Such a fun read and kept me guessing. I’d love to read more from this author. I’m a fan! I thought I had it figured out - but I didn’t!

Muffin But the Truth by Ellie Alexander is another great addictive installment in this series. I love to see what Jules is cooking up and how she figures out whodunnit. Ms Alexander describes everything in a way to where you feel like you are right there in Ashland at the Torte bakery right in the middle of the action. Another highly recommended book.

Muffin But the Truth by Ellie Alexander is set at the restaurant Torte in beautiful Oregon where culinary whiz and amateur sleuth Jules Capshaw has settled into the community to continue the family business. The descriptions of the delicious pastries, pot pies, soups and more that Jules and her team prepare during the course of the story kept my curiosity and left me wanting more. In fact, I was holding out hope that there might be a few recipes included at the end of the book. Unfortunately, they weren't included.

Because this is the 16th book in the series and the first one I have read, I know that some catching up was necessary, but the beginning of the book felt a little forced to me as the author dedicated too much time to giving details that were probably in previous books. The premise of the mystery with a corporate retreat in the woods had a lot of potential, but I feel like more could have been done to build the suspense and make it more engaging instead of just wrapping things up so neatly.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and setting. This cozy mystery covered so many details and could use a little more focus. I think jumping into the middle of the series probably contributed to my slight disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a ARC digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down
Muffin But The Truth is the 16th installment in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. This is such a fun series, and I have enjoyed the previous books I have read, however, this one was not my favorite, not anything inherently wrong with it, just not my favorite, will look forward to the next one.

I received an e-arc of this book which I voluntarily reviewed.

I enjoy reading cozy mysteries for the small town settings and the focus on an occupation or hobby. Aargh in this book there was so much emphasis on both that the mystery is lost. Juliet and her team are tasked with catering a corporate retreat on the Rogue River. One of the members of the retreat becomes a drowning victim- is it an accident or murder? Juliet is in a unique position to get to the bottom of it. The book focuses so much on the preparation of food for Juliet's bakeshop , Torte and the town of Ashland that it read more like small town fiction. This wasn't really my favorite but it's still a fun, entertaining read that lovers of food based cozies will enjoy. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for a free copy of Muffin But the Truth for an honest review. All opinions and ideas expressed in this review are my own. #NetGalley #MuffinButtheTruth
#ABakeshopMystery

One of Ellie Alexander’s best books! We’re back in Ashland OR, home of the Shakespeare Festival and Torte, the delicious bakery owned by Juliet Capshaw. The bakery is busy, and Julies’ husband, Carlos, is getting ready for the annual grape harvest at Uva, their winery.. First they have to cater to a very picky group going on a retreat, rafting on the Rogue River.
Jule’s has been working hard, and when they get to the river, it’s worse than she feared. The group members don’t get along with one other at all. It gets even worse when Jules finds the body of one of the party floating in the river. Of course, Jules gets involved in solving the crime.
This book was well written, and it makes me want to visit Ashland again! 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I love this series and it just keeps getting better! This installment had us leaving Ashland for the Rogue River so Jules and company could cater a corporate glamping retreat. From the wonderful descriptions writing to the food to the characters and mystery, I enjoyed everything about this one. It’s also easily read as a stand alone as the author does a great recap at the beginning

This was another great instalment. I love that Alexander Is able to keep this series feeling fresh. The mystery is always different and doesn’t feel overdone or boring. I also love that we continue to get glimpses of the characters we like (although I’m still not a fan of Carlos!). I really can’t get enough of this series.

3.5-4 stars
The owner of a bakeshop is catering a corporate retreat when one of the clients is found dead. Accident or murder? I really liked the setting in and around Ashland, Oregon and the bakeshop stuff: the foods and the employees. I thought the main character gushed a bit too much over her wonderful life, wonderful husband, how lucky she was, etc. The mystery itself was okay, but I want to move there and eat in the bakeshop and meet the characters--the recurring characters, not the dysfunctional coporate executives!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I have a confession to make. This is my first Ellie Alexander book! I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to catch up, but the author surprised me by giving me the background in the first few chapters! Thank you!

This is a fun cozy! First, it takes place in Oregon, which holds a place in my heart from my visit there. Second, the book is well constructed and the plot is easy to follow. Best of all, the characters are three-dimensional and a lot of fun!

I will be going back to Book 1 and catching up before her next book in the series comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I’ve read a decent amount of cozy mysteries at this point, so you’d think I’d be able to figure out who dunnit. But I was thrown for several loops in this book. I can usually figure out who is going to die- I was wrong, and I can usually figure out who killed them- very wrong. I loved being surprised and getting a nice bow at the end in terms of motive and unanswered questions. The characters are delightful and fun. I don’t think Jules did much sleuthing this time around, but she had plenty of theories nonetheless.

Juliet Capshaw owns a bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon. She's hired to cater a corporate event. Big mistake. The organization wants to hold a retreat to build bonding among the corporate execs. But it's the most dysfunctional company imaginable. The reader suspects that the truly horrible head of the company is going to meet an early demise. This is a murder mystery, after all! But someone else becomes the victim.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters were nicely developed. The dialogue was witty. The writing style is good. The solution was sufficiently evasive.

What was my only complaint? For some odd reason, the author decided it was necessary to go into excruciating detail of virtually ever item that is baked. I now have an intimate knowledge of how to make chocolate chip cooks and every kind of pie imaginable! A little description is cute. But when the book begins to resemble a cookbook for page after page, it really detracts from the story.

But that minor point aside, I thought this was a good read.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Jules Capshaw and her team at Torte are preparing for a group of business professionals coming for a weekend retreat in the Rogue Valley. Torte has been hired to cater a welcome dinner and then Jules, Carlos, Jules' mom and her husband Doug, aka The Professor, and Carlos' son Ramiro will join the group in the woods to prepare campsite food as their retreat continues with glamping, rafting, ghost stories, and team building.

While Jules had worked out all the details with the CEO's assistant, Miller, when his boss arrives on the scene she micromanages everything. Then as the welcome dinner is served Jules sees huge cracks in the team. When they arrive in the woods the dysfunction is magnified especially when the wine and liquor start to flow.

Jules is a happy camper when the group hits the rapids for an afternoon of rafting. She learns that trip was filled with drama too but she was totally shocked when she finds one of the executives dead in the water the next morning. Thankfully The Professor is quickly on the scene because the death was NOT an accident . . . It Was MURDER!

______

I get excited every time I start a new book in this series. It is like visiting old friends. As I have said time and time again, Ms. Alexander's characters are genuine and their dialogues are true to life. Jules is so supportive of her employees and they are growing by leaps and bounds. They are so proficient at their jobs that she knows they will go out on their own someday but so far they have been able to take part in new opportunities while keeping their positions at Torte. They truly are like family. And speaking of family, Carlos' son Ramiro has come to the states and is attending school as an exchange student. Jules loves having him in her home and attending her school.

The new characters introduced, members are the Bamboo executive team are quite a group. The CEO is way beyond unlikeable. If she were my boss I think I would run screaming from the building. The rest of the crew seems to be very talented but poorly utilized. It was no surprise that one of them didn't survive the retreat.

In this story, we are taken away from Ashland to explore more of the Rogue Valley. Venturing into the woods and out onto the Rogue River sounds like such a good time. Glamping would be more my style these days and of course, we can skip the dead body. And just because we are outside of his Shakespeare realm doesn't mean Jules's friend Lance doesn't make an appearance. He is around and more than ready to start an investigation with Jules into the murder.

Part of the mystery was an easy solve for me but some of the details were a bit foggy. I knew the who but not the why. Every one of the Bamboo team was suspect and there were some true red herrings. I always have fun tagging along with Jules as she tries to put the clues in order. I enjoy the way she uses Lance as a sounding board and more. But this time there was a difference in how all was revealed. A nice twist!

Muffin But the Truth comes alive with Ms. Alexander's descriptive writing style. I love when she describes what's baking in the kitchen. She always tempts my tastebuds.

While I am a stickler about reading a series in order the author writes the stories to stand on their own. But if you really want to get to know these fabulous characters start at the beginning and enjoy!

This is the sixteenth in the series. I have enjoyed them all. Jules and crew are catering a week-end event outside of Ashland.

I always enjoy the descriptions of the meals, drinks, and snacks. The mystery was involved and I was on pins and needles as I worked my way through the book.

I like the relationships between the main torte crew and Jules’ family and friends. They care about each other.

I was disappointed that co-workers could treat each other so poorly but I know it happens and it makes tension within the mystery. I wasn’t caught up in the red herrings but was a little surprised how it all happened at the big reveal.

Looking forward to the next book.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

this was my first time reading a murder from ellie alexander’s “bakeshop mysteries” and is the sixteenth in the series. for not having read the previous fifteen, i thought “muffin but the truth” was an exciting story filled with so many lovable characters! from the get-go, jules emphasizes her gratitude for her found-family at work and the tight bond she shares with her immediate family. i thought of her employees were equally talented and supportive of each other, which only made the plot stronger. i was a bit confused figuring out her relationship with carlos - those questions could be answered by reading the rest of the series. as of this installment, the two of them are happily running their bakery and winery businesses in ashland but it sounds like their history has a complicated past.

i was super engaged with the plot and i thought the author did an especially great job at describing events outside of the character’s conversations, too. the trails leading up t the rogue valley sounded beautiful and the way jules bakes sounded almost like a dance. between this and the drama surrounding the bamboo executive board and torte’s employees part in the investigation, each chapter is filled with action! i was a bit surprised when the conclusion came to an abrupt halt - i didn’t feel like the events leading up to it were setting us up for the grande finale but rather everything happened at once.

An Executive Team that needs more than just building, hires Jules and Torte to cater their roughing it and rafting retreat complete with all the glamping essentials. I am not sure that toxic truly illustrates just how bad the work relations are with the Bamboo group, the boss would make a great victim because no one seems to like her and she doesn’t seem to like her employees. While the employee that everyone says good things about ends up as the victim. The whole time I am reading this story I am wondering to myself why these people have not found new jobs and moved on! Needless to say there are plenty of suspects; there are also plenty of likable characters thanks to Jules and company. Torte would be an amazing place to work or frequent, between the menus and those who create such tantalizing food and drink. Then there is Jules and Carlos who make a dynamic and loving couple and have worked hard to achieve their happy ever after. No need to read the earlier installments of the series as the backstory is worked in where and when needed, but you are going to want to go back and start at the beginning. Not to mention the great collection of recipes that you will acquire with each book.

Muffin But The Truth is the 16th installment in a very well-written culinary cozy series. While the character development is, of course, augmented by reading the series in order, it is perfectly possible and fun and entertaining to read this book as a standalone.
The premise: Pastry chef and sleuth Juliet Capshaw is catering a corporate team building retreat that includes a river rafting on Oregon's Rogue River and glamping on the shore. Could be a fun weekend - but the corporate team is textbook dysfunctional.
Things take a turn for worse when Juliet discovers the floating body of one member of the group. There are multiple twists and turns as well as multiple viable suspects and the crime is well plotted.
I loved all the food and food ideas mentioned in this book and will try some of them.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin for the arc. I have to give this book 4 stars. I think I should have read the other 15 books before this one.
It was an entertaining cozy mystery and will start the series from the beginning.

"Muffin but the Truth" the 16th instalment in the A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. Torte's pastry chef and amateur sleuth Juliet Capshaw finds herself in deep water...

I really enjoyed this story, seeing Ramiro living in Ashland and Jules be a stepmom. Visiting Torte and Ashland is like coming home to old friends and family lots of fun with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Jules and Carlos have found their place, home and family of friends and now is it time to expand their family... Needless to say I cant wait for the next book.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As always, this series is fun and makes me want to bake some cookies (or in this case, muffins). I do think that with each new book in the series (this is #16), the stories become less about the murder and more about Jules' life at Torte and Ashland. Because I've spent 16 books with these characters, that didn't bother me. I do think a person coming into the series, however, may not enjoy it as much.