Muffin But Trouble
(Merry Muffin Mystery #6)
by Victoria Hamilton

Kindle Edition, 353 pages
Published July 2nd 2019 by Beyond the Page


Goodreads synopsis:
In the new Merry Muffin Mystery from the author of Muffin to Fear, baker Merry Wynter must confront a spiritual guru who may be up to something far from heavenly . . . 

With plans for a new performing arts center at Wynter Castle taking up all her time, baker Merry Wynter has been all but unaware of the fringe group compound near her small town—until a street preacher accosts her with taunts of doom and damnation. Worried that some of her close friends may have been lured in by the group and its charismatic leader, Merry begins digging into the ministry—and soon suspects they may have ties to the recent death of a young woman and the disappearance of many others. 

With her rebellious teen friend Lizzie at her side, Merry steps in to confront the eerily submissive community and its misguided members, skeptical of their supposed spiritual leanings. When another young woman vanishes and Merry realizes the lives of people close to her are at stake, she will stop at nothing to uncover the group’s sinister secrets before the murderous ministry can strike again . . . 

***

3 Stars

This is the sixth book in the Merry Muffin Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton. This is the first book I have read by this author but it was pretty easy to get caught up since they mention backstory here and there through the plot.

Basic premise: there is a religious cult on the outskirts of town. When one of the members calls Merry a jezebel she becomes concerned about her friends who might be taken in by this organization. Then they realize that a number of young women have turned up missing and a couple were spotted on the grounds of the suspect church. The more Merry digs into what is going on out there the more bad things she uncovers.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this. There were a few times when I thought we were going to get into the meat of the story but it was basically glossed over and tossed aside. Why? That is the good part, isn’t it? Dig into the meat of the story and deliver it to us.

Then they stepped on the suspense quite often. No build up. It looked like the suspense was going to start and then… nothing. This could have been so much better than it was. There were leaps in logic scattered all over the story too. Plus, I really don’t think just based on Merry calling her hubby Virgil (a PI from what I gathered) that troops of police would come running and take down the bad guys. That happened a number of times.

Besides those structural problems the overall concept of the story was good. Since I missed a bunch of back story, I felt lost in regards to all the relationships around Merry. There was no conflict between any of them and I felt that was a bit unrealistic. Everyone shouldn’t just be a pawn in whatever mystery Merry is trying to uncover. And to me they felt more like pawns than players in the drama. If this happens, call Virgil. If this happens, call Pish.

It was a bit strange and disjointed but overall hit the mark with its story. I wanted more than it gave me but sometimes I don’t always get what I want.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This series is both fantastical and so humbling that I cannot get enough! The author does such a good job with making a beautifully written fictional story, but, with enough realistic details to bring me back down to earth. The mystery was weaved together perfectly and I love the addition of the added tidbits of small town politics and the bigger issues that this author tackled. Definitely a book worth reading again and again.

This is the first book in the Merry Muffin Mystery series I've read, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much to understand the story.

In the story, baker Merry Wynter continues to transform the castle and acreage she inherited into a community for artists and musicians. While she's been focusing on that, a cult-like "religious" group moved into town. Merry's first encounter with them is when a sign-holding zealot calls her a harlot for wearing pants. Soon there are rumors that several teenage girls who disappeared from town may have ended up at the commune, including a few people Merry and her friends know personally.

Though still a cozy, the topic of this novel is heavier than most. I still enjoyed the characters and especially the atmosphere of the castle and the artist community taking shape.

A few times in the book, the author mentioned online clothing stores that seemed to be product placement. It wasn't just a casual mention, but more like a deliberate advertisement for at least 2 companies. I found it strange.

I loved all the books in this series...until this one. The topics are a lot deeper and emotional. I read cozy mysteries for enjoyment and to relax and this one was not enjoyable for me. It was well written though. Merry and her 18 year old friend Lizzie investigate a cult. People in town are disappearing and ending up at the cult ' s compound. There is a lot going on including missing teens, beatings, drugs and murder. I was really looking forward to this book, but it is quite a bit different from the other books in this series and I am disappointed.

It was great fun to catch up with Merry, Pish, Lizzie and Virgil and to find out what they were up to in turning her castle home into an arts center, but it was also a wake up call on the problem of runaway girls and the perils that they face. When Merry finds out about the fundamentalist camp in the next town and later learns that one of the runaways that wound up there was murdered, she resolves to find out what is really going on there and to rescue some of those girls. The fate of those girls is a heartbreaking story but with her intelligence and daring Merry is able to help them. It is also interesting to think about how her dreams of developing an arts center in the town is greeted by the locals, and some of the issues - such as the resulting rise in property values and the types of businesses that might cater to those attending the arts presentations as opposed to the types of businesses that the locals need. All in all, this was a thought provoking read and I appreciate it.

Well-written and very enjoyable. There is plenty to keep your interest in this cozy to the very end.

Wonderful plot, wonderful characters! The plot started off slow for me, but once it got going, I could not put it down! The energy ans twists ans turns were so exhilarating that it kept me entertained for hours. I can't wait for the next book!

This is the first book of this series that I've read, and it says a lot for the writers skill that I had no trouble following the story and the cast of characters. There were some parts that probably would have been better had I read the previous books, but, overall, I enjoyed the story

This is the first book I read in this series and I'm happy I requested it because it was an interesting discovery.
It's fun to read, engrossing and entertaining.
I liked the style of writing, the fleshed out and relatable cast of characters, and the setting.
The plot flows flawlessly and the mystery is good, no plot hole, and it keep you guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

"Muffin But Trouble" A Merry Muffin Mystery, Book 6 by Victoria Hamilton.

Even though this is the first book I have read in the series I was able to follow along easily so it can be read as a stand alone. I really enjoyed it and practically read in one sitting and have since purchased the other books in the series.

In the new Merry Muffin Mystery from the author of Muffin to Fear, baker Merry Wynter must confront a spiritual guru who may be up to something far from heavenly . . .

With plans for a new performing arts center at Wynter Castle taking up all her time, baker Merry Wynter has been all but unaware of the fringe group compound near her small town—until a street preacher accosts her with taunts of doom and damnation. Worried that some of her close friends may have been lured in by the group and its charismatic leader, Merry begins digging into the ministry—and soon suspects they may have ties to the recent death of a young woman and the disappearance of many others.

With her rebellious teen friend Lizzie at her side, Merry steps in to confront the eerily submissive community and its misguided members, skeptical of their supposed spiritual leanings. When another young woman vanishes and Merry realizes the lives of people close to her are at stake, she will stop at nothing to uncover the group’s sinister secrets before the murderous ministry can strike again . . .

Includes tasty baking recipes!

The Protagonist Merry Wynter is a strong, and independent and I especially love Lizzie who is feisty as all get out. The characters are well rounded and seem real as I could relate to each of them.

There were enough twists to keep me intrigued and wanting to know how it ends. The plot and story were good and seemed to flow at a good pace. This has been added to my favourite series pile, I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a cozy filled with warm, diverse characters and a small town atmosphere.

Merry owns wynter castle and she goes to help in finding out who owns a compound with kidnapped children. this was an interesting read. It took me while to finish. Hopefully the next book is not as dark like this one.

This addition to the Merry Muffins is a very engaging tale.
Merry Wynter Grace, owner of Wynter Castle is trying to complete her vision for the castle, a home for the arts. With the help of her P.I. husband Virgil and her friend Pish, they are working hard for the end goal. All are heavily invested and work to make sure they have the funds, her contribution is the sale of her delicious muffins.
When on a delivery, she comes across a few odd men, the worse appears to be a religious zealot. Something just seems off to her, and when she hears about missing girls and a body is found, she becomes even more curious about the Light and the Way when one of her young friends move there.
When she crosses the barriers to enter the commune type community to check on him, she finds more than she expected. When another young friend and her mother move there and appear afraid, her senses go into overdrive and she gathers a team to investigate.
A young girl's body found near makes me more determined to learn more. They find out more than they expected and solve more than a few missing persons and and multiple murders.
Written with humor and intrigue, it's a great way to while away some time this summer.
I requested an ARC from NetGalley and couldn't put it down. If you like your cozy with humor, multiple suspects and a few twists...this is it.

The 6th installment in this series. Merry Wynter has been unaware of the religious cult on the outskirts of town until she is accosted on the street by the preacher of the group. Merry begins to look into the group and learns that while are some are there willingly she fears others are not. She heads out there with her teen friend Lizzie who has some friends out there and could this group be linked to the disappearance and death of a young woman. Merry has friends in high places (Sheriff and Assistant DA) but if the group is within the law there is not much that can be done. This was a pretty dark cozy which I did not expect. It deals with some heavy topics. The story is well written and moves along at a good pace. Merry is a great character and her heart is in the right place. Let's hope this series continues.

This was my first in A Merry Muffin Mystery series and I loved it! Victoria Hamilton's way with words is amazing. I was gripped by the harsh mystery and engaged by all of the complex characters. Even though it was my first exposure I felt as if I didn't lose anything. This book will stay with me for a long time, and I look forward to many more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What an interesting story! I loved it. It’s well written and I love the characters. Lizzie is a spitfire, along with being a great photographer. I would love to visit the castle, but I think I agree with Merry, I would much prefer her house to live in. Some of these folks go through some heartbreaking situations. I would hate to have me or mine have to deal with these things. The story was well written even with the happenings that was going on. The characters are wonderful and go well together. I hope I can hang out with them again soon. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Muffin But Trouble by Victoria Hamilton is book six in the Merry Muffin Mystery series. This is the first in this series I have read and I was able to get caught up somewhat quickly.
Missing young girls, a cult like ministry group, and a body found along side the road, are they tied together? If so, what else is going on out on the compound. Merry and her teenage friend, Lizzie, set out to find out. Once they see the living conditions and some of their friends living there, they kick into high gear to get to the bottom of what they are up to at the Light and the Way Ministry.
There are twists and turns that have you guessing until the end. Note, this is a darker cozy then most.
There are recipes included.
Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page publishing I was given an ARC for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the return of this series! It’s very well-written and I like the interesting characters. This book is pretty dark for a cozy, So reader discretion is advised. I thought the introduction of a religious, Handmaid’s Tale-esque cult was very interesting and created some dynamic situations for the characters. I’m hoping we don’t see a ton more like this. There’s a secondary character who is going to marry a teen. Willingly. So if we can return to typical cozy territory, I’d really prefer it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

The Light and the Way Ministry used to keep mostly to themselves but now they are becoming more noticeable and vocal. Merry finds that out when she is verbally attacked for wearing pants. They believe that usurps a mans rightful place and is against nature and God's plan. The more she gets involved in checking out this cult-like group the worse it gets. Could this cult have something to do with local women who have just disappeared?

This story is filled with details, descriptions and characters. That is nice to a point but sometimes it slows down the story or keeps it from developing at a good pace. Thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Muffin baker Merry Grace Wynter and her friend Pish are busy drumming up support and performers for their newest venture: build a performing arts center at Wynter Castle. When a street preacher harasses Merry, she learns that a religious group has set up outside of town. Worried that some of her close friends and some missing teenaged girls may have been lured in by the group, Merry and her teenaged friend Lizzie visit the Light and Way Ministry community. Merry doubts the group's spiritual leanings and is shocked when a young woman is found beaten to death on the road near the Ministry.

I did not enjoy reading this book as much as previous books in the series, so it receives a lower rating.

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.

The next Installment in this series is based on a bizarre religious cult that Merry and Virgil have to investigate. Merry is concentrating on her continuing plans for her castle compound when a young girl's body is discovered. It's an interesting plot, but in several places it dragged. There were a lot of characters gets to keep straight, which made it confusing at times to remember who was who.