Wynette Castle is booked for numerous events. But when a film crew wants to shoot a show, Merry must accommodate them. The castle is bustling with activity, but people are tripping over each other, things are pilfered, and a reporter is missing. Merry must get to the bottom of the batter to figure out the mess. Although robust with people, the castle is a tranquil setting. I liked the parade of characters and their varying personalities since it added spice to the plot. The narrative flowed well and the short chapters made reading a quick work. I like Hamilton’s series and was glad to read the latest in the Muffin series and catch up with the latest mayhem.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Beyond The Page Publishing, in return for an honest review. While the seventh book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Merry Wynter owns an American castle. She and her new husband, Virgil, are supported in creating a unique venue for events by her best friend, Pish Lincoln, who has contacts in multiple professional worlds. When Pish surprises Merry with a week’s booking of the castle by a crew and contestants for a reality opera competition, she’s less than thrilled because of the upcoming schedule. When she agrees to also do the catering for those participants staying in the castle bedrooms, it makes for a full workload all around. This is compounded by the egos and demands from, not just the contestants, but the judges and several others attending the competition sessions. When violence threatens, Merry is determined to save her beloved castle’s reputation and see if her unique perspective can help the police solve the crime.
As the first book in this series that I’ve read, it was easy to follow the characters and determine who is whom among them all. That’s a credit to the author for creating a clear distinction between them. She also provides a cast of characters at the beginning of the book; in case you need refreshing as you read. This is a good cozy and enjoyable to read. Merry is an interesting woman, managing quite the business venture. I didn’t guess who-dun-it as she provided several viable candidates with very valid reasons. There is a realistic sub-plot about those who make use power as a way to demand sexual favors that is, sadly, all too true. That sub-plot supports the storyline and should not detract from enjoyment by cozy mystery lovers.

“Double or Muffin" the 7th instalment in the "A Merry Muffin" Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton. I really enjoyed catching up with Merry and the rest of her friends at Wynter Castle. This time an Opera Reality Show was filming in the castle, oh my what a bunch of characters they were. The Protagonist Merry Wynter is a strong, and independent and I especially love her cat Becket who is feisty, and loving all at the same time.

I practically read in one sitting as I was so drawn into what was happening. There were enough twists to keep me intrigued and wanting to know how it ends.

I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a cozy filled with warm, diverse characters and a small town atmosphere.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Beyond the Page Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is book 7 in the series, but the first one I’ve read and I’m happy to say I’ll be going back to read the first 6! That said, I had no problems having not read the previous books; there are some mentions of people and situations in previous books, but it didn’t factor in to my enjoyment and following along if this story. The characters were fun and well thought out, the mystery kept me on my toes, and the descriptions of the food and location had me feeling like I was there. 1 star off because I was a little annoyed at how naive and do-good the protagonist was.

Find my review on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3799510481

This is one of my very favorite culinary cozies. The characters are like friends you hang out with. The plot is very captivating and keeps you wanting to read instead of going to sleep. I could not put the book down. The crimes are kind of tricky so you have to keep on your toes so you do not miss the clues. This one was exciting and I really really did enjoy it.

Ok, I have to confess, Victoria Hamilton is my favorite author. This series, and her vintage kitchen series are my top two favorite.
In Double or Muffin, Wynter Castle is the new location for a reality show featuring opera singers. The cast and crew were tossed out of another venue, and Pish willingly grants them the use of the castle.
While Merry isn’t thrilled with this sudden change, she is curious about these quirky people.
The singers range in age, with the youngest being 15 years old.
Merry has a bad feeling about this motley crew, and her suspicions are confirmed when she finds a body in the woods surrounding the castle.
I was on the edge of my seat reading this book. I loved all the different characters and how the author made this book flow so smoothly between the investigation and the competition.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a great, fast paced story.
#DoubleorMuffin #NetGalley

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Beyond the Page.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Deadly muffins hit the opera stage. For baker Merry Wynter tackles a disturbing crime, can she solved it before the curtain closes on her?

An opera reality TV show hits Wynter Castle and Merry is busy catering to the nonstop demands of the famous judges and diva contestants. There are rumors amidst of rigged contestants and a nosy reporter is soon found dead who is covering the assignment. Merry becomes focus on who is responsible for the drastically deed.

She’ll have to work quickly before the killer strikes again as she tries to narrow down the many suspicious characters. Will she be able to outsmart her killer or will she be too late?

A fun quirky cozy read.

Double or Muffin is the 7th book in Victoria Hamilton's 'A Merry Muffin Mystery' series and will be released in February of 2021. I've previously read all the books in this series as well as her entire 'Vintage Kitchen Mysteries' collection; she also writes several others under different pen names. I enjoy her writing style and have connected with her via social media in the past. When I saw the newest book was available for an early read, I dove in. Let's chat about it...

Merry inherited a castle years ago in upstate New York. Since then, she's gone through several life changes (marriage, moving, losing a husband, murders, et al), and this time, things are getting intense again. Bestie Pish now runs her castle (venue for events, sometimes a hotel for small groups of people, has a catering service) and has invited the cast and crew of an opera competition to film and live onsite for the last week of the event. Each of the characters has a backstory that causes heads to turn, and when one of them ends of almost dead, the mystery begins. Merry is lucky to get out alive this time.

For fans of cozy mysteries, baking, bed-and-breakfasts, opera, and small-town shenanigans, this is a wonderful series. The supporting cast is warm and funny, and all the newcomers in this book are a fine counterbalance; hint, most are not very kind people! Hamilton brings all the drama of the entertainment world, complete with the shy newbies and the divas. Clearly, some of these people have deeper connections, and when it all begins to unravel, it's quite a complicated mess (in a good way, I mean). At first, it was a bit of character overload - 12 or so new people in one chapter where even I had to stop and re-read the descriptions. I love trying to sort them all out but had a doozy of a time in that chapter. By 1/3 of the way thru, everything is very clear -- a true sign of an author who knows how to gently remind us and keep everything well organized.

As a mystery plot, it was full of red herrings. I changed my mind three or four times, and I even had a completely different arc in mind for one character who was standoffish. I was wrong about her story! Ultimately, I found everything really well integrated. I would have loved an additional chapter about what happened to each of them after the competition was over, but truthfully, how can an author tell us the future when she hasn't written the next book yet? That said, I do recommend this series for fans looking for a protagonist who is strong-willed and takes no gruff. Merry does what she wants, fights back with people who aren't very kind, and always stands up for herself. I like her a lot.

Finding this book was a surprise... a great one. I knew it would be coming, but this was the first I'd seen on the marketing side so it was good because I didn't have to wait for the cover reveal process, intro news, pre-sale alert, etc. It was immediately available, but now that means I wait another year for the next one. I hope Vintage Kitchen releases something later this year to keep me immersed in wonderful writing, clever stories, and good characters. Thanks for a fun book... easily 4.5 stars on this one. The series is getting stronger with each release.

Merry Wynter’s business partner, Pish, agreed to let a reality show film at the Castle. Merry, while having more work loaded on to her, is fine with it as it pays the bills. What neither of them took into account was that operatic divas are a handful.

When a journalist who is writing about the series is found left for dead, Merry can’t help but wonder who had it out for the woman. It seems all of the contestants have some secrets that they are hiding, but who has a secret deadly enough to kill? That’s what Merry intends to find out, while the singers work to hit the high notes and she hopes to avoid being the killers next hit.

A smart, engaging and well written mystery full of red herrings, much like all of the author’s works. This and her vintage kitchen series are two of the series on my must read list and never disappoint. Definitely a series for the mystery cozy lover.