Thursday, July 8, 2021

🍦 Book Review ~ CHILLED TO THE CONE by Ellie Alexander 🍦

Chilled to the Cone (A Bakeshop Mystery, #12)
by: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: December 29, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

Pastry chef and amateur sleuth Juliet Capshaw finds herself on thin ice as she attempts to solve her latest case of small-town murder in Ellie Alexander's Chilled to the Cone: A Bakeshop Mystery.

The deep freeze has thawed in Ashland, Oregon and Torte is gearing up for a busy spring. When a surprise opportunity to launch a pop-up ice cream shop comes her way, Jules jumps at the chance to showcase Torte’s signature iced drinks and cold custards. But selling the desserts of her dreams comes at a price. . .and, before she knows it, Jules’s life swirls into a nightmare. One of the town’s most colorful characters, a street performer known for wearing capes and a cone-shaped hat, turns up dead just as Torte 2.0 is set to open its doors. Can Jules get the scoop on what happened to “The Wizard” of Ashland before her new business venture reaches a chilling conclusion?
In Chilled to the Cone, Andy, Sterling and the rest of the Torte team convince Jules to open a seasonal Torte location in another part of Ashland. The Railroad District area isn't far from Torte itself, but the people the small location will serve are different. The team comes up with the name Scoops and plans to serve ice cream concrete, cold coffee, pre-made sandwiches, and cold pasta salad. Jules and her mom, Helen, even allow Andy and Sterling to take the lead on the new location, including designing and running it. But before they even get ready to open, they face challenges and obstacles. A beloved member of the community is found dead near the new location. Could his death have been a result of mistaken identity? Was he killed for something he knew? Or was it a crime of passion? One thing is for sure, Jules plans to find out.

Unfortunately, I think too much has happened in the previous books to say that Chilled to the Cone is a standalone read. I think readers of this series will be happy with the direction Ellie is taking it. I’m a romance girl at heart, and my little heart was beyond happy with all the romance this story provided. On the mystery front, I loved all the misdirects and red herrings Ellie included. She had me guessing right up until the big reveal. Ellie Alexander is a wonderful author, and her Bakeshop Mystery series is one of my favorite series. The characters are all people I wish were real, that I know and can visit with. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.

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

Rating: 4

Purchase Chilled to the Cone 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
Nothing Bundt Trouble ~ Review

Mocha, She Wrote released June 29, 2021

Bake, Borrow, and Steal releases December 28, 2021

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:


Posted by
Labels: , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

STOP!
Did you just copy and paste your previous comment? Please don't. Duplicate comments will be deleted.

Comments that include links to other sites, or names including links WILL BE CONSIDERED SPAM AND DELETED.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)