I voluntarily agreed to read and honestly review this book.
Another great Cozy Mystery from Olivia Matthews! We’re back at Spice Isle Bakery with another mystery for Lyndsay Murray, her family, the Little Caribbean community, and the local detectives. Plus, at the end of the book are some more yummy sounding recipes.

Dollycas's Thoughts

The newly opened Spice Isle Bakery has weathered one murder investigation and the last thing they need is another.

After declining to cater a retirement dinner for Lyndsay's mother's awful former boss several times, Lyndsay finally quoted an astronomical price hoping they will finally move on to someone else. She is shocked when the woman's assistant accepts and signs the contract. The guests arrive and appear to be as unhappy to be there as Lyndsey and her family are unhappy to host the event.

Dinner is served and within moments the guest of honor is dead - right after taking a bite of the curry chicken. Soon the police are collecting all the food and questioning Lyndsay and her family. They decide Lyndsay's mom is their prime suspect which frightens away most of the bakery's customers. Lyndsay knows to save her mother and their business she has to solve the mystery of who killed the mean high school principal and fast.

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The Murray family is close-knit, all owning the bakery with Lyndsay owning the majority because it was her dream. Her parents do most of the baking and cooking while her grandmother helps Lyndsay serve the customers. She also helps out in the kitchen and is giving Lyndsay baking tutorials to help her bake all the restaurant's specialties. Her brother takes time from his job of being a lawyer to help out wherever he can. He's also very involved when police target his family.  All the characters have grown since the first book. I really appreciate learning about their culture and how family means everything to them. The way they start every day in prayer before opening the bakery's doors is heartwarming.

I really enjoy the setting of Brooklyn's Little Caribbean neighborhood. The Murrays have a lot of support with the exception of a certain committee. I admired the way Lyndsay handled the situation with that committee. She also was more assertive when it came to dealing with a certain detective. The Lyndsay at the start of the first book would have acted much differently.

Knowing the wonderful Murray family had nothing to do with high school principal Emily Smith's death leaves the table of guests as suspects and they all appear to have motive, means, and opportunity. The victim was cruel to everyone, but who would have the nerve to kill her?  It was great the way the whole extended family comes together to talk over theories and work through ways to get to the truth. Some are kinda crazy but everyone's heart is in the right place. I had fun trying to solve the mystery myself but I was led astray and focused in the wrong direction. I loved the reveal and showdown. Lyndsay was in fine form. I wanted to reach into the book and give her a high five.

Hard Dough Homicide is a strong character-driven cozy mystery. I enjoy the way Ms. Matthews tells a story. The theme is fresh, the characters are interesting and entertaining. She uses humor in all the right places and there may be a romance, even a triangle, on the horizon. I am looking forward to visiting the Murrays and the Spice Isle Bakery again soon. Coconut Drop Dead is set to be released in December.

Hard Dough Homicide is the second book in a cozy series featuring a family from Grenada who have opened a bakery in their Brooklyn neighborhood, Little Caribbean. 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 and “hard dough” bread. While it’s always good to read a series in order, I feel this one could easily be read as a standalone.

The mystery this time is sort of a locked-room puzzle, as someone dies at a private catered retirement dinner at the bakery. Lyndsay’s mom becomes a “person of interest” because she used to work for the woman who died and couldn’t stand her. No one else at that dinner liked the woman either, it seems!

I loved how this book series highlights Caribbean culture and foods. The family members are a great support system, as they are all involved in the bakery - even Lyndsay’s older brother Devon, who is a lawyer but who is unhappy in his job. I was happy to see the progression in Lyndsay’s character; she has much more self-confidence now. And I was glad to see her kickboxing skills come in handy once again.

One niggling annoyance for me - Lyndsay constantly refers to her parents as Mommy and Daddy; I don’t think there was a single sentence where it was simply “my parents”, for example. It just sounded childish to me, and Lyndsay is 27 years old. I had the same complaint in the first book.

The author includes recipes at the end, including one for the titular Hard Dough bread.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, even though I was a bit late to it. All opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn't do it, couldn't read the entire story, I jumped around to see if I changed my mind at a different place. I usually love culinary mysteries, but they always walk a fine line between food and killing. I didn't care for the characters and didn't clique with them from the start. It made sense on paper, in theory but never came together.

#HardDoughHomicide #OliviaMatthews #Netgalley #St.Martin'sPaperbacks #Spice Isle Bakery

Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews

Someone in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood has an appetite for murder in Olivia bMatthew’s “Hard Dough Homicide.

This was a well- written book, but it was too detailed in some areas and kept repeating the facts. Many characters to digest.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Hard Dough Homicide is the second book in the Spice Isle Bakery cozy mystery series and it was just as fun as the first. Lyndsay and her family have once again been thrust into the spotlight in their Brooklyn neighborhood, Little Caribbean, but unfortunately it is once again not because of their phenomenal bakery. Another murder has occurred and this time the same two incompetent cops from the previous book are now looking at Lyndsay’s mother. To prove her mother’s innocence and save the reputation of their bakery, Lyndsay once again must take matters and the mystery into her own hands. I enjoyed this second addition to the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries just as much as the first book. Lyndsay and her family are such a fun and quirky group to read about. Lyndsay herself continues to grow in her own confidence and with her baking skills with the help of her super stylish and sassy grandmother. I thought the mystery in this book was just as fun and creative as the first and the cozy bakery and tight knit community vibes of the first book continued to shine in this one.

When reading this, I remembered something about the first book that irked me too, it's so repetitive. And why do I care that everything in the bakery is blond wood? And Lyndsay is STILL talking about being bullied in high school. Get. Over. It. Also, this bakery serves a lot more than baked goods, it should just be a restaurant.

Lyndsay and the Murrays are back in the second installment of the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries. This time Lyndsay's mom is accused of killing a retiring school principal who had her party at the bakery. It's an entertaining mystery, and I love the characters. Ms.Matthews' descriptive powers are amazing. She makes you feel like you're right in the middle of Little Caribbean. You can practically smell the curry. The mystery was entertaining, but the police focusing on Mrs Murray didn't make sense. She literally had no reason to kill her. My only other complaint (and it is a minor one) is the painstaking description of what every character is wearing. I really need to know what color dress Granny is wearing every single day. But aside from that minor thing, it's a really good book.I can't wait until the next book in the series.

I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews is part of the Spice Isle series. The setting is Little Caribbean in Brooklyn, New York. The family has opened a bakery/restaurant there celebrating their Grenadian roots. Lyndsey is the mover and majority partner with 40% ownership but her parents, her grandmother, and her brother are also owners and participants. Her brother, Devon (Dev), is a lawyer so only works on the weekends. They have become very popular in the 4 weeks they have been open despite their major rival being murdered and Lyndsey accused of the crime. Everything is back to normal now, and business is good. Kings Country Early College High School had been nagging her about holding the retirement party for the principal there, but she was refusing. That woman had been horrible to her mother before she retired and Lyndsey would have none of it. Her mother convinced her it would be good for business and so it was set for a Monday night. They were normally closed on Monday so the small party could have the place to themselves. All was going well until, suddenly, the guest of honor slumped in her chair. The paramedics were called and the police showed up, too. One of the police detectives was Bryce Jackson, her high school crush. He had been trying to ask her out but she wan’t going out with someone who thought she was capable of murder. The principal died. She had been poisoned.

This is a clever look into one of may ethnic communities in New York City. Lyndsey’s grandmother had lived most of her life in Grenada and between her knowledge, story-telling ability, and outgoing personality, she was a constant source of amusement for some. Lyndsey loved her grandmother, but sometimes it would be better if she kept her mouth shut. She is a great character. Jose Perez, reporter extraordinaire for the Brooklyn Daily Beacon had a story in the paper the next day, obliquely accusing the bakery of murder, Lyndsey’s mom in particular. He was another great character who makes many appearances in the story. This is a hugely character-driven book and the characters meet the challenge, from the family, to the customers, to the police. The murder was not an easy one to solve but Lyndsey gave the police the break they needed and business was on the uptick again. It is a terrific series and a good book. The next one is coming soon!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Hard Dough Homicide by St Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #OliviaMatthews #HardDough Homicide

Oh how I love a good cozy and this one didn't disappoint! It is filled with such fun characters and I definitely need to keep this author on my radar for future books.

Lyndsay finally has her store up and going, too bad they're dropping like flies! I love this series! It makes me hungry to read it. It's top tier cozy and I recommend it to everyone who asks me. 10 out of 10 cozy. Great sequel. Keep them coming.

Lyndsay has finally achieved her dream of opening up a bakery with her family in the Little Caribbean neighborhood of Brooklyn. With every new business comes struggles, but she didn’t expect murder to be one of them. In Hard Dough Homicide, the bakery is back to normal, but the murder of the local high school’s principal makes Lyndsay start investigating again.

What I liked the most about Hard Dough Homicide is how much the community is really a part of the novel. They’ll chime in throughout the book and they help Lyndsay with her investigations.

What I disliked about the novels is that sometimes it feels like the books could be a chapter or two shorter. By this I mean that the mystery solving could be a little tighter. But I love all of the extra side scenes that involve the community and food descriptions. So keep those in!

Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews
Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #2
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Lyndsay Murray co-owns Spice Isle Bakery with her family in Little Carribean, Manhattan. Against her better judgement she agrees to host a retirement party for her Mother’s awful former boss. When the retirement party ends in a trip to the hospital, Lyndsay’s family once against comes under police questioning.
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I really enjoyed the first book in this new cozy mystery series (Against the Currant), so I was very excited to receive an ebook for Hard Dough Homicide.
These books always make me hungry, I LOVE Baked goods!

This was a fun cozy mystery.
-Lyndsay and her whole family are a loveable group, they care for each other and help each other out.
-The mystery was good and kept me invested in the storyline.
-I loved where the story for Lyndsay’s brother went in this one. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And my adoration for grandma is still through the roof! 🙌🏻
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Honestly I shy away from cozy mysteries but there is something about this series that will keep me coming back. Please send me book three! 😇

Genuinely enjoyed book 2 in this series, but our MC still frustrates me with her refusal to cut the detective some slack. He don’t know you anymore and he has a job to do. Just because he knows someone doesn’t mean he can get away with not interviewing them. That’s the Moy thing I wish would change about these books. Otherwise, great mysteries and delicious food!

Pub date: 5/23/23
Genre: cozy mystery, book 2 in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries
Quick summary: School principal Emily Smith is retiring and desperate to have her goodbye dinner at Spice Isle. Then she ends up dead, and Lyndsay's mother, her former employee, is the number one suspect.
Do I need to read book 1 first: This one can be a standalone, but you'll get more background on the family and their neighborhood if you start with book 1!

I’m a fan of this Grenadian family-owned bakery! MC Lyndsay is an excellent amateur sleuth, with her super-wise grandmother, supportive parents, and lawyer brother always there to back her up. There’s a glimmer of romance coming with a certain detective…if only he would stop accusing her and her family of murder. As I said with book 1, don’t read this one hungry. I think fans of other food-themed cozies will enjoy this one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Paperbacks for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews is a culinary cozy mystery set in Brooklyn, NYC and the second book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries series.

Lyndsay and her family must solve yet another murder tied to their bakery after her mother's former boss Emily Smith, a local high school principal, is apparently poisoned during her retirement party. Lyndsay didn't want to host the party in the first place--their first catering party--and now yet another murder investigation seems to be driving away her customers.

I'm typically a sucker for culinary cozy mysteries. The first book in this series was alright, so I decided to pick up the next in the series. You can probably read this one as a stand-alone even though I do recommend reading them in order if possible.

If you're a fan of tight-knit families, you may enjoy this series. I'm sure it's a cultural thing regarding Lyndsay referring to her parents as "mommy" and "daddy," but it was repeated a lot in this book since they were more featured as characters than in the first book.

Lyndsay still tends to act younger than her stated age, though she has a bit more confidence in this installment. The author continues to be very repetitive with random things, like descriptions of the bakery or reminding us her grandmother doesn't like to wear the store "uniform," which was fairly annoying to me.

In general, the plot moves pretty slow. It was a little hard to believe that a second murder happened within a month from the first murder they tried to solve. Additionally, the police don't seem to research leads that Lyndsay provides to them, which seems like a stretch. Character development here is hit or miss.

As always, there are recipes in the back of the book featuring some of the items mentioned during the story.

I read this one as an ebook, and I had listened to the audiobook version of the first book in the series. I think that if I were to move forward with this series, I would have to listen to them and not read them with my eyes.

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

CW: murder, poison

This book was really fun! I love a good cozy mystery and this one was a great way to break up some of the heavier books that I have been reading.

Hard Dough Homicide is the second book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series by Olivia Matthews. This atmospheric cozy mystery can be read as a standalone, but is even better if read in order.

This story takes place in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood with it’s close clan of residents. Lyndsay Murray has recently opened her family-owned cafe and bakery and is trying to put a murder from the first week of her grand opening in the past. She reluctantly agrees to host a retirement dinner for her mother’s ruthless former boss, and lives to regret it. The invitees clearly do not want to be there, in-fighting is rampant and tensions flare when the woman of the hour arrives. Before the main course is served, tragedy strikes and Lyndsay’s family is once again suspect.

This story follows the typical cozy mystery format of victims haltingly being forced to solve their own semi-related crimes, due to inept detectives, or misconstrued motives. This mystery unravels at a slower pace. In fact, the investigation does not begin until about halfway through the story. The resolution is also not altogether shocking. The beauty of this story, and series, lies in the sweet closeness of the family, the support of the community, and the distinctive cultural components. Though I found the mystery to drag, I definitely enjoyed the other elements of this story.

Solidly unique and well crafted cozy. The warmth and love of the family and community come through in this book, and the mystery is both frustrating as Lyndsay struggles to clear her mother's name and keep her bakery afloat amid accusations and full of interesting turns.

I loved everything about Olivia Matthews' Hard Dough Homicide! The setting is a great one – a family run bakery in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood – how I wish the bakery was real so I could go there, stand in line, smell the wonderful food, listen to the music, and interact with the owners and other customers! I found the main character, Lyndsay Murray, to be very relatable. She is determined to make the bakery a success yet full of doubts at times – she is much stronger than she realizes and I love that about her character. I also love her relationship with her entire family – it adds much to the book and the mystery – I really like the fact that Lyndsay doesn’t rush into trying to solve the mystery herself but has the whole backing of her family. Speaking of the mystery (a high school principal is murdered during a retirement party at the Spice Isle Bakery and Lyndsay’s mother is one of the suspects), it is well done with just the right amount of suspects and clues (one very well done clue is a seemingly innocent scene early in the book) and a surprise or two. I always try to guess who the killer is but I had no luck figuring it out this time – well done by Matthews!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.