Helpful Score: 3
First in the Bakeshop Mystery series. Also, first time read of this author. Really enjoyed the book. The setting is in Washington state. Juliet returns to her hometown after leaving her husband (coworker) and job on a cruise ship line. She returns "temporarily" to get her act together and help out her mom in the family bake shop. A murder takes place in the shop after hours and Juliet is determined to find out who did it. She also tackles helping out her mom with the financial problems of the shop and reconnecting with former boyfriend turned policeman. More realistic scenarios than some of the cozies I've read. Very good read!
This is a great start for a debut and can't wait for the next book to arrive. Jules, the MC left her pastry chef position on a cruise ship and her husband who betrayed her, for her home town of Ashland, Oregon. What an interesting town with all its tourists, and Shakespearen mix of actors who act in various plays for the Oregon Shakespearen Festival during the summer. But, the focus of the book centers in the pastry shop named Torte that Jules' mother owns. The author gives a great narration of all the daily goings on in a pastry shop. It is also the location of the murder of a very unpopular member of the community. With all the characters who disliked the victim, it was not until the the very end when the reveal occurred that I knew who the murderer was. There are many pastry tips throughout the book and great recipes at the end of the book.
