Marley is the owner of the Flipside Pancake House. She's an amateur sleuth. She's getting married. And she just discovered there was a murder during the local Golden Oldies Games. Can she keep up with everything while also solving the murder?

A fun and interesting cozy mystery. I loved Marley, and all the other characters, and the storyline. This is book 6 in Pancacke House Mystery series, but the first I've read. I was able to follow along without any difficulty....although I do wish I had read the first book in the series. I plan on going back to check it out .

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor. Many thanks to Kensington/Lyrical Press and the author, Sarah Fox.

Have you visited Wildwood Cove lately? Come to the Pacific Northwest and meet Marley, owner of The Flip Side, the local pancake house. You are on time for the annual statewide Golden Oldies Games, competitions in sports from tennis to horseshoes, ages 50 and up. It’s rumored that the oldest person this year is 96; he will be in the horseshoe competition. The next oldest will be 92, at track and field. I really like the well-rounded characters in this series, getting to know them better each time, and I think you’ll like them, too!

Before the games begin, Marley meets two couples at The Flip Side; Easton and his wife Rowena will play doubles tennis. Pippa will play tennis, and her personal trainer is there to cheer her on. Ed, one of The Flip Side regulars, comes in the following morning with a woman for the first time since any of the ladies have worked there. Yvonne is probably a decade younger than Ed, a very pretty lady who is a sports reporter for the Seattle Insider, more of a gossip sheet than a newspaper.

The opening evening ceremony brings out much of Wildwood Cove, along with athletes, their coaches, families, and friends. Marley and her fiancé, Brett, enjoy the ceremony; Marley sees the tennis players she met the day before. She also sees Yvonne, talking with one of her friends about Ed, and not in a flattering way. She also sees Yvonne arguing with the favorite racewalker in her age group, Claudia. Then a man mutters under his breath when he sees Yvonne, and he was absolutely not flattering her.

The next morning on her way to the pancake house, Marley noticed what looked like a coast guard vessel running parallel to the shore. Shortly after opening, her best friend Lisa and her neighbor Joan came into the Flip Side. There was an early morning accident on the ocean. Easton and Rowena were out for an early morning ride on their yacht; while Rowena was making coffee down below, she heard a splash. When going to the deck, Easton was gone, and never came to the surface.

That night, she and Brett are out walking and see Lisa and her boyfriend (and the Flip Side’s chef) Ivan. They have just found a body, still wearing the plastic press pass. It was Yvonne, the sports reporter. When Ed found out, he pleaded with Marley to find what happened to her. She was the first woman he was interested in for years, and now she’s gone, and she didn’t have the heart to tell her the kind of woman she might have been.

For all the sadness in this story – Easton was a very well-known and loved man – there is also joy as Marley prepares for her and Brett’s wedding. Brett would never stop Marley from asking questions, but he also doesn’t want anything to happen to his bride. Plot twists and turns multiply the suspect list for Yvonne’s death when it turns out to have been murder, then someone tries to hurt Marley. Will they find the killer before the Games are over, since it could be someone who knew Yvonne before? I thought I knew who was involved with the murder, but was I wrong! Oh, was I surprised, and sad, to find whodunit and why! You can read this in order of the series, or as a standalone. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy well-executed cozy mysteries, the Pacific Northwest, and breakfast recipes!

From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Much Ado About Nothing is Book Six in the Pancake House Mystery series by Sarah Fox.

Marley is back, she is the owner of the Flip Side Pancake House . The characters are fantastic!
I love this series so much. There is a wedding in the works between Maley and Brett and I loved this story line.

The mystery was perfectly paced with no shortage of suspects.

I love this series and I so look forward to the next one!

3.5 stars
MUCH ADO ABOUT NUTMEG, the sixth book in the entertaining Pancake House Mystery series, is a fun outing with protagonist Marley as she investigates the murder of a reporter in town for Wildwood Cove Golden Oldies Games. As the body count rises, she struggles to put all the pieces together but does solve the case in a climactic reveal.

The competitive games allow for many new characters to come to town, and this is where most of the suspect pool comes from. And, there are lots of suspects. I do not usually struggle with keeping characters straight, but I caught myself flipping back and forth more than once to verify the details of the characters. Each suspect has a valid motive and opportunity, but I feel like the story stalled more than once as Marley rehashed investigative details without adding anything. Luckily, scenes at the pancake house and wedding preparations help move the story along. I did not figure out the killer’s identity until Marley did.

I enjoy this series – the setting, recurring characters, pets, and talk of breakfast, and MUCH ADO ABOUT NUTMEG is a fine addition to the series. I look forward to many more adventures with Marley.

I gratefully received an ARC of this title from the author/publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Six books into a series the writing should still be fresh. I didn't feel that way with this one. The writing felt sloppy and rushed like the goal was to meet a deadline, not add value to a series. I see this frequently in long running series. Not the sixth book in. For example, a character's spouse is killed (no spoiler, this is a murder mystery!) and later something else happens to her and this is written: "Her time in Wildwood Cove wasn't likely to leave her with happy memories." As if had nothing other than her spouse being killed happened she would have had fond memories of her visit? And at the beginning of the book Marley says her wedding is less than a month away. After the mystery is solved, she is still saying the wedding is a month away. Did not time continue while the mystery was solved? But, maybe I started off on the wrong foot with this book. Having 50 year old athletes referred to as "golden oldies" pushed the wrong buttons. Comments of amazement during the book about how good these old people were didn't help. I'll expect more from the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. I enjoyed Much Ado about Nutmeg. It was my first book by Sarah Fox, and I look forward to reading her previous entries in the series. I liked that it took place close to the beach, and Marley is a pleasant character. I was pulled into the story very quickly, and I wanted to know what had happened to Yvonne, even if she wasn't likable. It was interesting that the topic of body shaming was addressed, it can do such damage. I really like when writers deal with topics that can make readers think further. Highly recommended!

This was a great cozy mystery with a plethora of suspects and a wealth of suspenseful moments. I felt the beginning was a little slow, but the pace picked up towards the middle of the book. I loved the romance subplot, it made me want to keep reading. I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book 6 in an interesting cozy series.

Wildwood Cove is hosting Golden Oldies Games and the influx of visitors has Marley McKinney's The Flip Side pancake house extra busy. When bodies wash up Marley has to investigate in order to keep an eye out for a young waitress, Sienna.. The competitors bring their old grudges with them and not everyone is as sweet as they appear to be.

Toss in Marley's upcoming wedding plans and this cozy sets a fast pace to a happy ending.

Recipes from the Flip Side are included (and look delicious).

Much Ado about Nutmeg is the sixth book in Sarah Fox’s Pancake House Mystery series. This is a quick and easy read, with a well-plotted storyline and a great cast of well-developed characters. There are enough suspects, red herrings, and twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

Marley McKinney owns The Flip Side pancake house in Wildwood Cove and has the habit of involving herself in police investigations. Marley and her husband-to-be, Brett Collins, are finalizing their wedding plans. Wildwood Cove is hosting the Golden Oldies Games, a sporting event for athletes fifty and over. The day after Marley meets Easton Miller, his wife, Rowena, their friend, Pippa, and her trainer, Levi, who are in town for the competition, Easton falls off his yacht and is presumed. A few days later, Yvonne Pritchard’s dead body is washed ashore, and Marley’s friend, Ed Herman, who was interested in the reporter, asks her to investigate Yvonne’s murder. Despite Brett’s uncle, Sheriff Ray Georgeson, telling Marley to stop going around asking questions, she can’t resist trying to figure out if the same person killed Easton and Yvonne or if there are two killers in Wildwood Cove.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

A new addition to the “Pancake House Mystery” series Much Ado About Nutmeg written by Sarah Fox and published by Lyrical Press will have readers of culinary cozies thrilled and craving ice cream!

Marley is busy. Between her restaurant, her wedding, and Wildwood Cove’s Golden Oldies Games, she doesn’t have time for anything else, and yet she manages to get involved reluctantly in another murder investigation. Her culinary skills and those of her chef will not get her out of the mix. Being a loyal, strong, independent woman running a business, hasn’t prevented her from understanding loss and wanting to help those who are going through the process, which is why readers love this character. Marley’s employees, friends, and family know that Marley will always butt in where she shouldn’t, and some even encourage her.

The cast of characters in this delicious culinary based cozy series brings readers a smile, as well as several heartfelt moments. The clues and situations bring intrigue and, at times, anxiety. Suspects are numerous, and everyone seems to have a motive. Sometimes it is hard to keep the suspects straight as there may be too many.
It takes time for Marley to figure out who the culprit is, and almost gets herself killed in the process. The mouthwatering descriptions of pancakes and other food items, especially the ice cream, will have readers running out to their local pancake house or ice cream parlor. A good culinary cozy should always make readers hungry! The murderer will come as a surprise to many readers. The reveal is action-packed and very interesting. Readers will not be disappointed with Much Ado About Nutmeg. (Except perhaps for a lack of Nutmeg in the book.).

This is a charming cosy mystery with a bunch of suspects and a comfortable pace. It can be a bit confusing at times because of all the characters, but that made it a bit more interesting. It has anyway a well developed plot, interesting characters and so on.

I need to start this review by saying that I have really enjoyed this series - Marley is a good MC and I like how she is with Brett [and that they each have a life outside of each other, which is how it should be IMO] and I love The Flip Side restaurant and Tommy and Ivan and the girls that work there with Marley. Unlike a lot of cozies where the MC has a job, owns a business etc and they just run around and leave all the work to other, Marley works just as hard as her employees and that also brings a sense of realism to the books. She is nosy, but she doesn't expect others to do her work while she is snooping. And she DOES try to stay within the parameters of "helping" and not completely interfering and that is also refreshing. She totally respects the law enforcement [and not just because the chief is related to Brett] and treats them with the respect they deserve.

Now, all of that said, I was not a huge fan of this book. There were 8 BAZILLION characters/suspects. Every time you turned around [or a page], there was a new suspect and by the time you get to the middle of the book [which is filled with the special sports games, Marley and Brett planning their wedding AND murders], it is one big muddy mess. And by the time you get to the reveal, of COURSE you are going to be surprised because WHAT? Yeah, its that kind of reveal. There are so many red herrings, that ANYONE who wasn't a red herring could be a killer and would be a huge shock and surprise. I will say that the reveal was good. And completely unexpected [in how it happened]. And the why...I didn't see that coming either. So you get this huge muddy mess for a good portion of the book for a great reveal, but then just a blip for the wedding. Again, WHAT????? Sigh.

It is a decent story and a decent addition to the series, but unfortunately for me, there were too may things working against it to rate it higher than three stars. BUT! Because I do like this series so much, I will absolutely keep reading. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when it is a series you are already love and are seriously invested in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Book/Lyrical Underground for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another solid installment, the 6th, in the Pancake House mystery series in which pancake house owner, Marley, is again needed to solve a murder in her small Oregon town. Expanding things beyond the usual townspeople, in this one, there's a wider pool of victims and suspects thanks to the fact that the town is hosting the Golden Oldies Games.

Once again, an interesting plot and a terrific cast of characters make this an excellent installment in a very fine cozy series.

Highly recommended!!

Much Ado about Nutmeg by Sarah Fox is the 6th book in A Pancake House Mystery Series, and another great addition. Marley McKinney is the owner of The Flip Side, a pancake house in beautiful Wildwood Cove, located on the west coast. Summer has arrived, and the town is hosting Wildwood Cove's Golden Oldies Games, a competition for athletes 50 and over. The Flip Side is very busy with all the tourist that have come to town for the games, and Marley is busy getting ready for her wedding in a few weeks. When a man competing goes missing off his yacht, and a reporter is murdered, Marley is on the case. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. There are a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. There is a wonderful mixture of mystery, suspense, friendship, and romance for a well-balanced story. I can not wait until the next book in the series comes out. If you love cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this book, and the whole series.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

3.25 stars

This pleasantly average cozy is set in the Northwest, featuring Marley McKinney, owner of a breakfast/pancake restaurant. Marley, in the way of cozies, is an exasperation to her local police department since she can't not nose around when something happens. And as we all know, small towns featured in these mysteries always have a spare body or two.

A senior Olympics type competition is happening in Marley's town and the extra tourists keep everybody busy. In addition, Marley is marrying her sweetheart Brett so she's also trying to pull together the many elements of a wedding.

The first body is a happily married dentist who is participating in the games and falls off his boat one night. Almost immediately, the second body washes ashore -- this one belonging to a much-disliked tabloid type reporter.

These are fairly lightweight books in terms of character development and plausibility, but sometimes an undemanding cozy is just the right choice. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Marley McKinney is focused on two things as this book begins. Her wedding is just a few weeks away and the Golden Oldies Games is bringing lots of visitors and competitors to Wildwood Cove who will be eating at The Flip Side, her pancake house restaurant.

The volume of customers keeps Marley and her two wait staff, Leigh and Sienna, really busy at The Flip Side making it a challenge for Marley to shop for a wedding dress, decide on the wedding cake, meet with the florist and just keep to the timetable for her upcoming nuptials.

The day after Marley meets a foursome in town for the competition, one of the group, Easton Miller falls off his yacht. Before his body is found a few days later, Yvonne Pritchard’s dead body is washed up on the beach. Marley’s friend Ed asks her to investigate Yvonne’s murder as a favor to him – he was dating Yvonne, a Seattle sports reporter in town covering the games.

Unfortunately, Yvonne is intensely disliked because of the nasty expose type articles she writes about sports figures. No less than five competitors in the Golden Oldies Games are persons of interest. As Marley goes around asking questions she gets too close for comfort and someone pushes her off a street curb into traffic.

Sarah Fox continues to fabricate finely crafted mysteries with this 6th Pancake House entry. Red herrings distract, the blend of wedding details with sleuthing prove entertaining and the pace keeps interest engaged. Get comfortable and enjoy another delightful visit to The Flip Side and Wildwood Cove.

4.5 Stars

This is the sixth book in the Pancake House Mystery series by Sarah Fox.

Marley is the owner of the Flip Side Pancake House and the place is jumping with business due to the Golden Oldies Games, an event for athletes 50 and up. When one of their regulars, Ed, comes in with a woman instead of his normal buddy for breakfast, they are all abuzz with questions and what ifs about his new love life. Then they discover this new woman is really a reporter and quite underhanded. She was bound to break poor Ed’s heart. Then Yvonne turns up dead with plenty of suspects around who might have want to do the deed. Then days later, one of the athletes also turns up dead in a similar watery area the team begins to wonder if the deaths are connected.

The more they spoke about the upcoming wedding of Marley McKinney and her beau, Brett the more I wondered if someone was going to break them up just to keep the drama going. Of course, that didn’t happen even though I thought it might. Some stories are notorious for breaking up their couples just before the big day. Sweet ending, though!

I enjoyed the sleuthing in this book. I found it fascinating how tenacious Marley is with finding the truth even to her own determent at times. What a wonderful, fast-paced book. Unputdownable. I read it in one day! Great book. Looking forward to more Pancake House Mysteries in my future!

If you love a good foodie cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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.

Marley and Brett are getting married! You gotta question the wisdom of a woman who owns a pancake house in a tourist town planning a wedding during tourist season but that's the kind of person Marley is. She's also an intrepid investigator so when Yvonne, a journalist, and a tennis player in the Golden Oldies competition taking place in Wildwood Cove both turn up dead, she has to poke around. To be fair, Ed, who seems to be the only person who liked Yvonne, asked her to do it. Cozy readers know that Yvonne had a lot of enemies, that there will be some red herrings, and that all will work out in the end. It's a good read although honestly, the number of murders in this town would make anyone think twice about visiting! It would be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Oh - and there are recipes for, yum, pancakes!

A very well crafted cozy mystery. Great plot and cast of characters. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While not the first book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Marley McKinney owns ‘Flip Side’, a pancake house in Wildwood Cove. Her town is inundated with guests and tourists for the Golden Oldies Games, which is great for business. When two people die, in separate incidents, Marley is convinced there’s something fishy and she questions various residents and visitors to get to the bottom of things. As if that’s not enough, she’s also planning her waterfront wedding to Brett, which could be cancelled if she winds up in the killer’s sights. This is a solid cosy, with interesting characters and a plausible storyline.