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Peridale Cafe #19

Brownies and Bloodshed

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Dot South and Percy Cropper are finally getting married! With a secret theme up their sleeves, the octogenarians are intent on making the day the most spectacular wedding Peridale has ever seen. They planned everything to the last detail, but they didn't prepare for Percy's cruel older brother's murder in the middle of the wedding reception.The responsibility to solve Ian Cropper's murder falls on Julia South-Brown's shoulders, but her grandmother's ruined wedding isn't the only thing she has on her plate. Her bankrupt father, stepmother, and baby brother are living in her small cottage and wreaking havoc, her husband is heading down a surprising new career path, and to top it all off, she's ten-weeks pregnant and struggling with her mood and bladder.The local gossips all point their fingers at Percy, but with the whole Cropper family in the village for the event, Julia has more than enough suspects to prove her new grandfather's innocence, even if she isn't the only one on the case. Who is the mysterious and handsome American sniffing around the village in the wake of Ian's murder, and can he be trusted? Everyone in the Cropper family has a clear motive for wanting Ian dead, but can Julia pinpoint the culprit before her newly gained family falls apart beyond repair? Book 19 in the Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery read with a cat loving and cafe-owning amateur female sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril. Other books in the 1. Pancakes and Corpses2. Lemonade and Lies3. Doughnuts and Deception4. Chocolate Cake and Chaos5. Shortbread and Sorrow6. Espresso and Evil7. Macarons and Mayhem8. Fruit Cake and Fear9. Birthday Cake and Bodies10. Gingerbread and Ghosts11. Cupcakes and Casualties12. Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune13. Ice Cream and Incidents14. Champagne and Catastrophes15. Wedding Cake and Woes16. Red Velvet and Revenge17. Vegetables and Vengeance18. Cheesecake and Confusion19. Brownies and Bloodshed

316 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2019

776 people are currently reading
350 people want to read

About the author

Agatha Frost

75 books598 followers
AGATHA FROST, an Amazon bestselling author, has written over thirty mystery novels. She lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.

When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.

From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.

Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.

Sign up to the newsletter at www.agathafrost.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
Profile Image for Christine Lucia Asha.
424 reviews43 followers
October 29, 2024
I really liked this one, even had to restart it because I missed some stuff! Totally worth the re-read.

One criticism is that a friend wanted to make vegan brownies by excluding vanilla (a plant!) and inserting 'caramel extract' which is derived from sugar and butter......unless that is a British thing I don't know about being vegan........
Profile Image for Erica Chaillot.
755 reviews18 followers
January 7, 2021
I just love these characters and town. This series keeps getting better and better. I definitely recommend this series.
Profile Image for AmBerGUR.
400 reviews20 followers
December 11, 2023
Love love all the characters and there was a mention of some characters from her other series too I just loved the cross over bit! Dot is still my favorite character so far.
Profile Image for QNPoohBear.
3,591 reviews1,565 followers
January 17, 2021
Freebie from the author during spring 2020 quarantine. The views expressed in this review are all my own and not affected by the giveaway.

Julia South-Brown has been feeling just a bit frustrated lately. With her father and his family living in her house causing chaos and pregnancy hormones affecting her mood, Julia is as prickly as a porcupine. She's looking forward to her grandmother Dot's wedding but with a bit of trepidation as the date was only recently announced and the theme is still a mystery. Julia reluctantly attends a pre-wedding dinner to meet Percy's family for the first time. She's surprised by Percy's estrangement from one of his brothers and horrified when Ian turns up to cause trouble. The wedding day turns out to be even more eventful than the dinner when the theme turns out to be the Wizard of Oz! With guests dressed as characters from the story/movie, this is going to be one crazy wedding. Unfortunately the wedding turns out to be crazier than expected when Julia discovers Ian's dead body, horrifically burned and shoved aside. Detective Inspector Christie suspects Percy is the murderer and Dot is beside herself. She urges Julia to solve the mystery and clear Percy's name. With Barker out of a job at the moment, he is eager to take over the investigation but Julia is not having it. She's determined to solve the mystery herself.

I was really not in the mood for this book. I didn't really care for the plot at all or the characters. I speed read/skimmed through the whole thing just to find out which one killed Ian. While I was happy a really bad person was the victim, I was sad that he was a part of this crazy family and thus related to Julia's gran. The rest of the story was unbelievable and stupid.

Julia annoyed the HECK out of me. First her pregnancy hormones made her cranky and annoying. Then her selflessness went WAY too far. She needs to kick her father in the behind and make him man up or they will never, ever leave. Finally, Julia's insistence in investigating is completely ridiculous. She's pregnant!!! She seems to have no care for her own safety and goes rushing into danger after dismissing everyone's concerns and promising to be careful. I was fully expecting her to get seriously hurt and lose the baby. It would serve her right for being dumb. Barker was also not so charming. He behaves like a child sometimes. It's his house too so he could also put a bug in Brian's ear to help out around the house more. Brian is the most singularly selfish and childish of all men. He's so selfish he can't see how his family is destroying Julia's home both physically and emotionally. Julia gives Katie too much of a free pass for being raised wealthy. Katie is still a 40 year old woman! She's old enough to understand when something isn't working. Julia shouldn't keep covering for Katie and should also encourage Katie to take Vincent out to a playgroup and help out around the house. Julia has a full time job running the café and she's pregnant. Katie, of all people, should understand that last one. Vincent is calm around Julia because he knows she's the only adult in the household and the only calm one. His parents are singularly useless.

As always, Dot is a delight. The theme of the wedding is awesome and I would totally attend a wedding if it had an Oz theme. I would even happily don the Wicked Witch of the West costume! #TeamElphaba Dot's new husband, Percy, is a bit simple and childlike. He's uncomplicated and very different from Dot. They seem to balance each other out well and she truly loves him. However, even Dot acts selfish (wonder where her son gets it from?) asking Julia to clear Percy's name. Ask Barker if you need a sleuth who isn't the police. I even loathed Jessie in this book. Jessie was rude and crude. You would think she would know how to behave and act her age at Dot's wedding or Alfie would push her to dress up a little and not behave like a child. Jessie's outspokenness gets her into trouble in this book. She needs to learn a little tact and discretion and how not to confront murder suspects.

Ian Cropper was not a nice man. He's the most selfish character and not in a normal way. He lies, cheats, steals and causes trouble wherever he goes. His behavior towards his children is absolutely appalling, not to mention what he did to his wives (girlfriends?). So which one killed Ian? Was it Thomas, Ian's son? Thomas seems nice enough. He's a kickboxing instructor and I think if he was a murderer, it would be accidental from a physical altercation. I like his sister, man-hating Helen. She's chronically late, scatterbrained and caustic but seems devoted to her brother. If it wasn't Thomas or Helen, then it had to be Eugene, the youngest brother, or his husband Marley. Eugene is a character. He's loud, flamboyant and a consummate politician. He can either rub people the wrong way or seem charming. I didn't like his constant needling and teasing of his husband. Marley is the opposite of Eugene. He's quieter, his wit is more subtle, he has a hair trigger temper, plus he's a vegan! All that plant eating can't be good for you. Maybe he snapped and killed Ian because Ian interrupted dinner and Marley was hungry? I think if Eugene was going to murder his brother it would be because he discovered Eugene did something to wrong him that couldn't be forgiven. I think Marley is a more likely suspect. He has a better motive. I think they all have secrets and are lying. Late in the story a new suspect is introduced. A mysterious American comes terrorizing the village searching for Ian and looking for something Ian may have left behind. OBVIOUSLY this guy is the murderer! He seems like a gangster out of the 1930s. I thought those guys were in jail?

I didn't enjoy this entry in the series as much. I am eager to know whether Julia is expecting a boy or girl. I think girl. I will likely want to read another book to find out but not ALL the books in the series.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,572 reviews65 followers
January 30, 2024
Sometimes books can just make you smile. When Dot and Percy have a Wizard of Oz themed wedding, it gets the whole family involved. Then an unexpected murder has them all stumped.

Agatha Frost is really good a picking surprising culprits. I didn’t guess this one at all. The plot was very well crafted and the characters really stood out on the page. I liked how Julia’s pregnancy and Barker’s idea about becoming a PI after he lost his book deal in book 18 were still front snd center even with all the action surrounding the murder investigation. DI Christie has really been a hood guy in the last few books and not Barker’s constant foil. Really enjoyed this one. On to book 20.
Profile Image for Eden.
2,226 reviews
January 10, 2020
2020 bk 14. I love these quirky, contemporary mysteries that tell of the foibles of Julia South's family. At issue - senior weddings, sibling rivalry, black sheeps, and the change in gay rights (or lack there of) in England. An excellent read with many funny and sobering minutes.
Profile Image for Leah.
1,977 reviews
November 8, 2022
June

This story involves family, a wedding, a career change, theft, and murder. The wedding was not what I expected it to be. I am happy that it finally happened though. I like that some of Percy's family was introduced. I only liked a few of them though. I liked the mystery. It wasn't entirely what I thought it would be. I liked most of the ending. I didn't like what Julia did at the end though. There was a better way to go about it.
Profile Image for ☆☆Hannah☆☆.
3,182 reviews46 followers
November 12, 2022
This was another good mystery in the series. Dot and Percy are getting married. However, at the wedding his brother is found murdered. Now Julia tries to find out who is behind it and why. Of course, she solves it, and all is well for now.
2,245 reviews44 followers
November 12, 2023
The South family of Peridale sure is "interesting"! Julia's father-Brian, his young wife-Katie, and their 19 month old baby-Vinnie, are staying with Julia and her husband-Barker because they had to put their manor up for sale. They are all doing the best they can to co-exist in the small space. Meanwhile, 85 year old Dot Smith is engaged to be married to Percy Cropper. Dot has orchestrated quite the themed event which will be a surprise for all. Unfortunately, Julia finds one of the groom's brothers dead. Who could have wanted him dead? Julia and Barker can't help themselves. They find themselves investigating another murder. The Peridale Cafe mystery series never disappoints. The characters are so easy to imagine, they always have new things happening, and you never know what is going to happen next. The books are well written and have a great flow. I am ready to read the next one!
84 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2019
What a family

Great characters as always
Julia suffering from hormones running riot due to her pregnancy
Barker, being sensitive and sensible, reading up on pregnancy.
Barker also showed a different side, fighting with other's and displaying quite aggressive behaviour.
Jessie as always, so adorable and growing up and developing new interests
Julia's dad, wife and chi!d, have put a strain on her cottage and how when you have others do things for you, you become lazy or don't have a clue how to do things
Loved the murder, had a twist and loved the way the victim died, was different
Cannot wait until the instalment
Loved it
Profile Image for Alisha Henri.
221 reviews4 followers
December 10, 2019
Wonderfully Warm, Tragic, Fascinating, and Rewarding

It was so good to return to Peridale. What a fascinating extended family drama unfolded at Dot & Percy's wedding and afterward. In spite of her condition, Julia simply couldn't resist working to solve the mystery, although thankfully usually had someone with her. I love the new in-laws relatives, and Brian, Katie and Vinnie certainly brought chaos into Julia's home. By the end of the mystery, plotlines were resolved to my great satisfaction, and I love them and am looking forward to the next adventure. Yay, Agatha! Thank you.
737 reviews2 followers
February 4, 2020
Wonderful book

Reading this series is like visiting friends, everyone is so nice and friendly. That said we start off with a one of a kind wedding that morphs into a murder mystery. Julia and Barker set out to solve the crime and repair hurt feelings with the new family members. All your old favorites are back and you'll meet new characters that I hope will be seen again. Fun read I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Profile Image for Deborah.
120 reviews
February 23, 2020
I still cannot get enough of Peridale

Love, 😄 love, love Peridale. Can anyone imagine living in a cottage with their dad, his wife (who is younger than you), and their infant son (your little brother), That alone would boggle my mind. This episode of life with Julia made me flip out. Throw in Dot getting married and new addition family members. A murder. And going to the bathroom(loo). I am now hormonal right along side the pregnant lady
Profile Image for Justine Peroni.
211 reviews1 follower
March 15, 2024
Another delightful romp in Peridale

As always, these books are a delight! The sad part is that it only takes a couple of days to read! This time it's another wedding for Dot and Percy and even though they actually get married, it's what happens after that secrets are revealed! Most enjoyable and love them. It's great to see the characters evolve over time and can't wait to read the next one!
Profile Image for Diane.
1,162 reviews
November 19, 2025
This book will have you laughing and relate to family drama. A wedding with a theme and everyone has to dress in characters from a book....now this was funny. Of course, we have a murder. It was one crazy things after another.....and Julia has to deal with running to the bathroom....You will enjoy this one in the series because you will be laughing. And we have one character who is scary too...so graph some tea and enjoy!!! You will be on the edge of your seat at times.
Profile Image for Karen.
695 reviews9 followers
December 7, 2019
Returning to the Peridale series is always a guaranteed great read.
Although the mystery and whodunit is always well written and filled with twists to keep me guessing, it is the development of the characters over the series that keeps me coming back.
I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the next one!
922 reviews7 followers
January 26, 2020
Super sleuths again

I just love this quiet little village. Which almost has more murders than permanent residents.
Another great mystery of who did it and why.
I think these books are getting better and better. The who is getting harder to guess a lot of the time.
A great series.
1,580 reviews7 followers
March 31, 2020
Very entertaining

This was a interesting book as I didn’t expect the cozy’s main character to be a couple of slightly older adults expecting their first child. But it was fun, the extended family was rather outrageous in many many ways and it was well written and easy to imagine all of the people and places. A big plus is that it’s clean! Prepare to be converted to this couple!
93 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2020
Brownies and Bloodshed

I had read the first 17 books and was sorta tired of this series BUT, I’m hooked again. Julia and the expanding family r always getting into something dangerous. Is Rex going to so up again? Him getting back to America sure leaves the door open. Hopefully Brian and Katie find a home. Ready for book 20 in the series! Jo
Profile Image for Maureen.
406 reviews
December 5, 2019
Fun

This series is a delightful fun read. From the beginning the reader is easily invested in the characters, as more characters come and go through this series you find yourself pleased to catch up with the doings of the regular ones.
Profile Image for Gillian.
515 reviews6 followers
December 9, 2019
Review

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Highly entertaining, a really good way to spend a afternoon. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading a really good cozy mystery.
327 reviews4 followers
December 9, 2019
Another Satisfying Mystery

New characters, more twists and turns, and some new directions for our favorite characters. This volume features an unusually themed wedding, a unique murder, and an exceptional thrill of the chase in solving the murder.
Profile Image for Claudia Myers.
4 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2019
Agatha Frost has done it again

Julia’s found another murder to investigate and we got to meet Percy’s eccentric family. Now we have to wait a few months for another adventure. Keep writing Agatha
43 reviews
December 23, 2019
Knocked it out of the park again!

I loved this book. The wedding details were great! The plot development kept you guessing. And no amount of red herrings prepared you for who done it! Bravo!
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,426 reviews12 followers
January 4, 2020
I have loved all the books in this series so far and this one did not disappoint at all. You could say they are a little formulaic but I like that about them, great characters and brilliant one liners, I can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Janice Zorn.
12 reviews
January 31, 2020
Another fun read from Agatha Frost. The Peridale books invariably do what a good cozy should - create images of the characters and the locale in your mind, make you care about the characters, have a bit of humor and keep you guessing as to who did it.
337 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2020
Another wonderful book

I really enjoyed this book the characters are really well written,you grow to really like the characters and want to see what happens next, I can't wait for the next one.
877 reviews25 followers
November 30, 2021
Peridale Cafe 19

Wonderful story! Great reading! I enjoyed this story a great deal. A wedding is always an exciting event . Add in a bit of intrigue along with a murder and you have a good 😊 story !
Profile Image for Becca.
3,224 reviews47 followers
August 8, 2024
Gah this series just gets better and better with each book. I love how the family is expanding too, with such great characters. This has been an absolute joy to read! Can't wait to dive into the next one!
50 reviews
March 16, 2025
Who dies next?

I found this to be really interesting With lots of twists especially at the end. the only part I didn't like about it was it seems all the characters were introduced at 1 time in the beginning so I never figured out the relationship between all of them
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews

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