Book Review ~ Fudge and Jury (A Bakeshop Mystery, Book #5) by Ellie Alexander @BakeshopMystery

About the Book:

The pastries are delicious…and, now, suspicious.

It’s almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin’ at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules’ team whips up crèpes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year’s confectionery belle of the ball! Life couldn’t be sweeter—unless murder taints the batter.

Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for—literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead…right after sampling a slice of Jules’ decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?

Book Details:

Print Length: 321 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Publication Date: January 3, 2017

Sold by: Macmillan

ASIN: B01H035XWY

Amazon

Goodreads

Fudge and Jury, Book 5 of the Bakeshop Mystery, has Torte hustling and bustling to prepare the upcoming Chocolate Festival. March is the month for Ashland's festival and Torte is a showcase vendor this year. As recipes are being tried and compiled for the festival, Torte is also undergoing a some remodeling. While balancing both endeavors, a world-renowned confectioner has a deadly allergic reaction to something he ate while visiting each station at the festival. As it happened right after sampling food from Torte, Juliet finds herself having to defend her team against against accusations surrounding the preparation of their food. Knowing that it wasn't anything from Torte, Juliet is on the hunt for a killer.

I enjoyed book 5 in the series just as much as the first 4. I love how Jules has acclimated to Torte and works so well with her mom and all of their employees. Being the showcase vendor for the festival is such a wonderful achievement for Torte. Unfortunately, all of that prestige and praise has the potential to go down the drain when Evan Rowe turns up dead right after visiting Torte's station.

The Bakeshop Mystery series is great and each story is different, containing not just the murder mystery but other threads. The author does a fantastic job weaving multiple stories within each book. Each thread makes sense as you move along in the book, some intersecting with the murder and others just additional everyday life. The books are descriptive and I am able to immerse myself into the town of Ashland and the lives of its residents.

The world building continues as new events or businesses begin to take shape and new characters are introduced. The familiar favorites are always a pleasure to see on the pages; Jules' mom, Stephanie, Sterling, Lance, Andy, Thomas, and The Professor. I connected with all of the favorites on some level and can't imagine these books without them.

The story was fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed trying to unravel the murder mystery. Every time I thought I had things all figured out, the author tossed in a complication that changed my mind. Ellie Alexander did a great job keeping everything under wraps and revealing things methodically and at the right time.

My Rating:

*I purchased this book myself.