I received the audio arc of this book and will be reviewing it instead.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When Lyndsay Murray convinced her family to open a bakery filled with the pastries, breads, and flavors of their native Granada, she knew it would be a lot of work. But she didn’t think it was worth killing for.

Spice Isle Bakery has been Lyndsey’s dream since she was a child. She wanted to open a place in Brooklyn, where she grew up, inspired by the spices, scents, colors, and flavors of the island where she had been born. In the part of the city called Little Caribbean, she has found a storefront and—with the help of her parents, grandmother, and older brother—she has set up the kitchen and the front just how they want it. The kitchen has all the equipment they need to bake the pastries and breads as well as a place to make savory breakfasts and lunches. At the front of the store are the pastry cases and several small tables where customers can sit and eat. Her grandmother has painted the walls in bright Grenadian colors, adding warmth and brightness to their small dining room.

Lyndsay’s MBA and the time she spent in the marketing firm taught her a lot about publicity and marketing, so when it’s time for their soft opening, there is a line outside the door. Customers come in, order their Caribbean delicacies, and move on, stopping to talk for a minute about how excited they are about the bakery. And then, Lyndsay looks up at the line and sees him. Claudio Fabrizi is there, again, to let Lyndsay know how he feels. Fabrizi is the owner of another bakery a few blocks away, and he has been by several times already to tell Lyndsay that he plans to shut her down. She tells him again that there is room for both bakeries in the area, and he should focus on making his customers happy and leave them alone.

And then he does leave them alone. Because someone kills him.

Lyndsay’s loud argument with him in front of all those witnesses makes her a person of interest, and two homicide detectives show up the next morning to question her. Her brother Dev, a lawyer, goes to the police station with her to help keep her calm. But days later, when they open the bakery, Lyndsay realizes that this isn’t going to blow over. Clearly, she had not killed Fabrizi, but she’s worried that the neighborhood talk will destroy their bakery. Her parents and her grandmother invested in the bakery, in her dream. She can’t let the bakery close. So she will do what she can—she’ll figure out who did kill Fabrizio, so that she and her family can concentrate on their bakery, on their future. But will going after the killer make Lyndsay the next target?

Against the Currant is the first in a new series from Olivia Matthews. The Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series focuses on the Murray Family and the way they share their Grenadian heritage with their New York neighbors with their delicious foods. Lyndsay and her grandmother bring the spice in the family with their feisty determination, and her parents and brother add some clear-headed logic and lots of support. It’s a charming place to hang out to taste the islands, hang out with friends, and solve crimes.

I really loved the idea of the family bakery opening up and finding success. These are interesting characters, and I could see why customers would be drawn to them and their bakery. However, I did find the story to be a little insular, with so much of the story being told in the bakery and the family being so close to each other. And I thought that the actions of the police were unrealistic, jumping to the conclusion that Lyndsay was the killer and not investigating much beyond that. That was disappointing. But I like these characters, and I think the idea of this bakery and the family have a lot of story possibilities, so I look forward to seeing how the next book comes together. And at the end there is a recipe for the family’s Currant Rolls, for anyone wanting to try out the Grenadian delicacy for themselves.

Egalleys for Against the Currant were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Cute, cozy mystery including a female entrepreneur, a sweet Caribbean family, a rival business, and of course, a few recipes! I really enjoyed it. I did not guess who the murderer was until it was revealed- it really kept me guessing. I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Against the Currant is an excellent start to a new series. Lyndsay and her family are well-rounded and interesting characters. Spice Isle Bakery and Little Carribbean are practically characters of their own. The author gives us multiple suspects and motives, which created a true whodunit? There were plenty of false leads to chase, but the end still felt satisfying. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Review based on ARC provided by Netgalley.

The very best cozy mysteries provide not simply a good whodunit but take the reader to a place that is new to them and intriguing. This book hits both of these for me. Lyndsay Murray lives in Brooklyn, New York, in a neighborhood in which immigrants have formed a Little Caribbean. As the book opens she has just achieved her dream to open a West Indian bakery with foods inspired by her family roots in Grenada. As a young immigrant who came with her parents, family is first for Lyndsay, and this includes her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her bakery opening is a success, save for the appearance of Claudio Fabrizi, a nearby baker who wants to eliminate any possible competition.
Lyndsay is an engaging character. She is young, lacks confidence, but has some big dreams. She’s also a longtime kickboxer, an activity her parents encouraged when she was being bullied in school. Her life and dreams are turned upside down when Claudio is found murdered and Lyndsay is publicly stated to be a suspect of interest in the local paper. Compounding this is that the detectives, one of whom was Lyndsay’s longtime unrequited crush in school, seem to only be looking at her. With the mixed concern and support of her family, Lyndsay pursues an investigation into Claudio’s death to find others who were more likely to have killed him.
This book shines in weaving the mystery alongside the story of bakery’s opening. Colorful characters emerge in Lyndsay’s family and in her customers. Best of all are the descriptions of the food Spice Isle Bakery sells. Currant rolls, fish bakes, exotic teas are all on the menu. The book does include two recipes, but I have to admit the descriptions sent me looking online to find pictures and learn more about West Indian foods. This was a great first entry for a series with many strong characters. It also seems likely that the next book will be able to explore developing multiple relationships just on the cusp for Lyndsay’s brother, her cousin—and perhaps for Lyndsay herself. This a series with great promise both for its character development and its possibilities for learning about Caribbean cuisine.

4.5 rounded up because this is a masterclass in a cozy series debut, honestly. A really distinct community that readers will want to continue to get to know, peppered liberally with a vast array of characters and personalities. A well told mystery that is thoroughly and satisfactorily resolved.

I enjoyed this introduction to a new mystery series, but it wasn't as cozy as I expected it to be. I hated how the police treated this Caribbean family, so unlike most cozies, I'm not really looking forward to more installments about this baker working with the police to solve more crimes. I'm not even sure that's the direction this series will go. That said, I did enjoy the setting and the characters enough to care to find out where it does go so I'll be looking forward to the next book.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

I enjoyed this! This was a fun cozy mystery that gave me similar vibes to Arsenic & Adobo, but set in NYC. I really liked the family dynamics, but felt that the story was a bit repetitive and there was a lot going on. I'll definitely pick up the next if this becomes a series though!

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Against the Currant is a nice cozy mystery set in a Caribbean bakery. The main character, Lindsay, has to clear her name and investigates the murder of another bakery owner in the same neighborhood. Lindsay and her family are nice, relatable characters and give the story a distinct flavor. The storyline was interesting, and it makes me want to read other books by Olivia Matthews. Definitely worth reading!

Against The Currant is the first book in a new cozy series featuring a family from Grenada who are opening a bakery in their Brooklyn neighborhood. The story is told from the POV of the main character, Lyndsay, the daughter of the family. It was her idea to open the bakery, which features recipes from the Caribbean, such as currant rolls, as well as something called “fish bakes” (which were never explained, so I still don’t really know what they are).

The family is tight-knit and I enjoyed their interactions. There’s Granny, who is a feisty 81-year-old with a fashion sense; Lyndsay’s mother and father, and an older brother, Devon, who is a lawyer. The story is a good one and kept me guessing. I was glad to see that Lyndsay’s kickboxing skills wound up being useful at one point. It will be interesting to see how the author continues this series. The local color was great.

[A minor point: I think this could use a bit more editing to remove some of the repetitive features, such as the constant thankfulness for her family, the description of the aromas in the store, etc. I also found it a bit irritating/childish for the main character to constantly refer to her parents as Mommy and Daddy; I don’t think there was a single sentence where it was simply “my parents”, for example. Since I read an advance copy, some of this may already have been addressed.]

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed getting to meet Lyndsay and her family as well as getting to know a little more about her Grenadian culture and food. I’m a little sad I don’t have a Grenadian bakery to run to so I can try some of the items mentioned. The mystery was well-paced, although there were so many different suspects and new characters introduced, it was hard to keep track of them all. The setting was quaint and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series.

🥐 Cozy mystery
🥐 Amateur investigation
🥐 Lots of West Indian food!

This was a fast paced cozy mystery set in Brooklyn. A new bakery specializing in Caribbean food is opening and the current neighborhood bakery owner comes by to cause trouble. So after a heated back and forth that surly bakery owner is found dead at his home.
And of course Lyndsay is the prime suspect cause of the verbal fight the day before.
Though through some investigating of her own she finds there are a lot of people that have issues with this guy due to his bad attitude, bad business practices and possible grifting.
But the police still won't look at anyone but her. Love a good cozy and the food sounds amazing!!

Thank you stmartinspress and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars for this slow-paced yet appetizing mystery that puts family at the forefront of the story.
Lyndsay Murray is finally getting her dream of opening a West Indian bakery with her family in her little Brooklyn neighborhood. When the neighborhood bully, baker and landlord Claudio Fabrizi, shows up to the grand opening to threaten her, she does what she rarely does and stands up to him. The problems begin when he ends up murdered that same night and the cops seem to refuse to follow any other lead or entertain any other suspect other than poor Lyndsay. This, of course, means that Lyndsay must put on her amateur detective shoes and look into the motives of everyone who might have had a beef with Fabrizi, which turns out to be a lot of people.
The story puts a lot of focus on family and accepting help from loved ones when you might be getting in over your head. It's a good spin on what is otherwise a very standard cozy mystery.
I walked away from this book with a major craving for some good currant buns, which is why I greatly appreciated the recipe at the end. It's a nice little touch that I've come to appreciate in cozy mysteries and was happy to see in this one.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for the twisty read!

I was excited to read this because I thought it would be super cute. A cozy mystery set in NYC surrounding a newly opened Caribbean bakery? And seeing a book about a family from Grenada was very different in this space.

Sadly the story didn't really engage me. Lyndsay is framed for the murder of a rival bakery owner and has to clear her name because the police aren't even trying to look for the killer. That part tracked. It took so long for her to actually decided to do something in this slow-paced story. Also despite being 27 Lyndsay reads more like 21/22. She keeps harping on childhood bullies, high school, and having to have dealt with those same people in college.

As someone with family from the English speaking Caribbean who even has family friends who live in Little Caribbean, I side-eyed so much of this book. Some things were done well and some things were done so wrong. The descriptions of food and the close connection between the family were the highlight of the book. And I had to resist the urge to go eat something while listening because I didn't have any food to compare. Some of the mentions of popular musicians were completely off. Trust me non Caribbean/Caribbean diasporan readers when I say the only ones who consider Harry Belefonte the Calypso King are white people. And hearing the uncle say "you all" instead of "allyuh" hurt me a little.

If I didn't switch to the audiobook I probably wouldn't have continued. It already started off very heavy-handed with the over explanations of the Murray family's background. And throughout the text kept reminding readers of what proud immigrants they were. Which got repetitive and old real quick! But also the audio narration was so horrible when it came to character's who weren't US born that I found myself cringing as the narrator used an unidentifiable accent and mispronounced popular terms constantly.

On a side note I've seen quite a few white readers complain about this and I'd just like to note that it's a cultural thing to refer to refer to parents as "mommy" and "daddy" not a sign of the main character's maturity level.

I wanted this book to be as spicy as the name of Lynd’s bakery and it just wasn’t. While the colorful descriptions of the background and the tempting aromas were there they just didn’t evoke much of a response from me unfortunately. The whodunit portion of the cozy didn’t provide a satisfying reveal for me as well.

For the beginning of the year, I decided to go for something comfortable. A cozy mystery. Against the Currant is the first in Olivia Matthews’s new Spice Isle Bakery mysteries. It was released yesterday (the 24th) by St. Martin’s Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it.

Against the Currant follows Lyndsay Murray as she and her family open a bakery in Little Caribbean (Brooklyn, NY). As if opening a business isn’t stressful enough, throw in a rival bakery owner who threatens to shut them down them gets himself murdered the very next day. Lynds is now the main suspect of a murder! Luckily, she and her meddlesome family are on the case despite her protests that she’s just trying to find more likely suspects, not the actual murderer. There’s a hot detective for a potential love interest as well. What could go wrong?

The plot is standard, but a little on the weak side. One mild argument does not a murderer make, especially when there are a plethora of other suspects with much better motives. The detectives in this book are the stupidest people ever. They only focus on Lyndsay and they don’t listen when far better leads are given to them. I mean, I’m okay with nosy people solving cases (it’s why I read cozies), but I hate it when the cops are this dumb. There were plenty of red herrings they could’ve followed that would’ve been fine, but they stuck with the flimsiest one. That was annoying. And I really hope the detective doesn’t end up being the love interest. He’s a dick. Just don’t. Also, there was a character who showed up twice pretty early on for absolutely no reason. All he did was start stuff, which any established character could have done, then he completely disappeared. What was that about?

I liked the characters, though there were a lot of them. While I understand the desire to introduce all of the family (and extended family) at once, all of the names were overwhelming and I couldn’t keep them straight. On top of them, there were two detectives, five or six suspects, and three or four extras. It was a lot for one book. But I liked the ones I could remember. Lyndsay, Dev, Reena, the grandma, and parents. All great with a lot of potential. The murderer was pretty easy to pick out, but a couple of the red herring characters were great and would’ve been just as plausible. Mostly, I think the characters are good and have the potential for growth if the series continues.

As far as the writing goes, it’s a bit repetitive, especially early on. Like, I heard you the first three times. Move on. And there were some tics that kept showing up in multiple characters. If it’s one character doing it, I write it off as a character tic, but if multiple characters do it, it’s probably the author’s go-to reaction when they don’t know what else to use (mine is shrugging or nodding). Lots of kissing teeth, which took me far too long to figure out since I didn’t Google it, but I learned a new phrase, so that was cool. Stuff like that. But it was a quick read nonetheless.

Ultimately, I was kind of meh about Against the Currant. If I catch the next book in the series, I’ll check it out to see if anything changes, but if I miss it, no big deal.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. If you’re into cozy mysteries set in bakeries, go ahead and try it. There are some recipes included if you’re into that kind of thing too.

This was everything I wanted in a cozy and more!! The bakery being from a Caribbean family helped me learn about several new foods and provided a new spin on the bakery cozy. The family was so supportive and also protective. I loved how they interacted and supported each other. We have an opinionated grandma, a sassy cousin, and a kickboxing main character!
A couple piddly complaints- The police investigation was almost non-existent, but there is room for growth in the next book. The romantic possibilities are questionable, but again I can see room for growth in those characters.
A couple unique things- The main character did not find the body. I liked this! Also the main character will be competing in a kickboxing showcase/ tournament in the future. Lyndsey’s experience with kickboxing really some depth to her character.
This is an amazing beginning to a new series.

This was a very enjoyable first in a new cozy series about a Grenadian-American family opening a new bakery in Brooklyn. The story centers on Lyndsay Murray, the primary force and dreamer behind the bakery, and on soft opening day things are going splendidly until the incredibly cranky competition from down the street comes charging into the store to make a scene and drop a few threats. Lyndsay stands up for her family and business and drops a mild threat of her own - with a rapt audience cheering her on. Unfortunately the next day the nasty man is found dead and Lynds becomes the prime suspect.
The characters are wonderful and varied. The sense of family and community is warm and refreshing, and hold Lyndsay together when things get seriously scary. The police work that sets up Lyndsay as the main suspect is pretty silly considering what a jerk the murder victim was and how many enemies he had. But her actions to try to clear her name actually seem fairly reasonable. It will be interesting to see how this will be turned into a series as she doesn't exactly have the temperament for steady sleuthing. But for the first in a series (always difficult), this was a very nice job! Highly recommended.

Lindsay is fulfilling her dream of opening her own bakery with a Caribbean twist in Brooklyn. When the owner of a competing shop next door ends up murdered Lindsay is the lead suspect after having a public confrontation with the man. As other incriminating evidence tries to point local police towards Lindsay she is determined to find out who is responsible and save her bakery’s reputation as well as her her own. Her family is a wonderful bunch of characters, especially her grandmother who is always cheering Lindsay on. I not only loved the family theme but also the touching of racism and dynamics in a bigger city. I also can’t forget the food, I wanted to eat all the dishes and pastries that mentioned! This was a great cozy mystery!

A young woman and her Grenadan family open a new bakery in their New York neighbourhood, only to attract the ire of a competator. When he ends up dead, she's forced to investigate in order to clear her name.
This story is full of colourful characters and plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing who-dun-it right through to the end of the story.
A good read with a few good recipes thrown in as an added bonus.