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Gingerbread Hag Mystery #1
Burned to a Crisp
Nestled deep in the sleepy heart of Enumclaw - a little town in Washington state - Hedy Leckermaul owns a bakery renowned for its strange, sugary confections. Unbeknownst to the town, she also hosts mysterious visitors. Hedy, Adelaide the ghost, and Hedy's menagerie of animals, offer a place of safety to Enumclaw's supernatural travelers. Life in the little town in the shadow of Mount Rainier may appear picturesque, but things are often not as they seem. Peace and tranquility rarely last, and it isn't long before arson and abduction rock the friendly town, turning the bakery's world upside down. Hedy must think fast when one of her own is now in danger. She has to solve the mystery before it is too late - seconds count before you are Burned to a Crisp. If you like mysteries with talking animals, paranormal cozy stories, fairy tales, mythology and a hefty dose of cookies, you'll love Burned to a Crisp.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2019
72 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Miltimore
19 books47 followersK. A. Miltimore is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest who has followed the advice of her 5th grade teacher, Miss Hammond, and become a writer. She loves mid-century fashion, 80s music and nachos (not necessarily in that order). With her husband and son, she loves exploring quirky local towns, and dreams of dragging them both to Iceland for a tour someday. Her tombstone will likely read "Always Creating". In addition to writing, she enjoys making jewel spiders, looking for great Washington red wines, and re-watching the movies that she has forgotten over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 2, 2019
What a fun cozy mystery that was just perfect for the start of autumn! Hedy runs a combo bakery and bed and breakfast with lots of paranormal guests. This had everything you look for in a great cozy. Adorable animals? Check. (They even talk.) Delicious baked goods. Oh my, yes. A great mystery, and just enough magic to make it great. Perfect for those who love paranormal cozies. And bonus points for awesome chinchilla! This got me ready for a spooky Halloween! 😊
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
June 4, 2020
There will always be bad people doing bad things and bringing fear down on good people. But there will always be good people, people who bring hope and love and who stand up.'
This was a delightful cozy mystery with quite a handful of unusual supernatural twists.
Hedy Leckenmaul runs a strange little bakery in the sleepy town of Enumclaw, Washington. And her goodies are perhaps the most eccentric pastries I have ever heard of. My favorites by far are her fox tailed donuts, complete with the blood red Bavarian cream that gives every bite an ooze of scarlet. :D
But regardless of how bizarre her bakery may be, it is the non-human guests who stay at her home, along with her resident ghost, and her menagerie of talking animals that truly puts the strange into this tale.
You see, Hedy hosts a waystation for supernatural travelers. And her house pets, or companions better said, can speak.
Among the chinchilla, the tabby cat, the magpie and the resident ghost you may be hard pressed to choose a favorite. Mine were Maurice the chinchilla and Zelda, the tabby cat; who often passed each other warily, like two old warriors who had engaged in many battles. To say that the two had a strained relationship would be charitable at best. And at the amount of teasing Zelda subjects the poor Maurice to, I would have also called her 'harpy' once in a while. Albeit out loud, not mumbling.
But I digress. When two of the most unlikely travelers seek lodging at Hedy's waystation, a salamander and an undine, the host and her menagerie can only hope fire and water won't clash under their roof. And when the town is rocked by an arsonist who is kidnapping women, and pitting the residents of Enumclaw against each other, they not only need to be on the lookout but also step in. After all, when fires mysteriously strike the town where a salamander has just appeared, etiquette goes out the window.
The ghost KNOWS the salamander is hiding something, but is that reason enough to suspect the guest?
Fast paced and entertaining, this little read is full of the most unusual twists and turns you don't see coming. It is quirky, imaginative and quite eccentric, just like Hedy and her menagerie. And it will give you a great mystery with just the right amount of magic and supernatural fun.
I highly recommend it to all those who would like to unwind at the end of a long day, with a nice cup of tea, some yummy baked goodies and a cozy book.
May it lighten your mood the way it did mine.
and before I forget...
you should always remember:
'when a man hasn't even eaten a cookie, that should tell you right off the bat he is not to be trusted.'
This was a delightful cozy mystery with quite a handful of unusual supernatural twists.
Hedy Leckenmaul runs a strange little bakery in the sleepy town of Enumclaw, Washington. And her goodies are perhaps the most eccentric pastries I have ever heard of. My favorites by far are her fox tailed donuts, complete with the blood red Bavarian cream that gives every bite an ooze of scarlet. :D
But regardless of how bizarre her bakery may be, it is the non-human guests who stay at her home, along with her resident ghost, and her menagerie of talking animals that truly puts the strange into this tale.
You see, Hedy hosts a waystation for supernatural travelers. And her house pets, or companions better said, can speak.
Among the chinchilla, the tabby cat, the magpie and the resident ghost you may be hard pressed to choose a favorite. Mine were Maurice the chinchilla and Zelda, the tabby cat; who often passed each other warily, like two old warriors who had engaged in many battles. To say that the two had a strained relationship would be charitable at best. And at the amount of teasing Zelda subjects the poor Maurice to, I would have also called her 'harpy' once in a while. Albeit out loud, not mumbling.
But I digress. When two of the most unlikely travelers seek lodging at Hedy's waystation, a salamander and an undine, the host and her menagerie can only hope fire and water won't clash under their roof. And when the town is rocked by an arsonist who is kidnapping women, and pitting the residents of Enumclaw against each other, they not only need to be on the lookout but also step in. After all, when fires mysteriously strike the town where a salamander has just appeared, etiquette goes out the window.
The ghost KNOWS the salamander is hiding something, but is that reason enough to suspect the guest?
Fast paced and entertaining, this little read is full of the most unusual twists and turns you don't see coming. It is quirky, imaginative and quite eccentric, just like Hedy and her menagerie. And it will give you a great mystery with just the right amount of magic and supernatural fun.
I highly recommend it to all those who would like to unwind at the end of a long day, with a nice cup of tea, some yummy baked goodies and a cozy book.
May it lighten your mood the way it did mine.
and before I forget...
you should always remember:
'when a man hasn't even eaten a cookie, that should tell you right off the bat he is not to be trusted.'
December 18, 2019
A cool and creepy story, perfect for cuddling under a blanket in the cold season with some sweets and a hot beverage.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
May 13, 2020
Burned to a Crisp is a murder mystery centered around a very unusual bakery, and its proprietor, Hedy Leckermaul.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. For me, the first star is the setting, which pulls in fairy tales, supernatural beings and artifacts, all wrapped up in the concept that the bakery is kind of like a front for its secondary purpose as a waystation for abnormal travelers such as elementals. Oh yes, and I almost forgot to mention that due to a certain magical artifact, all animals in the vicinity of the bakery have the ability to talk. The combination of so many creative ideas had me looking forward to what new creature or item was going to make an appearance.
The story is entertaining as well. An arsonist is wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, and from there the author pulls in a history of murder, and suspicion is cast upon a certain fiery guest staying at the bakery.
Hedy Leckermaul is a solid main character, and I enjoyed the scenes most that were told from her perspective, which was the majority of the novel. There were a few weaknesses with the dialogue, which often came across as stiff, and I found the main ‘relationship’ within the novel to be a bit forced.
Over-all, I was very entertained, and I will definitely give the next novel in this series a read.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. For me, the first star is the setting, which pulls in fairy tales, supernatural beings and artifacts, all wrapped up in the concept that the bakery is kind of like a front for its secondary purpose as a waystation for abnormal travelers such as elementals. Oh yes, and I almost forgot to mention that due to a certain magical artifact, all animals in the vicinity of the bakery have the ability to talk. The combination of so many creative ideas had me looking forward to what new creature or item was going to make an appearance.
The story is entertaining as well. An arsonist is wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, and from there the author pulls in a history of murder, and suspicion is cast upon a certain fiery guest staying at the bakery.
Hedy Leckermaul is a solid main character, and I enjoyed the scenes most that were told from her perspective, which was the majority of the novel. There were a few weaknesses with the dialogue, which often came across as stiff, and I found the main ‘relationship’ within the novel to be a bit forced.
Over-all, I was very entertained, and I will definitely give the next novel in this series a read.
June 23, 2019
Slow burn (haha, you see what I did there?) cozy mystery that adds in the secret ingredients of mythical beings, talking animals, and a ghost.
Hedy operates a local bakery in Washington state, while she goes about her real business of providing a safe space for unusual beings like the salamander, Bren, and the undine, Ana. But as soon as a fire salamander books in to her under-the-radar BnB, so does a suspicious number of fires and disappearances of local ladies. Is Hedy's visitor really telling all of his secrets?
This book can be read as a standalone and does not end with a cliffhanger although there is enough still unanswered or left to the imagination, that it serves as a good springboard into a new series (the second book is arriving soon and is currently on pre-order).
Those more familiar with paranormal stories about shapeshifting wolves need to realize that this is a cozy mystery first, with a lot of supernatural elements. A big action scene at the end unfolds only after the mystery is solved.
Of course, for me personally, I would just settle for a book about Maurice the grumpy old chinchilla. A lot more Maurice please!
Hedy operates a local bakery in Washington state, while she goes about her real business of providing a safe space for unusual beings like the salamander, Bren, and the undine, Ana. But as soon as a fire salamander books in to her under-the-radar BnB, so does a suspicious number of fires and disappearances of local ladies. Is Hedy's visitor really telling all of his secrets?
This book can be read as a standalone and does not end with a cliffhanger although there is enough still unanswered or left to the imagination, that it serves as a good springboard into a new series (the second book is arriving soon and is currently on pre-order).
Those more familiar with paranormal stories about shapeshifting wolves need to realize that this is a cozy mystery first, with a lot of supernatural elements. A big action scene at the end unfolds only after the mystery is solved.
Of course, for me personally, I would just settle for a book about Maurice the grumpy old chinchilla. A lot more Maurice please!
May 10, 2019
This was a delightful surprise! A cozy-type mystery but with unusual supernatural twists. The main character, Hedy, runs a bakery and a kind of bed-and-breakfast for some very unusual guests. I won't spoil the plot by revealing too much more because experiencing the revelations as they are made in the book was a big part of the fun, but I will say that Hedy and the other characters, human and non-human, were original and well-drawn, and I hope we'll be seeing more of all of them in further books in the series. I particularly appreciated that underneath all the spooky shenanigans, there is a very clear and heartwarming message of inclusiveness embracing all those that may feel different or like misfits, a message that we can't hear often enough. And to top it all off, there are mouth-watering descriptions of all the wonderful baked goods Hedy sells and the food she makes her guests. I love a book that makes me hungry! Recommended for readers looking for something a little different and a lot enjoyable!
June 3, 2019
Strange but really good
A strange tale with a plot that mixes Greek Goddesses with Grims Fairy Tales with a sprinkle of humans and elementals. The characters are as strange as the story but are vivid and real making the whole thing come together.
Her bakery is a strange place and her items are bought by people who have learnt of her shop by word of mouth. She also provides a resting place for travellers but travellers that are all supernatural. However she herself believes she is totally human although some might argue that she is a witch. After all the story of Hansel and Gretel featured one of her ancestors. Strange fires have developed in town, is this due to the salamander staying with her. Plus two women are missing. Add in a human girl, a Greek Goddess, an undine, a talking cat, a talking chinchilla, a talking magpie and stir well. Is there a reason why there seems to be a pattern of three women going missing over the years? Why? Why is her neighbour so intent of finding fault with her? Are the women dead? Who is setting the fires?
A strange tale with a plot that mixes Greek Goddesses with Grims Fairy Tales with a sprinkle of humans and elementals. The characters are as strange as the story but are vivid and real making the whole thing come together.
Her bakery is a strange place and her items are bought by people who have learnt of her shop by word of mouth. She also provides a resting place for travellers but travellers that are all supernatural. However she herself believes she is totally human although some might argue that she is a witch. After all the story of Hansel and Gretel featured one of her ancestors. Strange fires have developed in town, is this due to the salamander staying with her. Plus two women are missing. Add in a human girl, a Greek Goddess, an undine, a talking cat, a talking chinchilla, a talking magpie and stir well. Is there a reason why there seems to be a pattern of three women going missing over the years? Why? Why is her neighbour so intent of finding fault with her? Are the women dead? Who is setting the fires?
June 23, 2019
A well written and engaging story! I was drawn in as I met the characters, and started to really care for them immediately. As friendships form amid danger and suspicion, I kept hoping against hope that they would all be ok!
The talking animals that live in Hedy's bakery come Waystation for supernatural beings are a delight, each true to their own character, and the Travelers who are staying there are richly drawn and sympathetic.
This story, even though it has great adventure and magic elements, is really all about the wonderful characters, each different, who have come together and are trying to understand each other.
And I REALLY want a fox tail donut!!
The talking animals that live in Hedy's bakery come Waystation for supernatural beings are a delight, each true to their own character, and the Travelers who are staying there are richly drawn and sympathetic.
This story, even though it has great adventure and magic elements, is really all about the wonderful characters, each different, who have come together and are trying to understand each other.
And I REALLY want a fox tail donut!!
September 10, 2019
Things I loved:
-K. A. Miltimore's writing is very easy to get into. No pushing through weird POV shifts, no weird sentence structure.
- The book opens with an exciting scene to get your interest.
-The narrator, Katrina Holmes, did an excellent job creating a huge variety of characters and accents for this story!
-It was a perfect length - not too long, but not too short. It felt like it was just the right length!
-The baked goods...oh my goodness, the creativity and detail there! Fantastic.
-Talking animals - I mean, who doesn't love that in a paranormal story?
-K. A. Miltimore's writing is very easy to get into. No pushing through weird POV shifts, no weird sentence structure.
- The book opens with an exciting scene to get your interest.
-The narrator, Katrina Holmes, did an excellent job creating a huge variety of characters and accents for this story!
-It was a perfect length - not too long, but not too short. It felt like it was just the right length!
-The baked goods...oh my goodness, the creativity and detail there! Fantastic.
-Talking animals - I mean, who doesn't love that in a paranormal story?
April 4, 2022
It's a good concept, and I will read more because the characters are charming, but this has some "first novel" issues. For instance, the dialogue is stilted. And the are some animal characters that come and go rather than being truly integrated into the plot. I would also like to know more about the main character, Hedy. Book 2 awaits.
April 25, 2019
My first supernatural mystery and it didn't disappoint. The main character is likeable. Throughout the book you had no idea who to trust, who was good, who was not so good. This was written very well. You were kept on the edge of your seat in suspense. Every character introduction was like an unfolding in the mystery. I look forward to the next book in the series.
July 9, 2019
So glad I found this author.
I kind of tripped over this author and I am so grateful I did. The book is full of mystery, suspense, a touch of love, and more paranormal than you can shake a stick at.
What is really good is that it tells two stories. One, obviously the story and the second is more the morality story, the one that connects this story with real life. It is almost as if there are two stories running parallel with one fading in and out with real life.
I kind of tripped over this author and I am so grateful I did. The book is full of mystery, suspense, a touch of love, and more paranormal than you can shake a stick at.
What is really good is that it tells two stories. One, obviously the story and the second is more the morality story, the one that connects this story with real life. It is almost as if there are two stories running parallel with one fading in and out with real life.
July 5, 2019
It isn’t often that I come across something to read that I consider truly original. This is that story! It’s a combination of mystery and paranormal done very well. This one kept me reading. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it except maybe a couple of typos. I don’t get excited about those. I look forward to reading the second in the series.
July 8, 2019
Fun read
This is a fun cozy read. I enjoyed the character development and storylines. I look forward to reading more by this author.
This is a fun cozy read. I enjoyed the character development and storylines. I look forward to reading more by this author.
May 21, 2019
Fun paranormal mystery
Engaging characters cooperate to solve an example of the ultimate struggle, good vs evil. Enjoyed the story telling very much
Engaging characters cooperate to solve an example of the ultimate struggle, good vs evil. Enjoyed the story telling very much
May 15, 2019
This was a very different read for me, but having said that I still found it to be an enjoyable one. I found the book well written, I enjoyed the characters and the talking animals. It was a very easy read and a quick read, for those that enjoy cozy mysteries with a hint of the supernatural tossed into the mix they should enjoy this read.
May 28, 2019
Interesting little book. Part cozy mystery part fantasy and the beginning of a new series. I’ll be watching for more !
April 1, 2019
Loved every minute. You will enjoy the characters that inhabit these pages. I particularly enjoyed Maurice! Get a copy and be ready for book two, I am waiting for it
December 27, 2019
Hedy, along with her bakery, was known as The Gingerbread Hag. Pies, muffins, cookies, and brownies—those were her specialty.
The town she lived in had an eclectic bunch of characters, but, unfortunately, none were too memorable. Story had a lagging pace, and I couldn’t always follow it. The community struck me as rather drab, to be honest. Nothing was too scintillating.
I thought that this would be an interesting mystery, but I just couldn’t get into it.
The town she lived in had an eclectic bunch of characters, but, unfortunately, none were too memorable. Story had a lagging pace, and I couldn’t always follow it. The community struck me as rather drab, to be honest. Nothing was too scintillating.
I thought that this would be an interesting mystery, but I just couldn’t get into it.
November 4, 2019
I read the first 65 pages (30%) and have no desire to waste any more of my time. The characters are nondescript and flat. I don't care what happens to any of them. There is so much seemingly unnecessary information and so much redundancy. It is ridiculous, IMO, that Mel shows up every day instead of being in school. Her excuse: her teacher sends her to the library because she is done with all her work for the semester. No Senior in HS has one teacher all day long.
February 15, 2023
My first time reading from this author and discovered it when I was in the mood for something in the style of a cozy mystery.
The main character was charming, the villains menacing, the elements of supernatural and fantastical were weaved into the story with deftness. Looking forward to what strange and unusual events will descend upon the little bakery/waystation in Enumclaw, WA next.
The main character was charming, the villains menacing, the elements of supernatural and fantastical were weaved into the story with deftness. Looking forward to what strange and unusual events will descend upon the little bakery/waystation in Enumclaw, WA next.
April 14, 2019
**Thank you to author K.A. Miltimore for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
The blurb for this book already told me this was going to be a slightly out of the box read for me since I usually stick to romance and young adult books. But a baker who bakes unusual things like rat shaped cookies? A menagerie of talking animals and a ghost? It made me wonder, what else could happen in this sleepy town? Apparently, a lot!
“…but then I remembered that things are only strange to you if they are outside your normal experience.”
-Burned to a Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery) by. K.A. Miltimore
The writing is wonderfully descriptive and I got a real sense of this sleepy town and it’s diverse characters. I liked that there is also LGBTQ+ representation. I wanted to visit this bakery that is run by Hedy Leckermaul and sample all these unusual goodies.
This bakery acts as a waystation for supernatural travelers. Think of this waystation like a bed and breakfast, where Hedy is an accommodating host. I really like Hedy, she’s level headed, doesn’t let a lot of things bother her, she’s brave, quirky and is accepting of all things strange and different. I love how her house is filled with artifacts and talking animals. The menagerie was fantastic, it made me smile whenever they emerged in the story.
Now as two travelers arrive on Hedy’s doorstep within days of one another, an arsonist is going around town, ramping up fear and discord among the people. Hedy, her guests, her menagerie and a few more interesting characters that are introduced in the story find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Hedy is usually so calm about strange things happening around her but when events concern the people she care about, even she senses something is more wrong than usual. Will they piece together the puzzle before it’s too late?
The story moves at a steady pace and it kept me in it until the end. I loved how there was a mixture of mythology and fairy tale lore infused into the story. If you are into paranormal mystery or just want to read something to break up the monotony of what you are reading, definitely give this one a try. I’m glad I did! Overall this is an enjoyable, unique story full of mystery, surprising characters and bizarre happenings.
The blurb for this book already told me this was going to be a slightly out of the box read for me since I usually stick to romance and young adult books. But a baker who bakes unusual things like rat shaped cookies? A menagerie of talking animals and a ghost? It made me wonder, what else could happen in this sleepy town? Apparently, a lot!
“…but then I remembered that things are only strange to you if they are outside your normal experience.”
-Burned to a Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery) by. K.A. Miltimore
The writing is wonderfully descriptive and I got a real sense of this sleepy town and it’s diverse characters. I liked that there is also LGBTQ+ representation. I wanted to visit this bakery that is run by Hedy Leckermaul and sample all these unusual goodies.
This bakery acts as a waystation for supernatural travelers. Think of this waystation like a bed and breakfast, where Hedy is an accommodating host. I really like Hedy, she’s level headed, doesn’t let a lot of things bother her, she’s brave, quirky and is accepting of all things strange and different. I love how her house is filled with artifacts and talking animals. The menagerie was fantastic, it made me smile whenever they emerged in the story.
Now as two travelers arrive on Hedy’s doorstep within days of one another, an arsonist is going around town, ramping up fear and discord among the people. Hedy, her guests, her menagerie and a few more interesting characters that are introduced in the story find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Hedy is usually so calm about strange things happening around her but when events concern the people she care about, even she senses something is more wrong than usual. Will they piece together the puzzle before it’s too late?
The story moves at a steady pace and it kept me in it until the end. I loved how there was a mixture of mythology and fairy tale lore infused into the story. If you are into paranormal mystery or just want to read something to break up the monotony of what you are reading, definitely give this one a try. I’m glad I did! Overall this is an enjoyable, unique story full of mystery, surprising characters and bizarre happenings.
October 1, 2019
I read this during the spring, but I saved my review until October. While reading this paranormal, cozy mystery, I found myself constantly thinking what a great Halloween read it would be. I may try to fit the second book from this series into my own autumn reading plan.
Paranormal anything is not my usual cup of tea, but in my quest to try on a variety of different mysteries this year, it is only natural that I would want to explore places I would not usually go. I am glad I ventured down this path, and relieved to find it was not as uncomfortable as I would have thought.
Hedy runs a bakery and occasionally has special visitors stay with her in a bed and breakfast. Her special visitors are interesting characters. There are also talking animals and a ghost in Hedy's home. While hosting two of these visitors, a strange series of crimes occurs in her small town, and one of her guests could very easily be the perpetrator.
I enjoyed the setting of this book. Having lived for several years in the Pacific Northwest, I am familiar with Enumclaw and found the visit back there (through my reading) refreshing. Enumclaw is a smaller community and would certainly be both a good place for hiding some unusual business and a place that would be devastated and quick to respond to these crimes.
The fairy tales Hedy shares with Mel were interesting and kept me engaged. As did the stories from both of the guests and the history of the items Hedy keeps in her bakery. While this was a short-ish book, there were a lot of different story lines and they were well-maintained and kept together nicely.
At the end of the day, this was a cozy mystery with some paranormal aspects and a fun read! Like I said, I may fit the next one in this month, but as it is a Christmas story, maybe I will hold on and read it after Thanksgiving.
Paranormal anything is not my usual cup of tea, but in my quest to try on a variety of different mysteries this year, it is only natural that I would want to explore places I would not usually go. I am glad I ventured down this path, and relieved to find it was not as uncomfortable as I would have thought.
Hedy runs a bakery and occasionally has special visitors stay with her in a bed and breakfast. Her special visitors are interesting characters. There are also talking animals and a ghost in Hedy's home. While hosting two of these visitors, a strange series of crimes occurs in her small town, and one of her guests could very easily be the perpetrator.
I enjoyed the setting of this book. Having lived for several years in the Pacific Northwest, I am familiar with Enumclaw and found the visit back there (through my reading) refreshing. Enumclaw is a smaller community and would certainly be both a good place for hiding some unusual business and a place that would be devastated and quick to respond to these crimes.
The fairy tales Hedy shares with Mel were interesting and kept me engaged. As did the stories from both of the guests and the history of the items Hedy keeps in her bakery. While this was a short-ish book, there were a lot of different story lines and they were well-maintained and kept together nicely.
At the end of the day, this was a cozy mystery with some paranormal aspects and a fun read! Like I said, I may fit the next one in this month, but as it is a Christmas story, maybe I will hold on and read it after Thanksgiving.
August 12, 2020
Mythological Creatures - Alive and Well in the Pacific Northwest
5 star plot
---Clever story idea
3 stars punctuation and grammar
--- apostrophes, commas, and run-ons, Oh My!
3 stars sentence structure
--- There are way too many compound sentences throughout the book.
---Following is one example:"Ana left the room and she felt lighter in her heart than she had in some time." (At the very least it needs a comma after room.)
---Better: "Feeling more light hearted than she had in a long time, Ana left the room. "
--- Occasionally extra unnecessary explanation came after a perfectly good sentence
3 stars editing
---All editors should do a quick word search for their, they're, there; to, too; its, it's; and then, than.
---There were other glaring spelling errors, as well as instances where a word was left out.
3.5 stars accuracy
---The town of Enumclaw is in King County, not Pierce County (They'd love to be in Pierce where taxes are lower.)
---Ceres not Circe was the goddess of the harvest. Circe, a witch, could turn people into animals.
No sex
Very limited strong language - one F bomb.
Fast paced, plenty of action.
Plot no spoilers:
Hedy, the main character, runs a rather eccentric bakery in her home. Besides that, her house, which is haunted and where animals are able to talk, is a safe house for unusual, often magical travelers. Two arrive, one with the gift of fire, the other with strong connections to water. Coincidentally, the usually quiet town of Enumclaw is beset by arson, missing women, and an unusual spike in discord among its citizens.
Can Hedy trust her guests or is one of them causing the difficulties?
Light reading. Enjoyable if you can ignore the distractions listed above.
If you can get past them, I'd say give the book a try.
5 star plot
---Clever story idea
3 stars punctuation and grammar
--- apostrophes, commas, and run-ons, Oh My!
3 stars sentence structure
--- There are way too many compound sentences throughout the book.
---Following is one example:"Ana left the room and she felt lighter in her heart than she had in some time." (At the very least it needs a comma after room.)
---Better: "Feeling more light hearted than she had in a long time, Ana left the room. "
--- Occasionally extra unnecessary explanation came after a perfectly good sentence
3 stars editing
---All editors should do a quick word search for their, they're, there; to, too; its, it's; and then, than.
---There were other glaring spelling errors, as well as instances where a word was left out.
3.5 stars accuracy
---The town of Enumclaw is in King County, not Pierce County (They'd love to be in Pierce where taxes are lower.)
---Ceres not Circe was the goddess of the harvest. Circe, a witch, could turn people into animals.
No sex
Very limited strong language - one F bomb.
Fast paced, plenty of action.
Plot no spoilers:
Hedy, the main character, runs a rather eccentric bakery in her home. Besides that, her house, which is haunted and where animals are able to talk, is a safe house for unusual, often magical travelers. Two arrive, one with the gift of fire, the other with strong connections to water. Coincidentally, the usually quiet town of Enumclaw is beset by arson, missing women, and an unusual spike in discord among its citizens.
Can Hedy trust her guests or is one of them causing the difficulties?
Light reading. Enjoyable if you can ignore the distractions listed above.
If you can get past them, I'd say give the book a try.
January 22, 2020
Burned to a Crisp is a delightful read. I’m not quite sure it qualifies as a mystery, as there isn’t quite a lot of detection, but I don’t think that should put anyone off of it. The world building of a secret society of strange and unusual persons and ancient magical artifacts found in something as mundane as a bakery is very entertaining. Burned to a Crisp has a delightful cast of fun and interesting characters. Dorro is an amusing character I can’t wait to see more of, and I’m quite intrigued by the villain. One misstep is that, while the characters have different personalities, all of their dialogue - and the narration - have the same writing ‘voice’, which did take some getting used to.
The most fun part of this novel is its star, Hedy Leckermaul. She is a wonderful combination of Mary Poppins, Mortiticia Addams, and Willy Wonka all rolled into one. The story definitely focuses on bringing the world of the fictionalized version of Enumclaw (a real place!) to life, and leaves some mystery of this baker’s past, but I’m excited for the future of The Gingerbread Hag series.
The most fun part of this novel is its star, Hedy Leckermaul. She is a wonderful combination of Mary Poppins, Mortiticia Addams, and Willy Wonka all rolled into one. The story definitely focuses on bringing the world of the fictionalized version of Enumclaw (a real place!) to life, and leaves some mystery of this baker’s past, but I’m excited for the future of The Gingerbread Hag series.
September 3, 2019
Hedy Leckermaul runs an odd but deliciously stocked bakery as well as hosting a waystation for supernatural creatures. Oh, and the animals in her house talk, too. When a salamander (a man with fire properties) comes to stay at the same time there's a string of arson fires in town, Hedy and her friends must solve the mystery.
I like cozy mysteries, but I have to say that adding in the paranormal aspects to the story is genius. Ms. Miltimore has done a great job in throwing in all sorts of odd little bits that are just wonderful. I don't want to spoil the story, but we have undines, ghosts, vengeful demi-goddesses and baking that all fits together perfectly into a gem of a story. Hedy is a somewhat mysterious figure, and I look forward to finding out more about her (I already have the next book on my reader).
If you like cozy mysteries with some mystical aspects, I guarantee you'll love this series.
I like cozy mysteries, but I have to say that adding in the paranormal aspects to the story is genius. Ms. Miltimore has done a great job in throwing in all sorts of odd little bits that are just wonderful. I don't want to spoil the story, but we have undines, ghosts, vengeful demi-goddesses and baking that all fits together perfectly into a gem of a story. Hedy is a somewhat mysterious figure, and I look forward to finding out more about her (I already have the next book on my reader).
If you like cozy mysteries with some mystical aspects, I guarantee you'll love this series.
June 28, 2019
A cozy mystery with supernatural elements, Burned to a Crisp by K.A. Miltimore, is a well told and enjoyable novel.
Bakery owner Hedy is also the owner of a bed-and-breakfast-style safe space she operates out of her home. The travelers that stop by to rest are supernatural creatures. When strange fires are set and women start disappearing, Hedy can’t ignore the crimes that are causing so much unrest in her sleepy town. Are her guests safe? Is one of them the arsonist?
The pace is a little slow in my opinion, but the strange characters keep things interesting. The vibe is spooky yet fun. The characters and settings are well described and original. This book is suitable for both teens and adults. I recommend this book to any reader that enjoys mystery and fantasy.
Burned to a Crisp is a great start to a new series, and Hedy appears to be human but I wonder …
Bakery owner Hedy is also the owner of a bed-and-breakfast-style safe space she operates out of her home. The travelers that stop by to rest are supernatural creatures. When strange fires are set and women start disappearing, Hedy can’t ignore the crimes that are causing so much unrest in her sleepy town. Are her guests safe? Is one of them the arsonist?
The pace is a little slow in my opinion, but the strange characters keep things interesting. The vibe is spooky yet fun. The characters and settings are well described and original. This book is suitable for both teens and adults. I recommend this book to any reader that enjoys mystery and fantasy.
Burned to a Crisp is a great start to a new series, and Hedy appears to be human but I wonder …
September 16, 2019
I had the audible version of this book. The narrator did a great job of changing voices so that I could tell who was speaking. Now, about the story itself: First, let me say that I love books where a bunch of new people meet, become friends, and work together to solve or fix something. I also like that you never know which of those friends can be trusted. This book had that. I also really liked the vibe of the book. For me, it had a little bit of a Hocus Pocus / Halloween-y feel. Also, there were sweets involved, as the main character owned a bakery. The descriptions of the baked goods made me want cookies, cakes, and donuts...I didn’t give into my cravings, thankfully! I didn’t figure out the ending, so it was nice to be surprised. I would definitely recommend this cozy mystery, especially now to get into the autumn and Halloween spirit!
November 29, 2020
3.5
This was pretty good, if not quite to my tastes. It does depend heavily on being quirky and cute, with the main character just being the sweetest lil thing you could imagine. *Insert eye roll.* Maybe it was the way she was voiced, but for all the world she reminded me of Ms. Frizzle, from The Magic School Bus. I’m not so much into the nice-nice protagonists, with their utter lack of grey, which the heroine and all the good guys here are. Despite that I do appreciate that the book is well-structured (though the pace sags in the middle a little), there’s a pleasant little FF side romance, the mystery isn’t blatantly obvious (though not too hard to figure out either), I liked the characters themselves, and the narrator did a fine job. All in all, I might read another Gingerbread Hag Mystery, but I’m in no rush about it.
This was pretty good, if not quite to my tastes. It does depend heavily on being quirky and cute, with the main character just being the sweetest lil thing you could imagine. *Insert eye roll.* Maybe it was the way she was voiced, but for all the world she reminded me of Ms. Frizzle, from The Magic School Bus. I’m not so much into the nice-nice protagonists, with their utter lack of grey, which the heroine and all the good guys here are. Despite that I do appreciate that the book is well-structured (though the pace sags in the middle a little), there’s a pleasant little FF side romance, the mystery isn’t blatantly obvious (though not too hard to figure out either), I liked the characters themselves, and the narrator did a fine job. All in all, I might read another Gingerbread Hag Mystery, but I’m in no rush about it.
January 7, 2021
Small town setting, local gossip that fuels the storyline, and quirky characters that ride along with the storyline. Cute, quaint, quick, but ultimately disappointing. To be fair, the story is enjoyable with a unique cast of humans, creatures, and critters.
However reading it was...difficult. Written in third person omniscience, where everyone tells the story and no one leads. Every person who walks onto the page shows the reader what they experience. Every person, notable or not. My main issue? There is no break in the narrative, it all runs together. It's very confusing and difficult to figure out who's point of few it is.
Did I dislike this story? No. Will I recommend it to others? Yes. Why? Because it was cute and others readers might not have the issue I had with the third person omniscience. Each book is a piece of art and we each find something different in art.
However reading it was...difficult. Written in third person omniscience, where everyone tells the story and no one leads. Every person who walks onto the page shows the reader what they experience. Every person, notable or not. My main issue? There is no break in the narrative, it all runs together. It's very confusing and difficult to figure out who's point of few it is.
Did I dislike this story? No. Will I recommend it to others? Yes. Why? Because it was cute and others readers might not have the issue I had with the third person omniscience. Each book is a piece of art and we each find something different in art.
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