A Crime of Passion Fruit

Bakeshop Mystery #6

by Ellie Alexander

Torte--everybody's favorite small-town family bakeshop--is headed for the high seas, where murder is about to make a splash. . .

Jules Capshaw is trying to keep her cool as Torte gets set to make its transformation from quaint, local confectionary cafe to royal pastry palace. Meanwhile, Jules's estranged husband Carlos is making a desperate plea for her to come aboard his cruise ship and dazzle everyone with her signature sweets. She may be skeptical about returning to her former nautical life with Carlos but Jules can't resist an all-expense-paid trip, either. If only she knew that a dead body would find its way onto the itinerary . .

"A warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly and likable main characters, and a nasty murder mystery to solve!" --Fresh Fiction

Now, instead of enjoying tropical drinks on deck between whipping up batches of sea-salted chocolates and flambeing fresh pineapple slices in the kitchen, Jules is plunged into dangerous waters. Her investigation leaves her with more questions than answers: Why can't anyone on board identify the young woman? And how can she help Carlos keep passengers at ease with a killer in their midst? Jules feels like she's ready to jump ship. Can she solve this case without getting in too deep?
"A perfect mix for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Leslie Budewitz, or Jessica Beck."
--Library Journal

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Food, Contemporary

266 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Ellie is a voracious storyteller and a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over forty published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.

Find out more about Ellie and her books by visiting her website at: http://www.elliealexander.co/ or following her on social media—
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexa...
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliealexande...
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Reviews

[Madeline (always_reading1) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series!!

[Melodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skimmed big parts of this just to be done with it. I'll just say I LOATHE Carlos and can't read another sentence about him. Other characters are fine...........I just can't get past this guy. Done with the series, unless he disappears.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Jules has an offer she would like to refuse, going back to work on the cruise ship Amour of the Seas for a week to help out her husband Carlos, but then he sweetens the pot by offering to let her mom, Helen, and her beau the Professor come along. There is a lot happening at Torte but the staff says they can take care of everything and encourages them all to go and enjoy their time a sea.

Excited for the trip they board the ship for a relaxing week but just like at home a dead body mucks up their plans. The Captain quickly pulls the Professor into the investigation and Jules starts to do some snooping too. She is also questioning her relationship with Carlos. She is so happy working at Torte with her mom, but should she stand by her man and return to baking on the ship? With a killer on board, she needs to keep her wits about her and try to keep those she loves and the passengers safe. She can worry about her love life later.

______

With every book in this series, I love the characters more. I was afraid with Helen and Jules away from the bakery the Oregon characters wouldn’t have much presence in this story, but the ship has computers and there is email. With Lance, Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, “in charge” of Torte there is never a dull moment. 🙂

Ms. Alexander as written a great whodunit. The victim is an apparent stowaway that no one knows. Who would want her dead? They have the added drama of catching the killer before they get to the next port where the killer could get off and be lost forever. Taking place on the ship does mean a limited number of suspects too. I set my sights on the killer early on but that sure didn’t take away my enjoyment of this story. I was totally caught up all the things happening within these pages.

I loved that the story was set on a cruise ship. Going on a cruise has been on my bucket list forever. The author describes the scenes and people vividly. I tuned in to my days of watching Loveboat and let the author just take me away.

As the story ends Jules’s relationship with Carlos is still up in the air and I am still on the fence about who I want for her love interest. While the murder is solved there is so much going on in Jules life and Helen’s too. I am so excited about this series. Another One Bites The Crust is next up. Watch for my review of that one soon.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this outing with Jules, Torte moves into the background. She received a call from Carlos (her estranged husband) that the pastry chef on the upcoming cruise has quit and they need someone for a short four day cruise until the new hire can arrive. To sweeten the pot, her mom and "The Professor" are invited along free of charge. She can not turn this opportunity down. Not only does her mother really need a vacation, but it will give her time to decided what to do about Carlos. Of course on the second day of the cruise, Jules finds a dead body floating in the pool early in the morning. Knowing that The Professor is a detective, the captain asks for his help. There is a lot going on in this novel. First Jules needs to deal with her relationship with Carlos, she is helping the professor figure out who the dead woman is as well as who killed her, and they are sailing into an impending storm/hurricane which is dangerous for the small ship. There is a lot of suspense and mystery in this book with tidbits via email, keeping us updated on what is happening back at Torte. i am already looking forward to the next book.

The story moved quickly and even though the setting was completely changed and the story did not happen locally, it was still an enjoyable mystery with many suspects and clues. The new characters on the ship were interesting, some more than others. The descriptions of the shipboard activities and food were amazing. I recommend this book to all cozy mystery fans.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
This is the 5th book, in 'A Bakeshop Mystery Series' cozy mystery. This one takes place back on board the cruise ship where Jules used to work and reside with her romantic husband, Carlos.

Jules Capshaw is trying to keep her cool as Torte gets set to make its transformation from quaint, local confectionary café to royal pastry palace. Meanwhile, Jules's estranged husband Carlos is making a desperate plea for her to come aboard his cruise ship and dazzle everyone with her signature sweets. She may be skeptical about returning to her former nautical life with Carlos but Jules can't resist an all-expense-paid trip, either. If only she knew that a dead body would find its way onto the itinerary...

Of course, there are changes coming to Torte in the way of expanding the bakery, which bring its own complications.

I was able to read this series on my Kindle through my local Public Library. I am forever grateful for all the books I have been able to access in my exploration of the literary artist this way.

This is a clean and easy read. I would recommend this series to anyone who is interested in food and cozy mysteries, that are wrapped with an intriguing H.E.A.
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[Courtny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you every read a book that makes you want to vacation so much you can smell the salt in the air? You can feel the warmth of the sun kiss your cheeks? You can hear the waves hit the side of the shop? And look out into the vast endlessness of the ocean with your eyes closed? 

This is how I felt reading the 6th installment of the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. Jules has been asked by her estranged husband to come to his rescue. Well, not his rescue, but to come and be head pastry chef until the cruise liner can meet up at a port to pick up the replacement chef. 

Although Jules is apprehensive to join her husband out on the sea that they fell in love on, Carlos sweetens the deal. The Captain of the ship agreed to let Helen and the Professor have a free vacation and they will double her salary for the week. Finally she gives in. 

Torte is in the middle of construction with the new addition and Lance has agreed to watch over things while Jules is gone. She knows that she has an amazing team and isn't too worried. Helen, the Professor, and Jules are heading their way to endless buffets, good wine, and great entertainment. Or so they thought. 

Jules notices a young woman wandering around the boat that is acting strangely. Before she is able to find out who the young woman is, Jules finds her floating dead in the pool on cruise. The Captain asks Julies and the Professor to figure out what happened to the young lady. 

Not only is Jules trying to figure out who Jane Dough is, but she is also soul searching herself. Will she be able to find out who the girl is? Will she be able to come to terms with what she wants? Carlos or Torte? Both? You'll have to read to find out! 

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different entry in the series. Jules got go fill in on the cruise ship so that was fun. It was fun hearing about the kitchen on the ship. The mystery was good and I kinda guessed who did it. Looking forward to seeing all the new stuff going on at Torte in the next book.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliet is heading back to sea to fill in for the pastry chef on the cruise ship. Her mom and the professor come along for a much needed vacation. What was supposed to be a relaxing week turns into a murder investigation when a dead body turns up on the ship. The professor asks for Juliet help. I love the cast of characters in this series and am excited to read more.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this different setting aboard the cruise ship and getting to see a behind the scene perspective of a cruise chef. It sounded like a culinary delight and cruise even I would want to go on (and I do not like boats). I appreciated how Jules is trying to confront her feelings and make a firm but hard decision about her future and I can't wait to see where she goes from here. I was SHOCKED by the reveal and loved the ending.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so I didn't start off with the first book in the series so I was playing a bit of catch up with some of the back story on the MC which we get snippets of. Basically she lived for a decade or so on a cruise ship as a pastry chef and married Carlos (who is a Mexican cliche and begins every sentence with Si or adds it to every sentence...) the main food chef. When she found out he had a son (it sounds like he has nothing to do with the kid or possibly didn't know himself) she freaks out and jumps ship to go back home. It only been a few months (and several murders later) that Carlos asks her to come back to the ship to help out for a week or so. She agrees and wonders why she left the ship, but how can she stay she is so in love with life on land and her home, but she loves Carlos so much how can she not stay on the ship, but she wants land....and on and on it goes. About almost half of this book is taken up by our MC's inner musings about her life at home, and her love of Carlos and should she remain at sea. Also she talks about how much work being head pastry chef is and how many hours she has to spend in the kitchen....and yet she is hardly there at all.

Anyway she was home and now she, her mom and her mom's boyfriend are on the cruise when on the first day there is a murder. Between musing about her relationship with her husband, eating something of everything she cooks, running around out of the kitchen she is helping to solve a murder...sort of. This is one of those mysteries where the MC doesn't actually solve didily but the case just comes together and all the pieces fall into place like day to day life just happening. And last it annoyed me that the MC is such a gossip...she tells everyone everything about the murder whenever she can, she even emails her friends at home and tells them everything...really I am sick of this becoming standard in mysteries of all MC's and most secondary characters.

[Monica Gearhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m enjoying this series but I really wish Jules would figure out who she wants to be with. Her back and forth with her husband, is driving me crazy.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting:  Aboard the Amour of the Seas, a boutique cruise ship 

Characters

Juliet "Jules" Capshaw: Former full-time pastry chef on a cruise line, current co-owner of Torte, a popular local bakery and cafe in Ashland, Oregon. 
Carlos: Jules's estranged husband, head chef on the Amour of the Seas
Rocky: Cruise director 
Helen Capshaw: Jules' mother and co-owner of Torte
The Professor: Police chief detective and boyfriend of Helen
Plot:  Before returning home to Ashland, Jules spent several years traveling the world on cruise ships, where she worked as a pastry chef.Her heart - and her feet - are now firmly planted on the ground as she takes on more and more at Torte. But when Carlos calls and asks Jules to fill in for a week aboard the Amour of the Seas, and sweetens the offer by extending an invitation to Helen and the Professor, as well, Jules can't help but set sail once more. Once on board, Jules finds herself torn between her heart and her head - should she return to the life of a world traveler alongside her husband? Or should she stay back in Oregon with her family and continue to renovate and renew the business her parents built?

The decision isn't an easy one, especially when her personal debate is sidetracked by an investigation. While taking an early morning stroll, Jules comes across the body of stow-away passenger - dead in the pool. Her already tattered nerves are even more frayed at the thought of a killer on board the boutique cruise ship. It's up to the Professor and Jules to identify the victim, pinpoint the motive, and isolate the murderer - all while sailing directly into the eye of a storm.  

Pacing:  Consistent

Predictability:  Low

Wild Card:  A Crime of Passion Fruit is the sixth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series, which is a favorite of mine. The carefully crafted stories are as enticing as the mouth-watering descriptions of what Jules and her crew are cooking up at the bakery. Over the course of these six books, I've gone back and forth along with Jules on the issue of Carlos. At first, I was ready to do away with him. Drop him off the canvas and cheer on a new path with an old flame. But then he came to Ashland and, well, the guy is charming. But now . . . I'm undecided. I'm thrilled that Jules is ready to return to land without another thought of sailing off into the sunset, and I'm equally eager to see what's next for the remodeling and expansion at Torte. However, I just don't know if I'm Team Carlos, Team Thomas, or Team Torte! (After all, a gal doesn't have to have a love interest to be happy and successful!) Needless to say, this delightful and delectable series continues to be a favorite and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next twists and turns that Ellie Alexander has in store.  

Hit, Miss, or Draw?  Hit!

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read that anyone will love.  The story kept me guessing until the end.  You will feel like you have been placed on a tropical island. Jules treats everyone like they are family.  When she is on the cruise ship it was great to see how things were done in the kitchen and on the ship. It has to take a well organized and strong person to cook and work in a short and crowded space.

I like the fact that the murder is on the ship and theres is a wide range of suspects. The story moves quickly and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Annu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was soo good, like the first few books in the series. There was a lot of sleuthing go on. I figured out the whodunit pretty early but then the author confused me with the red herrings. This book also had a lot of heart, one scene in particular made me tear up a bit. I think I am Team Carlos because I realized with this book that I find Thomas annoying :D I used to find Lance equally annoying but I've started to warm up to him now. With Jules being away on a cruise in this one, the torte team was not around a lot, but the little that we got of them through emails was good. And Richard Lord (even just his references) cracks me up still :D

[Alison Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already had negative ten million percent interest in a cruise, which is nothing but a floating sickness machine filled with drunk morons and forced socialization. But if you're going to add MURDER to the mix, I will seriously volunteer as tribute to start a fucking colony on Mars before getting on board a cruise ship.

I will say that setting a murder mystery on a cruise ship gives it a bit of that isolated closed-circle feeling, especially since you're out in the middle of the damn ocean (which is NOT A PLACE HUMANS WERE MEANT TO BE, God gave us feet instead of fins for a reason, people). And it would obviously make it more difficult to investigate in some ways, since I assume cruise ships don't have a CSI lab and crew on board. (Uh-oh. Are we gonna get CSI: Cruise Ship now?) I appreciated that it made sense for Jules to want to snoop around and try to solve things, since she was an employee and the one who found the body. It was also kind of interesting seeing a bit of behind-the-scenes of how you feed a liner full of tourists all day long, and it was good to get a new setting in the series, even if one has to wonder why people don't avoid being around Jules since murder seems to follow her wherever she goes.

A drawback though to the setting is that there was a very limited number of suspects, and to me at least, it was pretty obvious who the killer was fairly early on. I also thought the explanation of everything was a bit lackluster. I mean, it is definitely and sadly realistic, but I expected a little bit more from the ending than we got. Plus, the very very end hinted at something I knew was coming but have been dreading: Obviously, the key Carlos gave Jules is going to be the key to a house or something in Ashland, right? And he's going to say he's throwing away the adventuring life to be with her in the funky small town she loves and he pretends to love, and he's going to be ever-present in at least the next book or two like he was here, giving the author more chances to display her cringey Latino characterization. Bah.

Probably one of my least liked of the series thus far, but still a fun quick read. Plus, we finally got at least one moment of Lance ALMOST saying he's gay. I hold out hope that eventually the author will stop queerbaiting and just give him a boyfriend already.

[Richa Bhattarai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Non-existent plot, indirect speech, passive voice, repeating the same thing ten times. A classic example of 'telling' and 'asking' rather than 'showing.' The art of creating a 277 page book out of nothing !!! I am astounded by the 4 average rating for this novel - but well, to each their own.

The only thing I liked was the recipes at the end, and descriptions of food.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars: An entertaining cozy mystery, but I missed the coziness of the bake shop, and the murder mystery was a little too unrealistic.

Jules is busy as ever at Torte. Between baking and the development of the basement property, she has her hands full. When Carlos calls out of the blue begging for her help on the cruise ship, Jules is hesitant to go, but when he includes a vacation for her mom and the Professor, Jules agrees. It is only five days, what could happen in five days? Once Jules is back on the ship, she realizes how busy and stressful it is to manage the pastry kitchen. Then things get worse when someone is found dead in the pool, and the ship is headed into a dangerous storm. Will Jules survive the high seas?
What I Liked:
*I am always ready to dive back into this fun cozy mystery series. Even though I missed the cozy confines of the Torte bake shop in this one, I still enjoyed the cruise ship setting. This book delivered something different in the series, and I like that the author decided to shake it up a bit.
*I have never been on a cruise, so I enjoyed my vicarious cruise with Juliet. I loved all the decadent food descriptions, as usual. The food served on the cruise ship sounded amazing, and it made me want to book a cruise. I also liked the busy hustle bustle of the ship, and all the work the staff did behind the scenes to make sure all the food is served on time and that it was delicious. This book was a fun escape.
*I liked the added suspense of the impending storm on top of the murder. Then when the storm hit, things got scary. I liked the extra layer of danger on top of the murder mystery.
*The romance has been a bit of a sticking point in the series. Even though there was still not a firm outcome in this one, I liked that Jules listened to her heart and made a decision. I so loved Carlos and the way he reacted. I have my fingers crossed that things will work out the way I want them to.
*Even though Jules was away from Torte and Oregon, she still got funny email updates from Lance and the rest of the gang at Torte, I liked that they all still remained in the story even though they were left on shore.
*The ending was satisfactory. The murder mystery was solved, and the major loose ends done up. I am excited to continue following up on the romance and the expansion of Torte.
*As always, there are yummy recipes included at the end from a Peach Pound Cake to Tropical Cookies. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.
And The Not So Much:
*I know reading cozy mysteries that the reader has to go along with certain things even though they are often unrealistic. This one strained believability time and time again. First, Juliet is extremely busy running the pastry kitchen. The work is endless and often frenetic, so I found it completely ridiculous that she constantly had time to ditch her duties to chase around the ship looking endlessly for the Professor, and questioning suspects. In reality, she probably would barely have time to leave the kitchen.
*I also didn’t like the fact that the ship didn’t have any type of law enforcement on board so the Professor was called upon for police work. I am sure a cruise ship would have some type of law enforcement in place. As it was, Juliet and the Professor were the ones solving the murder.
*The murder mystery itself wasn’t very suspenseful, nor was it particularly hard to figure out the culprit. I had the killer pegged early on.
A Crime of Passion Fruit wasn’t my favorite book in this series, but I still enjoyed the setting, the characters and all the food. I love picking up a book in this series as I know I will get a fun mystery, a cozy setting, scrumptious food and a bit of romance. I am eager to see where the next book will take the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has become one of my favorite series, and I look forward to visiting Ashford and Torte with every book. I was surprised, and maybe even a bit disappointed, when I realized this book isn’t set “at home” but instead on a cruise ship. Even though we got glimpses of things in Ashford, I missed the regular secondary characters.

Hubby and I love cruising, and this book offered a behind the scenes look at what it takes to produce food for a ship full of hungry passengers. The ships we’ve sailed on have all been considerably larger than the ship in this book, and I had a hard time mentally multiplying the kitchen, the staff, and especially the work. We’ve been fortunate enough to tour the galley on a couple of the ships, but they were never fully staffed at the time of the tour. Reading this gave me a new appreciation for what they do and how carefully they must plan – and execute – in order to get everything done on time and to such a high degree of excellence.

The murder here took place relatively early in the book, so most of the rest was dedicated to figuring out whodunnit it. Being a kind of locked room scenario – the murderer had to be someone onboard the ship – there were still several valid suspects to consider. There were quite a few names on my mental list, including one that the investigators didn’t appear to have on theirs. As the book progressed, that person moved higher and higher up my list, and I was pleased when they were revealed to be the killer, and the motive made sense for that character.

Events in the MC’s personal life took up a lot of the book not focused on the murder, and I wasn’t surprised by the decision she reached. I was glad she did something about it right away, rather than drag it out, but will be interested to see what happens next. Perhaps the next book in the series will answer that question?

[Moonlight 🌸]

Read up to 47% before I skipped to the end. I’ve loved this series and I enjoyed the last 5 books. They were cozy and full of yummy treats, and just what I needed! But for this book, I realized some things I enjoyed were changing.
- Carlos and Jules were more distant with no real chemistry and I really loved the glimpses of their romance from earlier books. I expected more closeness here, but again the author was overextending Jules’ indecision towards him and it affected my enjoyment of the book.
- Helen and the professor are getting married and I really don’t like that. Good for them, but I’m not intrigued by that plotline!
- I thought I’d enjoy the ship book—I loved when they went away to cater at the mountain lodge! But while the mountainside and the bakery had cozy vibes, this cruise ship book was not cozy. It was tropical and spry, and I’m not in a springtime mood at all so the atmosphere and even the tropical-themed food felt repelling. It didn’t help that Carlos and Jules didn’t have the closeness I expected the cruise would bring.
- Torts is getting expanded and while it’s cool for the characters, it’s not a change I’m encouraged would improve the story’s cozy atmosphere. I don’t love so much constantly changing in each book. I really loved the cozy stories of before and expansions have lost me.
- On the flip side to this, there were some samey things that I think could use some progress. Like Sterling and Stephanie’s relationship, Andy’s one dimensional character, and Lance. Their stagnated plot lines also lost me.

I think there wasn’t a balance of what should progress and what should remain. The mystery aspect also never improved 6 books in and I think that could’ve really kept me involved for more books to come. In the end, I enjoyed reading the previous books and the series really came at a great time for me!

[Carlymor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this series so far. This is book #6 in the Bakeshop Mystery series and I enjoyed the change of scenery in this entry. Jules is temporarily back on the job as pastry chef on a cruise ship with estranged husband Carlos. Jules finds a dead woman floating in the pool and is once again investigating a murder. I enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of what goes on during a cruise as well as the descriptions of delicious pastries. I admit I read this out of order but I’ll definitely be going back to read the books that I missed.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Alexander is one of my absolute favorite mystery authors. This series is my in my top three of all time reads and I am always eager to highlight a book by her on the blog. It was a treat to go back to Jules’ pastry roots on the cruise ship, her friends and life on a ship was delightful to see.

Full Review: https://bibliophile.reviews/book-revi...

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the Bakeshop Mystery series, this story sees Jules temporarily going back to her old job as pastry chef on the same cruise ship as her estranged husband Carlos. As if her turbulent emotions regarding Carlos and his attempts to win her back are not enough, she finds the dead body of a woman who had been acting very suspicious. She is troubled by the fact that no one knows who the deceased is, and as she investigates, finds more and more things that are not what they should be. Things get even more complicated when the ship heads into a storm, and there is even more danger. With the help of the Professor (nickname of her mother's policeman boyfriend), Jules finally manages to figure out who the killer is, but not before being threatened herself.

[MK · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

When I don’t know what to read and just want to relax, this cozy mystery series is always my go-to. Light, familiar, and comforting, this installment delivered exactly what I was in the mood for — an easy mystery, a charming setting, and zero stress.
Not groundbreaking, but perfect comfort reading.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Crime of Passion Fruit is a must read! Well written characters, a touch of romance, and a mystery that will keep you guessing make this a hard to put down book. The delicious recipes included at the end are an added bonus! Definitely recommend!

[Nicola Nunney · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: vomiting

This was amazing!

I loved the fact it was set at sea, and I loved Jules' interaction with the customers and staff as she tried to to solve Annie's murder. I got the murderer wrong, again 😂

It was a fun edition in the series and I was so excited to read that the Professor and Helen are engaged, as well as Bethany being taken on at Torte.

I'm curious about the key Carlos gave to Jules though. I wonder what that's about?

I can't wait to read the next in the series.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: This book will cause cravings for Monte Cristo sandwiches, gooey cinnamon rolls, crepe cakes, lemon jelly roll, peach coffee cake, and more delectable desserts and pastries. You have been duly cautioned.

While A Crime of Passion Fruit isn’t like one of those ‘special mid-season episodes’ of your favorite TV show, where everyone heads to the vacation destination, Alexander does a fantastic job of including all the beloved characters anyway. Through emails back and forth with her friends and employees, Jules stays up to date with the goings-on back home, and we as readers are still treated to these great characters even in absentia. The cruise ship aspect to this novel was also well-done and in fact fascinated me. I enjoyed learning about what goes into making sure a cruise runs smoothly, particularly in the kitchens or during rough seas.

The murder mystery in A Crime of Passion Fruit has a bit of a twist in that it’s not just about ‘whodunit’ but also about who it was done to. No one knows (or admits to knowing) the victim, and so it’s as much about figuring out who she is and where she came from as it is about solving the crime itself. Being on a cruise ship – and being rather on Jules’ home turf – allows the Professor (whom I love) and Juliet to work together rather than him being in charge and her sneaking around to sneak around, so to speak.

Bottom Line: Juliet, her mother, and the Professor work just as well together as characters on a cruise ship as they do at Torte, and it was nice to keep up with the other characters back home too. The mystery is well-crafted (though I had the whodunit aspect pegged early on), and the continuing situation with Carlos vs. Thomas adds a dose of romance as well as emotion. The Bakeshop Mystery series is a great choice for cozy mystery fans with sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and this installment in particular makes the perfect vacation read!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

see my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was transported to a tropical paradise from the moment I saw the cover until the very last page. Jules, owner of Torte, a bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon, has a strong sense of community and treats her employees like family. This theme is carried throughout the series and extends to her temporary stay on board a cruise ship. When her estranged husband, Carlos (and yes, I am #teamcarlos!), asks her to return to his cruise ship for a short time to work as a pastry chef, she agrees. Jules is especially happy when she finds out that her mother and beau will get an all expense paid trip as well if she helps out. I loved the description of working in the ship’s kitchen and feeding vast numbers of people 24 hours a day. It certainly takes a certain kind of person to live and work in such tight quarters and I find it amazing there aren’t more real life murders taking place on cruise ships!

When Jules finds the body of an unknown young woman floating in the pool, she feels a certain responsibility to find the murderer. Her mother’s beau, a detective known as Professor, quickly becomes involved and he asks Jules to assist him. Given that the murder takes place on the ship while out at sea, there is a limited number of suspects. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing with some twists thrown in. She also touches on the frightening issue of stalking and ties it into the story. The pace of the plot moves along nicely while interwoven with life on the ship and Jules coming to terms with her relationship with Carlos.

Of course with Jules working in the ship’s pastry kitchen there are all sorts of delectable dishes mentioned in the book. I felt like I gained 5 pounds on Jule’s tropical cruise just reading the descriptions! Ellie Alexander provides several delicious recipes at the back of the book. I tried her recipe for Lemon Jelly Roll Cake... easy to follow directions and the results were stunning. An easy way to impress family and guests alike!

I received an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another fun installment in this cozy mystery series! In this book, Juliet is asked to temporarily return to her former job as a pastry chef on a cruise line until the new chef can come on board. Her estranged husband, Carlos, is thrilled to have her on board again, and Juliet's mom and her boyfriend come along for a week-long vacation too. At first, it's a fun change from Juliet's usual routine at the family's bakery in Ashland, but then Juliet discovers a dead body on board and naturally gets sucked into that mystery, especially since no one seems to be able to identify the woman.

I liked the change of setting for this book. I've been enjoying reading about Juliet's adventures in Ashland, but having her on board a cruise ship for the duration of this book made for a fun change of scenery while also allowing the relationship between Juliet and Carlos to be a little more developed. Characters from previous books in this series made appearances at the beginning and end of the book, as well as throughout the mystery through their emails with Juliet. It was fun to read about Juliet's adventures working on board the ship and the busy "employee" section of the cruise ship with plenty of drama there.

The mystery in here was a lot of fun and I liked the fact that it was twofold: who was the murderer and who was the victim? It was interesting to have both mysteries to solve, keeping the story moving forward. It did seem like this mystery wrapped up a lot "easier" than previous ones, though; I guessed who'd done it fairly early on, and I thought the explanation was on the weaker side. But the story was still entertaining, and I enjoyed the book overall. A nice light summer read.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This i s my first foray into the Bakeshop Mystery series. I picked this book up at my local grocery store, which to my luck, carries cozy mysteries. I know you should probably start with book one in a series but I didn’t have any trouble getting into this book. The set up in the first few chapters really gives you a handle on who is who and what is going on in the universe in and around Ashland.

Like in the last Ellie Alexander book I read, this main character is estranged from her husband. I wonder if Alexander has a background which helps her flesh out this sort of relationship or she just has people in her life she can look to for motivation. She portrays these relationships very realistically. Husband, Carlos, is a pastry chef on a boutique cruise liner. This book sure gives you an inside look at how hard these people (the kitchen staff) work to pull off all the magnificent food prepared on a cruise ship. I was in awe.

The storyline was rock solid and I loved how she brought the activities back in Ashland back into the picture through the emails of Thomas, Lance and others. This helped keep us connected to all that was going on in the book and I thought a key part of the success of the title. The people who regularly read this series will want to see their favorite characters and these emails made that possible even if in a small way.

I look forward to diving into the first book of this series and starting all over and see what truly makes this series such a successful and integral part of the cozy-mystery community.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another nice cozy mystery in the Bakeshop series. This one took place mostly on a cruise ship, which I found fascinating. I have no desire to go on a cruise, so I enjoyed learning a bit about it without having to do it. Once again, I enjoyed the characters (I love the supporting characters) and the easy mystery. I still get mixed feelings about Jules - sometimes I like that she seems levelheaded, other times I feel like she's just lacking emotion.

The relationship with Carlos was getting a little unbelievable to me - she's in a relationship with a supposedly passionate, handsome Spanish lover, yet there's very little intimacy and he's just so agreeable (unbelievably agreeable) to everything, even Jules breaking things off (or did she...). Not that I'm asking for explicit sex scenes because I get that these books aren't like that, but how does NOTHING happen between a supposedly passionate couple that was so in love... She says (but always remains restrained) that Carlos still stirs up feelings inside her and makes it clear that she sees Thomas as just a friend...so it also feels like there's supposed to be a love triangle where there really isn't one.

Like I said, though, I love all the secondary characters and there are moments when I love Jules too. I like the writing style and the mysteries. The key cliffhanger is fun and I'm curious to see where that goes.