I loved the characters in this one and the descriptions of food had me drooling. The mystery was well-paced and kept my interest and, although I figured out really early on who the murderer was, it was nice to see how all the pieces fell into place. Where I had an issue, as in all cozies, is the way the characters seem to think they don’t actually need to work. While I appreciate clearing your brother’s name is important, if you’ve just inherited a business and feel the need to prove yourself, maybe you should do that. This was particularly aggravating because I really enjoyed learning about the maple syrup making process. Otherwise, I’ll continue with the series.

In short: Leila has returned home to Vermont after her father is murdered. Her brother is a prime suspect & the family maple syrup farm has been left to her with the stipulation that she must stay & work there for a year.

What I liked:
🍁The Vermont & maple syrup farm setting
🍁The characters & their relationships. From navigating the strained relationship with her mother to her friendship with her best friend to a potential love interest. Let alone the other secondary characters throughout town that provided multiple suspects.
🍁Traditional Lebanese meals and yummy maple syrup treats.

Final thoughts: I always love the first book in a new series. There is a great balance of introducing characters & world building with sleuthing and solving a murder mystery. I think this one is off to a strong start and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Sappy Endings!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Leila Khoury has returned to Sugar Ridge, Vermont following her father’s death to take the helm of his maple syrup business. Inheriting the place was a huge surprise especially because she was living in Florida now. But until his murderer is caught she finds herself in one sticky situation after another as she tries to tap the killer herself. The more she investigates she finds she didn’t know her dad as well as she thought she did. The police have her brother high on their suspect list while she thinks her father’s employees deserve a good look. She may have a lot to learn about making maple syrup but she knows even less about investigating a murder but that’s not going to stop her from bottling up whoever took her dad away from her way too soon.

Ms. Bruns introduces the characters at a very vulnerable time in this first Maple Syrup Mystery. Losing a parent or a spouse is hard but learning that Victor Khoury has been murdered is brutal. Leila had always been close to her dad while her brother Simon was close to their mom. Simon had other issues when his dad died making their relationship complicated. Leila and her mother are like oil and water and that is why she moved to Florida. They argued all the time and when a marriage arranged by her mother with her friend didn’t take place she just needed to get away from her mother’s accusations. Now that she is home without her father as a buffer and taking over Sappy Endings things could get complicated. We have to remember these 3 characters are grieving and we truly have just scratched the surface of their development. The author has set them up well for the continuation of the series.

Several supporting characters were introduced too. Leila’s friend Heather Turcot, Noah Rivers and Jessica Fowler who are employees of Sappy Endings, Victor’s attorney Theo Martin and the Chief of Police Alan Crosby. All played strong parts in this story and for the most part believably.

The mystery was very well plotted with Leila as an awkward amateur sleuth being led by her grief and lack of experience. She is passionate about finding her father’s killer and acts before thinking things through putting herself and others in danger. A startling moment adds another body to the count. There was a relatively small pool of suspects but there are some interesting twists that set up a surprising reveal. You could have pushed me over with a feather as the final twist shook everything up.

There is the start of a romance within the pages but I hope the couple pumps the breaks because I think it is developing too fast. I like a little slower pace in a cozy mystery.

The book is full of tasty descriptions of both maple treats (recipes at the end of the story) along with some Mediterranean dishes too. We also learned a little bit about making syrup. I do have a friend who taps trees and makes his own syrup on a much smaller scale, so I am excited to learn more right along with Leila.

I found the gathering at the end very heartwarming. The set-up for the next book when Sappy Endings gets a new employee has me very excited for Book 2. I see many more sticky situations for Leila and another dead body or two. Not the new employee though.

Catherine Bruns has started her new series off to a fine start. A Doomful of Sugar has an appealing theme, characters I want to get to know better, and is set in a place I would love to visit.

When Leila Khoury left her Vermont hometown to take a teaching job all the way down in Florida, the last thing she expected was to come home for the very worst of reasons: her own father’s funeral. Victor Khoury had been universally beloved in Sugar Ridge, or so Leila believed. Someone had certainly cared a lot less for Victor than Leila had, as he was found shot to death in his office at the maple sugar farm he owned.

Leila, her mother Selma and her brother Simon are devastated by the loss. The will reading throws confusion and consternation into the mix. Apparently, Victor had recently changed his will, leaving the Sappy Endings farm to Leila to run. Simon is happy to be left off the hook regarding the family business, but Leila isn’t really looking forward to maintaining her family legacy, never mind the fact that her career in education has gone in directions she doesn’t particularly care for. Mostly, she’s reluctant to spend more time with her grieving mother, whose expectations she finds difficult to live up to, if not altogether stifling.

But Leila agrees to take over running Sappy Endings for at least a little while, if only because it gives her the opportunity to snoop around and figure out who might have wanted her father dead. The police consider Simon a suspect after he was witnessed having a very loud argument with Victor mere hours before the latter was killed. Leila knows that Simon might have his faults but that killing their father would never even cross his mind, no matter what the police say. She’s determined to prove that he had nothing to do with it, and to find the real killer in the process.

Trouble is, the killer doesn’t want to be found, and will do everything possible to stop Leila’s investigation in its tracks. Will Leila be able to find justice and closure for her family, or will a murderer’s nefarious plans come to their sinister conclusion?

This was a tightly-plotted murder mystery that featured a close-knit, if fractious, Lebanese American family. I rather wish that more of the delicious Lebanese dishes Selma made for her family and their business were featured in the recipes section, though I really can’t complain as the recipes that were included revolved around maple, one of my absolute favorite flavors. Of the five recipes here, I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Maple Shortbread Cookie

For cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup pure maple sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon maple extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

For topping (optional):
3 tablespoons pure maple sugar

For maple icing (optional):
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4-5 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Optional sprinkles or decorate with your favorite royal icing recipe.

Beat the butter until light and creamy, and then beat in the maple sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and maple flavoring until well combined. Mix in the flour until the dough no longer looks dry and crumbly. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line at least two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Divide the dough in half and roll out each portion between ⅛- to ¼-inch thick, depending on your preference. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes and place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. If using maple sugar for the topping, sprinkle the tops of the cutouts with the sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. (Bake 9-11 minutes for thinner cookies and 11-13 minutes for thicker cookies.) Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes between 20 and 30 cookies.

Maple Icing
If using maple icing instead of maple sugar for topping, whisk the confectioner’s sugar and 4 tablespoons maple syrup together. If needed, add additional maple syrup until the icing is spreadable and smooth. Spread over the completely cooled cookies. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
END QUOTE

I will always be grateful to this recipe for introducing me to the joys of maple sugar. I’ve had maple syrup before, of course, but the sugar is just the most wonderful type of sweetness!

The recipe itself is a bit more complicated than the cookie recipes I usually attempt – I absolutely forgot to re-refrigerate the dough after cutting it into shapes for the first batch of cookies I put in the oven – but is also forgiving, as I couldn’t really tell the difference flavor-wise between the two batches. That said, I decided to use maple icing on one batch and maple sugar on the other. The icing helped further the abstract leaf imagery my middle child and I were going for, while the sugar dusted the simpler rounds. I’m not actually sure I put enough sugar on the rounds, but they were very delicious. The icing, however, was in another league altogether, combining perfectly with the cookie for what will always be my quintessential idea of maple shortbread.

Next week, we head to the Midwest to roll up some delicious candies while investigating a Thanksgiving murder. Do join me!

I did not find this very enjoyable. The family seemed to just dislike each other. No one was kind. It made it hard to enjoy the stroy when the characters were so unlikable.

I set this one aside for now as it didn't hook me. I didn't like the main character and struggled to read this one. I didn't like how she treated people as suspects and accused them.

Cozy mysteries are some of my favorite books to read, but the main character in this series was unbearable to read about.

A Doomful Of Sugar
Maple Syrup Mysteries, Book #1
Catherine Bruns
5 Stars

Synopsis:

First in the new Maple Syrup cozy mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns.
There's nothing sweet about murder...
Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he's killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she's left untapped.
With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father's sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won't be a sappy ending to the story.
A cozy mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, this edition includes 5 delicious maple recipes for mystery readers with a sweet tooth!
What readers are saying about A Doomful of Sugar:
"There's no shortage of twists and turns"
"Memorable characters, a charming setting...a well-plotted mystery"
"Developed characters, a strong plotline, and a few red herrings"

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Leila had gone home after the death of her father. She thought that everyone loved her father, but obviously someone did not. Leila will have to figure out who killed her father but it will not be easy.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether I was reading about maple syrup or Toast doing his cat things I was engaged and wanted to know more. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. The murder was not easily solved.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. I cannot wait to see what mystery Leila has to solve next.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poison Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns is the beginning of a new series, the Maple Syrup Mysteries, which takes place in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Her parents were transplants from Lebanon, but had always fit in well here, and had bought a farm and started Sappy Endings. They had 11,000 maple trees which they tapped each year and made maple syrup and well as other maple-oriented items. Leila is home for her father’s funeral. He had been shot to death in his office at the farm. She couldn’t fathom it. Today they were at the lawyer’s for the reading of the will. She expected that the farm would be sold so their mother had something to live on. He brother, Simon, didn’t want it and she didn’t even live here. She lived in Florida and taught school there. Imagine her surprise when she discovered he’d left the farm and the business to her for a year, and if she didn’t want to stay past that time, they could sell it and split the proceeds. She didn’t know what to do but she knew she had to honor his wishes. On Monday she set off to work. She knew Jessica, who took care of the cafe, but she’d never met Noah, who basically ran the farm. She suspected him of the murder. They had a little store which Jessica took care of as well and Noah helped when he was needed. Leila was about to open a can of worms.

This is a terrific setting for what is sure to be a fabulous new series. We already have a possible romance brewing; Selma, her mother, is settled in; and Simon, her brother has solved most of his problems and so can move forward. Her best friend, Heather, is getting married in a few months, which is sure to stir things up. There is plenty of fodder for further stories as the police chief has just been remanded for his crimes so we are looking at a new police regime. This was a good mystery, which Leila solved, almost costing her her life and her mother’s. Leila is a terrific character, ready to embrace her new life and the problems that will surely arise. She’s already added a cat to her family and Noah, her farm employee, and his daughter are adorable and are going to add dimension to the already interesting story. I am looking forward to his tempting new cozy series.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Doomful of Sugar by Poisoned Pen Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PoisonedPenPress #CatherineBruns #ADoomfulOfSugar

This is the first book in a series and I am looking forward to more books. The characters are well developed and the setting is appealing. Based on a maple syrup farm, I hope to learn more about the process of harvesting the syrup and the variety of things it can be used or. The murder mystery was set up well and you are left guessing until the very end. I enjoyed getting to know Leila; her family; best friend, Heather; and the people of Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Lots of twists and turns will keep you turning the pages quickly to get to a satisfying end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

After leaving Sugar Ridge, Vermont four years ago to teach in Florida, Leila returns when her father is killed. Was it a random act or was he targeted? Thinking that her father had no enemies who wanted him dead, it comes as a shock that, indeed, he was targeted. The police focus on her brother as their prime suspect but Leila is sure there is somebody out there with a motive and they might not stop there. Doing her own investigating may put her in danger of being next.
If that wasn't enough of a shock she soon learns that her father had made a major change to his will not long ago. He has left the family maple farm to her and she must remain in Sugar Ridge to run it for one year. After that the choice is hers - stay on and continue to run it or she can sell it. That sure adds to the tension in her already tense family relationships.
Dealing with her grief and family dynamics plus having to return home - to stay? Leila is more than on edge and it shows in her interactions with both her family (especially with her mother) and the very people she needs on her side as she hunts for her father's killer. It's what I like about her, she's human.
With a well crafted puzzle to solve, a cast of well developed characters and a cute cat (it is, after all, a small town cozy) I will be sure to keep a spot reserved for any further mysteries in this enjoyable new series. I also want to try some of the mouth watering recipes included.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Good start to a fun and charming new cozy mystery series. The characters are fleshed out and real (flaws and all) and interesting, and the mystery held my attention - although I did correctly guess whodunit early on. I enjoyed learning about maple syrup and Lebanese dishes, which I knew nothing about. I hope the author shares more with us as the series goes along.

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

A great read . I wouldnt call it cozy but it was agreat and exciting book to read I just had to finish it. Leila comes home and all these mysterious things happend one after the next I couldnt put it down. Great!!!!

Release Date: October 25, 2022

📖📖📖📖

Leila and her family own a maple syrup farm, sappy endings, though Leila has left the farm to teach in Florida her mother, father and brother are still there. When her father is murdered and her brother is the main suspect, Leila returns home to help her family on the farm and uncover who wanted her father out of the way.

This is the first book in the new #maplesyrupmysteries series. I was excited that Leila is first-generation Lebanese-American. I feel like that is not a well represented culture and I was excited to learn about it. Some references were made, but I’d love to see more in the next book. I liked the possible romantic interests for Leila and the fact that the murder was so personal (usually the family member is a suspect not the victim). I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#doomfulofsugar #sappyendings #maplesyrup #vermont #cozymystery #bookstagram #cozymysteryseries #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #instareads #poisionedpenpress

Thank you to @netgalley for ARC of A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns! What a wonderful start to a new series set in Vermont. (And it’s set in fall so now is a great time to pick up this new release!)

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when her father is murdered, she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business and is determined to find answers. The police suspect her brother and aren’t focusing on any other leads, so Leila dives in.

This was a multi-layered mystery and just when you think you might have it all figured out, there is more to discover. What’s unique in this mystery are the family relationships and how Burns showcases all sides of those relationships – the easy and the not so easy. Such likable characters and I’m looking forward to more entries into the Maple Syrup Mysteries.

When her dad is killed, Leila Maya Khoury returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Her father ran a farming business called Sappy Endings, specialising in the production of maple syrup. There is also a café and gift shop selling maple candles and candies. A teacher in Florida, Leila is determined the find out who murdered her dad.

The characters really come alive on the page and like the heroine, Leila, who at twenty-eight is young and spirited, if a little immature. The plot is solid and there are some lovely food descriptions that made me want to rush out and buy some maple syrup! A myriad of motives helps to make this a great new series début.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

First in a new series we meet Leila Khoury who has to return to her hometown of Sugar Ridge, Vermont due to the death of her father. She thought everyone loved her father so she doesn't understand why someone would kill him. Jer mother is not doing well and her brother is being looked at by the police. She decides she must investigate so she can clear her brothers name and bring her fathers killer to justice. She soon realizes that there is more going on than she could have imagined. Follow along and see how far Leila gets in her investigation and whether she catches a killer or if they remain free.

When Leila returns home to Vermont after her father's murder, she's surprised to find that he's left her the family business. Others were surprised as well, and now Leila needs to find her dad's killer quickly . . . or she may be the next victim.

This was a perfectly pleasant, though rather formulaic, cozy mystery. All the elements are here: a cat, a potential love interest, multiple suspects, a second murder halfway through the book, AND yummy recipes. In all, a decent read, but there's honestly nothing here to set this one apart from the hundreds of other cozies on the shelves. Perhaps the series will grow stronger as it continues, but I doubt I'll continue reading it.

It’s the last Wednesday of October, so at least I have something to ramble about. It’s book review time! I was boring and went back to my comfort zone this month with the first installment of a new cozy mystery series. A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns was released yesterday (the 25th) from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A Doomful of Sugar follows Leila Khoury as she returns home in the wake of her father’s unsolved murder only to discover that he’s left her the family maple business. As any daddy’s girl would, not only does she accept the challenge of the farm, but she also takes it upon herself to solve the murder, no matter who she has to risk alienating along the way. Toss in a hot new employee that may just be a murderer, an overbearing mother, a brother with a chip on his shoulder, and a bestie that supports all the shenanigans and you’ve got yourself a cozy mystery.

Honestly, the plot is pretty standard. The big bad sticks out way too much from the get-go, then kind of fades into the background until a little bit before the big reveal. I mean, why else would Leila’s dad do what he did? Super obvious, but fine. I was willing to believe it without much thought. The twist was where the story lost me. It was also really heavy handed, which is probably why it felt like more of an ‘ugh’ moment than an ‘aha’ moment. It just wasn’t particularly necessary and felt like a leap. It might just be a me thing, but it made the ending too convoluted.

As far as the characters go, I was mostly unimpressed. I think Leila was supposed to be quirky and headstrong and someone who jumps into things without thinking, but she’s kind of a douchenozzle. She insults people all of the time and they magically forgive her. When she isn’t being rude, she’s accusing people of murder with zero evidence beyond the fact that they exist. And, of course, according to her, everyone else is always judging and being mean to her. I liked her mother and Noah. They were the only reasonable adults in this book. Everyone else ranged from flat and stereotypical to immature and annoying.

The writing itself was okay and made for a quick read despite my lack of motivation to finish this one. And there was maple syrup in it, so at least there’s that.

Ultimately, I didn’t care for A Doomful of Sugar. It’s not going on my list of cozies to keep up with and didn’t spark an interest other series by Bruns.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. One and a half is more accurate. Mostly because it wasn’t my thing, but other people seem to like it. If you enjoy immature characters and an easily decipherable plot, go for it. Otherwise, you’re not missing much.

A Doomful of Sugar Earns 5/5 Maple Candies…Deliciously Engaging!

It’s the worst phone call anyone could receive. Leila Khoury learned her father, Victor, was dead, but not just dead…murdered. Police suspect a robbery gone wrong, but no money was missing. When the family gathers for the reading of the will, Leila and her brother Simon are surprised to learn their father had made a new one just months before leaving the entire maple syrup farm, Sappy Endings, to Leila. She is expected to run the farm for a year, at which time, she can keep it or sell it. Although she had no intention of staying, circumstances have her changing her mind, “I’m going to find out who did this to you, Dad. I promise.”

Catherine Bruns has burst out with a new series highlighting maple syrup! What could be better…well, add a strong female lead, multi-cultural family, a best friend, a bit of romantic tension (or just plain tension), a fur buddy, and murder! The incident is hard to grasp since the victim was well liked and motives are difficult to fathom, but his widow said he’d been out of sorts and somewhat secretive lately. Police Chief Crosby is determined to solve his friend’s murder warning off Leila’s intervention, but she is just as determined. The journey was complex, yet very easy to read, with a wide range of suspects and an assortment of motives including good ol’ greed, revenge, and anything to keep a secret, a secret, all leading to a final confrontation and shocking arrest.

Catherine’s writing style is always entertaining, depicting well the environment, characters, and mood along with banter illustrating multi-generational personalities. It is a clever, well-paced mystery, introducing the characters and their connections and presenting a family dynamic filled with realistic conflicts and expectations. Realistic law enforcement involvement, an extra murder case, and a surprise ending is a must and met, but also enjoyable characters with a special talent or perspective, and romance? Catherine doesn’t forget romance options for Leila including her friend’s wedding planning. Leila is first-generation Lebanese-American with some references to her culture made, but more insights would be intriguing. Bruns also includes fascinating details into maple syrup production…not just for pancakes! Great first-in-a-series book. I am hungry for more!

Check out the easy to follow recipes for Sappy Hour Café’s Baklava with a maple syrup topping, Maple Shortbread Cookies, Maple Syrup Bagels, Glazed Maple Doughnuts, and a special Maple Pork Chops. Yummm!