A delightful released in the Courtney Archer series. Really enjoyed this mystery, set in the Poconos over the holidays. Rosemarie Ross sets the stage and introduces and characters, immediately sweeping us up into the story. She has a real talent for creating fully developed character yet keeping the action non-stop and the plot zipping along. You may think you're solved the mystery but Ms. Ross has some surprises in store for you. Don't miss the latest installment, you will love it.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Kensington books for my copy of Christmas Candy Corpse by Rosemarie Ross in exchange for an honest review. It published November 30, 2021.
I wish I hadn’t waited so long to read this book! I read this in April, and it was so delightful. It wasn’t overtly Christmassy, so it could totally be read anytime of the year. Which it should be!

Rosemarie Ross is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

I really enjoy reading cozy mysteries especially ones with such a Christmas vibe as this one has.
A beautiful Poconos resort is the setting for the American Baking Battle’s holiday special. The contestants are excitedly whipping up their best holiday cakes, pies and cookies.
The grouchy baking judge is the prime suspect when an apron from her new baking line is found around the victim's neck. Who could have such an evil intent at Christmas time when the air is sweet with the scent of baked goods? Good plot that kept me guessing.

Pub Date 30 Nov 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I generally enjoy this series, but this time the characters were simply "off". The character of Shannon felt totally overblown. I figured out the why for some of her behavior early on. It was frustrating that this turned into such drama rather than 1) her stating what was going on or 2) at least one other character figuring it out. The pre-teen drama from a grown woman ruined the book for me.

Set in the Poconos, the book centers around a bake-off. So, lots of goodies on hand in the holiday season.

Being a cozy mystery, a murder occurs and must be solved.

I enjoyed the holiday spirit of the book

This was a fun quick read. Some parts were a little slow but overall I really enjoyed it. I loved the way Courtney and the rest of the characters were written. Seeing Courtney solve a murder while also making sure to have a cooking competition really was a lot of fun. I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries.

This book is wildly entertaining. The characters are complex but loveable. The story is very intriguing and I just love a Christmas themed cozy and this one was no exception. The twists and turns are sometimes unexpected and the ending surprised me. I definitely recommend this book.

This is the third book in the series and I have read all of them. It's just as action-filled as the other two, and just as full of suspects. Not only do you have part of a cast as suspect, you have contestants, a disgruntled attorney, and maybe someone who isn't even on the radar, but is certainly at the resort.

Nice and cozy, easy read. It did get a little boring and I skimmed some pages, but overall, it was an easy mystery and great for holiday/winter reading.

I am finding that I love this series more and more. I like the baking show aspect of it, the characters and the great mysteries. The characters are interesting and evolving. I admit that I was frustrated with one of the characters but all was good by the time the book was over.

It is an easy to read book that I didn't want to put down.

Thank you to Kensington Books publisher and NetGalley for the advanced Digital Reading copy.

This was a new to me mystery series by a new to me author. I enjoyed the mystery. Highly recommended for fans of reality tv with some romance and mystery thrown in the mix.

The characters were interesting.

I really enjoy this series and loved this book. I like Courtney as a main character. She's very relatable and very likeable. This was a fast paced mystery and a really fun read that kept me guessing till the end. Looking forward to this series continuing!

Rosemarie Ross has a great protagonist in this smart, snappy mystery. It's the third book in her series, and I will definitely be going back to read more.

The plot centers around a baking competition. where Courtney Archer meets up with five other ambitious bakers vying for the prize. Judge Shannon Collins causes some controversy, but its one of the producers that ends up dead--strangled with an apron from Sharon's line. Courtney must sort it all out.

The Christmas setting adds some joy and interest to the story, but is not so much the main character as to get in the way. This is a smart mystery with a quick-witted amateur sleuth. It's twisty and interesting, and it kept me guessing, though I figured it out at the last minute before the reveal.

I do want to go back and read the first two. I liked the dynamic of the lead character and want to know more about her.

Thank you NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I read in the series. I did not find it hard to jump into the storyline.
I loved all the behind the scenes of a reality cooking show. So many people are keeping secrets in the book.
Shannon, one of the chef judges, has a big secret. This causes her to become a rather unlikeable character. I felt that it was very obvious as to the reason for the character change. Courtney took quite a while to figure it out. I feel like this issue was dragged out more than necessary.
It was an enjoyable read. I kept turning the pages to see who the killer was. The author played fair with the reader. I found the book slightly disappointing, but I think that is just my personal taste. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cooking shows. I ultimately give this book three stars.

Christmas Candy Corpse by Rosemarie Ross is book three in the A Courtney Archer Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone. I love this series!
There are plenty of plot twists and suspects keeping you guessing to the end. The characters are relatable and likable. There is humor and romance also sprinkled throughout.
This book will have you in the mood for Christmas cookies and candy.
I was given an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

The plot of the book was such a great page turner. The plot of the book was very well written. I truly cannot wait to read another wonderful book from this author. This was a truly great Christmas book.

I loved how festive this one was! I actually haven’t read any in this series before Christmas Candy Corpse, now I am going to read the previous ones. The mystery was good! I also loved the characters

A cozy murder mystery set at a holiday themed baking competition show? This book seemed tailor-made for me, and I eagerly requested it on Netgalley. Unfortunately, it didn't quite grab me as I thought it would, and in the spirit of not forcing myself to finish books I don't enjoy, I'm DNF-ing at 48%.

The mystery itself seems intriguing enough -- the show's assistant director was killed by an apron created by the main character Courtney's best friend, and Shannon is the prime suspect. Motives abound -- before the death, the AD's wealthy grandfather died, and there's the possibility she was heir to a tremendous fortune. Also before the death, she said some mean and unprofessional things about Shannon's weight, which seems to set up the prime suspect angle.

The problem is that, as in any cozy mystery series, the series lead forms the backbone of the stories, and I found myself cheering more for the Sheriff than for Courtney. This is the third mystery in the series, and the story is written seemingly with the assumption that all the readers are familiar with the first two novels, and the complicated backstories and webs of relationships amongst the characters.

Longtime readers may therefore enjoy it more, but as a newcomer, it was tough for me to get into the whole drama between Courtney and Shannon when I never even got a sense of how strong their friendship was in the first place. I took as fact what Courtney said about Shannon acting unlike herself, yet I saw nothing that convinced me to believe that Shannon was innocent. Nor, to be fair, was there much evidence that she was guilty, but mostly, she just seemed an unpleasant person to be around, and I didn't really care one way or the other if she turned out to be the murderer.

Worse, for someone who claims to have a super strong history of friendship with Shannon, such that they were going to do a show together, Courtney seems utterly inept at getting her friend to talk to her. And I understand that's part of the suspense the author is building (dramatic tone: WHAT is Shannon's Secret?), but there's literally nothing in Shannon's responses that shows she even considers Courtney a friend at all. The impression I got was less of a troubled friend trying to hide something from a loved one, and more of a near-complete stranger being bugged by a nosy busybody. This is perhaps where having read the first two novels would have helped, but I still think there was a way to convey that previous closeness through dialogue rather than having Courtney's narration do all the work. Because having the series lead come off so strong towards someone who doesn't at all seem interested in bonding just turns me off.

The other part is the whole mystery behind Shannon's attitude and weight gain, and Courtney's attitude towards it. Let's see: Shannon is troubled about something, possibly to do with her marriage. She's been having mood swings and behaving erratically. She's gained a lot of weight in a short time, seems to have a marked increase in appetite, and seems to have lost interest in alcoholic drinks. And she's hot all the time, even when the studio is super chilly. Could it be <SPOILER>she's pregnant</SPOILER>?!

It seems the obvious conclusion, and having the mystery drag on for at least till the halfway mark where I stopped reading, just gets old, particularly since the possibility doesn't even cross her supposed BFF's mind. Either way, Shannon then gets fat-shamed by several people on the TV crew. Some of it is semi-legit concern: the outfits in her wardrobe are now a size or two too tight, and it's too late to order in new clothes for the shoot. Others is unprofessional, yet sadly believable in TV-land: people make snarky comments about how Shannon took an extra piece of fudge during a judging round. Mean, but okay, I can roll with it because I can imagine it's really what would happen if an on-air talent suddenly gains weight before a shoot.

Where I draw the line is Courtney, her supposed best friend, also getting in on the judgementalism. Sure, Courtney disguises it as concern -- poor Shannon must be super stressed about something to be eating so much -- but a lot of Courtney's thoughts are just unkind. For example, when she and Shannon go out for dinner with Courtney's boyfriend, Courtney notices how Shannon arranges her plates in a sort of barricade, and thinks in shock that her friend actually means to finish all the food she'd ordered. Courtney then wonders if Shannon really needed fried cheese and vegetables with her steak dinner. Now, that's just catty, and a far cry from concern about whatever Shannon's going through. Again, perhaps if I read the first two books and saw that Shannon usually barely eats anything, or usually eats all heart-healthy, non-deep-fried food, then maybe Courtney's thoughts would make more sense as a form of concern, but still. I should hope that even if my eating behaviours changed, my friends would be much more concerned about the overall behavioural change than about my decision to eat a cheesy side dish with my steak.

I AM curious about who the murderer is, and why they did it, so I may skip to the end to find out. But I'm not getting into the story overall, so I'm otherwise DNF-ing at 48%.

+

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.