A dash of sweetener with your warm beverage and murder and you have this cozy Christmas mystery.

Just enough fright and just enough Christmas to keep me reading.

Absolute amazing series. The case of characters, setting and plot together make for a perfect cup of holiday fear. I enjoy every trip to Torte.

This will always be one of my top favorite books from this series just because Christmas is my favorite holiday and I absolutely loved the Christmas setting and the celebrations in this book. It just made my heart so happy.

The mystery was very well done, as always. Ellie never disappoints in writing a good mystery! There were plenty of suspects to choose from and I was not correct in guessing the killer, so the revel was a nice shock!

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander is the tenth in the Bakeshop Mystery series, although it is the first one that I have personally read. Many thanks to @netgalley for my eARC. As always, opinions are my own.

Plot summary: The holiday season is a busy time in Ashland, Oregon, and no one knows that better than Jules Capshaw, the owner of Torte. Her newly expanded bakeshop is one of the most popular destinations in town, and Jules and her staff are working hard as they provide an extra cup of holiday cheer to their customers. Deciding that the staff have earned a much-needed night out, Jules treats them all to a Dickens-themed holiday feast at the historic Winchester Inn. While enjoying a night of feasting and entertainment, the power goes out and the Inn is shrouded in darkness. When a woman ends up dead, Jules finds herself not only preparing for the holidays, but also solving a murder.

I really enjoyed this one! The author excelled at providing so many delightful descriptions. I loved the many festive and cozy details and would have loved to jump through the pages and visit the bakeshop and town in real life. If you are looking for a fun little holiday mystery, this is definitely a winner! I will certainly be checking out more of the books in this series. Also, there are a few yummy-sounding recipes that I would love to try. Why do cozies leave me feeling so hungry?!

Fun fact: my husband bought me this mug (I have a small collection of owl mugs) for our anniversary, not realizing that it is Christmas-themed. We both had a laugh when he presented it to me - in June! It still makes me smile every time I look at it.

A good Christmas read set both at Torte and a the Dickens Feast holiday dinners at the local historical Inn. Ashland sounds like the perfect place for the holidays if it weren't for the murder of a newly arrived (and not very nice) woman who will be buying the inn from it's owners. Jules and her staff and Mom and the professor are at the feast when the body is found and Jules of course is on the case. A fun entry in the series.

Jules Capshaw and her staff at Torte are busier than normal getting ready for Christmas. The local Winchester Inn has been sold and it could be the last season for the Dicken's Feast, so Jules invites her staff to take a break and celebrate the feast. Unfortunately the night does not end well. The power goes out, the ornaments are smashed and the woman who purchased the inn is killed. When the owner's son is arrested for the murder, Jules begins her own investigation. She has a few ideas, and works with the police to sort them out.

This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series. Ellie Alexander has created a wonderful cast of characters, a wonderful town and some great businesses. I did find that this book was more about the town and the preparations for Christmas, than the mystery, which was a bit disappointing. The investigation was not very exciting, just some questioning and deduction, with no final showdown. As a Christmas story, it was interesting and I enjoyed visiting with some of my favourite characters, but the mystery was a bit of a letdown. I am still glad I read this story, and do recommend this series. T

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Things are merry and bright in Ashland, Oregon and people are keeping the elves at Torte busy baking all kinds of holiday treats. They are all looking forward to a little respite by attending the annual Dickens Feast at the Winchester Inn and having others wait on them. The popular six-course feast has been taking place forever and Jules and Helen are excited to share the event with their staff. Lance also joins the party as Jules plus one.

The evening starts with a little snow, great food, and fun entertainment and ends with an unconscious innkeeper and a dead body. Jules and Lance are quickly following the trail of breadcrumbs to help the Professor and Thomas catch the Scrooge that ruined their party with MURDER.

I love this series! Spending the holidays with Jules and everyone in Ashland is a real treat. The author paints the scenes so vividly you can almost feel the snowflakes landing on your face and taste all the cookies, cakes, breads, and lattes served at Torte.

After ten books the characters have become old friends but that doesn’t mean we know everything about them. Lance is having a hard time with the holidays and opens up to Jules. Their friendship just warms my heart. Helen and Doug are blissfully happy and have hearts as big as all outdoors. They open their home for the holidays to be sure no one spends the holidays alone. Doing so lets us get to know Marty a little bit better. We meet Jon and Emma Winchester who own the inn. They have been friends with Helen and her now-deceased husband for years, opening their businesses at the same time. All the characters are interesting, have purpose, and are wonderfully written. They make wish I could meet them all in person.

The mystery was very well-plotted with plenty of suspects and twists. The victim was a real shrew and had ticked plenty of people off. Lance and Jules’s investigation was not only fun to follow but funny at times too. They do make a great team.

What I love most about this series is the way I get as wrapped up in the daily life of the characters as I do in the mystery. I want to know about the Torte staff crushes, Helen and Doug’s plans, that Jules is missing Carlos, all of Lance’s drama, and what baking at Torte. This time after the case was wrapped we go to Helen and Doug’s for Christmas Eve dinner. They have invited several guests. Doug rises to give a little speech that was poignant and brought tears to my eyes. I found great meaning in his message, words I needed to hear personally this time of year. Moving forward a few pages, the tears were still present but a big smile appeared on my face. The ending was absolutely perfect.

Murder Afoot in Ashland, OR

I had not read a book by this author before, but after reading this 10th installment of her Bakeshop mystery series, I'm going to have to check out her other books as well. I love that this book is set in Ashland, Oregon, an actual town I live just 15 miles north of. Usually, cozy mysteries are set in fictitious small towns, so it was nice to see a real setting employed. She got so much of the detail right. The Dickens Feast at the Winchester Inn, so prominently featured in the story, is a real event that actually happens at that place in the real Ashland! Very cool. I recognized many other local places and traditions. Fun stuff for someone like me who knows the area well. The author excelled with her descriptions of both places and food. The food sounded absolutely to die for—pun intended, perhaps, as this is a mystery!--and the author also includes recipes in the book. I love it when authors do that. But she describes things so well, without it feeling like too much, that I felt like I was right there with the characters. Not an easy trick, but a much enjoyable one when an author pulls it off successfully. Yes, there is a mystery here revolving around the murder of the new owner-to-be of the Winchester Inn, but this story felt more about the town, Christmas, and the bakeshop. Normally, I don't like it when the mystery aspect takes a backseat to the cozy aspect of a cozy mystery, but in this case, I simply enjoyed it. This book can certainly be read and enjoyed as a standalone, as this is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I think that full appreciation of all the characters and the fictionalized backdrop of the real Ashland, Oregon, could be improved if you’ve read the other stories in the series. In any event, however, I found this to be a delightful holiday cozy. Highly recommended.

This holiday book is great at any time of year. I love tbe characters and how they have developed over the course of the series. The plot is always well thought out and written. It is always entertaining to visit with characters when they beckme old friends.

I have been a huge fan of Ellie Alexander so when I saw that A Cup of Holiday Fear was on Netgalley I had to request right away! This was the tenth installment of the Bakeshop Mystery Series and it did not disappoint! Ellie has a way of making you feel as if you are apart of the book. You become so enthralled in each relationship and feel as if they are your best friends. I love how she was able to make this novel suspenseful without getting into many details.

If you have been wanting to dip your toes into the pool of cozy mysteries, I highly highly recommend reading the works by Ellie Alexander.

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander is the tenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. Jules, owner of Torte, plans a Christmas party for her staff at a local hotel. The hotel's Dickens Feast is a holiday tradition that may be in danger as the hotel will soon change ownership. The soon-to-be owner is also at the feast and is doing little to endear herself to the locals. It was no surprise when she ended up dead. I enjoy this series, and this particular book is best enjoyed if readers are familiar with the previous books. A Cup of Holiday Fear is heavy on holiday and less so on the mystery. I did enjoy it but am looking forward to more mystery in the next.

This was my first read by the author. It was enjoyable with lots of suspense. I highly recommend it.

Four stars: A delightful holiday cozy mystery with lots of Christmas cheer and scrumptious recipes.

The holiday season means lots of baking at Torte. It is a busy time of year as everyone prepares for the upcoming holidays. The staff at Torte is bustling around, baking Christmas cookies and breads, pies and all kinds of holiday treats. To reward the staff for their hard work, Jules and Helen plan to host their annual Christmas party at the historic Winchester Inn’s Dickens Feast. The local feast is a holiday tradition in Ashland. The Dickens Feast features a six course dinner capped off with Yorkshire pudding. Mr. and Mrs. Claus are present as well as the miserly Scrooge. What promises to be an festive night turns deadly when the power goes out during a snowstorm. When the lights return, a person is found dead. Who could have murdered the visitor and why?
What I Liked:
*Even after ten installments, I am still a fan of The Bakeshop Mysteries. Book ten brings plenty of holiday cheer as the staff of Torte prepares for the holiday season. This book is packed with scrumptious holiday treats and lots of holiday cheer. I loved the festive atmosphere and the decadent food descriptions.
*You would think after ten books, the series would be getting stale, but that isn’t the case. I am still enjoying seeing the characters mature and evolve, especially Jules. The core staff of Torte is still in place, growing as they continue to expand their roles. Plus, there are three new faces at Torte that I am enjoying getting to know. Lance continues to make me smile, and I adore the cozy Torte bakeshop. I still want more.
*The murder mystery was not the highlight of the book, which was fine with me. Instead the murder mystery takes a back seat to the holiday preparations. As usual there are several suspects, and I was surprised by the reveal of the culprit. I was guessing until the end.
*The best part of this series is the rich descriptions of all the food prepared at Torte. There are delicious, savory dishes as well as sweet holiday treats. My mouth was watering. The best part, there are recipes at the end. I love the recipes!
*The book ends with the mystery solved and a bright happy moment for the characters. All’s well that ends well.
And The Not So Much:
*I know I complain about this a lot when it comes to cozy mysteries, but I think the whole murder mystery thing gets a little old when you are in a small town. Not to mention that a baker is always involved and part of the sleuthing. It is a stretch of the imagination, so if you are looking for realism, don’t read this series. If you want cozy and fun, grab it.
*I am frustrated that the romance still hasn’t had any movement for the last two or three books, the male lead hasn’t even made an appearance. I want Carlos!
*The murder victim comes across as a completely selfish and horrible person. Her character read like a cartoonish villain.

A Cup of Holiday Fear may be the tenth installment in The Bakeshop Mysteries Series, but the series is still fresh and fun. I loved that this book was all about the holiday season. Prepare for lots of holiday cheer, decadent food and all that you love about the holidays. Plus, there are recipes at the end. The murder mystery though a bit unrealistic, kept me guessing until the end. If you want a fun mystery series give this series a try, especially if you love baking.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Jules and her mother Helen own a bakeshop called Torte in a small town in Oregon called Ashland. The description of the seasonal treats made at Torte is amazing - my mouth was watering while I read about the sweet pastries, pies, cookies, and drinks.

Torte's owners hose an annual holiday dinner for employees and family at the historic Winchester Inn. However, there are rumors that the inn is being sold and a rival innkeeper is angry at Jules because he thinks she might be interested in buying the inn.

The holiday party - a Dickens Feast at the Winchester Inn - is a disaster. It becomes clear that the nasty guest who won't put down her cell phone during the festive event is the new owner of the inn. Then power goes out, food is dropped, someone is drugged, and someone is murdered. When it turns out the "secret" sale of the inn wasn't much of a secret, the whole staff is suspect, as are all of the guests from the Dickens Feast. With virtually the entire town under suspicion, Jules knows she has to figure out the truth when her childhood friend is arrested.

I thoroughly enjoyed the small town, the bake shop, the characters, and the holiday shenanigans. I definitely plan to read more of this series.

4.5 stars

I can't believe it’s taken ten books for Ellie Alexander to write a Christmas story for her Bakeshop Mystery series. I mean what's a better backdrop than the Torte Bakery in Ashland, Oregon?

A Cup of Holiday Fear finds Jules Capshaw and her Torte staff churning out holiday drinks, pastries, and desserts. In the midst of all the working, Jules, her staff, along with her mother Helen, stepfather Doug, and best friend Lance take a night off to celebrate Christmas, all Torte has accomplished during the year, and each other. The group attends the Dickens Feast held at the Winchester Inn. This event is a holiday tradition put on every day during the month of December. Jon and Emma Winchester have been putting on the event for going on thirty years now. The Winchesters are ready to retire but their only child, Nate doesn't want to take over the inn. The Winchesters make the tough decision to sell the inn to a lady named Cami from L.A. Rumors start to spread that Cami doesn't plan on keeping the inn open and that everyone there will lose their jobs. This will definitely be a night and an event to remember.

Off the bat, Jules and her guests can tell that Cami isn't a very nice person. Cami doesn't want to abide by the rules of the event and she doesn't want the items being served. Cami goes as far as yelling at one staff member and gets into an altercation with another. Not only is Cami making the event a little uncomfortable for everyone, but the Dickens Feast which usually runs like a well-oiled machine is running like a bunch of newbies are handling things. “Literally everything that could go wrong has.” Someone sabotages the electrical system, throwing the entire inn into darkness. When the lights finally come back on, Jules finds the body of Cami. Without question, Cami was murdered. But who did so and why can potentially send shockwaves through Ashland.

I love reading Ellie’s Bakeshop Mystery series. Every book is like meeting up with old friends. Every single character is someone I would love to know except for Richard Lord, the owner of the Merry Windsor Hotel. But let’s not talk about him. I really enjoyed A Cup of Holiday Fear but I think I enjoyed the story too much. I was so wrapped up in reading that I missed the fact that the case was solved. I had to go back and re-read some pages. Throughout this series, Jules has had to deal with her husband Carlos keeping a huge secret from her. The two now live apart with her living in Ashland and him living on a cruise ship as a chef. As far as their relationship goes, Ellie continues to play with my romance girl emotions. I feel as though Jules is partially in limbo and doesn't know what to do. I can't believe the story ended the way it did! I want more. I also can't believe a cozy mystery made me cry. I am so excited there's another book in this series. Fingers crossed that Jules's love life gets sorted out.

This is book 10 in the Bakeshop Mystery series and it's a wonderful Christmas cozy. Torte is preparing for the annual Shakespearean festival and Christmas parade with the new kitchen up and running. Jules and Helen are rewarding the staff with a Christmas party at the local inn but now are investigating the murder of the new owner. I love this series and the wonderful food that is highlighted in each book. A quick easy read for the holiday season. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Cup of Holiday Fear
Ellie Alexander, 2019

New Release! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

Premise: Jules runs a bakery in charming artistic tourist town Ashland, Oregon, where she is kept busy preparing for the Christmas rush and snooping around after an out-of-towner ends up dead.

I've read quite a few Christmas-themed cozy mysteries by now. Most of them are readable but nothing special.

It wasn't immediately clear from the publisher's description that this takes place well into a series, but it was obvious from the first page. Backstory and past relationships are recapped at length, even when they have nothing to do with the plot of this book.

I have two fairly substantial issues with this book, and in the end, I can't give it a pass.

The first is the mystery itself; it's just uninteresting.

The killer is the obviously mean character, the victim was a horrible person, and the resolution takes place entirely off-screen in a complete anti-climax. Plus there's no reason I can find in this book for this character to be running about questioning people. Why is she involved? I know many cozy mystery series have this problem, but most of the ones I've read at least pay lip service to the "Murder, She Wrote phenomenon," where the local cops recognize that this person is always tripping over crimes and poking her nose in other peoples business.

Eventually, her stepfather (with the police) does ask for her help, but as I recall, this is after a bunch of random prying. The book tells me that Jules cares about the people affected, but I don't know why. There are so many characters who swing through briefly, and she seems to care about all of them, although few get any development in this volume.

My other problem is with the setting.

Ashland is a real place, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a real company. Lance, the fictional artistic director, is a major character in this volume, and... well... he is so stereotypical, with his too-clean chic house, flamboyance, fashion, and cattiness. It bugged me. However, it only started to really piss me off after I checked and found out that as of this year, the actual artistic director of the Festival is an accomplished black woman, and the previous AD was a Tony-Award-winning director dedicated to increasing diversity and commissioning new work. To see all that represented in such a bland "flighty gay man runs a Shakespeare theater" way makes me sad.

The family-run inn where the murder takes place is a real place too, and they really do a special Dickens feast for Christmas. One of the major red herrings for the murder hinges on this family's relationship difficulties. The whole thing makes me uncomfortable. It's one thing to lightly fictionalize a real place or real people, or to have your characters work at a real company that's big enough to have plenty of anonymous employees, but to flesh out characters who are so clearly replacing real people in this way makes me uncomfortable.

The more I think about it, the less I like it, and the writing just isn't nearly good enough to justify the moral quandary. I would like to visit the real Dickens event, though.

1 Star - Didn't Like It

A good murder mystery with a whole town of suspects. Dragged a little longer than it should have but it was an enjoyable read.

This book was a 3.5 star read. I enjoyed reading it. It is filled with lots of baking and Christmas cheer. But the mystery was really weak. I figured out the killer very early and I am still not sure why the murder was committed other than bad attitudes. I did like the all the Christmas trimmings and the recipes. I just wished that as much time was spent on the mystery as the baking. Even though this book is part of the series it does not have to read in order. Read this for the Holiday not for the mystery.

When I got this from netgalley, I didn't realize it was #10 in a series. However, that wasn't a problem at all - I never felt like I needed to have read past books to follow the story. And as an added bonus, I have 9 previous books in the series that I'm now looking forward to reading.

I liked the characters in this, and the mystery, but I think my favorite part was the whole description of the holiday - the songs and pageantry, the parties, and especially the food. The bakeshop is great - people working together and everything sounds so delicious. There was also a Christmas parade, a Dickens dinner, and tuba-playing Santas. I highly recommend this as a holiday read - it isn't a romance - it is all friends and family :)