A cold case in the summer heat for the Bakery Detectives. A fast paced cozy mystery from #1 Best Selling Author Stacey Alabaster
Rachael and Pippa are looking for ways to beat the heat wave. When they consider getting into the ice cream business, a frozen body stands in their way. Can they solve this cold case and bring relief to the overheated residents of Belldale?
Houses and Homicide is part of the Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast paced mysteries full of quirky characters and unexpected twists, you’re going to love Houses and Homicide.
Buy Houses and Homicide and start solving your next mystery today!
I have always loved a good mystery. From my early years watching Murder She Wrote to more recent shows like Monk, Psych, and my absolute favorite BBC show ever, Sherlock, I have studied what it takes to make an entertaining mystery. I am truly blessed to be able to write and share my own mysteries with you. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them :)
3.5-4 stars. This is a fun, quick read. The mystery was good and a challenging solve. I enjoyed the quirky characters. This would make a good read on a hot summer day, preferably with some ice cream.
I have read all of Stacey Alabasters books and loved them all and if you like a cozy with stories that will make you love the characters than these are for you
Ice Cream Corpse is a fun, quick read but it doesn't pack the same punch as being a "can't put it down book" as previous books in the series have done hence the 3 star rating.
The book is enjoyable and the mystery is challenging to solve but the characters seemed a bit off to me. They didn't grab my attention and hold me firmly in my seat this time.
The author's writing continues to garnish high marks with me and the dialogue comes off natural but I find the changes that have occurred in Pippa's life from one book to the next - marriage, motherhood and becoming homeowner/farmer - are disruptive to the dynamics of Rachel and her friendship. At times I fetl as though Rachel and Pippa were competing for my attention instead of working together to tell one story.
With that said, Ice Cream Corpse was entertaining. Ms. Alabaster, who never fails to present her fans with a believable crime scene, has conjured up yet another cozy mystery her fans won't want to miss.
I think this fun cozy series is best enjoyed if read in order. I happened to read this delightful selection during a heat wave which is exactly what is happening in the book. Rachel and Pippa are much like Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, with a bit of Nancy Drew and Bess thrown in. Pippa has married and moved to a farm. She claims to be on a "digital-diet" which means avoiding use of electronics and modern conveniences. However, she really is not prepared for the sacrifices and the difficulties it causes those around her. Rachel has a new roommate, who isn't fully aware of the sleuthing this dynamic duo gets involved in.
All of these elements play a role in the hilarious disasters to come.
This book picks up where the last installment ended. Rachel and Pippa find yet another dead body, two in fact. The longest heat wave in the city’s history has brought the town to its knees. Their bakery is not bringing in customers, just the opposite, even the air conditioner died. Not having to keep the bakery running game Rachel and Pippa with a lot of time on their hands. It is really fun to read how they follow leads to find the killer. They have truly unorthodox methods of following clues. Also their sleuthing is anything but subtle. This is a fun and enjoyable reading experience. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.
Another fun cosy mystery from Ms. Alabaster, featuring the slightly dippy Rachael. and her very eccentric friend Pippa, with her rather useless husband Marcello. Once more they are thrust into a murder enquiry, this time by finding a corpse in an Ice cream freezer they are trying to rent during a heatwave. As usual with this series the focus is on entertainment rather than logic and police procedure, but there's nothing wrong with that, and it means that the reader can enjoy a mystery with lots of red herrings and lots of humour but without bad language or gore, pure escapism. I received a complimentary copy of this book, and have voluntarily reviewed it.
Rachel and Pippa once again are trying to "save" their bakery when things are not going well. With the record breaking heat wave going on and no end in sight, they decide maybe they should expand their products to include ice cream treats. So they go to Pure Gelatosphere to see what kind of deal they can come up with. These two girls get into more trouble than anyone I know! Another dead body! Seriously!?! Can Rachel and Pippa solve this murder and save their bakery? Read the book to find out.
Rachael and Pippa stumble across a body in a stock freezer at the Pure Gelatosphere ice cream company. Finding out he had worked for them once was a shock and made them determined to find out why he died. After several false trails and threats they find another body....their suspect...and themselves about to be frozen, until help arrives from an unexpected source. Great little cozy. I received an advance copy to peruse.
I have become accustomed to there being a little romance in this series, but none in this one. Jackson played a minor role in this book. Rachel did mention him, but seems to be focused on the mystery. Speaking of the mystery this was a great one. So many clues looping back and forth making it almost impossible for Rachael and Pippa to figure this one out. Great mystery.
I enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting. I felt bad for them dealing with that heat. Yikes. The plot and settings in this book were good and easy to imagine. This book adds nicely to this series. It is a great series. I look forward to read more. Overall I would definately reccomend recommend this book to others.
You have to love the two main characters. They are so opposite from one another. No hints to killer till near end. Thanks for entertaining me once again. Maybe they'll be in another story. You get to know them better with each book. Not too crazy about Sue the room mate.
Rachel and Pippa are back at it, always finding themselves in the middle of something. It is always fun to catch up with them and see what they are up to. The girls seem to be more mature as they go, just like they should. Enjoyed this next chapter in their story.
The girls are sweating, and not just from the heat wave. Wanting to add ice cream in the bakery leads to bodies in freezers with the girls next on the list.
Heat wave, looking at supplying ice cream, as a side line in the bakery. Where does murdered people fit in all that??? Well, if you read this tale, you may not eat store brought ice cream again!!
Another awesome fun read. I love these books always well written and they never disappoint you. Racheal and pippa are trying to save their bakery as sales are really down with the heat wave they are having in Belldale. So they decided to go to the ice-cream factory to buy some ice cream to sell in their shop. They discover they body of Harry Dutto who once did a trial morning at the bakery in one of the freezers they rent out to customers.. The story unfolds from here it has humour, suspense and mystery. Well written as always by this author, you won't be disappointed.
I just love these cozy mysteries. In this one Rachael and Pippa are in trouble again. There is a dough like no other the town has seen. Pippa now married with a baby wants to sell her fruit to help with the lack of income from the bakery, after all it's too hot to run the ovens. Rachael thinks they should sell ice cream, that is until they discover a frozen body in the ice cream freezer. Of course it's dead and the girls are up to their neck in the mystery. I highly recommend this cute little novel if you want t know who else they find frozen.
We arrive at the bakery in the middle of a heat wave to find Rachel, and Pippa, trying to think of ways to keep cool in the almost oppressive heat. The air conditioner is old and failing and Rachel can’t get a replacement at the moment as everywhere is too busy. How is she to draw customers in?
After some consideration, and research Rachel decides to see if selling ice-cream cookie sandwiches and other bakery inspired ice-cream delights would draw customers in and indeed be profitable. With this in mind the ladies embark upon a trip to a local ice-cream factory for a tasting tour and to see if they can supply the product and suitable display storage.
Simple yes? Not for these girls! Problems soon start to stack up and it’s not long before a body is found! Fearing they may be dragged in as suspects Rachel, with a little help from Pippa, starts to investigate. First of all they need to discover the deceased’s identity.
Once again Stacey leads us on a merry dance through the twists and turns of discovery fleshing the story out with details and additional Characters, leading us gently to the always surprising conclusion. I say gently in so much as we garner information as we are lead through the sometimes gruesome mystery.
Another great work from the pen of Ms Alabaster. I absolutely adore her cosy mysteries and eagerly await the next.