Member Reviews

Death by Hot Apple Cider by Alex Erickson is the 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe series and another fun addition. Krissy Hancock and her best friend,Vicki Patterson, own Death by Coffee which is a coffee shop and bookstore in Pine Hills, Ohio. It November and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Krissy supplied the apple cider and the apples for apple bobbing booth. Unfortunately one man bobs but never come back up, and Krissy is concerned about her reputation. Krissy, being Krissy, just can't leave it alone, she must solve the case. I really enjoy this fun series, and it was nice to see some of the quirky characters again. There are suspects around every corner, that kept me reading until I was finished with the book. The plot and characters were well developed, along with some romance. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, my favorite, I highly recommend this book/series. 
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series. I found the main characters likable, but they did not really pull me into what was going on. I found the mystery just ok, and I guess who did it before it was reveal. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Alex Erickson) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

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Fun and intriguing cozy, with engaging characters and an interesting mystery. It held my attention and kept me guessing until the end. Reads well as a stand-alone.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

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I, unfortunately, have not read the rest of this series so I was missing some backstory. The mystery is very engaging with its red herrings and misdirections and I was kept guessing almost until the end of this compelling yarn. There are quite a few installments to catch up on and I can’t wait to meet Krissy in Pine Hills again.

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I loved this novel. The plot was full of suspenseful moments, and it kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn't want to put the book down. The main character, Krissy Hancock, is extremely likeable character. The other characters are well-developed and wacky. I didn't know the identity of the culprit until the end. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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This is the third in the series I have read but is number nine in the pecking order. I had no problem holding my own while reading, definitely a standalone. I plan to read the series from the beginning and already own three others in this series.
We are drawn in right away with a poisoning at the festival. Krissy’s apple cider was used as the vehicle of delivery. The victim Sidney Tewksbury is a man that is outspoken and not kind to others.

I found this story to have enough red herrings and mis-directions to keep me engaged.
I wouldn’t want to have Krissy’s personal life – the two ex-boyfriends keep popping up and they are really a pain in the neck.

I was not sure who was behind the nastiness going on towards the library, the coffeeshop/bookstore, and the school until just before the reveal. I was surprised at how many players had different roles in the nastiness.
The holiday dinner (Thanksgiving) was a nice touch.

I was given an Advanced Reader’s Copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

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A good addition to a pleasant series. I haven't read all of them, but enough to feel familiar with the recurring characters. A clever cozy mystery. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

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Amateur sleuth, Krissy, is also the owner of the local cafe and co-organizer for the fall fair. During the activities at the fair, a local man is murdered. The book goes on with Krissy investigating the murder, along side her boyfriend who is a local police officer. In the end, the mystery is solved.

Apparently this is not a stand alone book and there are others in this series. That being said, I had no troubles picking this one up and figuring things out. At one point I was wondering how Krissy was able to get away with some of her inquiries in people’s affairs without being a police officer, but I guess that’s what makes the story. Perhaps this is better explained in the author’s other novels

Overall, this was a fun little who dunnit mystery without the violence and gore of psychological thrillers. I would rate as 3.5 stars out of 5. .

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Death by Hot Apple Cider is the 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.

This was my 2nd delve into this series. Although it was book nine, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. It was a very entertaining read with snippets of humour and dashes of romance. Krissy Hancock, owner of 'Death by Coffee' - a bookshop/ café - is a marvellous protagonist who I find to be caring and determined. Set in Pine Hills, Ohio, around Thanksgiving, Death by Hot Apple Cider is well-crafted, nippily-paced, thoroughly entertaining and autumnal. The mystery is very engaging with its red herrings and misdirections and I was kept guessing almost until the end of this compelling yarn. There are quite a few instalments to catch up on and I can’t wait to meet Krissy in Pine Hills again. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

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Krissy is busy getting ready for a big Thanksgiving dinner at her home, but before that is the community festival. Death by Coffee is one of the sponsors and they are selling hot apple cider, as well as bobbing for apples in cold apple cider. When one of the locals dies after the bobbing,, the local doctor declares it poisoning., Krissy is feeling guilty. She works her way into the investigation even with Paul trying to keep her out of it. A good read, fun characters and a good plot that keeps you guessing until the end.

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Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This latest entry in the Bookstore Cafe series was quite enjoyable. The story was interesting, and well built. I could not help but establish parallels with the way people act currently, exagerating in their protests and trying to get what they want, no matter what the cost is.

Concerning the main character, Krissy, I liked her for the most part, although I felt like she was almost putting herself at risk and making bad decisions on purpose, which was a bit disappointing. Aside from that aspect, I think there was a good balance between pleasant characters and others that are a pleasure to dislike. It's great that there were welcome developments in the series, it makes the reader look forward to the next book. Also, the Thanksgiving setting added to the charm of the book.

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A seasonal celebration at Krissy's book store in Pine Hills is in full swing until someone goes bobbing for apples and ends up face down in the water. Plenty of people had a beef with the victim but who wanted him dead?

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This series is a hit or a miss for me. I find the protagonist irritating and this affects my ability to be engaged in the book.

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Death by Hot Apple Cider is the ninth addition to Alex Erickson's Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series. I have enjoyed this charming series from the beginning and this was a perfect addition to the series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. This is a great cozy mystery for fall with a fall festival theme .

In this next in series Krissy is participating in the fall festival and serving apple cider . When someone bobbing for apples dies Krissy is under suspicion . She is determined to save her reputation and her business by proving herself innocent and finding the true suspect. Red herrings and suspects abound and soon Krissy may be in danger from the real killer. She depends on her friends to help clear her name and help her investigate .

I love the charcters in this series, the small town theme and the well crafted sleuth. This was a pleasing read to conclusion.

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Sydney was making life difficult not only for Krissy and her book store but also for the library and others in town- but poison? Unfortunately for Krissy, he's murdered with the apple cider she was responsible for. You know there was more than one person who wanted him gone but who figured out how to kill him in this fashion? Krissy sets off on investigating. Her love interest Paul, a detective, reacts as you might expect. It's a classic cozy with good characters. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A familiar sort of plot but still a good read.

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Having a murder mystery start off right away in a book is always a great way to start. Even though I am coming in late to this series, I was able to find out who the key players were. I was just really surprised that Krissy did most of the mystery-solving and not a lot of help from the police. Even the "you are butting in too much", or "if you do not stop interfering". I am not sure if I was more surprised about that or all the helpful advice Krissy was giving her exes. It was a great read and I am interested to see what comes next.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advance read

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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for my copy of Death by Hot Apple Cider by Alex Erickson in exchange for an honest review. It publishes October 26, 2021.
What a delightful, twisty, cozy mystery! I really enjoyed reading this, and although it was first time with this series, I felt like enough background info was shared to catch me up. Another thing I loved is the Thanksgiving theme, a great way to get in the mood!
I think anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, especially ones with bookstores, and holiday themed, will enjoy this one!

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Krissy Hancock owns a small town bookshop/cafe and has a blooming romantic relationship with a policeman. When she is tangentially involved in a sudden death at a Thanksgiving festival, she's shocked and saddened. Soon she learns that the victim was part of an organization working to ban books they disapprove of -- including the mystery novels that are her bookshop's specialty.

She jumps in with a view to saving her bookstore from the would-be censors. At the same time, she's getting ready for a giant Thanksgiving dinner part, and then she sprains her wrist in the course of her sleuthing.

There are a lot of implausible scenes and details in this book -- one tiny non-spoiler example is the idea of a retail store planning a major remodel between Thanksgiving and Christmas, just to give an idea of how hard to swallow a lot of the details are.

But Krissy is feisty and fun and her friends and family are likable, too. This is a fun cozy read.

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A simple but enjoyable cozy. Nothing intricate in its crime not unusual in its characters but an easy read
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

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Death by Hot Apple Cider is the ninth addition to Alex Erickson's Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series. It does work well as a standalone.

This is a good choice in a cozy mystery for the fall season. The characters are an interesting bunch, but none of them shine brighter than the sometimes silly, always getting to a mess, Krissy. With two ex-boyfriends who keep popping up and a few other friends who are real characters, the book tends to be rather lighthearted, so it's a nice change from some of the psychological thrillers and non fiction books that I like to read.

I have to say that I have enjoyed every book I read in this series. I also like the author's attention to details and how the stories are always neatly wrapped up by the end.

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