot twists throughout.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews