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Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #1
Murder's No Votive Confidence
Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for...
Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptial promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot, tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.
When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police Captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be cancelling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.
Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptial promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot, tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.
When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police Captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be cancelling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.
285 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2019
174 people are currently reading
2454 people want to read
About the author
Christin Brecher
8 books365 followersVisit Christin's website at www.christinbrecher.com to learn more about the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series, and to sign up for the newsletter!
Christin Brecher was born and raised in New York City, where her family and many childhood friends still reside. As such, she feels she is as much of a small-town girl as any. The idea to write the Nantucket Candle Maker series sprang from her life-long connection to the small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Spending summers there as a child, Christin read from her family's library of mystery novels; after which she began to imagine stories inspired by the island's whaling heyday, its notoriously foggy nights, and during long bike rides to the beach. After many years in marketing for the publishing industry, followed by years raising her children, Murder's No Votive Confidence is Christin's debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
June 27, 2019
Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher is the first book in the new cozy Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book will have it’s own mystery to be solved so a reader doesn’t need to worry about cliffhangers and will get a full story in one book.
Stella Wright owns a candle store on the charming small island of Nantucket. With Memorial Day quickly approaching islanders know business will soon be picking up and Stella already has a big wedding event to prepare for where she will make a special unity candle along with smaller candles for the guests.
As Stella is finishing up last minute preparations the wedding guests had begun to arrive for the big event. When the bride has problems locating her uncle that is supposed to walk her down the aisle no one expected to find him murdered, and with Stella’s unity candle lying nearby she can’t help but want answers to the crime.
I had wavered between 3 and 3 1/2 stars for this opening book of the new Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. The story was a solid start but lacked a lot of depth to those around our main character so I have a feeling it will need some refreshing to my memory by the time book two comes along as only the charming setting stood out to me. I do think the series had potential as it continues though so I decided on 3 1/2 stars for this beginning.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Stella Wright owns a candle store on the charming small island of Nantucket. With Memorial Day quickly approaching islanders know business will soon be picking up and Stella already has a big wedding event to prepare for where she will make a special unity candle along with smaller candles for the guests.
As Stella is finishing up last minute preparations the wedding guests had begun to arrive for the big event. When the bride has problems locating her uncle that is supposed to walk her down the aisle no one expected to find him murdered, and with Stella’s unity candle lying nearby she can’t help but want answers to the crime.
I had wavered between 3 and 3 1/2 stars for this opening book of the new Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. The story was a solid start but lacked a lot of depth to those around our main character so I have a feeling it will need some refreshing to my memory by the time book two comes along as only the charming setting stood out to me. I do think the series had potential as it continues though so I decided on 3 1/2 stars for this beginning.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 20, 2019
I relaxed with this delightful debut of the Nantucket Candlemaker Mystery. Protagonist Stella Wright opens Wick & Flame, a candle shop where she designs custom scented candles. When one of her specialty candles is used for a murder weapon, Stella and her best friend, Emily, an event planner, are swept up in the deceit surrounding a wedding fiasco. The author cleverly mixes candles and clues into this enjoyable cozy mystery. I also liked the beach setting in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
July 13, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Stella Wright owns Wick & Flame and has become the go-to person for wedding unity candles. She has created a two-foot-tall unity candle for Jessica Sterling and Joe Handler’s wedding, along with candles for the church, reception, and for the guests to take home all with an original scent approved by the bride. The family and bridal party have checked into the hotel including Simon Sterling, the bride’s uncle who has been asked to walk her down the aisle. New plans must be made when Simon body is found next to the broken unity candle.
A visiting police captain known for quickly solving cases makes a fast arrest. A bartender Stella has known for years. Also, brides are tying her to the murder and starting to cancel their orders. Deciding the only way to catch the real killer is by doing her own investigation. She is soon burning the candle at both ends when she searches out a murderer and works to replace the broken candle. She just needs to do it all without becoming the killer’s next target.
_______
I love the candlemaking theme of this series and am in awe of Stella Wright’s talent. Setting it on Nantucket is a wonderful bonus!
The author introduces us to a wonderful group of core characters. Stella, candlemaker extraordinaire, her female best friend wedding planner and very pregnant Emily, Nantucket Police Officer Andy, male best friend, which may turn into something more. . . or not, and Peter, a journalist who has come to town to report on the wedding. He could also be interested in Stella and wants to help her solve the murder, especially if he gets the scoop. The author does an excellent job developing these characters, making them real and engaging. There is still much to learn but for the first book in a series, it was very well done.
Ms. Brecher also introduces a vast number of suspects, some with more motive than others and many with opportunity. The victim’s cat, Tinker also played a major role.
This cozy mystery is full of twists, turns, and surprises. I read this entire book in one day. I could not put it down. The pages just kept turning, raising new questions, bringing different suspects to the forefront. I enjoyed the way the story was laid out and the author’s clear descriptions. A romance is hinted at but the relationships are complicated. The mystery came to a very satisfying conclusion. A wedding has its own kind of drama, a dead body takes things to a whole new level.
The first book in a new cozy mystery series is hard to write. The author needs to find a balance between introducing the characters and giving readers an entertaining mystery. Christin Brecher excelled at both. She also left me wanting more. I can’t wait for my next trip to Nantucket and Wick & Flame. Murder Makes Scents is scheduled to release on February 25, 2020.
Stella Wright owns Wick & Flame and has become the go-to person for wedding unity candles. She has created a two-foot-tall unity candle for Jessica Sterling and Joe Handler’s wedding, along with candles for the church, reception, and for the guests to take home all with an original scent approved by the bride. The family and bridal party have checked into the hotel including Simon Sterling, the bride’s uncle who has been asked to walk her down the aisle. New plans must be made when Simon body is found next to the broken unity candle.
A visiting police captain known for quickly solving cases makes a fast arrest. A bartender Stella has known for years. Also, brides are tying her to the murder and starting to cancel their orders. Deciding the only way to catch the real killer is by doing her own investigation. She is soon burning the candle at both ends when she searches out a murderer and works to replace the broken candle. She just needs to do it all without becoming the killer’s next target.
_______
I love the candlemaking theme of this series and am in awe of Stella Wright’s talent. Setting it on Nantucket is a wonderful bonus!
The author introduces us to a wonderful group of core characters. Stella, candlemaker extraordinaire, her female best friend wedding planner and very pregnant Emily, Nantucket Police Officer Andy, male best friend, which may turn into something more. . . or not, and Peter, a journalist who has come to town to report on the wedding. He could also be interested in Stella and wants to help her solve the murder, especially if he gets the scoop. The author does an excellent job developing these characters, making them real and engaging. There is still much to learn but for the first book in a series, it was very well done.
Ms. Brecher also introduces a vast number of suspects, some with more motive than others and many with opportunity. The victim’s cat, Tinker also played a major role.
This cozy mystery is full of twists, turns, and surprises. I read this entire book in one day. I could not put it down. The pages just kept turning, raising new questions, bringing different suspects to the forefront. I enjoyed the way the story was laid out and the author’s clear descriptions. A romance is hinted at but the relationships are complicated. The mystery came to a very satisfying conclusion. A wedding has its own kind of drama, a dead body takes things to a whole new level.
The first book in a new cozy mystery series is hard to write. The author needs to find a balance between introducing the characters and giving readers an entertaining mystery. Christin Brecher excelled at both. She also left me wanting more. I can’t wait for my next trip to Nantucket and Wick & Flame. Murder Makes Scents is scheduled to release on February 25, 2020.
March 1, 2025
3.75 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: summer if I recall
Not a bad cozy. Decent characters but a bit unbelievable and a tad boring.
What I liked: The main character Stella was spunky and very likeable. She made few silly mistakes and had a decent sense of humour and head on her shoulders. I liked her a lot.
The love triangle was good. I’m absolutely team Andy.
The setting was cute and I loved the candle talk especially the Stella’s strong sense of smell was a unique investigation technique. Major points for that.
I also really loved Tinker the cat. I usually enjoy an animal companion but few in cozies were as unique and funny as this little guy.
What I didn’t like: the mystery itself was pretty boring. While the ending picked up a solid steam the middle dragged too much. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of when you included her family. I was a bit lost there.
My biggest issue with the novel is it decided to throw a ton of red herrings and potential suspects in the mix but has Stella slowly accuse each one and learn their innocence until the actual murderer can only possibly be one person. This utterly ruins the surprise.
I will say I was glad for how much investigating Stella did (key word investigating not accusing) and I really loved her relationship with Andy. I’ll pick up the next one in hopes of a juicier murder.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: summer if I recall
Not a bad cozy. Decent characters but a bit unbelievable and a tad boring.
What I liked: The main character Stella was spunky and very likeable. She made few silly mistakes and had a decent sense of humour and head on her shoulders. I liked her a lot.
The love triangle was good. I’m absolutely team Andy.
The setting was cute and I loved the candle talk especially the Stella’s strong sense of smell was a unique investigation technique. Major points for that.
I also really loved Tinker the cat. I usually enjoy an animal companion but few in cozies were as unique and funny as this little guy.
What I didn’t like: the mystery itself was pretty boring. While the ending picked up a solid steam the middle dragged too much. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of when you included her family. I was a bit lost there.
My biggest issue with the novel is it decided to throw a ton of red herrings and potential suspects in the mix but has Stella slowly accuse each one and learn their innocence until the actual murderer can only possibly be one person. This utterly ruins the surprise.
I will say I was glad for how much investigating Stella did (key word investigating not accusing) and I really loved her relationship with Andy. I’ll pick up the next one in hopes of a juicier murder.
June 30, 2019
A fabulous first in series! The author sets the scene perfectly and the fun occupation of the main character makes this cozy mystery a definite page turner. The mystery is well planned and fast paced and contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
May 22, 2019
This is the first book in the debut cozy mystery series by Ms. Brecher, who is a new to me author. I enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid start to the series. Stella Wright is an amiable character who I think reader will enjoy. It was fun to read about her first sleuthing adventure and I think the series has potential. I thought the secondary cast of characters could have been a bit more developed. There is a lot of potential with Stella's family and her best friend so I am hopeful the author will develop these characters to be more dimensional. The murder victim was not well liked so there was a limited pool of suspects, but I thought the author did a good job of throwing out clues to confuse readers as to the identity of the real killer. I was however a bit disappointed by the identity of the killer and their reason for committing the crime. The other aspect of the book that gave me pause is the potential love triangle the author may be setting up between Stella and two of the secondary characters. I am not a fan of that particular story line and it is one that will typically cause me to stop reading a series if it is carried on for too long.
All in all, this was a quick read and a solid start to a new series. In the next book I hope the author develops the secondary cast of characters, the potential love triangle is resolved or does not come to fruition and I would like to see the killer/suspect with a less cliche motive for committing the crime.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
All in all, this was a quick read and a solid start to a new series. In the next book I hope the author develops the secondary cast of characters, the potential love triangle is resolved or does not come to fruition and I would like to see the killer/suspect with a less cliche motive for committing the crime.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
July 16, 2020
I'm so glad I discovered this series! The setting is wonderfully cozy and the characters are so much fun. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
October 23, 2019
This Memorial Day Weekend is going to be busy for Stella Wright. Not only is it the start of tourist season for her native Nantucket Island, but, thanks to her best friend, she has landed a job providing candles for a wedding taking place over the weekend. This job includes a large and elaborate unity candle, but before the couple can walk down the aisle, Stella finds the candle broken next to the body of the bride’s estranged uncle. When the police are quick to arrest a local bartender, Stella is certain they have the wrong suspect. Can she use the fact that she’s helping with the wedding to find the killer?
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
August 5, 2021
The 1st book in the series. Stella a candle maker. She has a Candle shop. All kinds of unique scents wild lilies, mango peach,basil mint, coconut etc.... Stella was helping her best friend Emilly ( a wedding planner) do a candle themed wedding. Jessica and Joe were getting married. Stella had a unique wedding scent candle she told Jessica about United Candle. It symbolizes a couples love which is lit during wedding ceremony. Jessica love the idea. Jessica mother daunted on her and was jealous that Jessica was getting married. Stella was trying to find the Unity candle so they could we and smell it. But no one could find it at the inn where they met. Finally they all looked in A room of the inn and found A man dead it was Jessica uncle Simon with candle stick bashed in his head. A celebrity Gina came to Nantucked where this series is located. It was weird that she shows up for this peculiar wedding. They are A lot of suspects one after another I thought it was the killer. Love the facts on what a candle is made of. I really liked this 📚books. Love Tinker the black cat that Stella found in the dead man's room
October 24, 2019
Overall it was OK there was a few annoyances like stuff about the candles ! I just don’t think candles could make a wedding it was all unbelievable ;( I would try one more book though...
July 10, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
If you can't tell, I'mdoing a clean sweep of all my Netgalley books this week since I'm on holidays. This was a fun andyet interesting cozy with multiple leads and layers. Everyone was keeping secrets, but the most important one, murder, is the only secret Stella wants to know! She knows the wrong man has fallen under suspicion, and she'll use all her local knowledge to help her catch the crook.
Fair warning on the romance side, looks like it might be a love triangle (not my favorite) but with any luck that will get sorted in future books. Both have their charms as well as help in the investigation, but we will see who emerges the winner on that field as well.
I loved the setting and the theme for this one, because I haven't read any candle themed cozies. I'm always up for learning something new in cozies!
A fun new series, put it on your radar cozy fans! Five stars.
If you can't tell, I'mdoing a clean sweep of all my Netgalley books this week since I'm on holidays. This was a fun andyet interesting cozy with multiple leads and layers. Everyone was keeping secrets, but the most important one, murder, is the only secret Stella wants to know! She knows the wrong man has fallen under suspicion, and she'll use all her local knowledge to help her catch the crook.
Fair warning on the romance side, looks like it might be a love triangle (not my favorite) but with any luck that will get sorted in future books. Both have their charms as well as help in the investigation, but we will see who emerges the winner on that field as well.
I loved the setting and the theme for this one, because I haven't read any candle themed cozies. I'm always up for learning something new in cozies!
A fun new series, put it on your radar cozy fans! Five stars.
July 18, 2019
It’s Memorial Day in Nantucket and candle store owner Stella Wright is hired to create candles for a huge wedding. It’s a dream come true for Stella, but things take a nasty turn when the bride’s uncle is murdered before he can walk her down the aisle. Oddly enough, the murder weapon is one of Stella’s candles.
Stella is stunned when a local bartender is arrested for the murder. She’s sure he would never kill anyone and she intends to prove it. She’s even more motivated when her customers start canceling their candle orders when they learn it was used as a murder weapon.
The local police detective is not happy to have Stella sticking her nose into his business, to say the least. However, she has no intention of backing down.
This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. I liked Stella right from the start. She’s strong, although a bit nosy but aren’t all amateur sleuths? The cast of characters are interesting and quirky.
It’s a fast-paced story and I was surprised at how it all ended up. The author did a good job of giving several different possibilities of whodunit. She kept me thinking until very near the end. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Stella is stunned when a local bartender is arrested for the murder. She’s sure he would never kill anyone and she intends to prove it. She’s even more motivated when her customers start canceling their candle orders when they learn it was used as a murder weapon.
The local police detective is not happy to have Stella sticking her nose into his business, to say the least. However, she has no intention of backing down.
This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. I liked Stella right from the start. She’s strong, although a bit nosy but aren’t all amateur sleuths? The cast of characters are interesting and quirky.
It’s a fast-paced story and I was surprised at how it all ended up. The author did a good job of giving several different possibilities of whodunit. She kept me thinking until very near the end. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 28, 2019
The debut book for this author and the first book in the Nantucket Candle Maker mystery. Stella Wright owns a candle store, Wick and Fame on the island and is an expert on making unique candles for special occasions. Stella grew up on the island and a relationship with the island 's officer, Andy Southerland. Jessica Sterling is planning a wedding on the island. Stella has created a unity candle for the wedding party. What is a Unity Candle? The special scented candles will be everywhere in the inn and at the reception. One day, the wedding party finds Jessica's uncle died in his room. He had been kill by the Unity Candle and it lay on floor split into two. The visiting Captain decided that the bartender is guilty and arrest him. Stella and Andy work together to find the guilty party. Will they succeed before someone else dies. I highly recommend this book.
Disclosure: Thanks to Kensington Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
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Disclosure: Thanks to Kensington Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
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July 14, 2019
Candles, an Island, and Murder - oh my!
I love reading cozies that have the protagonist in a career that is crafty and one that is intriguing. Enter Stella and her candlemaking business. She makes unique candles with handcrafted scents and seems to know what sort of scent would be best for various people. I'd love to know what she would suggest for me. She even teaches classes on candlemaking and I would have liked the book to have explored that just a little bit more, or added more details regarding the two classes that were taught in this book.
This mystery has a fair amount of characters but most of them are tied to a wedding that is taking place. I think we meet about 7 characters that were townsfolk. That helps when trying to figure out who might be the killer since it is most likely tied to the wedding and its guests. Speaking of the murder - while I didn't figure out the killer, I thought the author did a good job of throwing suspicion on various characters so that when the killer was revealed it was quite a surprise to me. I might have suspected this character but didn't know how deep the hatred ran and why.
There is also a potential love triangle between Stella, Andy, and Peter. Andy has a girlfriend but I don't think she is right for him. Peter is the new journalist in town and seems interesting but you wonder how much is him or his career choice. If I had to choose, I'm #TeamAndy because they just seem like they fit together plus they have been friends forever. But we shall see how the author decides to work this out in future books.
I think this is going to be a good new series and we give this book 4 paws up.
I love reading cozies that have the protagonist in a career that is crafty and one that is intriguing. Enter Stella and her candlemaking business. She makes unique candles with handcrafted scents and seems to know what sort of scent would be best for various people. I'd love to know what she would suggest for me. She even teaches classes on candlemaking and I would have liked the book to have explored that just a little bit more, or added more details regarding the two classes that were taught in this book.
This mystery has a fair amount of characters but most of them are tied to a wedding that is taking place. I think we meet about 7 characters that were townsfolk. That helps when trying to figure out who might be the killer since it is most likely tied to the wedding and its guests. Speaking of the murder - while I didn't figure out the killer, I thought the author did a good job of throwing suspicion on various characters so that when the killer was revealed it was quite a surprise to me. I might have suspected this character but didn't know how deep the hatred ran and why.
There is also a potential love triangle between Stella, Andy, and Peter. Andy has a girlfriend but I don't think she is right for him. Peter is the new journalist in town and seems interesting but you wonder how much is him or his career choice. If I had to choose, I'm #TeamAndy because they just seem like they fit together plus they have been friends forever. But we shall see how the author decides to work this out in future books.
I think this is going to be a good new series and we give this book 4 paws up.
June 10, 2019
"Murder's No Votive Confidence" by Christin Brecher felt like it was very familiar and I wondered if it was a republishing but not that I could find, either way I really enjoyed it.
Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for . . .
Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptials promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot-tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.
When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be canceling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.
The setting of Nantucket was great, I always like a small town setting where almost everyone knows one another until tourist season. Makes for fun and often quirky characters, also throwing in a crafty theme is even better.
The Protagonist Stella is well developed (although hoping more back detail why she came home in next book), likeable and her BFF Emily, cousins, along with childhood friend now policeman Alex, are all likeable side characters.
I found that the story was well paced and if not for my migraines I would have finished in one sitting. I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting and crime scenes are strong and really drew me in. The ending was unexpected although I had sort of figured out whodunit around the same time as Stella.
Highly recommended. A fabulous first book for an author I will definitely follow in the future.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for . . .
Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptials promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot-tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.
When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be canceling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.
The setting of Nantucket was great, I always like a small town setting where almost everyone knows one another until tourist season. Makes for fun and often quirky characters, also throwing in a crafty theme is even better.
The Protagonist Stella is well developed (although hoping more back detail why she came home in next book), likeable and her BFF Emily, cousins, along with childhood friend now policeman Alex, are all likeable side characters.
I found that the story was well paced and if not for my migraines I would have finished in one sitting. I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting and crime scenes are strong and really drew me in. The ending was unexpected although I had sort of figured out whodunit around the same time as Stella.
Highly recommended. A fabulous first book for an author I will definitely follow in the future.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
July 17, 2019
I love scented candles, and the art of mixing different scents into something pleasing that makes you think of your favorite season or memory or book, etc. fascinates me. So when Murder’s No Votive Confidence came across my radar, it was a no-brainer for my TBR pile.
The Nantucket setting complements the candle-making hobby nicely – there’s something about a seaside island town that seems to just encourage you to make candles. Stella’s keen nose for scents – and her ability to match people with scents that represent them – not only makes her business successful but also her sleuthing. The author does a great job of incorporating this aspect to the plot without stopping the story to go into the step-by-step details of candle-making. Instead, these notes are tucked away at the end of the book, where I prefer them to be.
Stella is a very likable heroine, and my friends-to-more kissingbook senses are on high alert around her childhood friend (and town’s sexiest cop) Andy … even though new-in-town reporter Peter seems to have temporarily stolen her affections. Peter has his good points, to be sure, but he just kept showing up too frequently out of the blue for my tastes. And I’m partial to best friends falling in love, so my vote is for Andy! All of the secondary characters are likable, for that matter, but they also could have been developed a bit more – something I’m looking forward to in the rest of the series!
Bottom Line: Murder’s No Votive Confidence is a great debut for the author as well as the series. Delightful characters (including & especially Tinker the cat) keep the story moving at a steady pace amid the chaos of a festival, a wedding, and a murder. There’s a slight romantic angle involving the heroine Stella – and two possible love interests (I’m pulling for Andy!) – and I’m curious to see how that plays out. A clever niche as well for the series, the candle making aspect of the story was lots of fun!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
The Nantucket setting complements the candle-making hobby nicely – there’s something about a seaside island town that seems to just encourage you to make candles. Stella’s keen nose for scents – and her ability to match people with scents that represent them – not only makes her business successful but also her sleuthing. The author does a great job of incorporating this aspect to the plot without stopping the story to go into the step-by-step details of candle-making. Instead, these notes are tucked away at the end of the book, where I prefer them to be.
Stella is a very likable heroine, and my friends-to-more kissingbook senses are on high alert around her childhood friend (and town’s sexiest cop) Andy … even though new-in-town reporter Peter seems to have temporarily stolen her affections. Peter has his good points, to be sure, but he just kept showing up too frequently out of the blue for my tastes. And I’m partial to best friends falling in love, so my vote is for Andy! All of the secondary characters are likable, for that matter, but they also could have been developed a bit more – something I’m looking forward to in the rest of the series!
Bottom Line: Murder’s No Votive Confidence is a great debut for the author as well as the series. Delightful characters (including & especially Tinker the cat) keep the story moving at a steady pace amid the chaos of a festival, a wedding, and a murder. There’s a slight romantic angle involving the heroine Stella – and two possible love interests (I’m pulling for Andy!) – and I’m curious to see how that plays out. A clever niche as well for the series, the candle making aspect of the story was lots of fun!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
July 9, 2020
This is the first book in this series and only the second one I've read and I have to say, this author excels at keeping the reader in the dark about whodunit until the final pages. Obfuscation is the word of the day with this author! It's rare that I find a book where I have no idea, not even a suspicion, whodunit. So this book ranks high just for that.
Stella is helping her heavily pregnant best friend Emily with the high society wedding and her role is to create a unity candle for the bride and groom. But when the bride's uncle is found dead, bludgeoned with the unity candle, and the hotel's bartender is arrested, Stella smells a rat and sets out to find the real killer.
There was so much to love about this book, from unrequited love to murder to candle scents to cats. Although the quick pace kept the plot moving, it was neither rushed nor confusing. I found myself reading late into the evening because I just had to keep going to find out more. So easy to get lost in this book! By the time I got through the exciting ending, I was at the edge of my seat and the subterfuge continued right up to the end with many surprise twists and turns.
I'm not sure why I didn't hear about this series when it came out, but I'm glad I found it. This will definitely be a must read series for me and I look forward to many more.
Stella is helping her heavily pregnant best friend Emily with the high society wedding and her role is to create a unity candle for the bride and groom. But when the bride's uncle is found dead, bludgeoned with the unity candle, and the hotel's bartender is arrested, Stella smells a rat and sets out to find the real killer.
There was so much to love about this book, from unrequited love to murder to candle scents to cats. Although the quick pace kept the plot moving, it was neither rushed nor confusing. I found myself reading late into the evening because I just had to keep going to find out more. So easy to get lost in this book! By the time I got through the exciting ending, I was at the edge of my seat and the subterfuge continued right up to the end with many surprise twists and turns.
I'm not sure why I didn't hear about this series when it came out, but I'm glad I found it. This will definitely be a must read series for me and I look forward to many more.
July 5, 2019
Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Becher is the first A Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery. Stella Wright owns Wick & Flame on Nantucket Island. She has been commissioned by bride-to-be, Jessica Sterling to create candles for her wedding including a one-of-a-kind unity candle. On the day before the wedding, the unity candle is found broken on the floor next to Jessica’s uncle, Simon Sterling. Someone took the candle and bashed in the man’s head (talk about crime of passion). When family friend, Bill Duffy is arrested by a visiting police chief for the murder, Stella sets out to find the real killer. I thought Murder’s No Votive Confidence was nicely written and it had steady pacing. The story is told from Stella’s perspective. I like the lovely setting of Nantucket Island. The author provides beautiful descriptions of the island flora and fauna, the shops, homes and, of course, the ocean. Stella is an affable character who prefers comfort clothes over fancy (much to her friend’s distress), a wee bit clumsy and has a contingent of cousins (I like Kate who forbade the others from cursing—good for her). The secondary characters are introduced with the barest of details. I am sure we will learn more about Stella and the others as the series progresses. I especially want to know more about the Candleers (Stella’s candle class students). I love that Stella is a candlemaker and I hope we get more information on the process of creating candles in future books. Stella provides some helpful candle tips and her creations sound lovely. The mystery was interesting with a unique twist. While I could identify the killer early in the game, I was curious to know more. I had questions and I wanted the answers. Tinker, Simon’s cat, was a great addition to the book. I like how he was involved in the investigation. I enjoyed Christin Becher’s debut cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more of this engaging new series. Murder’s No Votive Confidence is a delightful new cozy mystery that has a scenic setting, a nosy newspaperman, a nervous bride, a meddling mama, a mysterious feline, handcrafted tapers, and one determined amateur sleuth.
May 22, 2020
Loved this book!!
March 12, 2025
A good plot but Stella’s recklessness in being determined to solve the murder spoilt it from being higher rated from me.
March 30, 2022
GOOD BOOK, JUST DON'T GO IN THINKING IT'S GOING TO BE ALL ABOUT CANDLES.
PLOT: Stella runs a candle shop and has been hired to do a candle themed wedding. Prior to the wedding taking place however a man ends up dead and one of Stella's friends has been falsly accused. So Stella is on the case determined to proove that her friend is innocent.
CONS: Nowhere near enough candle stuff. In fact, because Stella is hired to do a 'Candle themed wedding' we spend next to no time at all in her candle shop. I really was hoping we'd get a lot more candle stuff then we did.
PROS: The mystery was amazing! I really enjoyed following Stella as a Sleuth and the climax was incredibly thrilling!
I'd definitely be up for continuing the series!
4 Stars
xoxo.
PLOT: Stella runs a candle shop and has been hired to do a candle themed wedding. Prior to the wedding taking place however a man ends up dead and one of Stella's friends has been falsly accused. So Stella is on the case determined to proove that her friend is innocent.
CONS: Nowhere near enough candle stuff. In fact, because Stella is hired to do a 'Candle themed wedding' we spend next to no time at all in her candle shop. I really was hoping we'd get a lot more candle stuff then we did.
PROS: The mystery was amazing! I really enjoyed following Stella as a Sleuth and the climax was incredibly thrilling!
I'd definitely be up for continuing the series!
4 Stars
xoxo.
August 1, 2020
I am really into cozy mystery these days. And this one did not disappoint.
Stella lives in Nantucket Island and she owns Wick and Flame. She makes and sells candles. She's been working on a wedding with her oldest friend when the bride's estranged Uncle has been murdered. He was bashed in the head using her unity candle. Who could have done it?
An arrest has been made but Stella is not happy with it. She knows that Bill would not hurt a fly. And so our amateur sleuthing begins. And she discovers she has a talent for it.
We also get to meet her cousins, Peter, Andy, Emily and some characters in the island.
I really really enjoyed this book. Unexpectedly, good! So many puzzles and clues. I had my suspicions but in the end, I couldn't guess who the culprit is. *sad face*
Note to the author:
I really hope there won't be any love triangle because I totally haaaate those. By the way, I hope (fingers crossed) she will end up with Andy.
On to book 2!
Stella lives in Nantucket Island and she owns Wick and Flame. She makes and sells candles. She's been working on a wedding with her oldest friend when the bride's estranged Uncle has been murdered. He was bashed in the head using her unity candle. Who could have done it?
An arrest has been made but Stella is not happy with it. She knows that Bill would not hurt a fly. And so our amateur sleuthing begins. And she discovers she has a talent for it.
We also get to meet her cousins, Peter, Andy, Emily and some characters in the island.
I really really enjoyed this book. Unexpectedly, good! So many puzzles and clues. I had my suspicions but in the end, I couldn't guess who the culprit is. *sad face*
Note to the author:
I really hope there won't be any love triangle because I totally haaaate those. By the way, I hope (fingers crossed) she will end up with Andy.
On to book 2!
April 9, 2021
Love this. I feel like I am there with the lovely descriptions of the town. I like some suspect, a mystery mixed well with smiles that make you want to visit and keep up with these character.
November 6, 2020
4.2 stars.
Most delightful cozy mystery. My fave character was Tinker the highly intelligent kitty.
This would make a fabulous Hallmark series on their mystery channel.
I am so looking forward to the next books in this series.
Most delightful cozy mystery. My fave character was Tinker the highly intelligent kitty.
This would make a fabulous Hallmark series on their mystery channel.
I am so looking forward to the next books in this series.
June 25, 2019
Series: Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery - Book 1
Author: Christin Brecher
Publisher: Kensington Books
Murder’s No Votive Confidence, the first cozy book in a new series by Christin Brecher, Kensington Books is a thrilling adventure through the candle and wedding business, which on their own is difficult at best. Now, throw in a murder, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Stella is struggling to keep her business on a paying basis. She loves her work, and her creations are sought after by the public and brides equally. Having one of her lovely unity candles used as a murder weapon could end her business quickly. Being a small business owner is hard enough; now, she also must be a murder investigator.
Stella is a promising character, and her exploits will have readers begging for more. She is like many people who want to be their own boss and use what they love and are good at making a living. It isn’t hard to empathize with her character. This type of character works well in a cozy book and a series. Other characters in this cozy book are very likable. They help give Jessica purpose and keep her spirits up when everything is looking down. The setting is excellent and should provide a fantastic location for future books.
This is a very well-written book with plenty of action, twists, and turns to keep readers interested and entertained. For a cozy book Murder’s No Votive Confidence hits all the right triggers, it has romance, intrigue and the number one ingredient, mystery. I happily recommend this book and the future series to cozy book lover everywhere.
Author: Christin Brecher
Publisher: Kensington Books
Murder’s No Votive Confidence, the first cozy book in a new series by Christin Brecher, Kensington Books is a thrilling adventure through the candle and wedding business, which on their own is difficult at best. Now, throw in a murder, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Stella is struggling to keep her business on a paying basis. She loves her work, and her creations are sought after by the public and brides equally. Having one of her lovely unity candles used as a murder weapon could end her business quickly. Being a small business owner is hard enough; now, she also must be a murder investigator.
Stella is a promising character, and her exploits will have readers begging for more. She is like many people who want to be their own boss and use what they love and are good at making a living. It isn’t hard to empathize with her character. This type of character works well in a cozy book and a series. Other characters in this cozy book are very likable. They help give Jessica purpose and keep her spirits up when everything is looking down. The setting is excellent and should provide a fantastic location for future books.
This is a very well-written book with plenty of action, twists, and turns to keep readers interested and entertained. For a cozy book Murder’s No Votive Confidence hits all the right triggers, it has romance, intrigue and the number one ingredient, mystery. I happily recommend this book and the future series to cozy book lover everywhere.
June 14, 2019
This was so much fun! My favorite thing about cozy mysteries is the focus on character and the characters in this one were great. Stella was such an enjoyable narrator and the secondary characters added so much to the story . I'm even cool with the love triangle that's being setup? Which is a new experience. I'm definitely #TeamAndy but Peter is also very cute, so he's a good choice to spend time with while Stella and Andy figure their stuff out.
I thought the mystery was fairly well developed, though I did guess who did it pretty soon. But I don't really read mysteries for the ~twist~, so that didn't really bother me. I like the actual investigating part the most: climbing through windows! Boat chases! Interviews with witnesses! Learning people's unrelated secrets! It had a lot of stuff that I'm Here For, so looking forward to book 2!
I thought the mystery was fairly well developed, though I did guess who did it pretty soon. But I don't really read mysteries for the ~twist~, so that didn't really bother me. I like the actual investigating part the most: climbing through windows! Boat chases! Interviews with witnesses! Learning people's unrelated secrets! It had a lot of stuff that I'm Here For, so looking forward to book 2!
February 21, 2020
This was cute! Pretty sure I want to read more but it won't be the end of the world if I forget.
July 26, 2019
I picked this book because it is the first in a new series, something that always has potential even before reading it solely because it heralds an entry of new and possibly interesting characters. This book lived up to its role and puts us right in the middle of a very 'happening' wedding. Stella Wright is the local Candle Lady. It is a reputation she has built on her mother's beginnings from travels far and wide. This wedding is a golden opportunity to ensure that she gets more orders since the entire wedding is candle themed. Unfortunately, one of the wedding party is found dead two days before the wedding and this puts a lot of things into jeopardy.
There is no dearth of suspects since the behaviour of the victim seems to have been reproachable, and one of the locals is quickly arrested. Stella has access to the hotel rooms because of her work at the wedding and the need to prove that the arrested man did not commit the crime. She is supported by the people around her, especially an old frenemy- Andy. Andy and Stella gave me Anne & Gilbert vibes (from Anne of Green Gables-LM Montgomery) and although they end up at different places by the end of the book I have hope for them in the series. I suspected a few of the diversions in the storyline as certain revelations were made but the only downside was that I am used to not feeling for the victim in these cozies but I had to feel for Simon once all the revelations were sorted. This put a pretty big damper on the read, which might have been the author's intention since it changed the tone of the narrative.
The writing was light, concise and revealed a lot of emotional bonds between the various characters mentioned and I would love to visit them all again.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
There is no dearth of suspects since the behaviour of the victim seems to have been reproachable, and one of the locals is quickly arrested. Stella has access to the hotel rooms because of her work at the wedding and the need to prove that the arrested man did not commit the crime. She is supported by the people around her, especially an old frenemy- Andy. Andy and Stella gave me Anne & Gilbert vibes (from Anne of Green Gables-LM Montgomery) and although they end up at different places by the end of the book I have hope for them in the series. I suspected a few of the diversions in the storyline as certain revelations were made but the only downside was that I am used to not feeling for the victim in these cozies but I had to feel for Simon once all the revelations were sorted. This put a pretty big damper on the read, which might have been the author's intention since it changed the tone of the narrative.
The writing was light, concise and revealed a lot of emotional bonds between the various characters mentioned and I would love to visit them all again.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
August 15, 2019
Stella and her best friend Emily have occupations that compliment each other with Emily being and event planner and Stella, creating the candles for a specific event. This time the event is a wedding in which the bride decides to have a unity candle, as well as tapers for added ambiance, and votives as the wedding favors. The uniqueness of Stella’s shop is, she creates personal scents for her customers. The wedding weekend has arrived, guests are starting to check in to the designated inn, everything is as planned, until a murder happens! Since the crime was committed with one of Stella’s unity candles, she is bound and determined to find the criminal! With the help of friends, old and new, she begins to search through the clues, finding suspects throughout the wedding party!
As a first in a new series, I found this an enjoyable read. Set in Nantucket, a charming location, and the fact that it’s a candle shop mystery is what intrigued me. This was a new addition to the cozy craft mysteries for me. I enjoyed meeting Stella, and her shop the Wick & Flame, where she conducts candle making classes. I found the students, a group of older ladies, quite entertaining and hope to see more of the characters in a subsequent series. As things heat up between a couple love interests, I am curious to see how that may turn out. Definitely looking forward to the second book in the series to see how the characters develop, and the next mystery that needs to be solved!
As a first in a new series, I found this an enjoyable read. Set in Nantucket, a charming location, and the fact that it’s a candle shop mystery is what intrigued me. This was a new addition to the cozy craft mysteries for me. I enjoyed meeting Stella, and her shop the Wick & Flame, where she conducts candle making classes. I found the students, a group of older ladies, quite entertaining and hope to see more of the characters in a subsequent series. As things heat up between a couple love interests, I am curious to see how that may turn out. Definitely looking forward to the second book in the series to see how the characters develop, and the next mystery that needs to be solved!
June 25, 2019
Murder's No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher is the 1st book in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery, and it's off to a great start. Stella Wright owns a candle store, Wick & Flame, that specializes in unique design and scented candles. Stella is very excited because she just landed a wedding, where she is making the unity candle and other candles for the event. When the unity candle goes missing, and is later found to be the murder weapon, Stella is determined to find the real killer. Quick read with a well developed plot and characters. I really enjoyed this new cozy, and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.
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