A Calculated Whisk by Victoria Hamilton is book ten in the A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone. This is a great series.
A young widow has asked Jaymie to help her find some answers but before she can meet with her to discuss what needs answers. Before she can meet, Jaymie finds her murdered in the woods across from her cabin. Jaymie starts asking questions and uncovers more questions.
There are plot twists galore. The main characters are likeable and relatable. I love that Jaymie is married and a step mother.
I was given an ARC by Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Another good addition to this lovely series, engrossing and entertaining.
I was glad to catch up with the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A Calculated Whisk by Victoria Hamilton is a cozy mystery, tenth in the Vintage Kitchen series. The protagonist is Jaymie Leighton Muller, wife of Jakob and stepmother to Jocie, a joyous little person. In this story, Jocie has befriended another little girl, Mia, who is different also. She has lost a leg and has a pink prosthetic. Her mother, Alicia, seems to be in need of a friend, and reaches out to Jaymie, but before anything can come of it, Alicia is murdered, apparently on her way to talk to Jaymie about whatever has been bothering her. Jaymie has promised Detective Vestry she will stay out of it, but it has been seriously bothering her. This family had had a string of bad luck, with this just being the latest, and Jaymie just can't' let it go. There are a variety of seriously suspicious people in Alicia's extended family and Jaymie is able to trace years of their lives as they have lived in this small town forever. They all went to high school together and everyone knows them.

Jaymie is a very likable domestic goddess who has the opportunity to work part-time in her husband's business as well as volunteer at an historic house, and be at home for Jocie. Jakob could not be more supportive and loves her and cares for his small family. She has a best friend, Val, who is the pharmacist and font of gossip, both current and age-old. She also has an elderly friend in Mrs. Stubbs, who likes nothing better than to help solve a mystery, be it Jaymie's, on television, or in books, fiction or non-fiction. Jaymie tries to use good sense so no one will get hurt, but things happen. This was a very confusing mystery. There were so many good suspects and no one seemed able to tell the whole story. Too many secrets. And worst of all, was Mia, who had now lost both parents and likely had another relative who was a murderer. Tough stuff for a little girl. Well written and fast-paced, this is a wonderful, full of questions and clues. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Calculated Whisk by Victoria Hamilton by Beyond the Page Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #beyondthepagebooks #acalculatedwhisk

A CALCULATED WHISK by Victoria Hamilton
The Tenth Vintage Kitchen Mystery


Alicia Vance and her family have had their fair share of tragedies, including the accident that killed her husband. But was it an accident? Alicia seems to know something and Detective Vestry is keen to get Jaymie involved, thinking the women are friends, just like their daughters. Jaymie is hesitant, but seems to be making slow progress with the wary Alicia. Just when it seems that she's on the verge of confiding in Jaymie Alicia is murdered. Jaymie fears that her own family will now become a target, but her curious nature and a desire for justice means that she'll keep searching for the truth.



A CALCULATED WHISK is a story about family, both functional and dysfunctional. It's about the past encroaching on the present and never knowing what truly goes on behind closed doors. It's also about fitting in when you're different and learning and doing your best.



There's quite a difference between the whole Vance clan and the almost too good to be true Müllers. The Vance and Hansen families have enough intermingling backstory to be a soap opera, or sadly an episode of 20/20. Jaymie has a lot to sort through while also writing her newspaper articles, working at her husband's junk store as well as the Queenseville Historic manor, and helping with domestic duties at home. I may be in the minority, but I'm not a huge fan of Jocie and felt too much time was spent dealing with children and not really moving the story along. I must admit though that part of their presence is integral to the plot. If you love children you'll be very happy with the way the series has progressed.


I like how Jaymie has friends of all ages, which also makes it easier to not only make more connections, but see various perspectives. I have always loved the idea of vintage kitchen items and can easily picture my own grandmother's items as the items in boxes, whisks and potato mashers, red wooden handles and all. They give a sense of nostalgia that warms the heart.


A CALCULATED WHISK is a multilayered mystery enveloped in family drama. In the end, friends and family come together bringing comfort and coziness in a world that isn't always kind.

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Calculated Whisk is the 10th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries written by Victoria Hamilton. I have not read any of the previous novels nor have I read anything from Victoria Hamilton before.

In this novel, Jaymie is asked for help by Alicia Vance, whose husband Jace died in a supposed accident nearly five years ago. Alicia is Mia’s mother and Mia is Jocie’s friend at school, so Jaymie feels that she must help for the little girl’s sake. It doesn’t help matters when Detective Vestry later asks Jaymie to report their conversations back to Vestry. After a couple of stunted conversations, Alicia arranges to meet Jaymie back at Jaymie’s home to finally ask Jaymie the question that she has been alluding to, but Alicia never shows. When Jaymie walks through the woods with her daughter Jocie, collecting items for a school project, Jaymie finds the poor woman dead, having been stabbed with a vintage whisk. Fearing for her own family’s safety and for little Mia, Jaymie continues to investigate what Alicia had been so nervous about. Knowing it had something to do with her husband’s death, Jaymie has to delve deep into the past, before someone decides that Jaymie may know more than she does.

Following Jaymie’s trains of thought was interesting. There were moments where the author didn’t spell out exactly what she was thinking, and while I went in one direction, a page or two later revealed Jaymie had gone another route. I wish there had been more interaction with Jakob as it felt like he was just a “prop” until the ending. I also felt that there was something missing involving Jocie and Mia as Jaymie investigated her different hypotheses. I did enjoy that Jaymie was very smart about her own safety by never putting herself into a dangerous or foolish situation. She spoke with people, either in public spaces or with someone else close by, and kept Vestry and Jakob updated as she went. I also liked her few interactions with Jocie, and how open and honest she was with her little girl.

I expected more from the vintage kitchen angle, but this novel was more about personal pasts than archaeological. I had only one issue throughout the novel and that was the amount of people and how they all connected with each other and the mystery. At times, I felt confusion as to who was related to whom, who went to school with who, and how. I don’t believe I would call this novel a cozy mystery as the subject had more depth to it than a cozy mystery. The novel had layers that showed how crimes can affect more than just the victim and the immediate families. It also had psychological implications regarding how long it can take people to heal or hold grudges from their pasts. With so many suspects with so many different motives, it did make the story difficult at times to follow. Thus making the novel a slower read for me. Even with some confusion the mystery was still very strong, and I really didn’t expect the ending to go the way it did. The author adds in her note that there is an element of a true crime in her novel, which makes the whole thing a bit more heart-breaking when it is realized.

Overall I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I also highly recommend beginning the series from the very first book, because there were references to past mysteries, people, and emotions that I didn’t feel I understood fully.

A Calculated Whisk by Victoria Hamilton is the 10th A Vintage Kitchen Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. I have read this entertaining series from the beginning, and I have enjoyed each story. They just keep getting better. Jaymie Leighton Muller is a strong female protagonist who has grown over the course of the series. I like seeing her happy with her husband, stepdaughter, her jobs, and fur babies. There is a great cast of secondary characters that enhance the story. They are realistic characters which I appreciate. The author’s descriptive writing style brings the characters and the charming Michigan town to life. The mystery was interesting. There is a five-year-old crime that has been recently deemed a homicide and it involves a neighbor. At the request of Detective Vestry, Jaymie gets close to the wife of the victim to try and obtain information. Unfortunately, the woman ends up dead before she shares her information. Jaymie believes the two crimes are connected. She wants to get closure for the family so Jaymie begins digging into the case. Jaymie has her work cut out for her if she is going to solve this whodunit. It is clever how Jaymie gets helpful information from casual conversations. You never know what nugget of information will help solve the case. I thought the murder weapon was quite unique. I found A Calculated Whisk to be well-written with the story moving at a slower pace courtesy of the author’s expressive writing. I appreciated that the story contained no foul language and negligible violence. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions and information about vintage kitchen items. I can understand Jaymie’s fascination with them. I enjoyed my visit with Jaymie and her family. Jaymie’s stepdaughter is such a sweetheart and Hoppy makes me laugh with his antics. A Calculated Whisk is an engaging tale with wire whisks, a fun new friend, a cold case, a dedicated detective, a senseless slaying, a mournful mother, and a resolute amateur sleuth.

A Calculated Whisk is the 10th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries series by Victoria Hamilton.

Alicia, the mother of a child in Jocie’s class, reaches out to Jayne for help. Before she can tell Jaymie what she needs help with, she is murdered.

I really like the characters of Jaymie, Jakob, and Jocie. The friendship between Jocie and Mia is really sweet. Trying to untangle the relationships between the victims’ family kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Jaymie discovers a woman's body in the woods. It was obvious that the woman, Alicia, was on her way to see Jaymie, carrying vintage kitchen utensils that Alicia wanted to donate to the local museum. Also, Alicia needed Jamie's advice. Five years before, Alicia's husband died in a freak accident. Alicia needed Jaymie's in finding out if her husband was murdered.

Victoria Hamilton in the author's note reveals what lead to the book's plot. It wasn't something I was expecting. Won't say much about it because Spoilers, darling!

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The tenth installment in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series finds Jaymie Leighton determined to solve not just one, but two murders - and one of those was five years ago. What connects both these tragedies is young Mia, a grade-school girl with a life-changing tragedy of her own. 

If you enjoy cozy small-town settings, with their inevitable scandals, secrets and alliances, you'll like following along as Jaymie tries to solve two seemingly unrelated murders that have torn a family to pieces. The deeper she digs, the more secrets she finds... and the longer the list of suspects grows. 

Written in a relaxed, detail-oriented style, with much of the sleuthing taking the form of chatty conversations, this story makes a nice companion for your relaxing tea-breaks.

My thanks to author Victoria Hamilton, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a series I always enjoy returning to . This is the 10th book in this popular cozy series. i have read this charming series from the beginning and highly recommend this series to all cozy readers. The author is one of my favorite cozy authors. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own. This is a series about a vintage kitchen collector and her cookbook shop that is always a delight to read. The author has well crafted this series with likable charcters, great sleuthing and the adorable shop .

We return to Jamie our savvy protagnist who is asked by a mysterious woman to look into her husbands death. Jamie has a reputation for solving mysterious crimes and the woman is fearful she will be accused of his death. As Jamie looks into the couples backgrounds the woman is murdered. The mystery deepens as Jamie finds red herrings and clues abound to point to both deaths.

I found this mystery kept me guessing to conclusion ! I read this book cover to cover it was so well plotted and fun to read. Jamie is a character that is likable and relatable . I loved this next in series and highly recommend this new release and this wonderful series.

Jocie’s friend Mia has endured already a lot in her young life, she lost her leg in a car accident and then lost her dad in a work-related accident. Alicia (Mia’s mom) approaches Jamie and wants to talk to her … before that can happen Alicia is found murdered. Jamie wants to find the killer for Alica, but is this the only murder, or was her Jace (Alicia’s husband) also murdered.
And at the whisk of sounding puny … it is a great read!
Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing an advanced copy.

It’s because of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries that I became a fan of author Victoria Hamilton. I wasn’t even finished with the first book in the series, and I was ready for more. And more I got! Now, having read book 10, A CALCULATED WHISK, I’m ready for the next ten books!

A wonderful read, A CALCULATED WHISK, drew me in one the very first page and left me out of breath by the last. This story had everything that makes for a great cozy mystery.

Protagonist, Jaymie, had her hands full when a murder from the past leads to another murder in the present. Trying to work out the who and the why, I unleashed my inner Nancy Drew. Nancy must have been asleep because I couldn’t figure out this mystery. Author Hamilton left plenty of clues, but I just didn’t figure them out. When the reveal came, it was a total smack-myself-in-the-forehead moment. So well done!

To those of you reading this review, it comes nowhere close to doing the book justice. If you are a reader of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, you’re going to love every moment of, A CALCULATED WHISK. If you haven’t read any of this series, what are you waiting for? Go on. Get! Go buy them right now and binge read them all!

A Calculated Whisk is the 10th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries written by Victoria Hamilton.

I loved this fabulous cozy mystery! I started the series in book nine (with Cast Iron Alibi). Jaymie Leighton Müller is the main character of the story and I adore the author's masterful writing. A Calculated Whisk is a wonderful blend of mystery and friendships and many of the characters are great individuals, whilst some are less so. The author managed the pacing perfectly within the awesome and absorbing plot. With no shortage of suspects, there was plenty of clues and possibilities to satisfy even the most enthusiastic and diligent of armchair detectives. A superb read,
with a strong plot and characters and rich in family drama, this novel is very highly recommended and well-worth five stars. I will be watching out for the next book as well as tackling this author's back catalogue.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Jaymie Leighton Muller's stepdaughter Jocie has a new classmate friend named Mia. Mia's mother Alicia asks Jaymie for help regarding the accidental death of her husband Jace 5 years ago. But Alicia is killed in the woods near Jaymie's property before they can meet.

Detective Vestry had originally wanted Jaymie to get close to Alicia to obtain information about Jace's death but now wants her to stop snooping. However, Jaymie wants believes the two deaths are connected and wants closure for Mia. The possible suspects kept switching back and forth in Jaymie's mind. A meetup at Alicia's house between Jaymie, her husband Jakob, and Alicia's frantic mother Kim almost ends in tragedy.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

No matter how hard Jaymie tries to stay away from investigating murder she keeps getting seriously involved and this time it starts with a cold case. Jaymie's step-daughter, Jocie has a close friend, Mia and the cold case is her father's death. Her mother, Alicia, approaches Jaymie to ask her for help finding answers to her husbands death. The police have reason to change the accidental death conclusion and his wife is worried she might be their new focus. Just as the two women are going to meet to discuss future directions to investigate, Alicia is murdered, stabbed with a vintage kitchen tool.
Jaymie is faced with two cases that are coming way too close to her family and will put them in danger if she can't sort out the cold case and catch a killer. Full of family secrets, family relationships and friendships, it's a lot to untangle. The puzzle is well constructed, keeping the reader wanting to read just one more page. The recurring characters are people I would like to know in real life and, after 10 books, each mystery feels like a letter from a friend. As with the previous books, I kept guessing wrong. All marks of a great read.
My thanks to the publisher Beyond the Page Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read or listened to many of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries. This is the 10th. I didn’t know until the end that the base idea for the story came from true crime. I’m not really a fan of true crime. I definitely fall more on the side of cozy mystery.
This is likely the most intense of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries. Jaymie is an interesting character and I’m glad that much of the story involved the comforting interactions with her husband Jakob and daughter Jocie.
I like the book and there is some pulse pounding action toward the end as the villain is revealed. There was much twisted mental gymnastics and I really didn’t figure out the villain until the confrontation. My mind just doesn’t trod those sorts of paths, for which I am grateful.
I prefer to walk away at the end of a book feeling good. This one doesn’t leave a good feeling behind so although well written and well-plotted it only gets 3 stars.
Read and form your own opinion.

Reading another book in the Vintage Kitchens series is as comfortable as sliding on a comfy pair of yoga pants. Snoopy sleuth Jaymie unfortunately discovers another body, too close to,home. The plot was snarled and as it was unraveled I was still stumped about the real,killer. Only at the end when it was revealed did I realize the answer stared me in the face the entire time. I love all,the vintage kitchen descriptions. The cover is cute and inviting.

Jaymie Muller and her daughter Jocie befriend Alicia Vance and her daughter Mia. Alicia’s husband was killed several years before in a tragic accident. The death is now being re-examined as a possible murder. It seems that Alicia is one of the prime suspects. Alicia approaches Jaymie to ask for help but isn’t forthcoming about the kind of help she needs. As Alicia is walking through the woods to Jaymie’s house, she is murdered using the wire from a kitchen whisk. Jaymie is afraid whoever killed Alicia (and probably her husband) will believe that Alicia had already confided in Jaymie. Jaymie fears for the safety of her family. Jaymie has helped the local police solve murders in the past. She decides to use her “detective skills” to solve this case in order to keep her family safe.
I enjoyed the book.

I did feel there were too many characters in the book. In fact, the first couple of pages listed the Cast of Characters”. Jaymie jumped to a lot of conclusions without having facts to back them up. But in the end, Jaymie solved the mystery before anyone else could bet hurt.

'A Calculated Whisk' carries more darkness than a usual cozy mystery with painful family secrets that result in murder. A mother of Jaymie and Jakob's daughter's friend tell Jaymie she needs advice about the police and the death of her husband five years previous. On her way to meet with Jaymie she is murdered utilizing a whisk that Jaymie wanted for her family business of Vintage items. Jaymie is haunted by the brutality of the murder, the impact on the surviving child now with no parents and the evil she feels on her previously beloved forest behind her home. This story was surprising on many levels and the ultimate resolution is shocking yet filled with such love and forgiveness that it is touching. This series by Victoria Hamilton is unique and I look forward to many more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

3.5 stars
I’ve read a few books in this series, but was surprised to see this is the tenth book in this cozy series. Jaymie Leighton Miller is now a happy wife and stepmom and still enjoys collecting vintage kitchen utensils and dishes. The mother of one of Jaymie’s daughter’s friends tells her she needs advice, but before she can elaborate, Alicia Vance is murdered. Jaymie is determined to find out what happened to her friend and if there is a connection to Alicia’s husband’s suspicious death.

I’ve really enjoyed this unique series. It is cozy, but still deals with some serious issues. I enjoyed seeing Jaymie narrow down who the killer could be from a large number of potential suspects. A kitchen utensil plays an important part of the plot, but I was disappointed that there wasn’t the same emphasis on vintage kitchen accessories as there was in others I’ve read in this series. Jaymie’s husband and brother-in-law have a Christmas tree farm and the few paragraphs devoted to that business are really interesting. I would have enjoyed more scenes on that farm.

I like the relationship between Jaymie and her husband Jakob and the way he supports her sleuthing, even when he is concerned about her. I also appreciate that although they aren’t friends, Jaymie regularly shares what she learns during her investigation with Angela Vestry, the police detective investigating Alicia’s death. The book takes a bit to get going, but overall, was a quick and entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.