This is book 8 of this series and I have loved this series from the beginning. Her occupation of being a vintage kitchenware dealer intrigued me from the beginning. Jaymie is now married and a step mother. I loved this cozy take on A Christmas Carol. The town is decorating for Dickens Day Festival and their is a murder. The books in this series are always a quick and fun read.

Breaking the Mould by Victoria Hamilton is the 8th book in a Vintage Kitchen Mystery, and another fun addition. I really enjoy this series and have been reading it from book one. Jaymie has come so far since we were first introduced to her. Jaymie is married to Jakob Muller, and the step-mother to his charming daughter. The town is busy getting ready for Dickens Days Festival, but when the town Scrooge, Evan Nezer, is found dead. Jaymie is determined to uncover the truth. I found this book to be a quick and fun read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book. I recommend this book/series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have been waiting a long time for the next installment in this very charming series and I was not disappointed. I read this book in a day and a half. It was nice to catch up on the characters and what they have been doing. I love all of Victoria Hamilton's books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Vintage Kitchen Mystery and it is so well written that I did not feel that I couldn't follow along because I had not read the previous books. The characters are charming, though there were possibly a few too many to keep track of at times.

Jaymie Leighton Muller is preparing for the Dickens Days Festival. She's in charge of the hot cider booth on the village green and a diorama of a scene from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Then everything goes wrong with the murder of the town's very own Scrooge Evan Nezer. He's found in Jaymie's diorama staged with a vintage pudding mould on his head and a stake of holly through his heart.

Almost everyone in town hated the man and thought he was arrogant, obnoxious and a bully. The longer Jaymie investigates the crime, the more suspects she ends up with. The more suspects, the more secrets she uncovers.

Until the murderer is found, the annual Dickens Days are on hold and Jaymie and the police are working to solve the crime before the entire Christmas season is ruined.

Breaking the Mould ( book eight in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series) by Victoria Hamilton began with a Scrooge-type character named Evan Neezer who is trying to cause trouble for the Queensville annual Dicken's Days celebration which is just days away. While Jaimie and her friends are dealing with that issue, a woman new to town, Jaclyn Marley, approaches her about joining the historical society, Sounds like it is going to be an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Instead it is a tale of a murder and determining whom the murderer might be with lots of ins and outs and red herrings. Jamie Leighton Muller is the lead (amateur) detective who is a character different than in most cozies with a husband and life that is both charming and run-of-the-mill.
Hamilton has developed interesting characters and lots of them with a well-thought-out plot and a fun holiday vibe. It was a totally enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, especially a cozy.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley #breakingthemould

Breaking the Mould is a well written cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the cast of characters. Will definitely have to read more books in this series. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc. This is my unbiased review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page publishing for providing me an advance digital copy of Breaking the Mould by Victoria Hamilton in exchange for an honest review. This is the eighth book in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series and my first time reading any of the them. I felt this put me at a bit of a disadvantage as there were a number of secondary characters who were part of the story without much explanation of who they were, what they looked like, etc.
The story had some good clues, although they were not as useful in solving the mystery as they might have been. I solved it easily enough, but didn’t see a clear path of clues pointing to the killer even though I was expecting them. There were also some excellent red herrings that gave the reader an opportunity to go astray in their attempt to solve the murder.
I’m thinking this is a series that may best be enjoyed if the reader begins with the first book in the series. At the end of this book I’m not sure I have a clear picture of what the people look like, how the town is organized or why it is called a vintage kitchen mystery series. There is brief mention of a shop where apparently some vintage items are sold, but it is only talked about in passing and doesn’t figure into the book in any meaningful way. Relationships between the protagonist, Jaymie, and the secondary characters are mentioned, but don’t seem to have much depth within the book. It’s quite possible these have been explored in earlier works and would then represent repetition to the majority of readers who have been acquainted with the series.
While this is a Christmas book in that it occurs around the town’s celebration of “Dicken’s Days” and the planned celebration featuring a diorama and other decorations highlighting A Christmas Carol, there is little else that has much of a Christmas feel. The one exception is Jaymie’s family who live on a Christmas tree farm, and toward the end of the book there are some references to the opening of their lot for the season. The names of some of the characters were plays on names from Dicken’s book, such as Ben Nezer, Evan Nezer, and Jacklyn Marley. Rather than adding to the book, I found these initially more distracting as in the beginning I didn’t recognize the strong connection between the story and Dicken’s novel. This slowed me down as I tried to keep my mind on track with this book rather than veering off to A Christmas Carol.
This book may best be enjoyed by readers who have invested in this series and are well acquainted with all the characters and the setting. For readers who are new to the series, I would encourage them to start with the beginning book to get better acquainted with the people and place for this series.

I really enjoyed this book! I was new to the series but will now go back and read the previous ones. Great cozy mystery with interesting and believable characters. Not a complicated story but a good whodunit and a clever mystery. I recommend this book if you are looking for a cozy mystery that allows you to escape for a few hours and leave you wanting to read more about these people.

This can be read as a standalone. It is the eight book in the series and the second that I have read. Not having started at the beginning, I do not feel lost.

What drew me in was the cover art. It is so inviting. It sets a cozy warm setting for the holiday season. Having read book seven, I wanted to continue to learn about Jaymie and her new family.

This book is well thought out and has plenty of twists and suspects. I wasn’t sorry for the bump off but wasn’t that the desired gut feeling?

Read and enjoy the well-crafted story.

I like that this is a holiday themed book.
The author has a sense of humor in picking character names such as Evan Nezer.
The characters are genuine and not bland.

This was my first book in this series and surely it won't be the last as I loved it.
It's an entertaining and enjoyable read, a page turner that kept me hooked till the last page.
I loved the complex plot, full of twists and turns, and the lovely cast of characters.
The mystery was interesting, with a lot of subplots, and it kept me guessing till the end.
A wonderful discovery, I cannot wait to read the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

In this latest Vintage Kitchen Mystery...is it possible that this is #8...Jaymie, her group of slightly zany friends, and her new husband investigate the murder of the most despicable person in town...Evan Nezer. Everyone in town seems to have a good reason to do away with the "worse than Scrooge" character. I disliked the victim so much I was kind of hoping for an Orient Express solution where everyone killed him and no one was punished!

However, Jaymie and crew manage to identify the killer. Christmas is saved in Queensville, Michigan! I especially enjoyed Jaymie's interactions with her new family and in-laws, as well as revisiting some of the more interesting Queensville residents. There are a number of subplots as well that keep the story interesting and intriguing. A good Christmas read!

Nezer was one of those cantankerous guys who hates everything and everyone he was more than a Scrooge. His murder put a damper on the towns annual Christmas celebration but not their spirits. No one was saddened by his death, he was one of the most unlikable people ever. Finding the killer is going to be very trying with everyone being a suspect, a puzzle indeed. Jaime couldn’t leave it alone she needed to find the answers before Christmas is ruined for some unlucky soul being charged for a murder they didn’t commit. A rather amusing and fun read, with great characters and a memorable storyline, very intriguing and entertaining.

I enjoyed reading Breaking the Mould. It was well written and the characters are enjoyable. I’m looking forward to reading more cozy mysteries by this author.

Jaymie Leighton Müller is looking forward to the upcoming Dickens Days festival in her hometown of Queensville, Michigan. Jaymie's contribution is a diorama from a scene in A Christmas Carol which will be located next to the hot cider booth on the village green. But local Scrooge Professor Evan Nezer has moved into the house next to the planned Dickens Days displays and is threatening a lawsuit to stop the event. Someone then torches the cider booth and decides to silence the obnoxious bully. Nezer is found murdered in Jaymie's diorama with a vintage pudding mould covering his cracked skull. With Dickens Days on hold until the police can nab the killer, Jaymie is determined to catch the culprit. There are several people who hated Nezer so there are plenty of suspects and motives for Jaymie to investigate.

This was another delightful read in the Vintage Kitchen mystery series. I like how Jaymie's personal life is developing with her marriage, motherhood to stepdaughter Jocie and her integration into the Muller family.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Breaking the Mould is an excellent addition to the series.
Jaymie Leighton Muller is my all time favorite character and now that she is married with a young child, this series is even better.
Evan Nezer ( I love this play on his name) is a scrooge! He is not well liked, so when he is found dead, no one cares. Jaymie of course can't stop her inquisitiveness and is front and center to do a little detecting of her own.

I would recommend this book to all mystery lovers alike, this is a fine example of a well thought out plot, colorful, quirky characters and a strong story line.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

The man was a self absorbed cheat who thought he was always right. He pontificated, ruined the lives of others, and plagiarized at every chance. That he got murdered was hardly a surprise, but having his body displayed in a diorama of the Cratchit kitchen when the town was on a deadline for the kickoff of A Dickens Christmas certainly was interesting. There were always plenty of potential suspects, but the number seemed to expand until the perpetrator was exposed by the town sleuth. This is my first foray into the series.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Beyond the Page via NetGalley

This author has done it again! Another well-written and well-plotted mystery is now added to the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. I love the inhabitants of Queensville, Michigan more and more – each time I meet them, there is something more to love about them. In this book, I especially liked that we spent more time with Jakob – but I would love it if he got into helping Jaymie solve the mysteries instead of just being background candy. Another thing to love is this book is the author’s sense of humor in naming the Scroogelike character – Evan Nezer. She also gives a ‘shout out’ to author Sue Grafton, and I loved that – and, we shouldn’t forget Jaymie’s love of reading Historical Romance novels.

The town of Queensland and Queensland’s Historical Society are getting ready for their second largest fundraising event of the year, the Dickens Days annual Christmas festival. Everyone is excited for the tree lighting scheduled for the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend. Jaymie is particularly excited because she has created a diorama that is the Cratchit’s Christmas Pudding scene from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

As they are setting the tree into place and anchoring the Cider House into place, the local Scrooge – Evan Nezer – arrives to make a scene. He’s a particularly nasty man who has just moved into the house that directly abuts the town-owned area where the displays are being set up. He HATES the Dickens Days celebration and is determined to stop it – well – actually – he just hates everything, but the topic of the moment is the Dickens Days events. Since that area of Michigan is very windy in the winter, they need to anchor the Cider House so that it is steady in the winds. In order to do that, they have to drive a stake into the ground on Nezer’s property and he isn’t having it! “I don’t care who’s around, you can’t use my property. GET OFF!”

It seems that Nezer does nothing but antagonize everyone he meets. He cheats them, lies to them and then gloats and tells them how inferior and worthless they are. Yep, he’s a real piece of work! So, it is no surprise when he turns up dead – murdered. However, it is sad that he’s discovered by Jaymie in her much-loved and anticipated diorama.

There is certainly no shortage of suspects in the murder, basically, the whole town has had run-ins with Nezer in the last few days. Unfortunately, the murderer left clues pointing to the one man in town that Jaymie is sure didn’t commit the murder. Plus, there is a short timeframe to resolve the murder because they need to get the police tape removed and the diorama taken down so they can begin the events. So, of course, Jaymie starts to investigate on her own.

There are so many plots and sub-plots you’ll need a scorecard to keep up with them all. Each of those is a bit of a mystery in itself and the murderer will surprise you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and highly recommend it. I do want to mention though, there is a bit of a political slant in the book. As you read, you’ll see that anyone with any bad connotation to them at all is a “Right Wing Nut Job” or some other sort of weird conservative.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.

Bah Humbug Good
Every town has their version of Scrooge, Bah Humbug and all that. But Evan Nezer takes the cake when he threatens to shut down the Dickens Day festivities that are taking place right outside his front door.

Not long after several confrontations with locals, Evan is found dead in the midst of a Dickens Day diorama and who didn’t want him dead? He just rubbed everyone the wrong way and made more enemies than friends. But since it’s Jaymie’s Diorama, she’s taking it personally and is determined to find the murderer and get the Dickens Day festivities back on track!

This was my first introduction to this series, how have I missed this? I was hooked from page one! Lots of red herrings and suspects to keep your mind sharp and guessing for a good while. A great read for the holiday season and beyond!

Wonderful series and I always enjoy seeing a addition available. This one did not disappoint. The town's first holiday event and what could go wrong besides murder? Well written with mostly lovable characters and a great plot to keep you guessing. More please.

Breaking the Mould is a first rate mystery. Victoria Hamilton wove so many subplots within the story, it kept me engrossed. The town is all set to launch their first holiday event when the body of local nasty crank, Even Nezer, is found in Jaymie's diarorama. I like Hamilton's play on his name. JAymie is in the thick of the mystery, tracking down who had reason to kill the cranky professor; the list is long.
I love the cover art, as always. Hamilton delivers a great mystery wrapped up in holiday woe and cheer.