This is my second cozy by this author and won't be my last! I love cozys during the holidays, Christmas/ Halloween and tend to find my new love of a series reading an author's holiday mystery regardless if it's in the middle of a series or not. This worked well with not having read every other book before as it was still very enjoyable and I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything .
I plan on pickup up more in the series!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this ARC to review.

It's Halloween in Ashland, which means the end of the Shakespeare festival and time for the big celebration parade. Jules and the staff at Torte have been busy stocking up on pastries and specialty coffee for the special event, Ramiro is excited for his first Halloween with his soccer pals, and we can always count on Lance to bring the drama. Once the parade is over Jules and Carlos find a perished dragon outside the bakery and get pulled into yet another mystery.


I loved being welcomed back into the Torte family. Ellie Alexandra does such an excellent job at describing the environment and captivating us with all the warmth of the town and characters. I am really excited to find out what "new things" are to come as hinted at in the last chapter. I'm hoping the next mystery might take us out of Ashland. Some of the recent stories have been quite similar. Could there be a field trip with Ramario's soccer team? A weekend getaway for Jules and Carlos to Leavenworth, Washington to visit Sloan and Garrett at Nitro's Inn during New Years, for a cross-over edition?

Fun cozy read with descriptions of lots of tasty treats and beautiful scenery.

It's Halloween in Ashland Oregon; Torte and it's crew are getting ready for the big night. There's lots of costumes, parades, and treats. Unfortunately, this Halloween, there's also a murder, right outside of Torte. Owner Jules feels like she's got to investigate.

While I enjoyed the book, I felt the mystery was a little meh. Which is okay - the setting, characters, and descriptions of food more than made up for it. My biggest complaint is that, as I hadn't read any other books in the series, I had no idea about some of the relationships between the characters. I think I was halfway through the book before I realized Jules and Carlos were married, for example, and I never figured out how a couple of other characters were related.

Overall, a great beach read. Recommended.

I received a copy of this from Net Galley that I voluntarily chose to review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I started reading this series a couple years ago as a way to connect with my younger sisters, who both highly recommended it, and now I think I'm a bigger fan than either of them. It stands out to me among cozies because it has such a strong, character-based narrative from book to book. Yes, there's murder and intrigue and plenty of sleuthing, but there's also a story arc beyond the killer of the week, which I really appreciate. Plus, the recipes are always mouth-watering, and I constantly find myself wondering how best to veganize them. This particular installment did have a couple details that didn't add up for me, but that didn't take away from the overall experience. I'm still very much looking forward to the next book!

In the latest bakeshop mystery, Jules and Carlo are enjoying Halloween in Ashland until they find a body in front of their bakeshop. Jules, of course, is drawn to investigate. She may not know the victim, but she feels connected since he was killed in front of her bakeshop. The question is why was he killed. There is a mahjong set with a mysterious note, rivalry between dog stage parents, and an animal wrangler who is ill-suited to the job. Between snooping, there are descriptions of delicious-sounding pastries, yummy coffees, and beautiful Ashland with its Lithia Park and the OSF. I enjoy the characters, the camaraderie, and the setting of these books. There were hints of change to come, so where will the series head next?
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This is book 17 in the Bakeshop Mystery series.
 
It’s Halloween time in Ashland, Oregon. Jules and the team at Torte are preparing for the Shakespeare Festival. The festival includes pets this year!  Jules and Carlos find a murdered man in a dragon costume during the festival parade, right in front of the bakeshop. Is this murder related to a mysterious note about a dragon that was found in a Mahjong set?
 
I love this series from Ellie Alexander. I love that the series has so many books and it’s still so interesting. Ellie does a great job developing the characters and introducing new ones. She keeps me wanting more.
 
I do have to admit that before I was hoping for something to develop between Jules and Thomas. Carlos has had a bigger role in the books recently and I am now Team Carlos. I am excited to see how their relationship progresses. Hopefully, we get to see more interaction with Ramiro in the next book.
 
I do not do a lot of baking, but I always feel so inspired to after reading a Bakeshop mystery. Ellie paints such a vivid picture with her writing. I can picture Jules at the Torte counter making one of her delicious pastries.  Andy is making one of his unique coffee blends. Marty is making some savory bread. This book definitely leaves me hungry.
 
The little cliffhanger at the end has me wanting to know what is going to happen next. I cannot wait for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

https://susanreadscozies.com/catch-me-if-you-…-ellie-alexander/

I liked this book. The story was interesting and the mystery was good. I liked all the fall and Halloween themed recipes. I liked the interactions between all the characters and that Ramiro likes everyone in Ashland. He doesn’t appear much in the book, but I liked his interaction with Helen.

Halloween at Torte becomes extra scary and sinister when Jules discovers a dead body outside of the shop following the annual Halloween parade. With the help of her pal Lance, Jules tries to unravel the many threads surrounding the murder. Plenty of yummy descriptions of baked goods and coffee. I wish I could visit Ashland and Torte.

Ellie Alexander is one of my two favorite cozy mystery writer. Her books are so easy to consume and blow through in a sitting. I absolutely love her writing style and her stories. I have read the previous 16 books in this series and was so damn excited and happy to receive this as an ARC. I loved the continuation of Jules story!! I hope this series never ends I never get bored of it! I can’t wait until this is out so I can purchase and add to my collection.

I enjoyed this book. The characters are exceptional, I love reading about them. I do think the character Jax is a bit overdone though. I like that the book doesn’t just end when the killer is found but gets more information. The ending on this did feel like it’s maybe the end of the series, lots of talk about change. #CatchMeIfYouCandy #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this book. This is the cozy Halloween mystery you need in your life. This was a light, airy, and perfectly themed read.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC.

This book had everything I love in a cozy mystery…food, dogs, fun banter, Halloween and fall vibes. I fell in love with the picturesque town of Ashland where everyone celebrates Halloween and there are so many fun spooky activities. I love the comfort of a town where everyone just drops by instead of calling.

The characters were all a lot of fun. I loved Lance and how theatrical and dramatic he was. Jax, dog mom to a pretentious poodle named Pippa, was a real piece of work. Who knew doggy acting could be so much drama?!

I can’t wait to read more from this series. I’ll be buying a physical copy when this comes out.

As usual with this series, it was so good! I have read every installment and it's getting better and better!

The Halloween festival is getting under way in Ashland and everyone is contributing to the festivities, including the bakeshop, Torte. As everyone is enjoying getting their specialties ready to wow the festival goers, there are rivalries taking place among the well groomed participants and their owners are vying for stardom as the lead in an upcoming production at the Elizabethan or Lizzie, where theatrical productions are performed.

Mahjong plays a role in the mystery and it all centers around solving the mystery of who done it and what was their motive.
I love the character development and it makes me care for the characters and what's going on with them. I can't wait to read the next installment.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest interview and my opinions are my own.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of CATCH ME IF YOU CANDY (Book 17 of the Bakeshop Mysteries) by Ellie Alexander, in exchange for an honest review. It’s Halloween in Ashland, Oregon, so it’s an opportunity for another party! Every year, Ashland has a costume “parade” on Main Street, which is basically a costume street party. When a dragon is slain in the street, echoing a warning discovered by the local mahjong group in a mysterious note, Jules Capshaw and her friend Lance are once again in search of a slayer!

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring bakeries, small towns, tourism, small businesses, drama, tightly-knit communities, and close families.

Halloween has defended upon Ashland and Torte is busy with preparations. When Jules and Carlos discover a body in front of Torte after the end of the festivities, it seems that it could be connected to not only the OSF but perhaps the friends of Jules’ mother.

While it’s not her murder to investigate, finding the body and having it connected to women who were like mothers to her, Jules and Lance can’t help but get involved. Will they find the culprit, it will it be their final curtain call and their own Day of the Dead?

Ellie Alexander always delivers in all of her books. She transports you to Ashland and Torte, where you can feel the crisp air, smell the wood in the fire, and the bread baking. With lots of red herrings and a solid whodunit, you will find yourself adding this series to your must read list in no time!

Jules Capshaw is back in Catch Me If You Candy by Ellie Alexander.
Creating mouthwatering treats at Tortes is Julia's passion and once again, another bizarre murder has taken place in their quiet town.
This mystery was full of twists an turns, and the outcome was not what I expected.
I enjoy the characters in this series very much. They blend together nicely and manage to make me wish I was with them while looking for clues.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I've fallen in love with Ellie's cozies! This gave superb fall/spooky season vibes and this would be the perfect mystery to curl up with on a crisp day. The mystery was so fun as well and I was actually surprised about how it ended.