Till Death Do Us Tart: A Bakeshop Mystery

Good Day!  It is the last day of June.  2018 is flying by so quickly.  The Silver Ladies of London by Lesley Eames is out today.  Venture back to 1920s London is this historical novel.  Did you know that Ellie Alexander is Kate Dyer-Seeley?  She writes A Pacific Northwest Mystery series and A Rose City Mystery series.  Under Ellie Alexander she also writes A Sloane Krause Mystery series.

Till Death Do Us Tart by Ellie Alexander is the eighth tale in A Bakeshop Mystery series.  Jules Capshaw has a lot of on her plate.  She is busy planning a surprise wedding for her mother and the Professor.  Everyone in Ashland, Oregon is in on the surprise except the couple getting married.  The nuptials will take place Uva, the vineyard that Jules now owns shares in along with her estranged husband, Carlos (and the horrible Richard Lord).  Carlos will be arriving in Ashland along with his son, Romero in two days.  It is a Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding and guests have been asked to wear Elizabethan themed attire.  The renovations of Torte are still ongoing.  The downstairs will be complete within the week and then they can begin work upstairs.  As if that is not enough, Lance returns to town and he has a problem.  He believes his brother, Leo is poisoning their father and that someone is following him.  He would like to invite Leo and his entourage to the wedding (oh no) as part of his plan.  Then Lance’s father passes away under suspicious circumstances and a wedding guest collapses from poisoned wine.  That glass of wine, though, was meant for Jules.  Are the two cases connected?  Murder, mayhem and the makeover of Torte are on the menu in Till Death Do Us Tart.

Return to Ashland, Oregon in the latest A Bakeshop Mystery.  While Till Death Do Us Tart is the eighth book in the series, it can be read alone.  The author does provide the necessary background details for readers.  Till Death Do Us Tart is nicely written and it has a fast pace.  Ellie Alexander has a conversational writing style that makes her books easy to read and enjoy.  There are many cozy moments with baking, friendship, the vineyard, touring the town and the wedding.  Carlos is back in Jules life and the attraction between them in undeniable.   Jules is falling back in love with Carlos, but she is not sure if he would be happy in Ashland.   While I liked the mystery, I thought it was a cinch to solve. I would have liked a better wrap up of the mystery at the end.  I wanted more facts and less assumption.  My rating for Till Death Do Us Tart is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  Many delectable delights are mentioned in the book.  They will have your mouth watering (there are recipes at the end of the book).  We are left with a small cliffhanger at the end.  Readers will have to wait for the next A Bakeshop Mystery to discover what happens next with Jules.  Till Death Do Us Tart is a light-hearted, charming cozy mystery that will leave you smiling.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I will return on Monday, July 2 with my thoughts on Home on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand.  It is the ninth delightful installment in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.  I hope that you have a very special weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader