Masher of Ceremonies - A Review

 Review

MASHER OF CEREMONIES by Victoria Hamilton
The Thirteenth Vintage Kitchen Mystery 

 

Unwilling to let Queensville's traditional Tea with the Queen die Jaymie Müller is determined to make this year's fundraiser the best ever, even if it kills her! Jaymie's already busy life gets even more chaotic when Nigel, her event partner and new owner of Stowe House, tells her he's being blackmailed and asks for her help. Does the dead body have something to do with the blackmail or is something else going on? Between making sure the Tea with the Queen is a success, dealing with volunteers old and new, including Nigel's entourage, opening her own shop, and caring for her family, Jaymie will also puzzle out just who killed Queensville's latest victim.

 

Jaymie has so much going on in the thirteenth Vintage Kitchen Mystery I don't know when she has time to breathe! I enjoyed reading about her many activities including opening her own shop and tea room with her best friend and seeing her home life, simple acts of cooking a meal and getting her daughter ready for school or watching her play with her cousins. These looks into Jaymie's life give readers a sense of who she is-someone who can organize and solve problems, whether it's where to locate  a vintage kitchenware pattern, how to deal with volunteers, or how to solve a murder!

 

MASHER OF CEREMONIES is a bit different in that the first major problem, aside from reining in was the blackmail situation. We know the identity of the blackmailer, we just don't know what he's capable of. The murder doesn't happen for quite some time and the motive, as well as the killer, is unknown. I like how Jaymie involves the police and asks for advice and help, yet still remains strong and independent. While events move at a slower pace, there are some heart pounding surprises and a few fast paced thrills.

 

With lots of moving parts MASHER OF CEREMONIES is a delightful blend of Michigan summer life and murder. 

A Poisonous Pour - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a recent release. A Poisonous Pour by Maddie Day is the third book in the Cece Barton Mystery series and was released this week!

 

Blurb:

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is buzzing with activity. For Cece, business at Vino y Vida is going great, as is her romance with new beau, Benjamin. Meanwhile, Cece’s neighbor, Richard Flora, is stirring up controversy with his newest article, an exposé of Regan Greene, power-hungry director of a valley district organization. Also in the mix is the town’s big classic car show, paired with wine tastings . . .

At the show, Cece spots Regan, who is displaying her restored green ’72 Thunderbird convertible. As Cece pours tastes, she witnesses several heated discussions with Regan—including an argument with wine afficionado and new Colinas hardware store owner Greg Jardis. Otherwise, all goes smoothly—until Sunday brings shocking news. Regan has been murdered . . .

Rumors fly that Richard may have orchestrated the homicide—or even committed it. But Cece knows that’s absurd. And others in Cece’s orbit seem to have discomfiting connections to Regan, from Cece’s employee, Dane, to her winemaking teacher’s sister, Yolanda, to Colinas Mayor Guittierez. And after Yolanda visits the wine bar, Benjamin says he recognizes her from a road race.

Determined to clear Richard’s name, and failing to extract any clues from detectives, Cece once again enlists her twin, Allie, as her partner-in-sleuthing. But they’ll have to act quickly, before the trail goes
sour . . .

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop - A Spotlight

I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book in my towering TBR pile. Since yesterday was Memorial Day, I thought it fitting to spotlight a book that takes place during this holiday. Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah is the first book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series and was released earlier this year. 

From the back cover:

More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey’s breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She’d spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington.
 
But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won’t have the lighthouse’s history sugar coated by lattes and cakes—and a protest group crashes Lindsey’s Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Long arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies.
 
An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia’s bloodstream and Lindsey is the police’s prime suspect. To clear her name, she’s going to need to combine ingredients found in the town’s checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer . . .
 
Recipes included.