Muffin But the Truth ~ Bakeshop 16 (by Ellie Alexander)

I have read several of the books in the Bakeshop series and plan to go back and fill in the blanks with the rest of them. The characters are well developed and I feel like Juliet and her cohorts have become friends. Each of the individuals who work with Juliet at Torte are unique. They have different gifts when it comes to baking, creating coffee, cooking, etc. And they have such a wonderful camaraderie as they navigate the day-to-day grind of running a food venue and the occasional special events. (This is obvious when Juliet is hired to help with a company team building event because camaraderie is the further thing from their mindset. More on that in a few.) There are a few extra characters that add so much to the story … Lance, who is a hoot and definitely an extravert, as well as Juliet’s mother and her stepfather, The Professor. And I enjoyed getting to know Juliet’s stepson, Ramiro, while he is in the US as an exchange student.

The mystery will grab you from the beginning. There are all kinds of twists and turns and you will be second guessing whether the person who was murdered was the intended victim or a case of mistaken identity. And who really committed the murder?! Too many suspects and clues will have you guessing until the very end. And, honestly, who would want to work for Bamboo? The owner is just evil and the individuals who work for her are stressed to the max and cannot be happy with their situation.

The author does a wonderful job of bringing the story to life and keeping you interested as you flip through the pages as fast as possible to see if you can figure out the guilty party. Plus, the food that is described had my stomach growling and my mouth watering. I wish Torte was a real bakeshop because I would be booking a ticket to travel to Ashland, Oregon. I can’t wait for the next adventure with the gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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