This is the third book in Spice Isle Bakery Mystery Series. I missed the first one, I give 2nd one 4 stars.
In this one Lyndsay's Family own bakery attend Caribbean American Heritage Festival. On the event, the famous singer dead,
this is a ok for me, average cozy mystery, not great, not bad just OK.
I lost my interest in the middle of the book, don't see why Lyndsay have to involve. the case itself is not get me full attention, the love interest part still hanging.
Maybe the author don't want to upset those reading who have read the first two books, their are too many info given out about the characters, relationships etc. but i am a little bord.
I love the community setting, the recipes of west Indian food. i still want to see a big step forward with the romance part. Author need to give stronger personality to the love interest, what is his name? (see, that's a problem)

3 stars

Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery cozy mystery series but my first read in this series.
I really enjoyed the authentic flavor the author has added to the book. I learned a lot about Caribbean American foods and the culture. Spice Isle Bakery is doing very well and a vendor spot at Caribbean American Heritage Festival helps business to boom. I enjoyed seeing how close knit this family is as they work together at the bakery even granny, the family matriarch. Granny seems to have the final say in everything and the family and community gives her the respect she deserves.
While at the festival a murder occurs, the lead singer of a famous reggae band.
Believing the police are not solving the case quickly enough Lyndsay, owner of Spice Isle Bakery is ready to take things into her own hands and do some investigating on her own.
The investigation, presentation of clues and possible suspects are presented in a believable way and the book kept me guessing on who the guilty party was. Well done and I'll look forward to reading more in this series.



Pub Date: 26 Dec 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Lindsay is pulling out the stops to advertise the bakery.. They are in the park for a celebration of the island culture. When the lead singer of an up and coming band winds up dead, Lindsay is asked by the police to help solve the mystery. I loved this book because Lindsay comes into her own and her confidence in herself begins to shine. I love the cultural nuances and all the characters. A good read and well plotted. This series gets better with each book!

Lyndsay Murray is thrilled when her bakery is accepted as a vendor at the annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival. With the help of her family, this event is sure to boost sales in her new shop.

Then, tragedy strikes. The festival turns from happy to sad in a matter of moments. The lead singer of the band performing at the event mysteriously dies. At first the police think it’s an accident, but Lyndsay’s cousin knew the singer well and is convinced she has been murdered. Lyndsay is determined to help her cousin and bring a killer to justice.

This is the third book in the series and it's one of my favorites. These are characters you can truly grow to love. I know I do. This is why it’s so important to start from book #1. It means so much more when you know about the Murray’s roots and what they are each striving to achieve. Each character is perfectly crafted and truly comes to life with each page.

The mystery gives us several potential suspects. I kept changing my mind as to “whodunit”, but one of the people on my list was the culprit. Lyndsay is a strong character and doesn’t back down from anyone, not even the police. More often than not, she seems to be one step ahead of them.

Of course, there’s a potential romance for Lyndsay with the local police detective, but they are taking it slow. It works well that way. It leaves me wanting more and that’s a very good thing.

It’s a fast-paced story with so many suspects your head will spin. The main theme with this series is family. The love and care for each other shines through the entire book. These feel like old friends, not characters in a book. I’m looking forward to another visit with the Murrays very soon. I’m already missing them.



FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow what a case and I’m sure Lyndsay and her family were thrilled not to be suspects this time, but she was still up for some sleuthing. I love the camaraderie of this fun-sounding section of Brooklyn and how Lyndsay’s family was ready and willing to help out even if someone was a stranger.

Dev’s little side story turned out well and that was one exciting showdown. Did Lyndsay use her kickboxing skills in this killer showdown? You’ll have to read and see! I hope there’ll be more in the series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

Book three in the series
Have gotten a food stand during Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage festival could bring a big boost to their family run bakery. Everything is going great until the lead singer of an upcoming reggae band dies. Lyndsay’s cousin Manny is devastated with the dead of Camille to whom he was becoming close. He refuses to believe this was an accident or that she killed herself. Plenty of suspects to choose from, but who could have done it? I really enjoyed the book and would have given it a five star if it had not been for the repeat description of the same aromas filling the bakery. The occasional use of different wordings but having the same effect would have been better. One of the best parts of this story is the closeness of the family. The interactions with the various customers and of course we cannot forget grandma. You might need snacks ready because the description of the food is going to make you hungry.

Spice Isle Bakery is thriving, and is lined up to be a vendor at the Caribbean American Heritage Festival. Lyndsay Murray, who owns the bakery with her family, has also earned a reputation as a bit of a Nancy Drew, who has solved two previous murder cases. So when the lead singer of a popular band dies, Lyndsay begins working with the police, including her crush Detective Bryce, to solve the crime.

This is a great cozy mystery series. The descriptions of food and drink alone are amazing. The family is such a strong, loving, resourceful group of characters, each unique. Lyndsay is a very strong main female character. The mystery is a great one as well, with lots of suspects and possibilities. I would recommend this series, and this book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of Coconut Drop Dead. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in the series it may be read as a standalone. This is a fun new cozy mystery series. I like how they all pick up immediately after the previous book. Storylines continue over the series but you won’t be lost if you miss reading one of the books.

Lyndsay does a great job honing her detective skills in Coconut. The hunky police detective even suggests they work together to solve the mystery. This is super refreshing, as most main characters are told to “step back and let the professionals solve the case.”

Looking forward to reading more in this series.

I've really been enjoying the Arsenic and Adobo series by Mia P. Manansala, and so when I saw the description for Coconut Drop Dead by Olivia Matthews, I thought it'd be something right up my alley. I have not read the other books in the series, but hoped that I'd be able to pick it up as a standalone. I will say right away, there are some mentions of continuity from the earlier books, but it is easy to read this without having read the other two. Normally, I am always hesitant to read things out of order, but this worked just fine. Also... look at how pretty this cover is. I love how the colors contrasted and popped.

One of the things I really noticed in this book, was even as a murder mystery, Matthews actually centered the victim in the book. The grief of the other characters was explored, which sometimes is briefly explored in other books but in Coconut Drop Dead, it was really expressed by both the immediate characters in Camille's vicinity and the wider community. Another aspect of this book I really enjoyed was how Matthews gently educated about the West African and Caribbean communities. There would sometimes be words that I did not recognize, would Google them, and then in the next paragraph Granny would be telling a story from their culture that better described the meaning of the word and the meaning to them than Google could.

Overall, the pacing of the mystery was just right. The other story lines between characters was well developed, as well as enough to keep the reader turning the page and wanting to know more. I also really want to visit a local West African bakery and try some of the foods described after reading this book, I'm going to have to go on the search for one in my community.

Honestly, while I love a digital copy of the book, I'm probably going to go out and buy a physical copy, if only to get the recipes at the back in a format I can carry into the kitchen.

Please be advised I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Dollycas's Thoughts

The Murrays have been going to the Caribbean American Heritage Festival for years. This year with the opening of their Spice Isle Bakery they are excited to be one of the event's food vendors. Lyndsay Murray had the dream of working with her family and opening a bakery featuring West Indian foods. While they have had a few bumps along the way, they have built a solid following. She hopes the festival will bring even more customers their way.

The bakery's booth was busy and people were enjoying the live music until the lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band had a fatal fall. Lyndsay's cousin Manny knew the singer and while the police think her death was an accident, he believes someone pushed her. After Lyndsay's success in solving other murders, he asks her to help find the person responsible for his friend's death.  She knows Detective Bryce Jackson won't be happy with her butting into his case but she believes he isn't taking her concerns seriously, so she has no choice but to do some investigating on her own. The killer isn't going to be happy she is investigating either.

_____

You can't help but get behind the Murray family. They are a close family who come together every day to realize Lyndsay's dream. Her parents and grandmother do most of the baking but Lyndsay's baking skills are improving under her grandmother's tutelage. When not in the kitchen Granny holds court at a table between the kitchen and the customer area of the restaurant. Her brother Dev, has left his stressful law career for now to help at the bakery. Everyone, in this family, is dedicated to their heritage and just plain nice and willing to help anyone.

We are getting to know Detective Detective Bryce Jackson and Detective Stanley Milner better as well. Lyndsay had a crush on Bryce in high school and now he seems interested in her but with him putting her and her family on his suspect list whenever there is a murder her brain has no desire to date the man. Her heart may be a different story. I am so pleased by the way these characters continue to develop in realistic ways.

I enjoyed that the theme of this story is the Caribbean American Heritage Festival. I love learning about different cultures and their traditions. The Murray family is immersed in their culture and shares their love of their Grenadian roots through their food and the music played at the bakery. The descriptions of the food will truly make your mouth water and the music can be uplifting. Two pudding recipes can be found at the end of the book.

I was really surprised that Bryce asked for Lyndsay's help with the case. He has finally realized that people in her community would open up to her better than talking to the "bo-bo". Plus he knows she is not going to stop investigating and the best thing would be working together. Lyndsay accompanying Bryce when he interviewed persons of interest and suspects was a nice twist. She asked great questions and picked up on things he may have missed.

I did have my own lists of suspects and enjoyed following along with Lyndsay as she worked through all the clues. I can happily report that I had the correct person at the top and wasn't exactly surprised by the killer's justification of their crime. They hurt a lot of people and need to be locked up and are in need of counseling too. I really enjoyed the takedown and the way the case was discussed to tie up any loose ends. I loved the final paragraphs as well. I can't wait for the next Spice Isle Bakery Mystery.

Coconut Drop Dead is a top-notch addition to this series. The core characters are so genuine and draw readers into this story and their lives so easily. I am invested in them and excited to see what Ms. Matthews has planned for them next. I highly recommend all three books in this series.

A cozy mystery set during a Caribbean Festival.....a great way to escape the cold dreary weather in December. The 3rd book in a great series with characters that fit well together and keep the bad guys on the run. Olivia Matthews set up a great mystery just for her loyal readers. Grab your copy and join the fan club.

4.5 rounded up
Great characters and good story. Love the recipes at the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Coconut Drop Dead is Olivia Matthew’s third book in the Spice Isle Bakery Series, featuring Lindsey Murray and her family. When Lindsey’s cousin loses a good friend to a strange and tragic accident, he asks her to help him investigate. She also gets asked by “Detective Fine”, Bryce Jackson, her high school crush. If she could help since she knows the locals. I think this is my favorite of the three. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read and listen to this story.

I started the series with this book and honestly it was super easy to follow along. The book was really engaging and fun! I really liked the MC and her family. The fact that the police was trying to work with an amateur was a bit of a stretch but it was still really fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, dreamscape media, and Olivia Matthews for giving me the opportunity to review this books. All opinions are my own.

What a little gem. A Caribbean Festival in NYC, lots of culture, quirky and wonderful characters, plenty of amazing food, recipes, and music. Toss in a possible murder and you can stick a fork in it, it's cooked. A quick read to get you through your post holiday slump.

I really enjoyed the latest installment in this series by Olivia Matthews. I can not wait to see how the characters develop in the next book.

Coconut Drop Dead is the third novel in the Spice Isle Bakery series. Though it is possible to read it as a standalone, I would recommend reading at least the first novel in the series as there are references in this latest novel to earlier murder investigations.

Like Matthews’ two prior Spice Isle series, the main character Lyndsay Murray gets immersed in a murder investigation with lead detective, Bryce Jackson. Only this time, Lyndsay isn’t a suspect but an assistant investigator. Together with Bryce, Lyndsay along with the rest of her family band together to solve the death of well known Calypso singer, Camille Abbey.

The characters are the mainstay of the novel with strong family values. And I loved how each of the characters have evolved since the inception of the first novel. They have all grown and have developed like fine wine — full bodied with character. And with this latest novel, the antagonism between Lyndsay and Bryce seem to be fading away. Is there a romance brewing? And, too, the rift between Jose’ the journalist and Lyndsay appears to be slowly coming to a close. Could there be a possible investigative team of Lyndsay, Bryce and Jose?

The plot like any cozy mystery follows a whodunit theme. But in a slow atmospheric pace. Clues slowly surface by a process of elimination until the perpetrator is revealed. And in the case of Coconut Drop Dead, it was somewhat of a surprise.

I really enjoyed Coconut Drop Dead. It was a quick read with a Carribean flair. And as a bonus, like Matthews’ other novels, there are a couple of Carribean recipes at the end to enhance that West Indian vibe. Five Stars.

I was invited to read the DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Coconut Drop Dead is the third book in an enjoyable cozy mystery series featuring a family from Grenada who have opened a bakery in their Brooklyn neighborhood, Little Caribbean. The bakery is more than a traditional bakery because they serve traditional dishes such as “fish bakes” along with their Coconut Drop Cookies, Hard Dough Bread, currant rolls, and more. The stories are told from the POV of the main character, Lyndsay, the daughter of the family, who is not pleased to be referred to as “the Grenadian Nancy Drew.”

While it’s always good to read a series in order, I feel this one could easily be read as a standalone. There are references to her earlier crime-solving adventures, it’s not necessary to this story to have read about them. Unlike the second book, which was a kind of locked-room mystery, this one is far from that, as the death occurs in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park during a Caribbean Festival. At first the death is ruled accidental, but Lindsay’s cousin Manny had a “thing” for Camille, the lead singer of a locally popular reggae band, and he’s sure it was murder.

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 was unhappy in his job. I was glad to see the growth in Lyndsay’s character; she has much more self-confidence now. Lyndsay’s grandmother is a terrific character, always sitting at a table in the bakery, crocheting, and joining in all the conversations.

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 two books, so I guess the author is happy with it. The only other complaint is that there is too much description of what everyone is wearing, whether it’s relevant or not.

The author includes a couple of recipes at the end. Unfortunately it didn’t include the titular Coconut Drop cookies, which I had hoped for!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and why I flew through the story so fast. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Janina Edwards, who did a great job with all the voices and accents.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

What a nice bakery. And they even have a food truck at the Little Caribbean festival. The music is playing and hips are swaying. Sounds like so much fun. Then one of the singer is at the bottom of the stairs...dead. Oh No!! How did that happen? Lyndsay and her family are concerned because she was her cousins new love interest. Read along as she helps the police find answers.......Accident or murder?
I read this was quickly. Like the cover, the food made me drool and the story held my interest. A good book.

This is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries but it worked well as a standalone.

Despite being set in one of the boroughs of the most populated city in the US, this story had a small town feel. It takes place in the neighborhood known as Little Caribbean, a place where I’ve had some memorable food experiences 😋

Even for being a cozy mystery, this story was a bit slow to get anywhere.

For me the biggest annoyance was that every character’s clothing was described in full detail every time they were mentioned – even the jackets they had hanging from the back of a chair.

🔹️ Summertime setting
🔹️ Single POV
🔹️ Tight knit family dynamic
🔹️ Lots of banter
🔹️ Caribbean heritage rep

Posted to IG @rolandreviews on 12/14/2023
Posted to Goodreads on 12/20/2023