I absolutely adore this series. It so much fun and brings a different vibe than most cozies, which I deeply appreciate. The Caribbean festival, teased since early on, was so fun to experience on the page. I like how Matthews used this book to start Lyndsay’s transition toward sleuthing on broader cases - there are only so many times you can have a close family member accused of a crime before it gets weird. The mystery kept me guessing and was throughly enjoyable to read. I’ll be anxiously awaiting book 4!

The third installment in the series which I really enjoy. A mystery of trying to find out who killed the lead singer of a band. The family is determined to bring justice to the community. I enjoy this series and would recommend it to others.

Lyndsay Murray is thrilled that her family bakery, Spice Isle Bakery, is a vendor at Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival, but things turn sour when Camille, the lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, is found dead. The police think that it was just a tragic accident, but Lyndsay’s cousin was close to Camille and thinks otherwise. And now Lyndsay is back to investigating a murder to ensure that a killer is brought to justice.

This is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries series and, at this point, I would probably keep my distance from Lyndsay Murray. Poor thing has been accused of murder, her mother has been accused of murder, and now someone close to her family is found dead. Despite it all, Lyndsay keeps her head up and doesn’t let thing get her down for too long.

Lyndsay’s close-knit family is incredibly warm and inviting, allowing readers to feel like they have a safe home even if just for a little while. They believe in Lyndsay fully and, even when they are meddling, everything they do is out of love for each other. This story is very much a cozy mystery, but it does also have some tense moments that get the blood pumping and the anxiety rising (but it doesn't last long).

Oh man, and the food! This may be a book about a murder, but Matthews also finds a way to highlight all the excellent food that Spice Isle features. It made me want to book a flight and head to Brooklyn to visit Little Caribbean immediately!

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery cozy mystery series. Lyndsay and her family are once again pulled into helping to investigate a murder that has happened within their tight knit community. Unlike the first two novels no one from the Murray family is being accused of murder, but the family is still involved and it created a nice segway for the author to continue having Lyndsay and her family to keep helping the police to solve murders. This series has continued to be a pleasure to read. The bakery is regularly described by the delicious smells of warm baked goods and spices creating such an inviting atmosphere mixed in with the thrill of the murder mystery that can only be solved with the help of Lyndsay Murray, especially because the police continue to be pretty incompetent. Lyndsay has continuous character growth throughout the series and I look forward to reading about what she and her family get mixed up in next. As usual the end of the book has some recipes for treats being sold in the bakery and I made the coconut pudding which was a delicious and easy recipe to follow.

Coconut Drop Dead (Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries Book 3) by Olivia Matthews
Love this series, love this author --- Brooklyn foodie cozy mystery? Yes, please!! Caribbean foodm reggae music, and murder make for a fantastic book #3 in this can't-miss series.

Very enjoyable read! I'm really hoping this series continues! This was a fun mystery, I'm happy Bryce and and Lyndsay were able to work together on this. I hope to see more of this in future books

Fun and cute book to read. Love the diversity and the food in the book. It would have been great if they had included a recipe or two

Unlike other cozies, this could definitely not be read out of order. A lot of things didn't make sense because I haven't read the books that came before it. It was a little slow but overall an okay mystery.

A solid 3.5 stars for me. Lyndsay and her family are running their bakery, Spice Isle Bakery, when she is asked to help find out who killed a famous Caribbean music artist. This time, neither she nor her family as suspects but they all are just as involved in this mystery. Lyndsay teams up with Detective Bryce on this one, and there is a thaw that develops in their relationship during the course of the investigation.

Like with the previous books, some information is repeated more than once and it's not necessary or critical to the story. However, I do think the writing style has improved with each book and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I have been provided with a review copy of Coconut Drop Dead from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I loved jumping back into this series and very hopeful to see how Lyndsay and her family has banded together and solved another case serving delicious goods from their family restaurant bakery Spice Isle.

I enjoyed this book way more than I expected‼️ It’s book 3 in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries and I plan to go back and read the other two. It was such a cute little murder mystery lol I know that sounds crazy.

But that’s the vibe we get from Spice Isle Bakery’s co-owner Lyndsay Murray baker by day detective by night (not really lol). When someone close to her loses a friend during the Brooklyn annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival and suspects foul play Lyndsay doesn’t hesitate to jump on the case. Didn’t seem like local authorities were gonna crack the case open without her help.

What made this one fun and adventurous was the constant guessing game, having a baker solve a murder lol, and how the mystery was well-drawn out. There were so many possible suspects that could have wanted Camille dead for one reason or another. So, when the killer was finally revealed I thought their motive could’ve been better.

Nonetheless the character development was great. Loved the close relationship between the Murray family. Seems like there could’ve been some chemistry between Detective Bryce Jackson and Lyndsay but neither acted upon it so I’m wondering if we’ll get a book 4.

Overall, this was a cozy read the pacing was fair I was able to read it pretty quickly. The authors writing was very descriptive and vivid really brought the book to life also loved the recipes thrown in. Special thanks to the author & @minotaur_books for my gifted copy‼️

Olivia Matthews does an amazing job capturing the community vibe of a small, successful Caribbean bakery in Brooklyn's Little Caribbean neighbourhood. You can almost smell and taste the pastries that the family works together to make.

This is the third in the Spice Isle Bakery series, but I read it as a stand-alone, and didn't feel like I was missing a lot of pieces. There is enough reference to what has happened before to help newbies figure out what's going on.

Lyndsay, the likeable (but driven) main character is hoping that being part of a local festival will be exactly what the family business needs to shake off the last shadows of previous encounters with murder investigations. Unfortunately, when a beloved local celebrity ends up dead at the festival, Lyndsay and her family are drawn in again.

This was a well-plotted cozy, with lots of input from the different family members, and lots of understanding for the roles that different generations play in a community space. The slow-burn romance between Lyndsay and a detective with great legs (in his shorts) probably needs to figure out if it's going anywhere, but other than that minor quibble, this was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the e-arc.

Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in the Spice Island shopfront cozy mystery series by Olivia Matthews. Released 26th Dec 2023 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 288 pages and available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. Ebooks with interactive formats are so handy.

This is a breezy fun shopfront cozy with an appealing and intelligent protagonist who's a baker, working with her family (and solving the occasional murder/mystery). As with most cozies, the emphasis is on the characters and the puzzle. It's well constructed and easy to read, with clean language and no over the top violence. The addition of a likable protagonist and her family with roots in the West Indies gives the whole a Caribbean flair. It's nice to find a new series with well written PoC in central roles with positive representations. Lyndsay's family are adorable and fun to read and their relationship with one another is refreshingly healthy and functional. Ms. Matthews is herself an author of color and does a good job of writing these mysteries from her own background and family history.

The mystery and resolution are self-contained in this volume, so it works fine as a standalone. It's not at all derivative, but fans of Sue Minix, Wendy Meadows, and Ellie Alexander will likely enjoy this series also.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for a mini-binge or buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third installment of the Spice Isle Balery series. It's a fun, family first cozy mystery. I love how Lyndsay is so close to her family and how they work together to support and love each other. One thing I've noticed that is different from other cozy series is the time line between books is so short. Three books and they are each a month apart. Just some food for thought.

Coconut Drop Dead: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery
By Olivia Matthews
St. Martin’s
January 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

Brooklyn, New York is celebrating their annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival, and the Spice Isle Bakery is one of the many food truck vendors selling delicious, sensory-overloading treats. Lyndsay Murray has finally achieved her dream of owning a restaurant featuring traditional West Indian pastries and treats, holding the controlling interest in her family-run business. Her family is indeed very much a part of the bakery, with her parents, uncles, aunties, and grandmother very interested in expanding both the business and their generations. That’s why they immediately notice the attention Lyndsay’s cousin Mason is giving to Camille Abbey, lead singer of the DragonFlyZ band playing at the festival. It’s also why everyone is heartbroken when Camille is found dead after suffering a fall.

Mason is adamant that her death was not an accident, and it doesn’t take long for the police to agree. NYPD Homicide Detective Bryce Jackson again arrives to take over the case, but it also adds another complication to Lyndsay’s life. While she once harbored a childhood crush on the handsome Brooklynite, and her aunties and mother would love to see them together, she is unable to forgive him for his proclivity to suspect and arrest Lyndsay’s family members. That doesn’t mean that he won’t continue to flirt and ask her out for meals though, or that Lyndsay won’t once again pursue her own investigation into a murder. Camille was recently seen arguing with the band’s manager, a backup singer lost her original place when overshadowed by Camille’s talent, and there’s even an ex-boyfriend looming on the scene. In order to provide justice for a promising young woman and give some sense of resolution to her cousin, the Grenadian Nancy Drew will do all she can while still baking delicious coconut puddings and delectable coconut cookie treats.

This third in the series overflows with exuberant characters as it celebrates West Indian culture and cuisines. Rival charities keep Lyndsay on her toes as she attempts to soothe egos while also promoting her family’s business, which showcases both their traditional and modernized treats. There’s a lot of fun as Lyndsay explores the entertainment business, with music contracts and performance opportunities providing multiple motives for murder. Lyndsay’s supportive family are as adorable as they are admirable, always wanting the best for her and recognizing how she has grown so much since starting the bakery. Good-hearted humor, relatable family interactions, and an abundance of West Indian cuisine make this a rewarding mystery that opens a door into a fascinating world of vibrant food and traditions.

This mystery finds us in the Caribbean area of Brooklyn at the Spice Island Bakery. Co-owner and amateur sleuth, Lyndsay Murray is called to solve another murder. This time it's the presumed girlfriend of her cousin Manny. She was the lead singer of an upcoming Caribbean band. This is the third book in the "Spice Island Bakery Mystery": the first this reviewer has read. With continued references back to earlier books any reader might wish to read these books in succession. The plot is a bit slow to develop. The book is best when it's alive with Caribbean culture, filled with family and community. It sparkles with romantic potential when Detective Bryce and Lyndsay interact.

The Murray's are excited for the annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival and excited that Spice Island Bakery gets to be among the food vendors. Things are going well until one of the lead singers participating in the festival ends up dead. The police are leaning towards an accident but Lyndsay's cousin Manny new the young woman and thinks the police have it wrong. Lyndsay agrees to look into things for her cousin in hopes of figuring out just what happened to Camille. Follow along to see where the clues take Lyndsay, will she find her killer or will the young woman's death be ruled an accident?

I’ve been kicking off my new year with some cozy mysteries. And here’s another one I enjoyed!

Lindsay, member of the Murray family and co-owner of the family bakery, was looking forward to the Caribbean American Heritage Festival to help sell pastries. Filled with food, music from a benefit concert, and joy, what could go wrong? Even her cousin Manny was having fun and was seen walking with Camille, lead singer of an up and coming band, as they were becoming close friends….or more? Soon during the festival, Camille was found at the bottom of stairs, passed away. Manny suspected foul play, and soon Lindsay played detective again to help her cousin. Who could want to hurt Camille? What could have happened to cause this?

This was as quick cozy mystery. It took some time for me to really get invested, and that may be because I wasn’t familiar with the characters - it is book 3 of the series. But once figured out, I flew through it!

I appreciate the heritage and bakery used through the story. It gave character, and was unique! And there are even recipes at the end that I can’t wait to try.

I also appreciated the characters. There were quite a few, but all had their own unique spunk. Especially Lindsay’s grandma.

The overall story was good. It took me a while to really be invested, which slowed it down for me. But I really think it was partially my fault for not reading the series in order. I had trouble fully emphasizing with the characters. But really, it was good.

I’d love to go back and read the first two at some point. To help see the origins of it, and build up to this one. Overall a cute mystery!

This one is out NOW! So here’s another cozy to add to your list!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from the publisher and author through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

This series, while not challenging in its complexity, is a bit like a warm, soothing bath. Lyndsay Murray, majority owner in the Spice Isle Bakery, is thrilled that she and her family will be participants in the annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival, instead of just attendees. There's live music, great food and other things to enjoy at the festival, and the Murray's are kept very busy serving customers. Lyndsay's cousin Manny is also thrilled to be there as his crush Camille, lead singer of a local band making a name for themselves, will be performing.

When Camille is found dead after a performance, Manny is devastated and asks Lyndsay for help. What is even more surprising is Detective Bryce Jackson, who made the Murrays' lives difficult when investigating murders they were framed for (books one and two), asks for Lyndsay's help, as she knows many in the Caribbean American community, and her softer approach will likely benefit his efforts.

He also seems to be increasingly attracted to Lyndsay, which she has no time for as the two interview numerous people Camille knew, from the head of the Festival's planning committee, to the head of a charity.

Lyndsay proves again to be a competent investigator, and her family's connections prove useful in getting the lowdown on a number of possible suspects. She also moves further along her journey in forgiving Bryce, which is healthy for her.

This series entry is interesting, moves fast, and has great character dynamics, and fantastic food! I'm looking forward to read