Mocha, She Wrote by Ellie Alexander (A Bakeshop Mystery #13) 5 stars

It is time to visit Ashland, Oregon again and Torte, the fabulous bakery run by Jules Capshaw. In this installment, Andy, Torte's resident barista is going to compete in the West Coast Barista Cup being hosted at a local resort. The competition is stiff and one of judges, Benson Vargas is well know for skewering the contestants. Andy has a bad day, when Benson get a cup of his signature drink that has too much salt (Is is sabotage??); determined to redeem himself, Andy manages to give Benson a cup of his signature drink done correctly. Benson is later found dead and initial findings point to Andy. Can Jules find the real culprit and clear Andy's name? You have to read the book to find out.

This was a total joy to read and I stayed up to the wee hours to finish it. The victim was not a nice man and the suspect list got longer, however, Jules and Lance (Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) are a great team. They manage to ferret out a lot of details from the suspects. As usual the cooking tips and background on coffee making is a wonderful bonus. [The tip on how to get butter to room temperature fast was awesome] I really wish Torte was real so I could visit. I look forward to the next book in this series "Bake, Borrow, and Steal" coming in December 2021.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Paperbacks for this ARC.

Torte’s head barista Andy has been selected to compete in the West Coast Barista Cup. The competition is fierce and Andy is worried about his newbie status against some legendary baristas. On the first day, nasty head judge Benson Vargas spits out Andy’s hot honey latte, declaring it to be awful. That night, Benson is found dead clutching another paper cup of Andy’s signature latte. When the police and coroner find drugs in the latte, Andy soon becomes their prime suspect. Torte's Jules Capshaw is determined to clear Andy’s name and quickly learns that there are several suspects in this cutthroat competition who hated Benson. Meanwhile on the personal front, Jules' husband Carlos is busy working at Uva, their vineyard and has many plans in store to delight Jules and the community with his culinary prowess paired with some killer wines.

This was another entertaining read in the Bakeshop Mystery series and it was nice to see Andy playing a starring role in the book.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MOCHA SHE WROTE (Book 13 of the Bakeshop Mysteries), by Ellie Alexander, in exchange for an honest review. The crew from Torte are all jittery with excitement for Andy, their head barista. Andy has been selected to compete in the prestigious West Coast Barista Cup competition. On the first day of the contest, a notoriously nasty judge grinds Andy with his antics, which steams Jules and Andy’s other friends. Later on, the same judge is found to have expired by one of Andy’s concoctions, so Andy looks like the prime suspect. Jules investigates to see if anyone will spill the coffee beans on the competition’s participants. Can Jules identify the killer before Andy’s future goes down the drain?

I like the story and the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series. I recommend this series to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, food, tourist towns, themed towns, drama, and small businesses.

Summer has arrived in Ashland, Or and tourist season is in full swing. The West Coast Barista Cup is getting underway and Andy, Torte's very skilled barista has a spot in the contest. Jules and her family and friends are sure that he will win but Andy has some jitters. It's a very big deal if he wins - a nice chunk of prize money sweetens the latte. Things start off badly when the head judge, Benson Vargas -
known to be a career breaker and all around obnoxious man - takes one sip if Andy's creation, spits it out and declare is to be the worst he's ever tasted. From trying to get Andy tossed out before the judging began to slamming his latte, Vargas is the king of the foodie drama creators. He loves to make a scene and to stir things up. When he turns up dead poor Andy makes it to the top of the list of suspects. He won't hold that position long with Jules, her family and their friends all come together to find the real killer.
With this, the 13th in the series, it's nice to have more focus on the other regular characters, like Andy. The mystery was satisfying and, as always, it's a reading pleasure to spend time with all of the regular characters in such a wonderful setting. While this entry can stand on its own, readers would get more out of this one if they had read the series in order. Be warned, this series is always going to make you hungry for good coffee and yummy baked goods.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun, quick read centered around a bake shop and a barista coffee competition. I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of baking, cooking, and crafting a cup of coffee. There is a great atmosphere throughout the story and an interesting murder mystery in the latter half.

I am new to this cozy mystery series, but the story does well to provide some background on the main characters, their situation, and what's happening. I felt good jumping into the series at this point and will definitely be reading a few earlier titles to learn more about the town and community, as well as keeping an eye out for the next installment.

Ellie does a fabulous job with her setting descriptions and Mocha, She Wrote is no exception to that. You can feel yourself smelling the java scents and seeing the lush forestry surrounding Ashland.

The mystery itself wasn’t as entertaining as past ones in the series and I think it’s because Jules has evolved so much since the start of the series. While her evolving as a character is not a bad thing, I believe the mystery could have been built out more and Jules taking an active role into the investigation outside of asking questions only came at the end. Or maybe it’s because she chose Carlos and I’m still salty about that. Or maybe because I was able to figure out who the killer was early on in the story so I think the red herrings were a bit underdeveloped.

With that being said, I did like this story and I still love this series overall. Ellie continues to write mouth-watering baking and cooking scenarios in her story that never disappoint and I did like to see the secondary characters’ stories also develop. I look forward to reading more about Andy’s and Bethany’s story.

I love both of Ellie Alexander’s series, but am particularly fond of the characters in this Bakeshop series.
Readers get to return to Ashland, Ore., where Juliet Capshaw, pastry chef and owner of Torte, finds herself busy with the summer tourist season and supporting her barista, Andy, in the West Coast Barista Cup, which just happens to be taking place in Ashland.
It’s a big deal to be invited to compete, and Andy has been upping his game, practicing new coffee drinks to show the judges. When the head judge disses Andy’s first offering and is then found dead later in the day, with one of Andy’s lattes in hand, Andy becomes numero uno on the suspect list.
Jules is not going to lose her barista to jail, so she and her buddy Lance, who heads up the local Shakespeare venue, team up to figure out who the real killer is.
In addition to the mystery, we also get caught up on the lives of Jules and her husband, Carlos as well as her mother and new stepfather.

The Bakeshop series is a must read favorite of mine. Ellie Alexander has created a cast of characters that get better with every book. With each new installment, it's liking getting to visit old friends, and I'm always sad when I have to leave.

13 is indeed a lucky number in this baker's dozen of tasty books. One of the most enjoyable of the series so far, MOCHA, SHE WROTE was a fast, exciting read, with a mystery that had my head spinning. Once all became clear, I was so shocked!

MOCHA, SHE WROTE, is a delicious treat of a read that will be devoured by returning fans of this wonderful series, and new readers a like!.

MOCHA, SHE WROTE is the thirteenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. This newest release brings a well-plotted mystery back to the foreground and is reminiscent of the author’s earlier books which I’ve greatly enjoyed. There are still plenty of mouthwatering descriptions of the charming Ashland, Oregon setting along with delectable goodies baked up at protagonist Jules’ family bakeshop, Torte. And this book features Torte’s buzz-worthy barista, Andy, as he competes in the West Coast Barista Cup. I like that Andy is the focus in the mystery plotline. It gives the reader a chance to get to know him better and gives Jules a good reason to get involved in yet another investigation.

One of Ms. Alexander’s strengths is character building, and Mocha, She Wrote showcases that asset. While it could be read as a standalone, this series is best begun from the beginning to get the full value of the characters. Another hallmark of the author is how close-knit Jules, her family, and her friends are. There isn’t any snarky sarcasm and they go out of their way to show support and respect no matter the pressure that befalls the group. It makes this reader enjoy spending time with them and keeps me coming back for every new release.

Mocha, She Wrote: A Bakeshop Mystery
By Ellie Alexander
St. Martin’s
June 29, 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

After leaving her life, marriage, and career as a pastry chef for a luxurious cruise ship, Juliet Capshaw has found her true happiness back in her hometown of Ashland, Oregon. Now the owner of Torte Bakeshop and it’s smaller offshoot Scoops, Jules has also become the part-owner of the winery Uva with her estranged husband Carlos. They are actually not-so-estranged anymore, as to Jules’s surprise Carlos seems to revel in their low-key life in Ashland, where the healing powers of the water and the celebration of all things Shakespeare seem to inspire and challenge him. Jules is just as proud of her young staff at Torte, and she is thrilled when her barista Andy is announced as being a contestant in the West Coast Barista Cup. Not only would winning advance him closer to the World Barista Cup, it comes with a bonus prize of $10,000 and a ton of publicity for Torte. The televised competition attracts its share of egos though, with the biggest owned by the head “sensory judge” Benson Vargas. The cutthroat levels to which baristas will go to is quickly made apparent when Andy’s entry is sabotaged, causing him to barely make the cut to the next stage. Unfortunately, it was Benson who had the misfortune to taste the oversalted beverage, and it’s even worse for Torte’s barista when the judge is later found dead holding Andy’s cup in an Uber.

Since inquisitiveness is in her blood – it’s true, her late father had himself also once helped to solve a murder – Jules is not about to allow a Torte family member be railroaded into prison. Her new father-in-law and childhood bestie may be the investigating detectives, but they still have to obey the rules and follow the evidence. Nudging Jules along in her inquiries is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s artistic director Land Rousseau, who without a current project is more than willing to use his charisma and lack of personal boundaries to uncover the secrets of the coffee competition participants. A former food critic who destroyed reputations and businesses, Benson’s greed and arrogance generates a growing list of suspects for Jules and her friends to investigate. For once bakery – and now ice cream selling - rival and nemesis Richard Lord is barely on Jules’s radar as they dodge threats, interrogate hosts, and still cheer on Andy as he moves closer to winning the trophy.

This lucky 13th the series continues to hit high marks as it celebrates the fascinated, if fussy, world of specialty coffee. As someone who has seen every single episode of Top Chef, the depiction of the coffee competition and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the processes of the judges and contestants are irresistible. Even without recipes, the mouth-watering and very detailed descriptions of Jules’s and Andy’s creations place readers right in the middle of their kitchens and wishing they could taste them as well. As enviable as the pastry, pasta, and coffee confections are the friendships and bonds between Jules’s expanding Ashland family. Hints are laid out for a new adventure involving Shakespeare and a museum display, teasing the next installment in this charming, food-celebrating series. Romance abounds as well, and as romantic partners pair up there is even more to enjoy in this evolving and expanding mystery world.

I have always been a fan of this series and I’m never disappointed.
Always a top notch whodunit, interwoven with the great characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

We've been dreaming of places to live lately and especially during the Covid 19 pandemic. I would move to Ashland in a heartbeat. In her latest Mocha, She Wrote, Ellie Alexander has Andy, the star barista at Torte joining a regional barista competition.

Besides the $10,000 cash prize, the winner of the contest is recognized as the top barista in the Pacific Northwest. Andy practices relentlessly but his competitors are not above dirty tricks. When one of the judges ends up dead, our favorite sleuth duo commit to clearing Andy's name and finding the culprit.

There is danger, romance, and many delicious treats. Ellie Alexander delivers another satisfying and delightful Bakeshop mystery!

Another great read in this series. You can also learn a lot about artisan coffee and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

I enjoy the Bakeshop Mystery series, and "Mocha, She Wrote" is another enjoyable addition to it! Fun, light (for a murder mystery), and enjoyable read.