Ellie Alexander is my absolute favorite cozy mystery writer.

This series is absolutely my favorite and all her characters are fantastic. They go so fast and I will continue to read without even checking to see what its about.

She will always be a 5 star writer for me.

WTG Ellie another fantastic read! You are the best!

Ellie Alexander is and will continue to be my absolute favorite cozy mystery writer. This series and her Sloan Krause series are my favorite go to mysteries and I will also continue to read them as she continues to write them!

A Smoking Bun is book 18 in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.
I read Catch Me If You Candy earlier this year and really enjoyed the writing and characters so I was super excited to read the next installment of this cozy mystery series. And it was just as great.
I really enjoyed being back in Ashland, Oregon, at the Torte Bakeshop.
Each character is a delight and the sleuth is always super fun and keeps me guessing to conclusion.
The characters and their relationships are stellar and the mystery has enough twists and turns to keep us turning those pages. A quick and engrossing read.
An entertaining read for foodies and all cozy fans and those who enjoy the wonderful bakery setting and outstanding food elements.
Alexander‘s writing is vivid, musing and thoughtful.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Ellie Alexander continues to write an amazing continuation of Jules and the crew at Torte. I love this series so much.

Jules and Carlos have Carlos's teenage son Ramiro living with them for the school year and for the holiday break his mother and her husband and Ramiro's half-sister are coming for a visit. Jules has a lot of fun winter activities planned for them, including a moonlight snowshoe on a nearby mountain. Unfortunately the festivities are marred by a death that is not the accident it first appeared to be and the news that the ski lodge is in dire financial straits.

I started this series with book 17 so I know I'm missing a lot of the backstory that has been created through the first 16 books in the series. I'm sure that takes something away from being able to appreciate the series as much as I could if I'd read the entire thing... but I appreciate it a heck of a lot anyway. The characters are great and I love the setting so much. Especially the vintage ski lodge in this book, it brings to mind places I went as a kid that have mostly been remodeled or demolished but Ashland saved the lodge so people could enjoy the nostalgia of it for the next generation.

There were not a lot of twists and turns in this book, a lot of the story focused on Ramiro's family visit, but there was more than enough mystery to keep things interesting and to make this book hard to put down. I am definitely looking forward to going back to the beginning of the series and reading it through from the start.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

#ASmokingBun #NetGalley brings us to Ashford, Oregon and into the holiday season for Jules, Carlos, and the rest of the Torte family.
In addition to our normal residents, we have the arrival of Ramiro's mom, step dad and sister, ready to spend the holidays with Jules and Carlos.
I felt an immediate connection with Sophia, Ramiro's mom, and her relationship with Jules was well done. I'm so happy that the author wrote it that way, it was a brilliant idea in my opinion.
Jules had some fun activities planned for their families and when a moonlight snowshoe tour doesn't go as planned, Jules has no idea she'll soon be investigating another murder investigation.
I enjoyed this book a lot and I'm looking forward to recommending it to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

Jules is back in Ashland, Oregon for the next book in the Bakeshop Mystery Series. Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain and Jules can't wait to ring in the new year with his family. Jules has several events for Ramiro's family to enjoy including the Downhill Dummy, an annual competition where teams build a makeshift dummy and send them down the ski hill. However, the competition takes a deadly turn when one of the dummies kills a ski guide known for his shady business practices and never following safety protocols. Can Jules and Lance find the killer before it is too late?

I really enjoy this series. I love the descriptions of Ashland and the events that occur during the holidays and new year. It makes me want to take a trip over the mountain to see if the descriptions of the town truly match what happens each year. The detail of the baking always makes me hungry, so if you read this series, make sure you have snacks. The only complaint I have is the character growth over the last couple books. The same questions I had regarding Jules and Lance in Catch Me if you Candy, I still had after reading this book. Hopefully some of my questions will be answered in the next book.

A Smoking Bun comes out February 20th, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review A Smoking Bun. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Smoking Bun is the 18th 😱 installment in Ellie Alexander’s A Bakeshop Mystery series. This book takes place during the time between Christmas and New Year’s on Mount A the area’s local ski lodge. With Ramiro’s mom, stepfather and half sister visiting they take in all the local sights and events at the lodge only to have a tragic accident occur. Jules finally gets to meet the rest of Ramiro’s Spanish family and Jules and Sophia (Ramiro’s mom) have a meaningful conversation and a genuine friendship develops which leads to Jules seriously thinking about her and Carlos’s future.


I was really really hoping for a certain set of news especially with the title of this book but I guess we will just have to keep waiting. I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of happy news in the upcoming books from everyone in the Torte crew and I can’t wait. This is one of the things I love about a cozy mystery series is how invested you become in the characters lives.


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

My favorite cozy series! It makes me want to visit Ashland and explore all the places that show up in the books. I loved revisiting these characters and can’t wait for more in the series!

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I will happily leave a review for this when the racist remarks by one of their employees is addressed. I want to support the author, but also want to know they don’t support this behavior.

Enjoyed the further adventures of these characters and the winter setting in the Oregon mountains. You almost feel the cold from the descriptions. It can be hard to move a series forward but Alexander is quire successful at it.

I truly love this series. The way the stories are told, it feels as though you are right there, living it with them. I have always been a fan of Jules and her family and friends. The way the food and drinks are written about, I want to find Torte and just enjoy.
Fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you, Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A snow competition turns deadly for a tour guide. It will be up to Jules to solve the case as well as provide delicious goodies for the spectators. Will she be able to bake up a storm and catch a killer at the same time before another body is buried?

It is a delicious cozy mystery to indulge in. Jules once again prove she can multitask