Muffin But the Truth by Ellie Alexander

This is book #16 of the Bakeshop Mystery series. In this installment the Torte which is the name of the bakery and Jules is the owner. She and her gang of employees take on a client who wants to do a team build outdoor retreat. At the outdoor retreat someone from the corporate team ends up dead.

Jules decides to do her own detective work because she is the one who finds the body. Who killed the executive? Will they get to the bottom of this and solve the case?

Normally these types of mysteries are things i highly enjoy and rate them high but this one was somewhat of a disappointment. I felt to much page space spent taking about how different recipes made for the shop that is fine and dandy most times but I felt that was page space taken away from building better character back stories. We really don't know much about the corporate team that Torte caters. I wanted more backstory about the team this I think would of made the mystery so much better but instead so much page space was talking food recipes that I felt pulled away from the main story. Sometimes it is fine to give us recipes but this one was way over done in my opinion.

I would like to read more from the author in the future even though this one did not payout like i wanted it too. there was some aspects of the story i did enjoy so it wasn't a complete bomb for me. This is a 3 star read for me and I still recommend this book to others if they like cozy mysteries with recipes included in the text of the story.

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.

Juliet's bakeshop staff is about to experience a catering job they never imagined, for the worst client possible; a bridezilla + mean girl + rich and spoiled CEO = Josie Jones. Stir in anxiety at level 10 because the corporate retreat includes river rafting, and Josie can't swim, and her staff hates her more each minute.

So, with all of the arguing, belittling, demanding, and ordering going on, it's hard to know whether they enjoy the food or just the excuse to sit somewhere quietly to eat it.

As tension increases, someone pranks Josie by dumping a large box of spiders into her yurt. The next day, she is pushed out of a raft. Are these building up to something more serious? In the morning, a woman is dead, floating in the river. Was Josie the killer or victim?

3/5 Stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks, and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.

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I loved this book! Thank you to Ellie Alexander and St. Martin's Press for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe I caught up on this series! It has been a pandemic project to start and read all 15 of the Bakeshop Mysteries. I love jumping into this world and always enjoy both the characters and the mystery.

Despite reading this one in the winter in the middle of a snow storm I was able to picture (and smell) the summer camping experience featured in this book. In fact, I think that was my favourite part of the story! The descriptions had me longing for camping season and coffee by the fire.

The mystery in this one was good. I was CONVINCED I knew what was what, but I was very wrong. This was the second book about a corporate retreat that I read this year, and the tenseness of a corporate getaway when tensions among colleagues are high makes for great reading.

It was nice to experience the world through Ramiro's eyes in this one and see Jules playing the role of step parent. It is refreshing to see the character growth for Jules and to finally have her settled in her relationship with Carlos.

I recommend this book and the series, to lovers of coffee, friendship, small town vibes and the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy. This was another solid edition to the Bakeshop mystery series. It was nice to be back with Jules and her crew. I apricated the fact that Alexander took us outside of Ashland Oregon for this one and changed up the setting. While Jules and the crew were wonderful to have back, the new characters were hard to deal with and super frustrating for the mystery. I did like the fact that at first it was a mystery of mistaken identity. I did feel like the way that mystery played out was a little too complex and conflated but overall I enjoyed my time with Jules can't wait to see if there will be another installment of the bakeshop mysteries.

I absolutely love the Bakeshop Mysteries and this book just flew by! The characters are amazing and very well fleshed out, the mysteries are always entertaining, and there’s just the right amount of red herrings to shift though while solving the mystery. She may not always solve the mystery, but she also doesn’t do anything dumb to put herself in danger. Plus, I really like that she presents info to the police and they actually figure it out. Like police should.

Another entry in the Bakeshop Mystery series: Muffin But The Truth!

I found the title of this book clever and fun. I'm a new fan of Ellie Alexander's books, and I truly enjoy her Bakeshop Mystery series. Juliet (also known as Jules) is our series' protagonist. It's always great fun to see her try to solve a new mystery, as well as doing baking as well and her family's bake shop. The camping/campsite setting for this story gave the book a new, refreshing twist. The drama and mystery made this book enjoyable, fun to read, and gives readers a chance to solve the mystery.

As a bonus the Bakeshop Mystery books also includes recipes for readers to try.

My thanks to St. Martin's and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book. I'm looking forward to more of Ellie Alexander's works!

Torte is hosting a weekend event for a company from Los Angeles. The executives are a nightmare, slamming each other at each opportunity. Juliet hopes things will be better on the glamping, river rafting trip. However, things go from bad to worse when Juliet finds a member in the river. This is a great mystery with a few surprises. Love the characters and setting.

Book 16, Muffin but the Truth, is the perfect addition to the series. It's the quintessential cozy mystery. Theres plenty of background to go in blind. Jules and her friends discover a body and still have to go about making yummy baked goods at Torte. It's perfect for the winter days, baked treats and a cup of coffee.

Recommended for fans of Joanne Fluke.

Jules gets more than she bargained for when she she's to cater a team-building retreat. The boss is mean, the team members are nervous and defensive, and there may be a killer amongst them after the body of one of the employees is found floating in the nearby lake. Jules and her partner--in-crime-solving, Lance, will have to work quickly to solve this mystery before anyone else dies.

I adore visiting with Jules, Lance, and Team Torte. The mysteries are always interesting, and there's plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing whodunit.

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

This is book 16 of Ellie Alexander's Bake Shop Mysteries, but if you haven't read a single one yet don't fret, because they each can be read as a standalone. This was my first one, and I got enough of the back story to understand the history of each character. I love a good cozy mystery, and this one did not disappoint me at all. I love Jules and her baking skills. She's in really deep when she discovers a body in the Rogue River while she's catering for the Bamboo company. At first glance what appears to be the CEO, Josie, turns out to be someone else who looks like her. Josie has plenty of enemies since she's the most unlikable boss ever. This book is full of scenic beauty from Ashland, Oregon as well as yummy goodness from Jules and the team at Torte. When you add in the mystery of finding a killer, you've got yourself a great book.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and this entry was wonderful. I love the characters and the town and it had a great whodunit. I hope this series never ends.

Muffin But the Truth by Ellie Alexander takes us back to Torte and the catering gig made of nightmares. The people are horrible. It has been difficult since she made the agreement with the CEO’s PA, Miller, who changed his mind every five minutes. It was to be a rafting trip down the Rogue, with glam camping for one night. She wasn’t responsible for that part, thank God, just the food. Carlos and Ramiro were coming to help as well as the Professor and her mom. The Professor was going to take Ramiro rafting, which Juliet knew he would love. So far, his coming to live with them was working out well. He was such a good kid. They made it until the morning after when Juliet discovered a drowned body floating in the stream. Then things went from bad to worse.

It’s always like going home, rejoining the Torte crew and catching up. Lance, Juliet’s best friend and creative director at the Shakespeare festival, always adds that tough of humor that takes this series to the next level. There is an over arching story arc as well as the mystery of the day, so it behooves the reader to start at the beginning, but it is not totally necessary as Alexander does a good job of filling in the necessary blanks. The mystery was a good one, in a situation where it appeared the deceased was well-like and well-respected. There were plenty of red herrings and veiled threats as well as mis-identification. It was a compelling and enjoyable cozy mystery, one worth reading, as usual.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Muffin But the Truth by St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #EllieAlexander #MuffinButTheTruth

Muffin but the Truth, A Bakeshop Mystery #16 by Ellie Alexander, offers a great read for fans of cozy mysteries. A visit to Ashland, Oregon and Torte is always a wonderful time for the reader, but this time a catering job turns a weekend glamping retreat into a terrible experience for Juliet from her first meeting with the obnoxious boss through the first day filled with backstabbing to her discovery of a dead body once again draws her into an investigation into murder and danger. With so many possible suspects and red herrings at every turn even Jules, soon joined by Lance, is at loss to eliminate anyone. If that is not confusing enough, she isn't even sure that the person who was murdered was the intended victim.
Once again, I have to say that I love the new way we get to see Lance. He can still be irritating and arrogant, but he now seems real and it easy to understand why Jules sees him as her best friend. I adore everyone else and enjoy the time I get to spend with them.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Paperbacks for the opportunity to enjoy an ARC of the newest book from this awesome series. I will be sharing my delight with Muffin Buth the Truth with my friends and followers.

#NetGalley #MuffinButtheTruth #EllieAlexander #ABakeshopMystery

Happy Pub Day to MUFFIN BUT THE TRUTH! This is book 16 in the Bakeshop Mysteries, one of my favorite cozy series. Of course, I had to match the cover with Owen's family blueberry muffin recipe! Thank you to @stmartinspress for my e-ARC.

One sentence summary: Jules and the Torte baking crew are busy catering a tech startup's retreat - until one of the execs ends up dead.

Do I need to read book 1 first? I don't think you need to go all the way back to book 1, but I'd encourage you to pick up some of the earlier Bakeshop Mysteries to get a sense for the characters. I actually started the series with MOCHA, SHE WROTE (book 13) and it's a bit of a sentimental favorite for that reason.

This mystery series continues to work for me because of Torte and the charm of small-town Ashland. Ellie Alexander does a great job bringing the sense of place to her novels, and I always enjoy spending time at Torte. I like how each book features one or two of the side characters more prominently to complement what's going on with protagonist Jules. And of course, the treats featured in the story are mouthwatering!

These are my ultimate comfort reads, and getting one for Christmas was a great treat! I never manage to guess the culprit in these mysteries, and the twists and turns are so fun to follow. If you're looking for a cozy winter read, give this series a try!

The spot? Ashland, Oregon. The place? Torte! The girl? Juliet Capshaw All caught up? This is the sixteenth installment of Alexander’s delicious series about a pastry chef/amateur sleuth, and owner of Torte, a magical place where you find all of your pastry desires and more. So, what has our girl gotten into now? Come on!

Shakespeare is the biggest thing around. So much charm and Elizabethan happenings and this time adventure enthusiasts are planning an entire weekend of winter activities. And picturesque Ashland is the place for all of that. This event is taking place on the Rogue River and how in the world are they going to turn out delicious goodies over a fire?

Turns out she needn’t have worried about the food as much as the attendees! Big city folks have just as many work issues as the rest of us and the event has barely begun when the bickering and drinking starts.

Hoping for some calm, they hop in the boats to shoot the river. Until…and you knew there would be an until. A body is floating in the water. Dead. And now Jules must put on her detective hat and try to get to the bottom of what is going on before more bodies pop up.

I love a good cozy mystery and this one always has my mouth watering and my spidey senses tingling. Who could have done the deed? And why? Work can be a killer!

Always a pleasure.

NetGalley/ December 27th, 2022 by St. Martin’s Press

Jumping back into the wonderful world of Ashland and once again seeing some of my favorite comfort characters, was just what I needed. Despite the murders that Juliet always seems to uncover, there is something so comfortable about opening up one of the bakeshop mysteries. From the alluring descriptions of action in the bakeshop itself to the characters who are always there to support one another, there is such a feeling of nostalgia for a place I have never even been.

I love watching Juliet and Carlos navigate their life together in new ways. They never let anything stop them from always looking on the bright side of things, even when they have to deal with customers who start making ridiculous demands and making a weekend in the woods miserable for everyone around them. It was interesting to watch as our usual favorite characters have to work with new and unpredictable personalities. It really showed their growth and ability to work together as a team.

The mystery was well done and stayed interesting the entire time. The wide range of strong personalities really kept me invested into the motivations behind the crime. My only complaint was that the case seemed to wrap up quickly, and wasn’t as fast paced or high stakes as cases from the past. The place that this was the most evident was the beginning before the mystery had a chance to start. While I loved getting a glimpse in the day to day life of Juliet and her crew, I would have loved to see the mystery take the stage for a bit longer.

My final complaint is really the most important of all my complaints. There was not enough Lance. He always steals the show for me, and while he had some big parts, it was simply not enough, but I suppose it never will be enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Muffin But the Truth is the latest installment in the Bakeshop Mystery series. Once again, it's a pleasure to return to Ashland and to read about the latest mystery that Juliet and her team will solve. The storyline is sure to keep the reader interested and trying to guess who the culprit is. Also, the food description is sure to make you hungry. I would have liked to have some of the recipes!

This is the first time I've read a book from this series. I love the setting which takes place in Ashland, Oregon as well as a river close by where much of the mystery takes place. I like the main character and her staff. In this book, the mystery involves the dysfunction among the team members while on their corporate retreat. So much goes wrong. The sleuthing by the main character and some of the locals makes for a fast-paced, entertaining read. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Such a great cozy mystery! I loved how warm it made me feel during this cold weather. I couldn’t believe the ending, I never saw it coming! I wish there were some recipes at the end of this ARC. :( Overall, I think this is a great addition to this series and I’m excited to see what comes next!

Torte is one of the fictional places I wish was a real place. The descriptions of all the meals and coffee creations that come out of Torte's kitchens are just amazing sounding and if it was real I would already be planning a cross-country trip to Ashland. That said, despite the delicious sounding food and the added treat of listening to Lance's storytelling, absolutely no part of me would want to go on the corporate retreat that occurs at the beginning of the book. Even before the dead body turns up in the river this retreat is toxic - mostly due to the direction of the leader - Josie.

I really loved seeing Ashland and the surrounding area through Jules' eyes as she's helping her stepson get settled in to stay for a year. The author's love for the area shines brightly as well as the absolutely delightful fictional world she has created in Ashland.

What kept this book from being an absolute winner for me was that the mystery itself. While I like that Jules wasn't leading the charge in the investigation I wanted a bit more information about the suspects and just what was going on with the company. While I was happy with how the solution was done I felt like I was missing part of the picture as to how things got to be the way they were.

While this wasn't my absolute favorite in the series it was still an enjoyable read with a delightful group of characters that I thoroughly enjoy catching up with. I can't to see what happens next with the staff at Torte.