Small towns, Halloween parties, stage theater and furry friends make up the parts of this story. Juliet owns Torte, a bakeshop that her parents started. It is Halloween and the plaza is full of costumed party goers. Unfortunately, one party goer dressed as a dragon is found dead on the sidewalk in front of Torte.

Juliet, with a host of her friends, are on the hunt for "who done it". Along with figuring out who killed the dragon, the book describes the many and varied pastries that Torte sells. You can almost recreate these pastries from the descriptions in the book - just no exact measurements are given.

Between good food and a good mystery, this book was hard to put down.

I really wanted to give this series another chance as it started to strongly, but I feel that the latest books have really steered off course and lost it's charm for me. The plot of the story had potential but the pacing was slow and I really wanted more character development and to hear more about the characters we've come to know and love, overall. If you're into very plot-focused stories, you probably would enjoy it more than I did. I DNF at around 43%.

This was such a cozy Halloween themed mystery, but it was almost a little too cozy! There weren’t any thrills or an exciting ending. It all kinda just came together and that was it. I also didn’t find any recipes at the end, which I was disappointed about. It was good for October, but I think the other ones in the series were better.

This is book #17 in the Bakeshop series, and although I had only read the first book in the series before, I had no problem catching up with the characters and their relationships.

It's Halloween and in the midst of the merrymaking and costumes, a body is found in front of the Torte bakery. Jules and Lance begin to investigate and the red herrings are everywhere. Was it the poodle's owner who was upset because her dog didn't get the part? Was it somehow related to a mysterious mahjong set that turned up at the local antique store? Was it someone who just happened to be in town for the Halloween activities?

The twists and turns and alibis did get a bit confusing at times, and I should have written some things down to keep better track of them. I was not entirely surprised at who the murderer was, but it didn't really matter, this is a fun read, with some delicious sounding recipes!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Catch Me If You Candy is a good read for Spooktober. It has atmosphere, Halloween festivities, small town vibes, murder and amateur sleuthing. Everything a cozy should have and more.

I loved the puppies included in this one but felt like there was too much going on at once. It was a mad dash from one plot to the next and at times felt tedious for me.

Overall though, this is a fun one and one I recommend. I love the characters and also love that you can read this without losing anything from not reading the prior 16 books (of which I have only read book 16 😂). Grab this one if you're wanting an easy, fun Halloween read.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Welcome back to Ashland and Torte Bakery! I’m this book Jules find a dead body outside her store during the Halloween parade. I really enjoyed the fall setting (fall in Ashland is an amazing time to be there), the dog subplot and being back with familiar characters. This particular installment in the series seemed a little light on the mystery but I still enjoyed.

I was looking for a fun, simple read for the fall season and this was a perfect selection! Set in the fall in the small town of Ashland, OR, amongst the Halloween and fall celebrations, readers quickly discover a murderer is afoot! Does the local Shakespeare Festival tryouts have anything to do with this murder? Or maybe the recent discovery of a very cool mahjong set at the local antique store has ties to the murder? As you see, there are several interesting storylines, all interconnected together that will keep readers entertained until the last page. Also, if you haven't read the previous books in this series, you'll be okay as this reads like a stand along storyline, even though it's still fun to have met the characters in previous books.

I've read the first book in this series and enjoyed it on the audio version. I think these books are meant to be read in order even though they can be read as stand alone. I wasn't sure who was who as new characters came up, the writing also is a lot of telling and I just as a reader wasn't fond of the writing style to keep my attention. These books are good for an audience that would enjoy reading these as a series instead of stand-alone and like cozy easy to read mysteries.

While delivering a box of Halloween treats to her mom’s Mahjong group, Jules gets a bad feeling when one of the group finds a note warning “the dragon is dead” in an antique game set she recently purchased. When Jules finds a dead man in a dragon costume slumped in front of her bakeshop on Halloween night, she becomes obsessed with finding out who did this and why and she can’t sleep until she does.

Do NOT read this book if you’re hungry – the descriptions of all the seasonal foods and the recipes recited step-by-step during the story will have you salivating. Some of the suspects felt inconsistent in their characterization to me and between that and the distraction of amazing-sounding food and red herrings thrown the reader’s way, I will confess I was confused by the end. This is book 17 in the series, so maybe I just didn’t know the cast of characters well enough? I did like the writing though, and the recipes, so I think I’ll give this series another try.

I absolutely loved this latest installment in the Bakeshop Mystery series! Catch Me If You Candy gives the reader all the Halloween feels, and it was such a comforting treat to read over a long weekend. Jules and her Torte crew are putting the finishing touches on their Halloween treats before the annual Halloween parade, and I enjoyed catching up with all the characters, including Carlos and Ramiro. Their relationship is a joy to read about, and I loved that Ramiro is now a soccer-playing teenager. At the end of the parade, Jules finds a man dressed as a dragon dead in front of the bakeshop. Who is the mystery man, and why was he murdered? In between baking up a storm for the Halloween rush, Jules helps the Professor and Thomas with their investigation. Make plans this October to add this one to your Halloween TBR! Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins, and the author for the librarian preview copy.

This book was so much fun, and a perfect fall read! Warning to all: do NOT read this book while hungry! I haven't seen many cozy mysteries where the character actually walks us through every step of her cooking/baking process. It was a really nice touch, especially since there was some comfort baking and she enjoys cooking with those around her. The secondary characters were great as well. Even considering this was my first book in this series, I thought we got good introductions to everyone we needed to know.

A fun and entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion.

Strong characters.

Well developed with likable characters

Catch Me if You Candy is the 17th story in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander, and though I always think it’s best to read series in order, this can be read as a standalone. This book is a festively fun addition to this cozy mystery series and it’s always nice to revisit the one-of-a-kind town of Ashland, Oregon.

As the theater season winds down, the big Halloween parade is at hand followed by trick-or-treating at the local shops. The chosen dog actor for an upcoming OSF performance will accompany the male actor on the theater’s float. There is much animosity and jealousy about the dog who was selected, and then a mysterious and threatening note found in a second-hand mahjong set is discovered.
When the dog trainer, dressed up in a dragon costume, ends up dead huddled outside of Jule’s Bakeshop Torte, just like the note predicted, suspicions arise and tension mounts and an investigation begins. This eerie occurrence, couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

The mystery in this story wasn’t quite as interesting as some of the previous ones. It was creative and unusual, but also a bit silly and far-fetched. Though the mystery wasn’t my favorite and some of the related characters were over-the-top, I thoroughly enjoyed the spooky atmosphere, the ongoing relationships, and the descriptive details of the season. Catch Me if You Candy is a nice seasonal read for those wanting something a bit lighter.

This is the perfect cozy mystery to add to your October tbr!

Catch Me if You Candy takes place right around Halloween so it has all the fall themed, spooky vibes without the fright. Plus who doesn’t love a crazy story about pet obsessed people, a missing mahjong tile piece, all the festive treats and murder. Jules and Carlos stumble upon a costumed body during the Halloween street parade and it raises all the hairs on the back of their necks especially with all the drama surrounding the four legged star of the upcoming production.

Im super happy for the life Jules and Carlos have created for themselves in Ashland and I was hoping for a certain set of news since this story takes place very soon after the ending of the previous book but there wasn’t. I felt like there were some heavy hints being dropped so I’m crossing my fingers for the next book coming out in February 🤞🏻This is one of the things I love about a cozy mystery series is how invested you become in the main character’s lives and they get to the point that they feel like real life friends/people to you.


Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have not read all of the books in the Bakeshop series, but I have loved the ones I have read so far. The characters are well developed and I have grown to love so many of them. The individuals who work at Torte are pretty much family. The way they work together, support each other, compliment each other’s talents is so refreshing. And I love the Sunday Suppers. I wish there was a restaurant where I live that offered that type of thing. I would try to be a guest every time!

The mystery had lots of twists and turns that kept you interested and glued to the pages. The Halloween theme was an extra treat! The food they serve had my stomach growling and my mouth watering. So delightful characters, a wonderful setting, great food, and a fabulous mystery … what more could you ask for in a book?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Catch Me If You Candy is the 17th book in the bakeshop mystery series. It was the first book in the series that I have read and it worked well as a standalone book. I really loved the characters and I want to read the previous books. The plot was well-paced and the mystery was fun to follow. The best part of the book was the characters and I loved the strong relationships and friendships.

In this latest installment in the Bakeshop mystery series, Jules and friends enjoy planning for the huge Halloween celebration that takes place in Ashland, Oregon. As they prepare their yummy food offerings, they also prepare costumes and accessories for the spooky night of fun. When Jules finds a murdered man in a dragon costume outside the bakeshop, she uses her thinking skills and conversational skills to assist law enforcement in trying to solve the crime.

The story also contains some very interesting and unique subplots of antique thievery, animal actors and their intense humans, Shakespearean mischief, and fall fellowship. Suspects abound, as well as means, motives, and opportunities. The book ends with festive descriptions of warm gatherings as well as hints of things to come in the next novels. Readers who are familiar with the series will probably enjoy catching up with their "friends" who appear in all the novels. The characters are what really make this series.

My one complaint about this novel is the endlessly tedious descriptions of how to bake the goodies, as well as the silly banter amongst the bakeshop staff and the descriptions of attire and settings. I think the book would have stood on its own merit without all this filler. Just put the recipes at the end of the book. However, I have read each book in the series, and while some are better than others, I will continue along with reading the new installments as they are published.

While part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone, as there is enough detail woven into the story for readers new to the series to get caught up.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

And A Bakeshop Mystery series continues to hold the number one spot in my heart.

We, once again, follow Jules and she helps bring justice to the town of Ashland, Oregon.

You will continue to fall in town with Ashland while seeing some familiar faces along the way.

5 STARS!

Dognapping, pumpkins; dragons, mahjong clubs, coffee snobs, oh my!
Okay so if you want your Halloween-loving-soul satisfied and your fictional sweet tooth satisfied, this is the book you need to read. Torte has a million festive and seasonal treats, and the descriptions jump off the page. Yes it is very cozy, but fair warning: it will make you hungry.

The Halloween/autumn scorecard for this book is a perfect 10! There’s a Halloween parade, a mahjong club with found family/girls protect girls vibes, a spooky potion themed feast, costumes, and of course murder. The mystery was more complex in this book than the mysteries in previous books in this series have been. The spooky seasonal potion themed feast was divine I absolutely wanted to be there.
Also isn’t it funny when your husband tells you to stop looking for murders because it’s not safe, but then HE finds a body?👀sorry Carlos, the sleuth life chose you.

Can I just say it is so nice to see Lance happy and in love? He’s probably my favorite character and I’ve been waiting for him to get his HEA foreverrrr so I’m enjoying every new book that features a happy and loved Lance. We are miles away from rock bottom Another One Bites the Crust Lance, and i couldn’t be happier about it.

Thank you to @stmartins and @netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5* rounded up for the cute cover and delectable fall setting.

This is book #17 in the Bakeshop Mystery series. If you haven't kept up with all the books, don't worry. I haven't either and was able to jump right in without feeling lost. I think everyone loves the culinary aspect of this series, but Ashland and Torte in the fall is next level amazing. This is THE book to get you in the mood for all the fall things. The pumpkin spice was practically leaping off the page.

The mystery was ok, but this storyline involved some ultra-competitive owners of canine actors and the whole "dog star" bit was a little too much for me. However, all of our favorite characters are here and it was lots of fun to follow their daily lives and sleuthing. The Halloween parade, fall feasts, and bake shop festivities are truly the stars of this book. I'm so glad I read it at the start of the season. It's definitely worth the read if you're looking to try a new cozy mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.