Peppermint Twisted

A Candy Shop Mystery #3

by Sammi Carter

Paradise's local artists are up in arms when wealthy Felicity Asbury names herself director of the annual arts festival. But she soon gets her just desserts. Abby finds Felicity dead in Divinity's parking lot -- an awl lodged in her chest. And when evidence points to Abby as the suspect, she must put aside her sweet making for sleuthing to discover who was twisted enough to do the deed.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Chick Lit

249 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Sammi Carter is the multi-published, award-winning author of the popular Candy Shop mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Abby Shaw. Sammi Carter is the pseudonym of Sherry Lewis.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this series keeps getting better. This time Abby is involved in the arts festival and of course gets involved in murder and mayhem. I like the setting for these books and the candy always sounds good. The mystery was good and I didn't see the ending coming. #readforkimberly

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The annual arts festival is approaching in Paradise, Colorado, but a last minute switch of the person in charge doesn't make anyone happy. When the new chairwoman is murdered in the parking lot of Abby's candy store, things get even hotter. I love the characters, and the plot kept me guessing. As with the previous books, the ending was rather abrupt.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this cozy mystery series.

[Dhfan4life · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely the part of the series where the porridge is just not 'right' at all. I get the main character was predominately looked as the person of interest/probable suspect in the murder of the initial victim. So that might have naturally made the author feel like she had to paint the main character and the whole town in a light/mode of distrust of anybody. And have them be more snappy, snarky, or in general suspicious in general. But dude, it was really strange reading about so many characters I had liked before turning this way. Not only that, but again I don't know if it was just do to the main character being placed in the suspect light in this particular book. And although the author did a bit of a 180 once the real bad guys was revealed in the end. And everyone went back to being normalish. I still feel like the author needs to have Abby's relationship with her law enforcement potential love interest sink or swim. They seemed to have been starting something since book 1. Book 2 there was barely anything and in this one, they were both major jerkwads to each other at times til the end. Definitely not my fave depiction of them interacting.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby Shaw has inherited the Divinity Candy Shop from her
grandmother. She is trying to make it into a profitable
business.
The story is set in Paradise, Colorado a town where everyone
knows everyone and their business.
Each year the town hosts an annual arts festivals. The time
is soon approaching when the town’s mayor makes a switch
of the chairperson. No one is happy with this change and
they threaten to drop out.
Then the new chairwoman is found dead in Divinity’s
parking lot…. making Abby the key suspect. While the police
are Investigating, a humongous shipment of peppermint is
delivered to the store which Abby had not ordered. Add a car
wreck from cut breaks and another murder to the mix for a
quick, humorous read.
This is the third book in the Candy Shop Mysteries but can
be read as a stand alone.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in the Candy Shop series.

The Guild is planning it's festival when the Mayor fires Meena and places wealthy Felicity Asbury in her place. She is making changes that the people are not happy with. Rachel asks Abby to talk to her. Abby gets a cold reception when she goes to talk to Felicity and Felicity threatens to cancel Divinity's booth in the festival. Abby leaves mad. The next morning Felicity is found dead in Abby's parking lot and all signs point to Abby having killed her.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great series! I live the candy recipes in the back.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The arts festival is happening in just a few weeks what was the mayor thinking in firing the head of the guild and replacing her with one of the most hated women in town. When the woman dies Abby is chief suspect after all the dead body was found in the parking lot of Divinity Abby's shop and Abby did have a fight with the deceased the night before. Plus the weapon had her fingerprints on. Abby sets out to find the truth.
I love this series. The characters are all so believable and the small town charm is great. I like the fact that Wyatt and Abby are working out how to be family and that things might be warming slightly between Jarwaski and Abby. The story line was great and I can't wait to read the next book.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book to read. Characters are interesting, but sometimes not so bright. Often petty. Storyline was interesting and the plot was good. The ending was a little hard to believe. I don't think anyone, after being warned their lives are in danger, would decide to go by themselves and talk to someone that had once been a suspect. That didn't make sense. That's why it was a 4 rather than a 5 rating. Carter needed a better ending. Recommend.

[Wyshona D. Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why, but it seemed like it took me forever to get through this book. I was reading it at the beach, and usually I can read a book a day, but it took me from Saturday-Tuesday to read this book. It wasn't a bad cozy, but Abby kind of grates on my nerves with her prickliness.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book with a surprise (?) ending.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine, nothing to write home about

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be the best of the series (I've read 4 now) with the twists and turns of the story. Carter makes very believable characters and sorts out the way they interact very well.

[Drebbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candy store owner Abby Shaw already has her hands full running the Divinity Candy Shop - trying to make it profitable as well as having the upstairs renovated - so the last thing she needs is trouble with the annual arts festival. But there is plenty of trouble - the mayor has let go Meena Driggs who was running the festival and appointed troublemaker Felicity Asbury in charge. Felicity ruffles plenty of feathers and nobody is terribly surprised when Felicity is found murdered in Divinity's parking lot. Unfortunately, the location of Felicity's body makes Abby the number one suspect and she has to find the real killer in order to clear her name and keep the candy shop open.

"Peppermint Twisted" is the nicely done third entry in Sammi Carter's delightful candy shop cozy mystery series. The setting is a good one - not only the candy shop where Carter gives readers a glimpse into how a candy store is operated, but the town of Paradise itself where everybody knows everybody else and nothing stays secret for very long. The mystery itself is well written and plotted, with plenty of suspects, and while I did figure out who the killer was there was still a twist that I didn't see coming. But while the mystery was well done, what really makes the book work so well is the character of Abby and her family dynamics. She is struggling to run the candy shop while avoiding the interference of relatives (which adds some humor to the mystery). It is her complex relationship with her brother Wyatt that makes this book so strong. Both of them are struggling with issues they had as kids and while they both love each other, neither is willing to admit it. Their relationship alone makes this series worth reading.

"Peppermint Twisted" is a nicely done cozy mystery.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it.


Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Candy Shop Mysteries. Abby once again finds herself in the middle of everything. She is trying her best to successfully run the candy shop, help organize the local art festival and figuring out where her relationship with Jawarski is heading. If that's not enough to deal with, she is accused of murder when the most prominent woman in Paradise turns up dead in Divinity's parking lot. Abby scrambles to collect clues and find the real killer so she can clear her name and reputation!!!

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this from the library and all the had was the large print version. Look at the cover. You'd think this was a Christmas cozy mystery but it isn't. Yes Abby had lots of peppermint to get rid of thanks to her cousin Bea but this book was set in May. Ugh! I had deceiving book covers. Anyway, this was alright. I didn't guess who the killer was because too many people were lying to cover something up so it could have been one of several people. I do like Abby and I hope her and Jawarski can finally have a relationship. Trust isn't either one of their strong suites.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peppermint Twisted was kind of a slow read for me. It just didn't hold the same finesse as Sammi Carter's other books in the series. I also realized the killer within reading just the first half of the book. I also didn't really care for the way the murder victims or the murderer's tied together in the end. I guess its just because her other books sorta blew me away with the ending. I was happy with the climatic ending though. In my honest opinion the book is good, I just think its a little on the boring side.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5* I enjoyed this much more than the previous books. The story moved quickly and I found it humorous. I absolutely cannot stand cousin Bea; she it a horrible, judge-y, sanctimonious, jerk. I need her to not be in any more of the stories. I love the way her relationship with her brother is progressing. I am unsure about Pine; he was being a little jerk-ish, but I understand wanting to protect his kids. And he did apologize. I was not surprised that Oliver was the bad guy, but I was surprised about the con. This was a much better story, and I really enjoyed this.

[Patricia Solla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Interesting character and plot development. Book is part of a series (#3). Felt something missing reading the story as a stand alone.

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it...the book was exactly what I expected. A culinary mystery-I think I like these more for the culinary part rather than the mystery (usually I can guess before I am 1/3 of the way through). The recipes are always interesting-they give Garth and I a base recipe to start with-therefore it was a fun read. It was great for an "I am super tired, but can't sleep or think adequately so I'll read this night!". If you read it-I hope you enjoy! :-)

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3rd in the series of Abby, a candy store owner, that manages to always get mixed up in murder. This time it appears that she is being framed for a murder (what's new there?!) and while she has promised not to get involved she does because she doesn't think the police will try to find the real killer.

She solves the crime but not without putting herself in danger and almost getting killed.

It was a pretty good book. I've enjoyed the series

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby is the owner of a candy shop in a small town in Colorado. She is also the assistant chair of the art festival. When the mayor ousts the current chair and names a much disliked woman in her place, Abby is called upon to help sort the matter out. Unfortunately, the new chair, Felicity, turns up dead in front of Abby's shop with Abby's brother's awl as the murder weapon.

Includes recipes at the end for a variety of peppermint candies.

[Jamie Wyatt Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still really enjoying this series, but Abby is starting to rub me the wrong way a bit. I understand why she gets involved, but in this book she was beyond pushy and endangered herself in stupid ways. She seems to be a lot smarter than that so I don't understand what happened. I am hoping she wises up a tad in the next book. A plus is Wyatt is no longer irritating to me and so I no longer dread interactions between him and Abby.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peppermint Twisted
Sammi Carter
Mystery
244 pages
copyright: 2007
isbn: 978-0-425-21227-1

No one's happy when wealthy Felicity Asbury names herself director of the local arts festival. But when she's found dead, all evidence points to candy shop owner Abby Shaw, who must put aside her sweets to discover the twisted killer.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute cozy mystery in the Candy Shoppe series. It was not as predictable as some other cozies I've read lately, which is nice. This series is in what I call the pretty good category, meaning that if I run across more in the series, I would read them, but wouldn't make a point to rush out and buy new books.

[September · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, every time I started to read this book, I fell asleep. I don't fall asleep reading most of the time... so I'd say this book just was not for me. It was okay, but not as good as many of the other books I've been reading recently that have really held my attention.

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good cozy mystery series. This time it's candy! And who doesn't love candy. Abby is a funny, likeable character with just a bit of ditz. This mystery was straightforwards and typical of a cozy - it was very fun. 4 stars.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, an entertaining cozy mystery. I love this series, although I am starting to wonder if Abby is basically a murder magnet. Seems like Paradise was safe until she moved back. Still, very enjoyable with an unexpected twist.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably preferred the previous book in the series, but its hard not to like these. Not the most thrilling crime, but still fun.