Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander

Item: Sticks and Scones
Rating: 4
Author: karenbaron

Posted August 28, 2024 by karenbaron in #SpringReadsWithTheBaroness, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sticks and Scones

by Ellie Alexander

Series: Bakeshop Mystery #19
Series Rating:

Published by Minotaur Books on August 20, 2024
Setting: Ashland, Oregon
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 310
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon

Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

It’s late spring in Juliet's charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights—lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.

Meanwhile, Juliet's friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva's vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on "The Taming of the Shrew," but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she's going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.

In Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander, a bakeshop owner doubts her skills to solve a mystery and tries to be more relaxed.

Who would want Jimmy Paxton gone?

Juliet Capshaw

Juliet Capshaw, also known as Jules by everyone, is our point-of-view character. Jules has been running Torte, a bakeshop with her mom, for a while and is happily married to Carlos. I love Jules and how she runs her business. Not only that, but she also makes everyone around her feel like they are a part of her family. I also like the fact that she is surrounded by people who care for her and that they want to help out when she’s feeling down.

Jimmy Paxton

Jimmy Paxton is our victim. He met his untimely demise at the end of the theater production of Taming of the Shrew at Jules and Carlos’ winery. Now, Jules wants to find out who killed him and why at the winery. Well, figuring that out isn’t a piece of cake. Jimmy hadn’t been a good person from the little bit that he interacted with Jules. He was always trying to better his situation, even at the cost of others. I figured out who did it but not the motive.

Four Stars

Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander is my first book into the foray of this fascinating world. Ms. Alexander does a great job transporting me there with Jules, solving the mystery, and hanging out in the kitchen with all those yummy treats baking. I am giving Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander four stars and recommending it to all cozy culinary mystery readers. Give it a try, even if you haven’t popped into one of these books before. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the recipes at the back of the book.

The recipes are Strawberry Scones, Chocolate Tahini Cookies, Huevos Rotos (Spanish Broken Eggs), Pineapple Cake with Coconut Buttercream, Barbecue Chicken Cups, and Cherry Blossom Latte.

Bakeshop Mystery

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Ellie Alexander

Hey There

A voracious storyteller and a lover of words and all things bookish. I believe that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over thirty-five published novels and counting, my goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

I love inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and am passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, I guide writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.

Come on a storyventure with me!

^ got from the author’s bio