Andy is representing Torte in the West Coast Barista Cup and as luck would have it, it’s being held in Ashland. He’s up against some very tough competitors and has been preparing for this for a long time. Jules and the gang are behind him every step of the way cheering him on, even when the head judge wants to disqualify him before the competition even starts.

When the head judges turns out to be a tyrant and later turns up dead after having a cup of Andy’s ice honey chai, Jules knows she can’t let Andy be a suspect and vows to clear his name before he takes the blame for a crime he didn’t commit. Now Jules is racing against the clock, hoping she and the police can figure it out before anyone else is cut out for good.

I adore this series. Then again, I adore everything that Ellie Alexander writes. She brings her characters and the setting to life like no other cozy queen. You quickly become vested in the characters and the way Jules and Carlos run their businesses…with heart. Gotta love a series that knocks it out of the ballpark each and every time. You will NEVER go wrong with any of Ellie’s books and if you haven’t read anything from her yet, please, please, PLEASE give it a read. You won’t regret it!

One of the main reasons I love this series is the setting. It's described so well that it's a character itself. However. changing the setting of this latest installment to a barista competition was a breath of fresh air. Revisiting these familiar characters is always a treat.

This is the 13th book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series and this story follows all of our favorite characters but gives more focus on Andy. Now, Andy is one of my absolute favorite characters in this series and I was so excited to see this new story was following him. Andy has been selected to compete in the West Coast Barista Cup and I loved seeing the whole crew there to cheer him on! Throw in a murder and this story takes off. If you haven’t picked up the first in this series, what are you waiting on!? These are such fun cozy mysteries set in the Ashland, Oregon with our main character Jules. Jules is one of my all time favorite sleuths! I recommend this series if you are looking for somewhere to start in the cozy mystery genre or just looking for a fun new series.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Mocha, She Wrote by Ellie Alexander is the 13th A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Mocha, She Wrote is a lighthearted culinary cozy mystery. It contains good writing with appealing characters. It is the characters that make this series. They are friendly and relatable. I enjoy the descriptions of Ashland. The writer paints a visual picture with her words. There are mouthwatering food and coffee descriptions that will have you heading for your local bakery. Information about coffee and the brewing process are included. It is interesting learning about what goes into making a good cup of java. The whodunit has a loathsome victim that a number of people wished dead. Jules had to interview victims, wade through the clues, and brew up a killer. I wish the mystery had been more of a challenge (it is my favorite part of cozy mysteries). I could easily identify the guilty party early in the story. Jules has become a seasoned investigator so she can handle a more challenging whodunit. The murder did not occur until a third of the way through the book. I like that there is no bloodshed or foul language. This type of cozy is perfect for summer. Mocha, She Wrote is a merry cozy mystery with a vile victim, a cutthroat coffee competition, a potent potion, chilled ice cream, and a keen killer.

Mocha, She Wrote by Ellie Alexander is an excellent trip back to Ashland, revisiting all the folks at Torte, Lance, and Thomas, Kerry and the Professor. Torte is creating, as is to be expected, and this story leads with Andy entered in the Barista Cup competition to be held right there in Ashland in just a couple of weeks. It was NOT a local competition and Andy was stressed. Apparently some of the competitors trained and even had coaches for this event. It became clear on the first morning of the event that Andy would be able to hold his won. It became less clear when someone tampered with one of his drinks and he was rewarded with some pretty harsh words by the judge who had gotten that drink. Worse, the next day the judge was dead and the poison had been delivered in his drink. Of course, there is nothing but Lance to investigate and drag Juliet into the fray.

Like all cozy mysteries this is a totally character driven story and Alexander's characters are epic. She imbues each of them with so much individuality that they are impossible to confuse. They are rife with their own talents, appearances, and so much more. Her plots are also excellent, each one making total sense when the murder is brought to justice. Her pacing is good, and her inclusion of recipes, or at least the making of them, within the stories, make a foodie want to cry. All in all, a better cozy is not to be found, no matter how frightening the takedown may be.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Mocha, She Wrote, by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #mochashewrote

Thanks to St. Martin's Press Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read MOCHA, SHE WROTE by Ellie Alexander.

Again, an excellent read. The characters are likable. Andy the Torte barista is competing in a coffee barista competition at a hotel in Ashland. When a mean character is killed, it looks like Andy killed him. Jules and Lance are determined to find the real killer because they know that Andy could not have done it.

Meanwhile Jules' husband Carlos is in town. I enjoyed following Jules as she is putting together delicious food for the Torte bakery.

What's not to like? Culinary adventures. Clues to find other suspects in the murder. Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the background. Small town vibes. Recurring characters who are likable yet different in personalities. Only one recurring character is unlikable and the author presents that character in a hilarious way that the reader laughs at that character.

Mocha, She Wrote is the 13th Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander. The books center on Julietta Capshaw and her family and friends in Ashland, Oregon. Julietta and her mother own and operate a local bakery, Torte. This particular book centers around Andy and his desire to win the West Coast Barista Cup. Once again, Jules and her friend, Lance, are drawn into a murder investigation that surrounds the barista competition. This is a fun, light, cozy mystery. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series. They are quick reads – just right for curling up in the shade on hot summer days.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press.

I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A barista competition quickly turns deadly in the latest book by the series.

Torte’s head barista Andy is one of the contestants as a heft cash prize and title is on the line. He is a bit nervous but Jules has faith n his skills. Things do not go well as one of the judges spits out the brew stating it was the worst thing ever had is later found dead clutching Andy’s latte in hand.

Suspicion quickly falls on Andy as Jules must save her employee from the slammer. Will she be able to find the killer before they strike again? It is another enjoyable fast paced read in the series.

I just love novels by Ellie Alexander! They make me laugh and keep my interest. The most important thing is they keep me entertained.

This time the focus is on Andy, Torte's resident Coffee genius. He is the maker of all things coffee for the famed bakeshop Torte. Andy is accepted into the Barista Cup Competition and although new to the competition Andy shines. Other competitors don't care for the popularity of the new guy and when one of the judges tears Andy's offering apart and spits it out, it seems all is lost.

Throw in a murder, and the relationship of amateur sleuths Juliet and Lance and we have a mystery to dive into. Just how we like it.

I highly recommend this series and any or the others Ellie Alexander has written!

This is the 13th book in the Bakeshop mystery series. I loved this book! We’re back in Ashland, OR at Torte, the bakeshop owned by Jules . She has a talented team working with her, and her barista, Andy, has entered the West Coast Barista Cup, a barista coffee making competition.
When one of the judges is found dead, Jules has to find the killer to clear Andy. I like reading these books because the writing flows, the plots are creative, and the characters feel like old friends. I’m pretty sure these books have increased tourism to Ashland, it sounds like a fun place to visit!
5 enthusiastic stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Mocha, She Wrote is the latest installment in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. I was delighted that the storyline was about coffee, one of my favorite things. The competition was well described, and I could almost smell the various concoctions as I was reading. I would have loved to sample a few of them! The barista competition was the perfect setting for all sorts of shady events to occur, including murder. With a number of over competitive contestants and people with a serious grudge with the victim, I was guessing until the very end. Combined with the marvelous backdrop that is Ashland, I had a glorious time reading this book. If Ashland were a real place, I would love to spend time there. Mocha, She Wrote is an absolute winner.

Andy, Torte’s Bakeshop’s expert barista, is competing in the West Coast Barista Cup, being held in Ashland for the first time. The head judge/contest founder is a nasty piece of work & ends up dead, shortly after drinking a latte Andy made so Jules & Lance are on the case. If you like coffee with your pastries, this is the cozy series for it. A good addition to the series, although the killer is fairly easy to figure out it’s a fun journey for cozy lovers to get there. I just wish the arc had the delicious recipes that come with this series! I’d definitely pair it with a good coffee drink & some fancy latte art. ☕️

Thank you to Minotaur publishing for the #ARC!

A good addition to a charming and delightful series. I have not read all of them, but enough to have observed the character developments. This one has lots of food and coffee descriptions. You might find yourself having cravings. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

DNF @ 24%: This wasn't necessarily bad or anything but it just wasn't holding my attention. I liked the concept of a culinary cozy mystery. However, the execution wasn't as strong as I hoped.

What should have been a triumph for Andy, the barista at Torte, turns sour when the judge in the coffee competition first spits out the latte he made and then is later found dead! Well, Andy might be the prime suspect at first but as Jules, the owner of Torte, and her posse discover, the judge has made many enemies. Classic cozy territory for sure but Alexander has created a delightful group of characters in a fun setting. She makes good use of Ashland Oregon and even better of a bakeshop setting- oh I miss going to the bakery! It's not too complicated but it did keep me guessing. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones- this will be fine as a standalone.

Great addition to the series! And honestly, this series just gets better and better. Great to see what’s happening with all the characters and to see Andy being recognised as great at what ge loves to do. The mystery was a lot of fun and the murder was a surprise to me; lots of red herrings and clues floating around for me to try and guess, which I did incorrectly. And, I love all the food mentions! They don’t give recipes, but definitely gives great ideas. Can’t wait for the next one!

I love reading the Bakeshop Mystery series, wonderful characters and descriptions that make me feel like I'm in the the mountain town of Ashland, Oregon. Andy, the head barista at Torte, gets a spot in the West Coast Barista Cup and things happen during the competition that cause Juliet to get involved in a mystery. The story ends on a small cliffhanger, but that means there's another story coming! I can't wait to continue visiting this series.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Ellie Alexander never disappoints! This was a fun cozy read with a gorgeous setting and even better foodie descriptions. Between Sterling's savory concoctions, Jules's pastries, and Andy's coffee creations there is always something mouth watering and tempting being described.

This book really focused on Andy who has been a regular character since the first book and has long been my favorite. While I hated seeing him in such a stressful place I did enjoy getting some focus on his character. As well, Jules has some developments in her personal life and is reestablishing her routines and just how her life works.

I do love when the victim has more enemies then friends and that was definitely the case in this book. Benson Vargas has more then a few people who weren't sorry to see him go and with very good reason. He's pretty dreadful. I enjoyed the unravelling of the mystery and loved seeing Andy take a more active role. Both Andy's competition and Jules changes do push the mystery a bit towards the background occasionally throughout the book. However, I love the characters in this series so much that that isn't a problem for me. If you're looking for a fun series with characters you feel like your friends with in a gorgeous town this series is a must!

Torte's own Andy Howard is chosen to compete in the West Coast Barista Cup challenge!! However he might be out before he even gets a chance to compete. One of the judges, Benson Vargas saw Andy spill some beans and wanted him thrown out!! Later one of the drinks Andy makes has WAY too much salt in it and guess who got the lucky cup? Benson. . Andy makes it right by serving the hard nose judge another corrected version.. When Benson ends up dead its Andy's coffee that seems to put an end to him! But what about the others in the competition? There's Sammy unhappy with a 3rd place finish, Diaz is acting a bit weird, James the announcer was heard having words with Benson and Piper isn't happy with him either. So who did Benson in and why?

Mocha She Wrote will fill your latte craving and tease your food palette. Then there's the murder to be solved. The characters will enchant you.