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Slice of Paradise Mystery #1
A Cherry Sinister Murder
Faith Franklin is a dreamer. She dreams of cakes & pies. She dreams of crepes & brownies. And, more than anything, she dreams of making a career of serving her delicious treats to an adoring public.
So, when her grandmother calls and asks her to move to Florida to help run her café, she cannot get out of Minnesota fast enough! And before she knows it she is standing in Paradise Point, the beautiful, oceanside plaza in which Bessie's Café is located, hardly able to believe her good fortune.
Life is now exactly how Faith had imagined it could be. She's made wonderful friends. The café, now renamed the Slice of Paradise, has been renovated to showcase her amazing desserts. And both locals & tourists are loving it!
Well, all except for one...
The owner of a nearby cupcake shop is not at all happy with Faith's arrival in Paradise Point. She has accused Faith of trying to ruin her by stealing her recipes & designs. And she is not shy about letting everyone know it.
So, when the woman is found dead the day after their confrontation, people immediately begin to consider whether Faith is the killer...
Is Faith guilty of murder? If not, who is? And can Faith find a way to clear her name before her dreams turn into nightmares?
Find out in A Cherry Sinister Murder!
"Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries" is a Culinary Cozy Mystery series written by #2 Bestselling Author, Nancy McGovern, and the talented newcomer, Cyra Bruce.
Join the "Slice of Paradise Mailing List" inside this book and receive updates on the series, behind-the-scenes info & a FREE "SLICE OF PARADISE" STORY called The Cream Pie Alibi!
So, when her grandmother calls and asks her to move to Florida to help run her café, she cannot get out of Minnesota fast enough! And before she knows it she is standing in Paradise Point, the beautiful, oceanside plaza in which Bessie's Café is located, hardly able to believe her good fortune.
Life is now exactly how Faith had imagined it could be. She's made wonderful friends. The café, now renamed the Slice of Paradise, has been renovated to showcase her amazing desserts. And both locals & tourists are loving it!
Well, all except for one...
The owner of a nearby cupcake shop is not at all happy with Faith's arrival in Paradise Point. She has accused Faith of trying to ruin her by stealing her recipes & designs. And she is not shy about letting everyone know it.
So, when the woman is found dead the day after their confrontation, people immediately begin to consider whether Faith is the killer...
Is Faith guilty of murder? If not, who is? And can Faith find a way to clear her name before her dreams turn into nightmares?
Find out in A Cherry Sinister Murder!
"Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries" is a Culinary Cozy Mystery series written by #2 Bestselling Author, Nancy McGovern, and the talented newcomer, Cyra Bruce.
Join the "Slice of Paradise Mailing List" inside this book and receive updates on the series, behind-the-scenes info & a FREE "SLICE OF PARADISE" STORY called The Cream Pie Alibi!
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2017
692 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Nancy McGovern
83 books173 followersI'm a mother, wife, homemaker, pet lover, teacher, student, reader, writer, drinker of tea & wine (depending on the time of day) and sleep-deprived dreamer. I live in Syracuse, NY, with my husband, Doug (also a writer with books available on Amazon), our three children and too many furred & feathered friends to list!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 22, 2018
This was a really fun and quick to read mystery. I've decided to randomly pick some first in series that aren't going to take me terribly long to read before I need to start reading some book club books.
Faith lives with her mom, Diana in cold and snowy MN, longing for her own cafe/bakery while her mom just longs to be an author instead of a proofreader. A call from Faith's Grandma Bessie changes her life. She has offered for Faith to run her tearoom in Paradise, FL. With new kittens that her mom got her in tow, Faith hops the next flight to sunny FL where her grandma has an apartment all lined up for her and she quickly becomes best friends with her employee, Laura. The two have a lot of fun just hanging out or Faith teaching Laura more about baking...or Laura teasing Faith about having a crush on Laura's cousin, Nathan.
Aside from the cupcake lady from another shop being angry that Faith is also going to make and sell cupcakes, everything is going fine...until that woman is found dead and Faith is the only prime suspect they have. Faith, Laura and Nathan, who has been doing landscaping for their tearoom renovation project, decide that to clear Faith's name, they'll have to do some investigating on their own.
I didn't really have any idea who the killer was and enjoyed the little twist and reveal at the end when Faith figured it all out. The characters were for the most part enjoyable and the ones who weren't, well the author did her job in presenting them so we wouldn't like them. Grandma Bessie was a little curmudgeonly but not in a bad way. She ended up being happy with the changes that Laura and Faith had made to her place as well as the new name, "Slice of Paradise."
I'm definitely planning to keep on reading this series. It's a nice little community that I am anxious to revisit.
Faith lives with her mom, Diana in cold and snowy MN, longing for her own cafe/bakery while her mom just longs to be an author instead of a proofreader. A call from Faith's Grandma Bessie changes her life. She has offered for Faith to run her tearoom in Paradise, FL. With new kittens that her mom got her in tow, Faith hops the next flight to sunny FL where her grandma has an apartment all lined up for her and she quickly becomes best friends with her employee, Laura. The two have a lot of fun just hanging out or Faith teaching Laura more about baking...or Laura teasing Faith about having a crush on Laura's cousin, Nathan.
Aside from the cupcake lady from another shop being angry that Faith is also going to make and sell cupcakes, everything is going fine...until that woman is found dead and Faith is the only prime suspect they have. Faith, Laura and Nathan, who has been doing landscaping for their tearoom renovation project, decide that to clear Faith's name, they'll have to do some investigating on their own.
I didn't really have any idea who the killer was and enjoyed the little twist and reveal at the end when Faith figured it all out. The characters were for the most part enjoyable and the ones who weren't, well the author did her job in presenting them so we wouldn't like them. Grandma Bessie was a little curmudgeonly but not in a bad way. She ended up being happy with the changes that Laura and Faith had made to her place as well as the new name, "Slice of Paradise."
I'm definitely planning to keep on reading this series. It's a nice little community that I am anxious to revisit.
October 5, 2018
Kindle freebie
2.5 stars
20-something Faith Franklin has a passion for baking beautiful and scrumptious treats. She bakes when she is feeling sad, when she's feeling happy and when she wants to create something new. She loves the challenge of developing the perfect flavor combinations and designs. Yet she's stuck working at a corner store and living with her mother. When her grandmother Bessie calls to offer Faith a chance to run "Bessie's Place", a tea room in Florida, Faith jumps at the chance. She doesn't know anything about business or accounts or money or anything but she has a vision. Faith quickly realizes the shop is in a slow decline but she knows how to turn it around-with her delicious cupcakes and her new friend Laura's cakes. However, another business owner in the same park thinks she has the monopoly on cupcakes. Jo-Ann threatens Faith's business but Faith tries a peace offering. When Jo-Ann ends up dead the next morning, the Deputy Sheriff sets his sights on Faith as the murderer. Faith knows she is innocent and decides to investigate with the help of her new friends in order to clear her name.
This story had potential but it didn't really go anywhere. It takes a very long time for Faith to even get involved in investigating the murder and it is solved way too abruptly. There is no explanation as to why the police suspect Faith other than a poisoned cherry. In other mysteries of this type the police usually shut down the shop to search for traces of poison and all ingredients have to be thrown out, etc. etc. Here the police just suspect Faith because the woman died eating one of Faith's cupcakes. They interview other people but give Faith a really rough time for no good reason. She doesn't have the skills to investigate a murder and her investigation consists of asking dumb questions. She randomly remembers the big clue that I knew right away was going to be the clue. Even so, the how was pretty difficult to guess. It shows a very twisted mind.
I could relate to Faith, having big dreams and stuck at home. I can also relate to loving baking but not having enough business sense to open a business. However, I found Faith a little immature and ditzy. Plus her mother randomly surprises her with kittens at the airport, just before she gets on a plane. WHAT? Who does that? I'm not a huge fan of cats so I wasn't thrilled with that aspect of the plot. Not to mention it was random and every time the cats were mentioned it felt forced. I didn't like how she instantly becomes best friends with someone she doesn't know and flirts with a stranger. I get being friends with Laura because Laura works for Bessie and Bessie is a tough woman to get along with. Flirting with Nathan I don't really get especially when he's supposed to be working for Faith. Laura is a little too kind and sweet for my liking. I didn't care for how much she cries. Her cousin Nathan is fun and a bit too immature for running his own business yet but I can see his passion for landscape design. I don't know what he sees in Faith yet.
The rest of locals are an unfriendly bunch. Faith's grandmother, Bessie, is tough as nails yet she's willing to admit when she is unable to do something. That sounds contradictory for her personality. I expected more of Bessie in the story but she disappears for most of the book -completely forgotten until the end. Jo-Ann was a very nasty, bizarre woman. She seemed to live in her own world where she has the copyright on cupcakes, despite having a very different product from Faith. Ellis, the man in charge of the park plaza where the shops are takes his job too seriously. He seems to think he's a dictator. I do feel bad that some young thugs were tormenting him and no one else seemed to really care! Deputy Valdez is another nasty character. He seems to have it out for Faith for no good reason and fails to intervene to save her life! Why is he so mean? Josiah runs the juice bar and Ellis describes Josiah as a "hippie dippy" type. Josiah is an advocate of the tiny house movement, the green movement and passionate about his juices. All this apparently adds up to hostile and unfriendly. Tonya who runs the pancake house believes she knows who the murderer is. She's a bit aloof to Faith and for good reason! She believes in letting the police do their job.
The only friendly locals are Sandy, the gatekeeper and Lula the carpenter. They are hardly in the story.
I read the whole book hoping some some delicious cupcake recipes, especially that peanut butter one. The one and only recipe included in this book is Individual Cherry Bakewell Tarts! That's not even IN the story! It's only mentioned in passing. I was very disappointed.
The authors offered a free book in the series but I didn't care about Faith enough to want to read more.
2.5 stars
20-something Faith Franklin has a passion for baking beautiful and scrumptious treats. She bakes when she is feeling sad, when she's feeling happy and when she wants to create something new. She loves the challenge of developing the perfect flavor combinations and designs. Yet she's stuck working at a corner store and living with her mother. When her grandmother Bessie calls to offer Faith a chance to run "Bessie's Place", a tea room in Florida, Faith jumps at the chance. She doesn't know anything about business or accounts or money or anything but she has a vision. Faith quickly realizes the shop is in a slow decline but she knows how to turn it around-with her delicious cupcakes and her new friend Laura's cakes. However, another business owner in the same park thinks she has the monopoly on cupcakes. Jo-Ann threatens Faith's business but Faith tries a peace offering. When Jo-Ann ends up dead the next morning, the Deputy Sheriff sets his sights on Faith as the murderer. Faith knows she is innocent and decides to investigate with the help of her new friends in order to clear her name.
This story had potential but it didn't really go anywhere. It takes a very long time for Faith to even get involved in investigating the murder and it is solved way too abruptly. There is no explanation as to why the police suspect Faith other than a poisoned cherry. In other mysteries of this type the police usually shut down the shop to search for traces of poison and all ingredients have to be thrown out, etc. etc. Here the police just suspect Faith because the woman died eating one of Faith's cupcakes. They interview other people but give Faith a really rough time for no good reason. She doesn't have the skills to investigate a murder and her investigation consists of asking dumb questions. She randomly remembers the big clue that I knew right away was going to be the clue. Even so, the how was pretty difficult to guess. It shows a very twisted mind.
I could relate to Faith, having big dreams and stuck at home. I can also relate to loving baking but not having enough business sense to open a business. However, I found Faith a little immature and ditzy. Plus her mother randomly surprises her with kittens at the airport, just before she gets on a plane. WHAT? Who does that? I'm not a huge fan of cats so I wasn't thrilled with that aspect of the plot. Not to mention it was random and every time the cats were mentioned it felt forced. I didn't like how she instantly becomes best friends with someone she doesn't know and flirts with a stranger. I get being friends with Laura because Laura works for Bessie and Bessie is a tough woman to get along with. Flirting with Nathan I don't really get especially when he's supposed to be working for Faith. Laura is a little too kind and sweet for my liking. I didn't care for how much she cries. Her cousin Nathan is fun and a bit too immature for running his own business yet but I can see his passion for landscape design. I don't know what he sees in Faith yet.
The rest of locals are an unfriendly bunch. Faith's grandmother, Bessie, is tough as nails yet she's willing to admit when she is unable to do something. That sounds contradictory for her personality. I expected more of Bessie in the story but she disappears for most of the book -completely forgotten until the end. Jo-Ann was a very nasty, bizarre woman. She seemed to live in her own world where she has the copyright on cupcakes, despite having a very different product from Faith. Ellis, the man in charge of the park plaza where the shops are takes his job too seriously. He seems to think he's a dictator. I do feel bad that some young thugs were tormenting him and no one else seemed to really care! Deputy Valdez is another nasty character. He seems to have it out for Faith for no good reason and fails to intervene to save her life! Why is he so mean? Josiah runs the juice bar and Ellis describes Josiah as a "hippie dippy" type. Josiah is an advocate of the tiny house movement, the green movement and passionate about his juices. All this apparently adds up to hostile and unfriendly. Tonya who runs the pancake house believes she knows who the murderer is. She's a bit aloof to Faith and for good reason! She believes in letting the police do their job.
The only friendly locals are Sandy, the gatekeeper and Lula the carpenter. They are hardly in the story.
I read the whole book hoping some some delicious cupcake recipes, especially that peanut butter one. The one and only recipe included in this book is Individual Cherry Bakewell Tarts! That's not even IN the story! It's only mentioned in passing. I was very disappointed.
The authors offered a free book in the series but I didn't care about Faith enough to want to read more.
May 5, 2020
Faith has had a string of dead end jobs so when her grandmother phones and asks her to come down and help out at Bessie's Cafe she jumps at the chance - it turns out that Bessie (Faith's grandmother) actually hopes Faith will take it over and run it as Bessie has had a fall and moved into an assisted living complex. As the one thing Faith IS good at is baking she agrees and after talking with the one member of staff, Laura (who within minutes is a firm friend!) they decide to jazz the place up and re-name it a Slice of Paradise. Most people are really happy about the idea but one person (owner of a cupcake bakery) accuses Faith of stealing her recipes and is determined to run her out of the complex!
That would normally not be too much of a problem but then the bakery owner winds up dead, and Faith is accused of her murder! Now Faith. Laura and Laura's cousin Nathan need to find out the truth or a Slice of Paradise will become a Total Hades!
That would normally not be too much of a problem but then the bakery owner winds up dead, and Faith is accused of her murder! Now Faith. Laura and Laura's cousin Nathan need to find out the truth or a Slice of Paradise will become a Total Hades!
June 24, 2017
This is the first book in the slice of paradise series. Faith Franklin is living with her mother working at a job that she doesn't like. She dreams of owning her own bakeshop. When her grandma Bessie, calls and tells her she wants Faith to run her tearoom. Faith accepts and moves to Florida with her two kittens to start fresh. When she arrives, she discovers just how much work her grandmothers tearoom needed. Faith, along with her coworker, Laura, and Laura's cousin, Nathan, set out to renovate the tearoom. But when Faith adds cupcakes to her menu, it starts a fight with fellow shop owner Joanne, who is a cupcake vendor. Faith tries to make peace with Joanne and brings her a box of cupcakes to show just how different their styles are. But when Joanne is found murdered the next morning, allegedly poisoned by one of Faith's cupcakes, Faith is determined to clear her name.
I thought this was a good first book in a series. The mystery was good, even though I had it figured out early on. I loved the friendship between Faith and Laura. The cupcake recipes were making me want cupcakes as I was reading it. I already started book two. Great Book.
I thought this was a good first book in a series. The mystery was good, even though I had it figured out early on. I loved the friendship between Faith and Laura. The cupcake recipes were making me want cupcakes as I was reading it. I already started book two. Great Book.
September 29, 2017
A Cherry Sinister Murder by Nancy McGovern and Cyra Bruce is the beginning of the Slice of Paradise cozy mystery series. Faith Franklin's only passion is baking; so when her grandmother calls want her to come run her cafe, Faith is thrilled and immediately sets out for Florida. While she is still renovating the cafe, the owner of a nearby business complains that she cannot serve cupcakes. Faith tries to be polite, but it doesn't work. The outlook quickly takes a turn for the worse when the woman is discovered poisoned, and Faith is the top suspect.
The mystery was entertaining but had an obvious conclusion. The main characters all need to develop more of a backbone, but the antics of her two fluffy gray kittens were adorable. 3 stars.
The mystery was entertaining but had an obvious conclusion. The main characters all need to develop more of a backbone, but the antics of her two fluffy gray kittens were adorable. 3 stars.
December 20, 2017
This was pretty awful. The dialogue was atrocious. It was stilted and unbelievable. It honestly read like a middle schooler's first foray into writing. The MC and her new BFF thought each other was HILARIOUS, but nothing they said was really all that funny. The flirting was juvenile.
Also, what was with the property manager guy threatening to fire everyone. Would he really have that power to fire employees of independent businesses? I wouldn't think so.
The mystery was also very thin. There just wasn't a lot to it at all.
Also, what was with the property manager guy threatening to fire everyone. Would he really have that power to fire employees of independent businesses? I wouldn't think so.
The mystery was also very thin. There just wasn't a lot to it at all.
March 11, 2019
Not a fan. The title and book cover caught my eye, but after reading the book, nothing seemed to stand out.
I love mystery and murder novels, but this one wasn't interesting at all. I'm glad it was a short read so I wouldn't have to go through more pages. The plot was a terrible case of unfortunate coincidences, but a lot of it were unbelievable that even solving the case was short of exciting.
The characters we forgettable. I initially liked Laura but even her got a bit annoying in the middle when she was attracted to that deputy. Romance was injected somewhere, but it didn't bring any sort of upgrade to the book.
I guess the best part was that recipe at the end.
I love mystery and murder novels, but this one wasn't interesting at all. I'm glad it was a short read so I wouldn't have to go through more pages. The plot was a terrible case of unfortunate coincidences, but a lot of it were unbelievable that even solving the case was short of exciting.
The characters we forgettable. I initially liked Laura but even her got a bit annoying in the middle when she was attracted to that deputy. Romance was injected somewhere, but it didn't bring any sort of upgrade to the book.
I guess the best part was that recipe at the end.
October 17, 2017
Editing mistakes & rushed feeling
I enjoyed the character development & the beautifully described baked goodies. The murder & consecutive events leading up to figuring out who was responsible was poorly constructed & there were issues with editing that set my teeth on edge from the start. This could have been a great book if more time had been taken.
I enjoyed the character development & the beautifully described baked goodies. The murder & consecutive events leading up to figuring out who was responsible was poorly constructed & there were issues with editing that set my teeth on edge from the start. This could have been a great book if more time had been taken.
March 14, 2019
This ended up being a good read. Faith moves to Florida to help out her grandma. Shortly after she gets there a woman is murdered. Of course the police think she did it. So with the help of her new friends they try to figure out who did do it. I will admit that I was surprised with how it all went down but in a good way. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the series is going to. go.
October 19, 2023
A better who done it mystery. Its ok but still lacked something to peak my interest. Another light read. Not much to it but still trying to read on.
January 19, 2018
I needed something lighter to mix it up after some heavier reading. This fit the bill. However, it didn't wow me. I don't know if it was because there were two authors but it just fell flat. It seemed more like some one's school creative writing assignment than a published novel. There were a lot of things about the setup that didn't seem to make sense. Bessie supposedly owned the land/building and they could remodel without talking to Ellis, but yet he controlled when people could access things? Motive seemed weak. Investigation amounted to asking a handful of people "did you do it?" Just seemed really watered down.
February 27, 2017
Ms. McGovern has another hit series! I enjoyed this cozy mystery immensely. I knew Faith "didn't do it", and I actually felt proud that I knew who DID--but then Nancy throws in another curve you just didn't see coming! She's masterful at that! I recommend this book to any cozy reader who likes a little mystery.
May 12, 2018
People read this book you will 💘 it.
The book was a great story I didn't want to put it down. It was great from the beginning to end. Thanks!!
The book was a great story I didn't want to put it down. It was great from the beginning to end. Thanks!!
October 26, 2020
Loved, will have to read the rest of the series
November 30, 2017
Where do I begin? I really thought that this murder mystery book was just delightful! The book revolves around Faith Franklin, a young 20 something who has a love of baking. She has no direction in life until her grandmother asks her to come to Florida and run her café. Faith begins to remodel the café and change up the menu in preparation for the remodel when suddenly the owner of a cupcake place finds out that Faith plans on having cupcakes at her location too. This might not seem like an issue but later on in the story all the vendors have a meeting and Joann the cupcake lady starts arguing with Faith telling her that she was not allowed to sell cupcakes.
Faith offers to bring her a sample of her cupcakes in order to prove that her cupcakes would be different than joann's. So after the meeting she drops them off and goes home, only to find out in the morning that Joanne was dead and that they were blaming her for poisoning her. The only problem is that there was a poisoned cherry one the cupcake and Faith never uses cherries...so who did it?
The rest of the story takes off from that point as you try and piece together who killed Joanne. Unlike other murder mysteries you do not get that dark suspenseful felling. You will find yourself rooting for Faith and hoping that they can prove that she is not the murderer. You find yourself crossing your fingers that everything will be okay and that Faith can get this café reopened so that she can help her grandmother and really make a name for herself.
I recommend this book to someone who enjoys the occasional murder mystery but is not really looking for the dark and gloomy aspect of it. You will not get the gory details of a murder scene, but you will get a wonderful story with great character development. And to make matters even better there is an actual recipe at the end of the book. Truly, this story was a quick and delightful read.
Faith offers to bring her a sample of her cupcakes in order to prove that her cupcakes would be different than joann's. So after the meeting she drops them off and goes home, only to find out in the morning that Joanne was dead and that they were blaming her for poisoning her. The only problem is that there was a poisoned cherry one the cupcake and Faith never uses cherries...so who did it?
The rest of the story takes off from that point as you try and piece together who killed Joanne. Unlike other murder mysteries you do not get that dark suspenseful felling. You will find yourself rooting for Faith and hoping that they can prove that she is not the murderer. You find yourself crossing your fingers that everything will be okay and that Faith can get this café reopened so that she can help her grandmother and really make a name for herself.
I recommend this book to someone who enjoys the occasional murder mystery but is not really looking for the dark and gloomy aspect of it. You will not get the gory details of a murder scene, but you will get a wonderful story with great character development. And to make matters even better there is an actual recipe at the end of the book. Truly, this story was a quick and delightful read.
March 9, 2017
Faith Franklin lives with her mother in California. Faith is always baking things, her mother tells her she could make a living being a baker, but Faith has no money, and no experience in the business. It has been a dream of hers since she was seven years old to own her own bakery. Then her Grandmother Bessie calls from Florida. She wants Faith to move to Florida and help her with Bessie's Cafe. Grandma Bessie gets an apartment for her to live since Grandma lives with someone else for assistance. Grandma goes on a 2 week "staycation" and Faith gets a look at the cafe. It is a mess, so some people she has just meet helps her with spruceing up the building and making it her own Slice of Paradise. Another baker finds out that Faith will be selling cupcakes and forbids her to do it. Joanne, the other baker and Faith agree to meet and see if they can work things out. Faith leaves some cup cakes at Joanne's, but Joanne doesn't answer. The next day they tell Faith that Joanne was dead. Who would kill Joanne? All fingers point to Faith, can she prove her innocence? Read the book to find out.
December 26, 2020
So I'm terrible at whodunits. I rarely ever figure it out before the big reveal. So I have tried to read more cozy mysteries to get better at it.
While reading this story I decided who it was. Knowing that I never get it right I looked over every character. I was really going to be upset if it was either of the friends. So much so that I looked at other books in the series to see if they were still there.
After a few pages it seemed my pick was wrong, so I picked again. Honestly every single character but Faith acts a little suspicious so it's a tough one.
Well color me surprised when at the end I wasn't as clueless as I thought. Although I'm a little confused about something but I don't want to spoil it.
While reading this story I decided who it was. Knowing that I never get it right I looked over every character. I was really going to be upset if it was either of the friends. So much so that I looked at other books in the series to see if they were still there.
After a few pages it seemed my pick was wrong, so I picked again. Honestly every single character but Faith acts a little suspicious so it's a tough one.
Well color me surprised when at the end I wasn't as clueless as I thought. Although I'm a little confused about something but I don't want to spoil it.
July 9, 2018
I really wanted to like this one, because I've liked other books by Ms. McGovern. However, Faith had very little to recommend her. She spends half the book in a panic and the other half wishing she could just bake and ignore all the other responsibilities of a bakery. Frankly if her grandmother hadn't handed it to her, she would have never gotten it off the ground in real life. The side characters all felt flat, and it felt like she only solved the mystery through stumbling onto key evidence and luck. If romance is in this book, I wasn't really feeling it, and sadly, I have no interest in reading the rest of this series unless Faith gets a backbone.
July 9, 2019
The MC is very likeable, as is her newfound friend. Other characters around her remain flat, but are promising.
I love the idea of calling the focal location "A Slice of Paradise", and I can see everything that's being done to make said place shine. But will that make this café shine in the eyes of people hitherto unwilling to be turned into customers?
The plot took off well, but the range of suspects was extremely small.
There was no real "sleuthing" on part of the MC, but she does work out what happened in the end before everyone else (including me, I have to admit).
Nice (clean, for those who want to know) afternoon read, but no revelation.
I have a four-digit number of books I want to read - but since I already own No2, I might give this series another chance.
I love the idea of calling the focal location "A Slice of Paradise", and I can see everything that's being done to make said place shine. But will that make this café shine in the eyes of people hitherto unwilling to be turned into customers?
The plot took off well, but the range of suspects was extremely small.
There was no real "sleuthing" on part of the MC, but she does work out what happened in the end before everyone else (including me, I have to admit).
Nice (clean, for those who want to know) afternoon read, but no revelation.
I have a four-digit number of books I want to read - but since I already own No2, I might give this series another chance.
May 6, 2017
Great cosy mystery
I read this authors paranormal books and loved them, so I decided to read this even tho not paranormal and loved it! I really got hungry reading it! Faith was living in Minnesota and moved to Florida to take over her grandmother's tea room. A lot happened to her in such a short time including a murder. I'm buying the second book now. Oh and there is a recipe at the end!!
I read this authors paranormal books and loved them, so I decided to read this even tho not paranormal and loved it! I really got hungry reading it! Faith was living in Minnesota and moved to Florida to take over her grandmother's tea room. A lot happened to her in such a short time including a murder. I'm buying the second book now. Oh and there is a recipe at the end!!
July 18, 2017
Decent
I cant decide if I enjoy this book or if it was just okay. The characters are decent. My favorite is the grandma though her role is small, the main characters were OK a bit annoying, Lauren gets mad way to easily. I feel this book was written by an amateur who had a good idea but the storytelling kinda fell. If I read more from this series I hope the stories are better and the characters improve
I cant decide if I enjoy this book or if it was just okay. The characters are decent. My favorite is the grandma though her role is small, the main characters were OK a bit annoying, Lauren gets mad way to easily. I feel this book was written by an amateur who had a good idea but the storytelling kinda fell. If I read more from this series I hope the stories are better and the characters improve
March 11, 2019
This takes place in Florida. It involves two bakers, a gardener, romance, and a public argument. The argument is between the two bakers, and the romance us between one of the bakers and the gardener. The death of Joanne, on of the bakers, is made to look like Faith is the murderer. The mystery isn't the main focus of the story, romance is. The resolution of the mystery was a bit silly, but I did like it.
June 2, 2019
Very enjoyable new series debut! Faith moves to help her grandmother Bessie with her bakery. Bessie takes a much needed vacation and Faith begins renovating the bakery. Faith, her new friend and coworker, Laura, and Laura ' s cousin Nathan work together to figure out what happened to Joanna, a bitter rival. This is a very pleasant cozy mystery with a surprise twist ending. There are no violent scenes or graphic desciptions.
August 25, 2021
Absolutely adorable and in many place very funny book. I will say I absolutely abhor the Deputy Sheriff and seriously hope he isn't the complete & total douche he appears to be in this story. And if he is, I really hope Laura figures it out BEFORE she ends up in a relationship with him. I love Faith and her love of baking and cats. She's cautious and smart. I'm looking forward to reading further installments of this story.
June 21, 2017
Great job done..
I enjoyed this story, it seems I say that about most stories, but not all. I found this story to be a pleasure to send a night of reading, you women where able to keep you totally in the dark, darn I can usually get a good idea of who fun it, not even close this time! Thank youse!
I enjoyed this story, it seems I say that about most stories, but not all. I found this story to be a pleasure to send a night of reading, you women where able to keep you totally in the dark, darn I can usually get a good idea of who fun it, not even close this time! Thank youse!
February 8, 2018
I was disappointed in this Kindle freebie cozy mystery. I think part of the problem was that it was written by two authors; it was too disjointed and did not flow well. There are 5 of these mysteries (the entire set was free). If I get desperate, I might give #2 a chance, but I have too many other good books to read.
February 14, 2018
I just finished reading a box set of these Slice of Paradise mysteries and will admit that I loved every one. They're all set in Florida and revolve around newbie to town Faith. She can't seem to do anything right in the local authorities' opinion who are, of course, more than willing to pin the recent murder on her. That's all I'm going to say except that you'll enjoy the whole series.
March 20, 2018
Faith moves to Florida.
Given the chance to move to Florida and renovate her Grandmother's beach side shop has given Faith the chance she has always wanted. Within days she finds herself involved in a murder and then as the prime suspect she is also accused in a beating also. All she wants to do is make beautiful desserts and take care of her Grandma.
Given the chance to move to Florida and renovate her Grandmother's beach side shop has given Faith the chance she has always wanted. Within days she finds herself involved in a murder and then as the prime suspect she is also accused in a beating also. All she wants to do is make beautiful desserts and take care of her Grandma.
April 12, 2018
This was an ok cozy mystery but I would not say it stood out among any other authors. The dialogue was a little simplistic as well as the thinking of the main character. In a way, it almost seemed more juvenile instead of people in their 20s. There was quite of bit of talk that included "like" which is one thing I am not fond of hearing and certainly don't care for in reading.
April 15, 2018
A new series and new authors for me.
As I am not a baker, I am fascinated by the combinations true bakers introduce in both bakeries and novels. The authors are new to me and I will be looking for other books by either one or both. I like the series beginning and the unexpected ending, I did not see that coming. I received this free and am writing an honest review.
As I am not a baker, I am fascinated by the combinations true bakers introduce in both bakeries and novels. The authors are new to me and I will be looking for other books by either one or both. I like the series beginning and the unexpected ending, I did not see that coming. I received this free and am writing an honest review.
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