And Then There Were Crumbs

GIVEAWAY

CALDER, EVE
AND THEN THERE WERE CRUMBS

She's a talented pastry chef -- with a secret recipe for solving crimes...

Welcome to the Cookie House.

Kate McGuire's life was sweet in Manhattan before she lost her restaurant job and fiance both. But sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles, and soon she finds herself starting from scratch in the island town of Coral Cay, Florida. It has everything she's looking for: sunny beaches, friendly locals, and a Help Wanted sign in the bakery shop window. Once she convinces the shop's crusty owner Sam Hepplewhite to hire, her, Kate can't tie on her apron fast enough. Little does she know that trouble, like warm dough, is on the rise...

Where criminals get their just desserts.

Stewart Lord is a real estate developer with a taste for a different type of dough: the green kind. He knows that he could make a killing by purchasing the Cookie House from Sam, who flat-out refuses to sell. But when Stewart turns up the heat on Sam -- then turns up dead after eating a fresh batch of Sam's cinnamon rolls -- all eyes focus on the town's beloved bakery. When the police arrest Sam for murder, Kate must somehow prove that her curmudgeonly boss is innocent. Enlisting the help of a team of lovable locals, Kate sets out to catch the real culprit with his hand in the cookie jar...before someone else gets burned.

My Review:

Eeeep!!!!! New cozy msytery series alert!!!! And from what I can tell, this is Eve Calder's debut. She's definitely an author I will be keeping on my cozy high alert list.

This novel is packed with all the things cozy mystery fans adore -- small town charm, hard done by heroine looking for a fresh start, a cast of secondary characters willing to lend their support and cheer her on (well, except for the dastardly villain, of course) and the prerequisite  furry sleuthing buddy -- in this case an amicable pup. And while all these elements provide a comforting sense of familiarity, Calder has added her own charming brand of zaniness that makes it all snappy and fresh.

Like Kate's not only a baker, she's a cookie whisperer. It's positively magical! And her free-spirited canine sidekick belongs to the whole town. He has a bowl and a bed in multiple homes and businesses and enjoys a nomadic life...though I'm kinda hoping Oliver settles on Kate for his canine happily ever after. :-) Which would be fitting since he's her "knight in fuzzy armor."

There isn't a romantic element in this story. Instead, the author spends some quality time developing friendships -- including a mystery book club more than willing to put all those reading hours into practice! So much fun! But, if you enjoy romance in your stories, do not despair -- Calder introduces a new character at the end of the book...like the v-e-r-y end but he makes an impression on Kate (and, obviously me) so I'm excited to see how that will play out. (Please, not a love triangle. Pretty Please!!!)

I listened to the audible edition of this book. Christa Lewis's narration fit the story perfectly. I'll definitely be listening to the whole series. The second book, Sugar and Vice (love the clever play on words in both titles) just came out in April. I'm impatiently waiting for it to become available on audible so I can get my next Cookie House Mystery fix

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  And Then There Crumbs, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 30 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck