It’s Memorial Day in Nantucket and candle store owner Stella Wright is hired to create candles for a huge wedding. It’s a dream come true for Stella, but things take a nasty turn when the bride’s uncle is murdered before he can walk her down the aisle. Oddly enough, the murder weapon is one of Stella’s candles.

Stella is stunned when a local bartender is arrested for the murder. She’s sure he would never kill anyone and she intends to prove it. She’s even more motivated when her customers start canceling their candle orders when they learn it was used as a murder weapon.

The local police detective is not happy to have Stella sticking her nose into his business, to say the least. However, she has no intention of backing down.

This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. I liked Stella right from the start. She’s strong, although a bit nosy but aren’t all amateur sleuths? The cast of characters are interesting and quirky.

It’s a fast-paced story and I was surprised at how it all ended up. The author did a good job of giving several different possibilities of whodunit. She kept me thinking until very near the end. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

What a fantastically fun book this is!! Stella is a candle maker in Nantucket gearing up to provide candles to an upcoming wedding. Things start out great with things going quite smoothly until the bride's Uncle is found dead with the unity handle next to him. The best cat ever alerts them to the body and I must say I had great fun waiting for the cat to keep popping up after that. The moments blend perfectly with the story making me fall in love with the whole thing. Superbly written mystery full of twists, turns, and humor that will have you hooked from the very first page. I can't wait for the next one! I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

Candles, an Island, and Murder - oh my!

I love reading cozies that have the protagonist in a career that is crafty and one that is intriguing. Enter Stella and her candlemaking business. She makes unique candles with handcrafted scents and seems to know what sort of scent would be best for various people. I'd love to know what she would suggest for me. She even teaches classes on candlemaking and I would have liked the book to have explored that just a little bit more, or added more details regarding the two classes that were taught in this book.

This mystery has a fair amount of characters but most of them are tied to a wedding that is taking place. I think we meet about 7 characters that were townsfolk. That helps when trying to figure out who might be the killer since it is most likely tied to the wedding and its guests. Speaking of the murder - while I didn't figure out the killer, I thought the author did a good job of throwing suspicion on various characters so that when the killer was revealed it was quite a surprise to me. I might have suspected this character but didn't know how deep the hatred ran and why.

There is also a potential love triangle between Stella, Andy, and Peter. Andy has a girlfriend but I don't think she is right for him. Peter is the new journalist in town and seems interesting but you wonder how much is him or his career choice. If I had to choose, I'm #TeamAndy because they just seem like they fit together plus they have been friends forever. But we shall see how the author decides to work this out in future books.

I think this is going to be a good new series and we give this book 4 paws up.

MURDER'S NO VOTIVE CONFIDENCE by Christin Brecher
The First Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery

Stella Wright is the Candle Lady of Nantucket Island. Surrounded by friends and her large family, Stella loves her hometown and is happy to provide candles to locals and tourists alike at her shop, the Wick and Flame. Stella's current big project is providing candles for the wedding of Jessica Sterling. Her unique scents have become so popular, several brides have begun commissioning her for their own unity candles. As the wedding weekend is about to commence, the bride's uncle is found murdered-killed by Stella's unity candle. When an old family friend is charged with the crime and brides around the island are cancelling their candle orders Stella knows she needs to step in and help solve the murder. With assistance from her childhood friend on the police force and the new journalist in town, Stella is prepared to uncover the many secrets of the bridal party and bring the real killer to justice.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Nantucket Island with MURDER'S NO VOTIVE CONFIDENCE. A charming setting, smart characters, a fantastic cat, and unique candles combine to enhance a great mystery. Stella is a fun, down to earth protagonist with mad island skills. The supporting cast is just as interesting, from her family to her candle making students to the visiting movie star and the bridal party. I absolutely adore Tinker, a special cat who also possesses some great skills.

This first Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery has readers using all of their senses. Scent in particular plays a huge part of the story as well as an integral plot point. The smell of salt air mingled with the scents Stella creates for her candles creates a wonderful ambiance. I felt I was right there on the island.

MURDER'S NO VOTIVE CONFIDENCE is a fantastic start to a new series. It's a fast paced adventure filled with excitement and fun. There are lots of undercurrents, especially among the various relationships, that I can't wait to see expanded and explored in future books.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Stella Wright owns Wick & Flame and has become the go-to person for wedding unity candles. She has created a two-foot-tall unity candle for Jessica Sterling and Joe Handler’s wedding, along with candles for the church, reception, and for the guests to take home all with an original scent approved by the bride. The family and bridal party have checked into the hotel including Simon Sterling, the bride’s uncle who has been asked to walk her down the aisle. New plans must be made when Simon body is found next to the broken unity candle.

A visiting police captain known for quickly solving cases makes a fast arrest. A bartender Stella has known for years. Also, brides are tying her to the murder and starting to cancel their orders. Deciding the only way to catch the real killer is by doing her own investigation. She is soon burning the candle at both ends when she searches out a murderer and works to replace the broken candle. She just needs to do it all without becoming the killer’s next target.

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I love the candlemaking theme of this series and am in awe of Stella Wright’s talent. Setting it on Nantucket is a wonderful bonus!

The author introduces us to a wonderful group of core characters. Stella, candlemaker extraordinaire, her female best friend wedding planner and very pregnant Emily, Nantucket Police Officer Andy, male best friend, which may turn into something more. . . or not, and Peter, a journalist who has come to town to report on the wedding. He could also be interested in Stella and wants to help her solve the murder, especially if he gets the scoop. The author does an excellent job developing these characters, making them real and engaging. There is still much to learn but for the first book in a series, it was very well done.

Ms. Brecher also introduces a vast number of suspects, some with more motive than others and many with opportunity. The victim’s cat, Tinker also played a major role.

This cozy mystery is full of twists, turns, and surprises. I read this entire book in one day. I could not put it down. The pages just kept turning, raising new questions, bringing different suspects to the forefront. I enjoyed the way the story was laid out and the author’s clear descriptions. A romance is hinted at but the relationships are complicated. The mystery came to a very satisfying conclusion. A wedding has its own kind of drama, a dead body takes things to a whole new level.

The first book in a new cozy mystery series is hard to write. The author needs to find a balance between introducing the characters and giving readers an entertaining mystery. Christin Brecher excelled at both. She also left me wanting more. I can’t wait for my next trip to Nantucket and Wick & Flame. Murder Makes Scents is scheduled to release on February 25, 2020.

Jessica Sterling and Joe Handler have chosen Nantucket Island, with its natural beauty and quaint charm, as the ideal setting for their Memorial Day weekend nuptials. As the guests begin to arrive at the Melville Inn for the big day, event planner Emily Gardner and her oldest friend, candle shop owner Stella Wright are working around the clock to deliver the perfect wedding. And given their eye for detail, everything is under control--that is, until they encounter one detail they never anticipated--the death of Jessica's Uncle Simon, whose lifeless body is found in the inn's game room just days before he was to walk her down the aisle. Simon has met a violent death, and the murder weapon is the unity candle that Stella hand-crafted for the wedding.

The police are quick to arrest Bill Duffy, an islander and bartender at the Melville Inn, who admitted to assaulting Simon during an argument earlier during the evening in question. Jessica, whose family has been on the island for generations, has known Bill since she was a child and doesn't believe he is capable of murder. Setting out to clear his name, Stella questions the people who interacted with Simon before his death and uncovers baffling clues and suspicious behavior. She collaborates with handsome police officer and childhood friend Andy Southerland to identify a motive and vet the list of suspects. And as if finding the real killer isn't enough to keep her busy, because the betrothed couple is determined to proceed with the wedding, Stella must quickly create a new ceremonial candle that will not only wow Jessica and Joe, but also restore interest and faith among the other prospective brides who have begun to associate Stella's wedding candles with bad luck.

Murder's No Votive Confidence is a rollicking good read with an engaging cast of characters revolving around protagonist Stella, who has a keen sense for sleuthing. Her clan of Wright cousins is involved in all aspects of island business, and the other long-time islanders have their own strong history with Stella. Author Christin Brecher enriches the plot by introducing several "outsider" characters: a mysterious movie star, a comical cat, and an ambitious journalist. Between the wedding events, murder mystery, and a holiday sailing regatta there is never a dull reading moment.

Murder's No Votive Confidence is a welcome addition to summer reading lists. This delightful start to a new series opens up possibilities for more adventures involving Stella, her family and friends, her budding love interests, and her candle shop.

I always enjoy trying a new series and this was no exception. The Nantucket Candle Maker mystery series is off to a great start. There is such history in Nantucket, it makes a wonderful setting. Candles were essential back in the days of whaling. Now candles have a different importance, in this mystery series they are special creations for weddings. Stella makes gorgeous candles and sell to tourists and locals, alike. Now she has been asked to create a Unity candle and scented candles for a wedding. All seems to be going well until a member of the wedding party is found dead and the murder weapon is the Unity candle, broken in two.
Stella has to act fast to prevent her business, the Wick and Flame, from going under. People are calling to cancel their orders and that will also kill any future orders. When the police arrest a well liked local bartender and seem to be saying case closed, Stella won't be sitting by while a killer gets away with murder.
This was a very good set up for a series. There is a nice bit of romance, too. The secondary characters who help Stella uncover the killer are well developed and the mystery was satisfying. I know I will be looking forward to spending more time with them when they return 2/25/2020 in Murder Makes Scents.

Princess Fuzzypants here: As a fan of cozy mysteries, there are some inventive forms of murder. Death by candle is unorthodox particularly when the candle was created for upcoming nuptials where the victim was the walk the bride down the aisle. It is not just the candle that makes Stella feel invested in discovering the killer but she does feel affronted and threatened by the use of his artistic endeavour.
There appear to be a number of folks who are acting suspiciously. Is one of them the murderer or is it just pre-wedding jitters? Certainly the deceased has ruffled enough feathers to make the suspect list formidable but there are others who think more kindly of him including a big Hollywood star. While I was not sure, the perp was on my radar so it was no huge surprise at the big reveal. Still it was entertaining and had potential for a good vacation read.
Four purrs and two paws up.

Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Becher is the first A Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery. Stella Wright owns Wick & Flame on Nantucket Island. She has been commissioned by bride-to-be, Jessica Sterling to create candles for her wedding including a one-of-a-kind unity candle. On the day before the wedding, the unity candle is found broken on the floor next to Jessica’s uncle, Simon Sterling. Someone took the candle and bashed in the man’s head (talk about crime of passion). When family friend, Bill Duffy is arrested by a visiting police chief for the murder, Stella sets out to find the real killer. I thought Murder’s No Votive Confidence was nicely written and it had steady pacing. The story is told from Stella’s perspective. I like the lovely setting of Nantucket Island. The author provides beautiful descriptions of the island flora and fauna, the shops, homes and, of course, the ocean. Stella is an affable character who prefers comfort clothes over fancy (much to her friend’s distress), a wee bit clumsy and has a contingent of cousins (I like Kate who forbade the others from cursing—good for her). The secondary characters are introduced with the barest of details. I am sure we will learn more about Stella and the others as the series progresses. I especially want to know more about the Candleers (Stella’s candle class students). I love that Stella is a candlemaker and I hope we get more information on the process of creating candles in future books. Stella provides some helpful candle tips and her creations sound lovely. The mystery was interesting with a unique twist. While I could identify the killer early in the game, I was curious to know more. I had questions and I wanted the answers. Tinker, Simon’s cat, was a great addition to the book. I like how he was involved in the investigation. I enjoyed Christin Becher’s debut cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more of this engaging new series. Murder’s No Votive Confidence is a delightful new cozy mystery that has a scenic setting, a nosy newspaperman, a nervous bride, a meddling mama, a mysterious feline, handcrafted tapers, and one determined amateur sleuth.

Murder’s No Votive Confidence takes place in the charming small island of Nantucket (a place that is on my wish list to visit sometime!). We meet Stella Wright - candle maker and owner of Wick & Flame, where she makes her gorgeous creations and hosts candle making classes. She has teamed up with her best friend Erin who is a wedding planner on the island and she has managed to create Unity candles for upcoming weddings.

As she is making final preparations for the upcoming wedding of Jessica Sterling, the bride and her family are looking for her Uncle who is going to walk her down the aisle - though they don’t expect to find him dead! And the murder wepon was none other than Stella’s heavy Unity candle!

It comes to light that the Uncle wasn't the nicest of men, and there were certainly a fair people attending the wedding that would have the opportunity to bump him off - I have to admit the little twists and clues that were meant to throw off the scent of the killer worked as a treat, and just when I thought I had it pegged something else happened and I was taken off in another direction.

This was a quick read and a good clean cozy mystery and I thought it was a great start to this series and I look forward to reading more in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery Series!

A charming start for a new series. A little romance. A murder, of course. A baby. A cat. A wedding. All the ingredients for a delightful cozy mystery. I look forward to reading the next one as I am eager to follow the romantic triangle and the buoy mystery.

I will confess when I first started this I was a little bit meh but then POW!!! it took off running and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

Stella has taken over her mother's perfume shop and is creating candles with fascinating scents (and/or colours), she has been commissioned to provide all the candles for a candle themed wedding and she has come up with a custom scent for the happy couple. So far so good, until one of the wedding party is killed, and the weapon is  the large Unity candle she had made for the service! With a rush arrest made no-one seems to be looking at alternatives and so Stella starts to sniff around (as she is certain that the arrested person is no killer), she is soon joined by the new reporter and even one of the local police is prepared to help .... a little bit.  The problem is the more they dig the more people they discover have things to hide and so they need a cast iron case to put before the arresting officer, preferably before too many people cancel their wedding plans!

Murder’s No Votive Confidence: A Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery
By Christin Brecher
Kensington
July 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s not often that candles become the theme of a wedding, which is why Wick & Flame specialty candle store owner Stella Wright is so thrilled to be a part of Jessica Sterling’s nuptials. Stella has even created a unique “unity candle” showcasing Nantucket’s historical setting and incorporating a scent specifically designed for the couple. Stella quickly learns of dissent amidst the bridal family though, all seeming to focus on the estranged uncle who has been blamed for causing his brother’s death. When Simon Sterling is found bludgeoned to death with Stella’s Unity Candle, the wedding inexplicably continues even though other prospective brides are cancelling their own specialty candles in droves. In order to disprove her reputation as a jinx and prevent a much-liked local from being arrested, Stella and the reluctantly helpful Officer Andy Southerland begin questioning the dysfunctional Sterling family and opposites-must-attract groom Joe Handler. A handsome reporter in town for the annual sailing race adds a romantic element to Stella’s investigation, and his presence also serves to stir up Andy’s territorialism that is as professional as it is personal.

A candle maker would not appear to be the obvious choice for an amateur detective, but her childhood rivalry with Andy kickstarts her competitive gear and has Stella interrogating suspects and doing borderline breaking and entering. Perhaps Andy shouldn’t have given custody of Simon’s cat to Stella, which has her assuming the title of honorary police employee and giving her the entitlement to be on the case. While her detecting skills hilariously have her deducing that a container is filled with hair gel due to the label declaring it as hair gel, her knowledge of candles will prove instrumental to the case. A visiting megastar actress is thrilled to have the opportunity to get hands-on experience for her upcoming role as an investigator, while Stella’s best friend Emily Gardner, the event coordinator in charge of the Sterling wedding, is just as delighted to meet the celebrity. These characters are the highlight of this debut series by a new author, and their genuine likability and wit should have readers eager to see them in their next adventure. The Nantucket setting is just as appealing with historical hotels, cobblestoned streets, and sailing competition with a rather unique name origin. An antique engagement ring, a Buoy Bandit street artist, and intriguing candle-making details make this a delightful new entry to the cozy mystery genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

If you can't tell, I'mdoing a clean sweep of all my Netgalley books this week since I'm on holidays. This was a fun andyet interesting cozy with multiple leads and layers. Everyone was keeping secrets, but the most important one, murder, is the only secret Stella wants to know! She knows the wrong man has fallen under suspicion, and she'll use all her local knowledge to help her catch the crook.

Fair warning on the romance side, looks like it might be a love triangle (not my favorite) but with any luck that will get sorted in future books. Both have their charms as well as help in the investigation, but we will see who emerges the winner on that field as well.

I loved the setting and the theme for this one, because I haven't read any candle themed cozies. I'm always up for learning something new in cozies!

A fun new series, put it on your radar cozy fans! Five stars.

A fabulous first in series! Enjoyed the setting, the characters and the plot. This was a definite page turner. The mystery is fast paced and contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end! Thank you Christin Brecher for this great book and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

A big vote of confidence for Christin Brecher and her debut novel, Murder’s No Votive Confidence! This highly enjoyable book marks the debut of Ms. Brecher’s Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series, and exemplifies the charm and tone of a traditional cozy mystery.

When Stella Wright, owner of the Wick and Flame candle shop, agrees to create personalized candles to accent the Memorial Day nuptials of Jessica Sterling, she has no idea that one of her creations would lead to murder. Jessica’s uncle Simon, who was supposed to walk Jessica down the aisle, is found dead in the Melville Inn, with Stella’s unity candle lying broken beside him. Although suspects abound, the overly aggressive visiting police chief arrests the inn’s genial barkeeper, Bill Duffy, and refuses to investigate further. It is up to Stella (and her various friends) to solve Simon Sterling’s murder before Jessica walks down the aisle.

There are so many things to like about this book. The setting of Nantucket is charming, especially with the occurrence of the annual boat races. The characters, too, are appealing. Stella is strong and smart, with a real-world perspective. Her best friend, Emily’s predicament adds to the story, as do Stella’s interactions with Andy (a police officer) and Peter (a reporter). I enjoyed learning about the candle making and scenting process. There was enough information to be intriguing, but not so much as to detract from the story. Finally, the mystery itself is multi-faceted, with a plethora of suspects ranging from the bride’s family, to the groom, to the other guests at the inn. It kept me guessing almost until the end.

If Murder’s No Votive Confidence is any indication, this promises to be a fun and delightful series. I look forward to reading the next installment, Murder Makes Scents, which comes out next year.

Note: I received an ARC of Murder’s No Votive Confidence from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series...and I really enjoyed it. The characters and the murder mystery captured and held my attention and kept me guessing to the very end. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.

A fabulous first in series! The author sets the scene perfectly and the fun occupation of the main character makes this cozy mystery a definite page turner. The mystery is well planned and fast paced and contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

The first in a new series, Murder's No Votive Confidence is the perfect cozy mystery for a rainy day. This was a fun and easy read, my favorite kind of book to brighten a drab day.

Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for . . .

Jessica Sterling’s candlelight-themed nuptial promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer’s first official holiday weekend. Stella’s thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot, tall scented unity candle—a symbol of the happy couple’s love. But it looks like the bride-to-be’s uncle won’t be walking his niece down the aisle after he’s found dead. The murder weapon is Stella’s seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two.

When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella’s sure a visiting police Captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be cancelling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town’s sexiest cop, Stella’s determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who’s snuffing out her own flame.

I enjoyed the setting and theme of this new series, but I felt there could be more depth to both the main and supporting characters.

This is the debut book in the new "Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery Series." and a perfect start to a great cozy series ! Right away the charming cover had me enchanted as I love a island setting for a summer read. The main character, Stella Wright, is the owner of "Wick and Flame", a local candle shop, where she creates one of a kind candles and candle scents on Nantucket Island. Her shop is popular with locals as well as tourists and she has recently gained a contract to provide candles for a unique wedding and a bit of a bridezilla . Stella is concerned that her work be perfect and to the bride's liking as this wedding contract would open up more business for her candle shop if everything goes well. I like Stella as a savvy business owner who has built a successful creative business on the island on her own. The author incorporated candle making information and scent into the book which was fascinating and fun to read. I really enjoyed learning more about candles and creating scent. She also holds candle classes at her shop which is fun to read about.

When a unfortunate murder of the bride's uncle occurs Stella decides she must investigate. Stella jumps fully into investigating the murder and with pressure from the bride's family she begins to piece the clues and suspects together. Her friend and police officer Andy pressures her to give up the investigation.
When a friend of theirs is arrested for the murder she is shocked and more determined to prove his innocence. She proves to be a adept sleuth and is good at finding out information.

The conclusion to the well crafted plot was surprising to this avid mystery reader. I found myself surprised and enjoyed the fast pace of the plot. The setting, the charcters and the sleuth were done to perfection. I love the candle shop and look forward to the next in series for this fun new cozy series. Well done to the author.

Thank you to the publisher for a ARC via Net Galley. My opinion is my own. This review is cross posted to Amazon, Good Reads as well as Net Galley. Very enjoyable ! .