It is hard to believe it is the last day of June. The month has gone by so quickly. There are some great new books out today. Some of the new releases are: Game of Dog Bones by Laurien Berenson, A Sprinkling of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber, Nacho Average Murder by Maddie Day, Never An Amish Bride by Ophelia London, The Last Curtain Call by Julie Blackwell, A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund, Death on Windmill Way by Carrie Doyle, Witch Hunt by Cate Conte, His Pretend Amish Bride by Rachel J. Good, A Fatal Friction by Kaitlyn Dunnett, Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon, Still Knife Painting by Cheryl Hollon, Nothing Bundt Trouble by Ellie Alexander, and An Appalachian Summer by Ann Gabhart. Which of these books have you added to your TBR stack?
Nothing Bundt Trouble by Ellie Alexander has Jules Capshaw settling into her childhood home. She is down in the basement sorting through
boxes when she finds one holding newspaper clippings and a journal that belonged
to her father, William. That evening,
Jules begins reading and learns that her father regretted getting involved in
The Pastry Case with his friend, Doug (aka the Professor). Before reading more of the journal, Jules
consults with the Professor. The Pastry
Case occurred in March of 1988 on the opening night of the Cabaret. Chuck Faraday was deliberately run down in
front of the Cabaret with William and Doug as witnesses. It bothered William that he was unable to
help Doug arrest the culprit. Jules
decides to dig into the case to see if she can resolve it.
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| Downton Ashland, Oregon |
Nothing Bundt Trouble by Ellie Alexander is the 11th A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read on its own if you are new to
this culinary mystery series. Juliet “Jules”
Capshaw found her deceased father’s journal in a box in the basement. She reads how he was conflicted about getting
involved in The Pastry Case and decides to discuss it with Doug (aka Professor)
who was her father’s best friend. Ashland,
Oregon is always a charming town to visit with Torte, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
and its friendly residents (except Richard Lord). I like the family feel inside Torte, among
the staff, and the descriptions of the tasty treats they whip up. Nothing Bundt Trouble is different from the
other ten books in this series. Roughly
two-thirds of the book involves Doug and Jules sitting at a table in Torte
reading William Capshaw’s journal. Jules
seems to go into a haze while they are reading.
She fails to notice the lively atmosphere of Torte with people coming in
and out getting coffee and pastries. The
pacing is sluggish courtesy of the detailed journal entries and lack of action. With all that William had going on in his
life, I do not know how he found the time to write such lengthy, detailed
entries (would you really write about the food people ate). I missed the lightheartedness that is the
norm for the books in A Bakeshop Mystery series. When the story returns to the present Jules
and Lance work to solve the case. Chuck
Faraday was not a well-liked man which provides some good suspects. The whodunit can be solved easily before the
reveal. I did like getting to know more about William. We also get to learn what Helen and Jules
were like in 1988. It seems that Jules was
inquisitive even as a child. The 1980s
gives Jules inspiration for a fun party.
Nothing Bundt Trouble just missed the mark for me. I look forward to reading Chilled to the Cone
when it comes out later this year. Nothing Bundt Trouble is a blast from the past cozy mystery with a discovered diary, fabulous
sugar flowers, clashes at the Cabaret, decorating dilemmas, and a cold case.
Kris
The Avid Reader
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