Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Review ~ NOTHING BUNDT TROUBLE by Ellie Alexander


Nothing Bundt Trouble (A Bakeshop Mystery, #11)
by: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Goodreads

This time, Torte's pastry chef and amateur sleuth finds herself coming out of the oven and straight into the fire in Ellie Alexander's Nothing Bundt Trouble: A Bakeshop Mystery.

Spring has sprung in Ashland, Oregon, and everything at Torte seems to be coming up buttercream roses. But just when Juliet Capshaw seems to have found her sweet spot--with her staff set to handle the influx of tourists for this year's Shakespeare festival while she moves back into her childhood home--things take a dramatic turn. Jules discovers a long-forgotten dossier in her deceased father's belongings that details one of the most controversial cases in Ashland's history: a hit-and-run accident from the 1980s. Or was it?

Now it's up to Jules to parse through a whole new world of details from another era, from unraveling cassette tapes to recipes for Bundt cakes, before an old enemy brings the Capshaw "pastry case" to a modern-day dead end.



Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I literally wish Torte and the characters were real.

Nothing Bundt Trouble is the eleventh book in the series. I would like to say it’s a standalone read, but I don’t believe it is. At its heart, the story is a much-needed journey for the series protagonist, Jules Capshaw. The story goes back in time to 1988. Readers are introduced to Will, Jules’s father and are able to see the town of Ashland, Oregon, and Torte in their infancy.

Now that Jules’s mother, Helen, has married Ashland’s Police Detective Doug Curtis aka The Professor, Jules moves back into her childhood home. While looking in the basement, Jules discovers a diary written by her father. The diary details events starting on March 14, 1988, where Will and Doug witness a hit and run accident, resulting in the death of a stage actor. At the time, The Professor was fairly new to the department and this became his first solo investigation. Wanting to make a good impression, he asked Will to help with his investigation. The two dub the case “The Pastry Case” and attempt to find out what happened. Unfortunately, this was the first case The Professor wasn’t able to solve. While Doug and Jules sit down together to go over the diary, it gives them an opportunity to bond and reminisce about Will. In the end, Jules knows that she has to attempt to solve the case for both her father and The Professor.

Nothing Bundt Trouble is my most favorite book of the series so far. I knew Ellie was going to write a book set in the 80’s and I knew the book was going to feature Jules’s father who hasn’t been introduced until now. I couldn’t imagine how she was going to pull this off. But she did and did an amazing job in the process. The story allows you to get to know Will and see him and Helen open up Torte. You also get to witness Will’s love for Helen and Jules, which comes through the pages of the story. Jules has so many of her father’s qualities that I don’t think she ever picked up on until now. Nothing Bundt Trouble was definitely a book this series and Jules herself needed. I can’t wait to read the next book, Chilled to the Cone.

~ FAVORITE QUOTES ~ 

“Always trust your instincts.”

“Your instincts will never lead you astray. That’s a lesson for work, for love, for life.”


**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed the book.**

Rating: 5

Purchase Nothing Bundt Trouble from:

The Bakeshop Mystery Series:

On Thin Icing ~ Review
Caught Bread Handed ~ Review
Fudge and Jury ~ Review
A Crime of Passion ~ Review
Trouble is Brewing ~ Review
Another One Bites the Crust ~ Review
Till Death Do Us Tart ~ Review
Live and Let Pie ~ Review
A Cup of Holiday Fear ~ Review

Chilled to the Cone releases December 29, 2020

Meet the characters of the Bakeshop Mystery Series here.

You can read Jules’ profile post here.

Ellie Alexander (also known as Kate Dyer-Seeley) is a Pacific Northwest native. Her love for the Pacific Northwest runs deep. Hence why all of her books (whether she’s writing as Ellie or Kate) are set here. From the Shakespearean hamlet of Ashland, Oregon to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington to the hipster mecca of Portland, Oregon and a variety of other stunning outdoor locales, the Pacific Northwest is a backdrop for every book and almost becomes another character in each series.

When not writing, you can find her testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouse or brewpubs nearby. You’ll also find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of “research”.

Ellie loves hearing from readers and interacting on social media. Be sure to follow her to learn about her writing process, upcoming books, special events, giveaways, and more!

Places to find Ellie Alexander:

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