Author: Olivia Matthews
Series: Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 304
Date of Publication: January 24, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
In Olivia Matthews's Against the Currant, the first Spice Isle Bakery Mystery, investigating a murder was never supposed to be on the menu…
Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New Lyndsay Murray is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it’s everything she’s ever wanted. The West Indian bakery is her way to give back to the community she loves, stay connected to her Grenadian roots, and work side-by-side with her family. The only thing getting a rise out of Lyndsay is Claudio Fabrizi, a disgruntled fellow bakery owner who does not want any competition.
On opening day, he comes into the bakery threatening to shut them down. Fed up, Lyndsay takes him to task in front of what seems to be the whole neighborhood. So when Claudio turns up dead a day later―murdered―Lyndsay is unfortunately the prime suspect. To get the scent of suspicion off her and her bakery, Lyndsay has to prove she’s innocent―under the watchful eyes of her overprotective brother, anxious parents, and meddlesome extended family―what could go wrong?
MY THOUGHTS:
Against the Currant is the delightful first book in a new cozy mystery series. Our characters are diverse, of West Indian descent, and they live in a neighborhood called Little Caribbean in Brooklyn. Lyndsay Murray has opened a new bakery. Her parents are part of the business and her grandmother is always present. Her best friend and brother is an attorney, but helps out as often as he can. A true family business, with Lyndsay at the helm.
Everyone in the neighborhood is not pleased at the immediate success of the bakery, most notably Claudio Fabrizi, another bakery only a few blocks away in the neighborhood. Although their businesses are a fair distance from each other, Claudio seems determined to shut Lyndsay's bakery down.
After a catering job, a man is found dead. Earlier on Lyndsay lost her charm bracelet, and it was this very bracelet and where it was found that makes Lyndsay the prime suspect. She is determined to prove her innocence, even if this means that she identify the killer.
A typical cozy mystery, no doubt, but what an enjoyable start to this series. If you like strong characters and an even stronger family, then look no further than Against the Currant. This book was a reread for me because I wanted to read the next two books in the series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They are Hard Dough Homicide and Coconut Drop Dead.
- - - -
Author: Olivia Matthews
Series: Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #2
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 304
Date of Publication: May 23, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Someone in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood has an appetite for murder in Olivia Matthews' Hard Dough Homicide.
Spice Isle Bakery owner Lyndsay Murray is always looking for new ways to grow her family’s business. But she already regrets agreeing to host the retirement dinner for local high school principal Emily Smith. The tyrant used to be her mother's boss and they did not get along. Six guests arrive for the celebration, but only five survive. Emily starts convulsing―right after eating the curry chicken―and dies soon after. It’s not long before the police are knocking on Spice Isle’s door, bringing the Murray family back into the heart of another murder investigation―driving away customers in the process. Lyndsay can't help but wonder if this is the end of the bakery, even though it's just begun. She must put aside her reservations about investigating another crime, because the Murrays refuse to go down without a fight.
Spice Isle Bakery owner Lyndsay Murray is always looking for new ways to grow her family’s business. But she already regrets agreeing to host the retirement dinner for local high school principal Emily Smith. The tyrant used to be her mother's boss and they did not get along. Six guests arrive for the celebration, but only five survive. Emily starts convulsing―right after eating the curry chicken―and dies soon after. It’s not long before the police are knocking on Spice Isle’s door, bringing the Murray family back into the heart of another murder investigation―driving away customers in the process. Lyndsay can't help but wonder if this is the end of the bakery, even though it's just begun. She must put aside her reservations about investigating another crime, because the Murrays refuse to go down without a fight.
MY THOUGHTS:
Lyndsay Murray has a lot more on her plate besides running the bakery she owns, she also plunges headfirst into solving a murder yet again. The last time her new bakery, located in Little Caribbean in Brooklyn, catered an event, a man died. This time around, she has been hired to cater a retirement dinner for a retiring school principal, Emily Smith. This does not please her mother as she worked under the Emily and they had a contentious relationship.
In fact, with only five guests invited to this dinner, it becomes more than apparent that none of them like Emily either. Dinner is served, and shortly afterwards Emily drops dead. Since it was more than apparent that Lyndsay's mother utterly disliked Emily, she becomes the prime suspect. Having had great success in solving a murder previously, she proves determined to prove her mother's innocence, and to find the killer herself.
Lyndsay's family has a lot of faith in her finding the means, motive and opportunity to commit the murder. Despite running headlong into the detective in charge, Bryce, Lyndsay is growing more fond of him as time goes on. This was an excellent second book in an already delightful series by Olivia Matthews.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
- - - -
Author: Olivia Matthews
Series: Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 288
Date of Publication: December 26, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
The case in Olivia Matthews's Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.
Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event’s food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She’s looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.
The day's festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay’s cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay’s help to make sure a killer faces the music.
MY THOUGHTS:
"Tragedy hits Caribbean-American Festival." Lyndsay Murray, now called The Grenadian Nancy Drew, has a booth at the annual Caribbean-American Heritage Festival, which is a nod to her West Indian heritage. At the event, Lyndsay is requested to cater an exclusive wedding. Even before she can even think of the opportunity a reggae performer is found dead. What else is Lyndsay to do but to try and solve the murder itself? She is attracted to, but at odds with her high school crush, Detective Bryce Jackson. Lyndsay makes it more than clear that she intends on being involved with the case quite to Bryce's consternation.
Just like the first two books in this series, Against the Currant and Hard Dough Homicide, this third book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series is quite enjoyable. Lyndsay's family is wonderful, and while her brother Dev is an attorney, I found it wonderful when he joined the family's bakery business. Then considering the diversity with the family's West Indian background, this was a well-rounded read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
A voracious reader, Patricia first realized she wanted to be a published author at the age of nine. She was drawn to write romances because she loves happy endings. Her romantic suspense novels feature ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her contemporary romances reveal characters struggling to overcome their inner demons.
In addition to reading, Patricia’s hobbies include music, jogging and hiking. She loves movies and sports.
Patricia loves to hear from readers. Her e-mail address is BooksByPatricia@Yahoo.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment