I voluntarily agreed to read and honestly review this book.
When an author mixes a cozy mystery and cooking you know you’re going to get a good read. The heroine in the story has just opened a new bakery with her family, and the “villain” is a man who has another bakery just down the street. After arguing with our heroine he is killed, and unfortunately she is accused of the crime. Now she has to do all she can to prove her innocence and figure out who is the real killer. Along with her family there are quite a few quirky and hilarious characters that you can’t help but like in this story. Plus, at the end of the book there is a recipe that we can copy down and make. Yum!

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews is the first book in the new cozy Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series will contain it’s own mystery that will be solved so they all could be read in any order or as a standalone if choosing to do so. There will be of course some character development that carries over from book to book.

Lyndsay Murray’s family originally came from Grenada, a small Carribbean island, and now they are living in Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York. Lyndsay wants nothing more than to finally open her new Spice Isle Bakery that her family will help her run and bring some of her heritage to her new home.

Just as the opening day at the Spice Isle Bakery comes comes though the day is ruined for Lyndsay. Claudio Fabrizi who also runs a bakery in the neighborhood comes into the shop and threatens to shut the new bakery down before it can even begin causing a loud argument between Claudio and Lyndsay. When Claudio’s body is found murdered the next day of course Lyndsay becomes a suspect and want to clear her name.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews was a fun opener to this new cozy Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series. I’m always on the lookout for charming and humorous new cozies and this one certainly fit that mold. While I enjoyed the main character in here I really enjoyed having the family involved and showing their Carribbean roots too. Will definitely be interested in continuing on with the next in the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book had a few things going for it that I always look for in a cozy mystery:

1 - a foodie workplace (I’m looking at you A Seaside Café & Ice Cream Shop Mysteries), in this case a bakery. A library or bookshop would also be an ideal setting.

2 - a strong, tight knit community. This could be either a small town, close family, or just plain features engaging side characters. In this case, Lyndsay has a super close family who is working together to launch their West Indian Bakery in a joyful, friendly community.

I really enjoyed this one (minus the use of “mommy” and “daddy” that Lyndsay always referred to her parents by). I loved how the author weaved Grenadian culture throughout this book and had many cultural touch points that added richness to the story.

The mystery was a bit of a slower start, as the first part of the book is more focussed on getting the family bakery set up. There was a lot of focus on making their business viable, which I appreciated as it just raised the stakes of this mystery. I also love that after struggling so much, Lyndsay was able to come into her power, try new things, and take risks, finding she is stronger than she expected.

Thanks so much St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this cozy mystery—I definitely plan to continue on with this series!

This was such a fun cozy mystery book! I enjoyed the fast pace and great characters. I thought the writing was great and loved all the detail. In addition, I enjoyed reading about the relationship Lyndsay had with her family. I can't wait to read more from this author!!

A family who investigates together stays together! This first book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series checks all of the boxes for an engaging cozy mystery. You have a bakery, a family, and a murder!
I loved Lyndsay and the rest of the gang. Little Caribbean, Brooklyn is a great setting and I enjoyed hearing about all of the things the family makes and sells in their shop. The mystery was well planned and I was kept guessing until the end. I was delighted that the author included a recipe for the currant rolls that sounded delicious! I definitely plan on reading the next book in this series.

In this new series our protagonist, Lyndsay, and her family are opening a new bakery. This bakery’s West Indian food celebrates the family’s heritage. Most of the neighborhood is supportive but one store owner is set out to see the bakery fail. So when is is found dead Lyndsay is the number one suspect.

The character’s heritage was new to me. It was interesting to learn more about the West Indian foods and some customs. The mystery had plenty of surprises. I look for to see how this series develops over time.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.

I read a combined audiobook and digital arc edition of this book so I got the best of both worlds!

Lyndsay Murray has always dreamed of opening up her own bakery, and after years of planning and saving up she can finally do just that. Lyndsay along with her family are opening up Spice Isle Bakery, but on opening day a competing bakery owner comes in and accuses them of stealing customers and threatens them. Soon after that, this other bakery owner ends up dead and the police think Lyndsay is suspect number one because of the argument that they had that so many people saw happen. It is up to Lyndsay to clear her name and ensure that the family business isn't hurt by this accusation.

Overall I loved this story so much. I adored Lyndsay and her family and how they were finally getting to live out a dream and share their culture with others through food. You could tell that they were all really passionate about it and just wanted to do and share what they loved with their neighbors. The way that Lyndsay went about trying to figure out what had happened to the other shop owner, and how she was able to get people to talk to her was interesting because the entire area knew she was being accused of being the killer by the police. For some, this helped get them to talk more, and for others, it made them suspicious of why she was asking so many questions which was understandable. I loved getting to see all the different interactions that Lyndsay had with her family, especially her grandma who always believed in her and was so proud of her.
The ending of this book was surprising, I still had no idea who was the real killer until it was revealed and I was absolutely shocked in some ways because of how they had been acting throughout the story.

I cannot wait for book two in this series now because I have no idea what is going to happen next, or how Lyndsay is going to get involved in another mystery. Hopefully in the next one shes, not the one being accused for a change.

A punny title and a culinary mystery are enough to draw me to read a book, and like other fans of this subgenere, I appreciate the relaxation of a cozy. I'm looking forward to see what Olivia Matthews writes next.

A sweet little culinary cozy that will not only make you hungry, but have you wishing that you could be in the bakery with this family just breathing in the good smells coming from their oven!

I liked the Caribbean theme to this cozy and the tough grannies.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I wish it was a real bakery and that I was lined up outside waiting to get in!

I was thrilled to get an advanced readers copy and dive into Olivia Matthews’ latest cozy mystery, Against the Currant. With a full cast of characters and an enticing premise, I wanted to enjoy the story but found myself comparing it to Arsenic and Adobo throughout. I wasn’t able to make it fully through this novel as the parallels ran high and the main character consistently kept comparing herself to her high school years.

This is a charming beginning to a new cozy mystery series! Lyndsay is a relatable, endearing protagonist. I love that she is independent and loves her family and culture. I love that this followed the cozy mystery framework but included diversity about the family's culture and food! Family is important in this one, and I adored that. The food descriptions were to die for, and I love that we get recipes in the back of the book. I highly recommend this one!

📖My Thoughts📖

Calling all fans of culinary cozy mysteries! This is the first book in the new series Spice Isle Bakery Mystery. I love a good cozy mystery, especially a culinary one. They always have this rando Hallmarkish theme similarity to me. This one did not disappoint! I always enjoy seeing how the main character steps into the role of an amateur sleuth. I always find it intriguing. Granny is probably one of my favorite characters, and having the family play as much of a role in this just gives it a little extra that I don’t typically see in the typical cozy mysteries I’ve come across. This was a fun one. Complete with recipes at the end (bonus points for that), it was a quick and easy read. I’ll be looking forward to the next book in this series to see what other mischief Lindsay finds herself in.
Thank you Netgalley, Olivia Matthews and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a very promising cozy mystery series debut featuring a sleuth who opens a West Indian bakery in Brooklyn and, after an argument with a rival baker, is framed for the crime and spends the book trying to exonerate herself with the help of her loving family.

This book offers a tremendous cast of fun, interesting characters and I'm very eager to read more in this series.

I'd highly recommend this book to cozy mystery fans or anyone who loves a mystery with a bit of a Caribbean flair.

Very enjoyable!!

1.5/5
I struggled to stay engaged in this book. It really felt like more of a book about someone starting a restaurant and the pressures that go along with that responsibility. It didn't feel like a comfort mystery at all.
I kept waiting for something to actually happen. Even the murder that occurs was lackluster. I kept waiting for the main character to stand up and advocate for themselves. Which eventually happened... at around the 71% mark and then BAM everything was resolved. Just a very slow book of nothing until you were almost done. And even that... was not much.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews is a cozy mystery set in Brooklyn, NYC and the first in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over seven and a half hours and is narrated by Janina Edwards.

Lyndsay Murray's lifelong dream to open Spice Isle Bakery with her is finally coming true. On opening day Claudio, another bakery owner who hates competition, threatens to close her down and they have a verbal altercation. When he is murdered the next day Lyndsay decides to seek out further evidence to clear her name.

I'm definitely a sucker for culinary cozy mysteries. This one was cute, and I'll definitely continue on with the series.

Lyndsay and her family immigrated from the Caribbean (Grenada) and this book feels steeped in that heritage to an outside observer. I really enjoyed how close-knit they were, and how easily they would go to bat for one another. A few potential future relationships are drizzled throughout this book, with our main character and also her cousin.

I was also pleased that recipes are included in the back of the book! I'm definitely going to be making some of these because they were described so well in the prose that I really wanted to try them.

I identified with Lyndsay in part because she was a bit of a nerdy outsider in high school, and over the course of the book starts building up her confidence.

Some downsides to this book include the fact that Lyndsay sometimes acts younger than her stated age, including being kind of hung up on what happened to her in high school. There were also things that were repeatedly mentioned, which could get annoying.

Tropes in this book include: cozy mystery, bake shop, immigrant community

CW: murder, firearms, attempted abduction

I’ve been loving cozy mysteries lately. Give me a cozy mystery with a Carribean flair, and you surely have a recipe for success with me.

Against the Current by Olivia Matthew’s was lovely. Lyndsays dream has been to open a bakery and that she has she’s being framed for murder? What’s a girl to do but roll up her sleeves and investigate! Set in Brooklyn with a host of supportive friends and family.

Pub date: 1/24/23 (out now)
Genre: cozy mystery (1st in a new series), ownvoices
Quick summary: Lyndsay and her family are on top of the world as they open Spice Isle Bakery - but the sweetness turns sour when competing baker Claudio ends up dead - after a very public spat with Lyndsay.

I love cozy mysteries, especially those that center on food! This one had a great twist - turns out that Lyndsay has a great mind for business, but the family currant roll recipe is beyond her skills (at least at the beginning of the book). I loved seeing her persevere in her dream and take her place in the community she loved - providing delicious Grenadian food for all. Note - don't read this book while hungry!

The mystery was compelling - there were certainly plenty of suspects in Claudio's death, and Lyndsay did a good job investigating. I really enjoyed this strong start to the series, and I'm excited to continue to follow Lyndsay's adventures! Both audio and text were great, and I recommend both!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my e-ARC and Libro.fm/Macmillan Audio for my ALC!

In Against the Currant, the first installment of the Spice Isle Mysteries, Lindsay and her family open a bakery that has been her dream only to be threatened by another bakery owner in the neighborhood who feels threatened by her presence. As he falsely accuses her of trying to steal his business, he also threatens that she will be sorry. Standing up to this neighborhood bully, Lyndsay surprisingly threatens him back to never enter her business again. Then there is a murder and Lyndsay is the prime suspect. Not confident in the police investigation, Lyndsay sets off to prove her innocence and find the murderer. Lots of red herrings but delicious clues, makes this a cozy mystery to satisfy your taste buds. The story was enjoyable to read and kept my interest from the first page and I enjoyed the family and community support for Lyndsay. Some parts predictable, there were plenty of unexpected moments that made the reader go “ah-ha”. I look forward to hearing more cozies connected with this bakery.

Many thanks to #netgalley #againstthecurrant #oliviamatthews #st.martinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

really loved this intro to a new series. loved the mc, grandmother, recipes and the small town quirks, excited to read the next in the series