Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape for an audio copy of Coconut Drop Dead. This is the third book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery and out of all three this one was my least favorite and I know why, the other two books the murders were directly linked to someone in the bakery and the family while this story line was not. Our, not so amateur sleuth, was picked to handle this murder without any real incentive like the other books. I just didn't find it that interesting for her and her family to be involved. Of course, I enjoyed the same banter and cuteness that the book has to offer and the mystery unfolding in the book was spot on. If there was another book in the series, I would still read it just because I do love the characters. This book can stand alone, however I would still recommend reading the first two.
I have posted review on Goodreads.

Love love loved this! I'm a fool for cozy mysteries and this one was fantastic! The sense of family and community connection is palpable, and the fooooood!? I will be cooking every recipe i can. Such a fun read, and the narrator did a great job too. With thanks to the author - I received access to this audiobook via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Another excellent installment from Olivia Matthews!

The narrator of this audiobook is WONDERFUL - if someone told me this was a full cast production, i would believe it. The narrator's use of emotional reading and different voices really helped to distinguish each of the characters.

It was great to have a mystery that brought in more of the extended family instead of it being the immediate family this time!! I really couldn't figure out who was the responsible party, all of the motives were really well developed for each of the suspects!

4.5 rounded up
Great addition to the series, but can also be read as a standalone. Love the characters and story.

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.

I love this series and I can't wait for the next one to come out! This family is totally fam goals and I wish that I was a part of it! I can't wait to see what is in store for Lyndsay and her detective!

#CoconutDropDead
#NetGalley

Lyndsay Murray is enjoying working in her family's shop as the co-owner. She's still learning from her grannyGrannie and is happy to spend time together. The Murray shop is located in Little Caribbean, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and they have an annual Caribbean heritage celebration with treats, music, and other entertainment.
The family is selling their famous pastries and foods at this year's event and enjoying the atmosphere. And then, there is a scream, followed by more screams. Lyndsay rushes to learn what happened. Unfortunately, it was a tragic event; the lead singer of a local band, The Dragonflies, has fallen to her death. Lyndsay's cousin does not believe it is an accident but a violent altercation that led to Camille's death. Lyndsay and her family work together with the local police department to sift out the suspects and find Camille's murderer.
Overall, it was an enjoyable mystery. Some parts were less believable, but it is a light/cozy mystery. The author brings her characters to life with vivid descriptions of their personality and appearance. My favorite character was Grannie; I loved her wisdom and storytelling.
Regarding the narrator, she did a fabulous job bringing authentic voices to each character.

I loved the latest installment of this series by Olivia Matthews. I can’t wait for the next book. Narrator was great

I absolutely adored this book, this family and their connection to the community. The characters were believable and entertaining.

I loved the narration, especially hearing all the accents. Now I have a strong urge for some Coco bread and sorrel.

I was little confused on the back story of both the FMC and her mom being accused of murder months prior to the festival. So I definitely recommend reading the first two books in the series just for more context.

Overall, I would definitely recommend to those looking for a cozy mystery!

I absolutely love this series. It amazes me how so much can happen to one small shop and one family. I started to listen to this but then realized I missed the 2nd book and had to stop and go back to the it before I started this one.

What I love most about this series is the familial ties and the culture.

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.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In this third, and arguably best, installment of the Spice Isle Bakery Series, Lyndsay Murray once again finds herself working to solve a murder that has shaken her local community. While no one in her family is on the suspect list this time, Lyndsay still finds herself looking into the murder of local reggae singer Camille and decides to team up with police detective Bryce Jackson to help the investigation (and absolutely nothing to do with his knee-buckling good looks, of course).

The themes of community and family run strong COCONUT DROP DEAD, a continuation from the series' previous installments. Easily one of my favorite elements of the Spice Isle series (besides the descriptions of food!) are the vivid and colorful characters that make up the Murray family-- who prove, time and time again, that there is a true strength in numbers and familial bonds.

Lyndsay herself has grown as a main character-- in previous books, the narration felt monotonous, focusing a lot on Lyndsay's stress concerning the bakery and her family. But I was pleasantly surprised with the development and change of pace for this latest book, Lyndsay's newfound confidence and assertiveness lend well to her character!

A great choice for a lover of modern cozy mysteries, I can't wait for the next installment of the Spice Isle Bakery Series!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook

In this Spice Isle Bakery, Lindsay and her family are at the long awaited Islander festival in this book. A performer from the festival has a fall and is found by festival goers. It’s found, due to Lindsay’s….persistence, that the performer was pushed and this should be a murder investigation.

Lindsay is her regular, overly expectant self. Although she’s asked to partner with detectives, who previously accused her of murder, to investigate this murder, she’s ridiculously annoying. She’s not cool, calm, and collected. She’s not witty. She’s truly a distraction. This book paints her to be a Nancy Drew, but I find her to be sloppy. I would’ve enjoyed her way more if she hadn’t compromised her very special and unexpected power she has being so closely involved with this case.

This is the third installment of the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries. It’s also the only one that doesn’t have Lindsay or her family as main suspects. Something that really annoys me in these books is the constant meddling of Lindsay and her family. They’re relentless. Where some might find this endearing, I find it incredibly annoying and distracting.

Something I appreciate about this book and this series is the breeze of a storyline it holds. I nearly never know who the killer is. It’s usually revealed halfway through when the detectives are focused on obvious suspects.

I just really cannot get past Lindsay’s unrealistic expectations to be told everything about a police investigation. I’d much rather her family and patrons not be the main detectives. Or if they are, put them in grave danger of some sort for meddling.

This book was probably supposed to be fun for the ever budding romance of Lindsay and her detective love interest. That was cute and I hope that’s explored more.

This is a fun cozy mystery set in the Little Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. Lyndsay has a very close-knit family. I especially appreciated Granny and her stories as well as her faith in and support of Lyndsay’s efforts. The mystery itself was interesting, especially since Lyndsay was able to work a little more directly with the detectives this time around. I loved all the little things that built a sense of culture and community into the book like the reggae music, West Indian food, and the bakery regulars.

The audiobook is narrated by Janina Edwards and she did a great job. I loved the way she portrayed different accents. It helped build a sense of the multicultural Little Caribbean neighborhood where the story is set.

Things are busy at Spice Isle Bakery. It's the annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival and the bakery is participating as a vendor. Lyndsay Murray is looking forward to the festival, the customers, and the music. But then tragedy strikes when Camille, a well-known singer of a reggae band, dies suspiciously. It is soon confirmed that she's been murdered. Despite getting ready for the festival, Lyndsay is also looking into the murder because her cousin Manny was dating Camille.

This is a fun cozy starring the Murray family and their very outspoken customers. It is great fun to watch every aspect of the case be discussed in detail at the bakery counter, whether Lyndsay wants to discuss it or not. The book is also filled with delicious descriptions of wonderfully spicy baked goods and a tempting recipe at the end. The mystery is interesting, even if it is not too hard to figure out. The special treats in this series are the family, their wonderful community of customers, and the way they interact with each other.

The audiobook is very well done, and specific accents are portrayed authentically. The narrator manages to convey the sense of community very well.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

During the holidays I am always drawn to cozy mysteries, especially ones with fun characters, family, and BAKING. This book delivers on all fronts and adds a Caribbean flair. I didn't read the first two books in this series, but I fell right into the story and connecting with the characters and general flow of the writing.

The audiobook is also very well done and the the narrator brings the characters to life.
Thank you to netgalley for this ALC!

Coconut Drop Dead is the third in the series. I’ve read them all in order, which I think gives a fuller picture of Lyndsay, her family, and their community. I do think this would work as a stand alone though, and to be honest it might be the best so far.

Lyndsay Murray and her family are busy with the Caribbean American Heritage Festival when Camille Abbey falls to her death down a flight of stairs. Camille is the lead singer of DratonFlyZ an up-and-coming reggae band and seemed like an honestly nice woman. Lyndsay’s cousin, Manny, certainly thought so. He is devastated by Camille’s death and sure it was murder, so Lyndsay and the rest of the family decide to look into it.

Lyndsay is a great main character and is becoming more confident as the series continues. I like how the author incorporates the food and culture of the West Indies. Their heritage is important to the people in Little Caribbean. I also enjoyed how close Lyndsey and her family are. They make important decisions as a group and are supportive and always willing to help in any way they can. Her grandmother is a hoot. She says what she’s thinking and is the best “actress” of the lot. I also love that the bakery regulars are always willing to add their two cents.

The mystery was put together well. We had several suspects, none of whom are Lyndsay’s family members, with plenty of clues and red herrings. The whodunnit was not surprising, but sometimes the clues do just point in the right direction.

Overall, it was a fun, cozy mystery. And all the food sounds so delicious! We don’t really have authentic Caribbean restaurants/bakeries locally, so I may have to try a couple of the included recipes. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a wonderful job. I can't tell if the accents sounded authentic but they worked for me. She did a good job differentiating the characters and playing up the humor when appropriate.

I think this cozy mystery series is really fun. The heroine is a Black Caribbean woman living in Brooklyn and running a bakery with her family. She keeps getting caught up these murder investigations though! In Coconut Drop Dead, the lead singer of a popular band (and the woman her cousin was crushing on) has died from a fall and it seems like she was pushed... This is exactly what I want when I pick up a cozy mystery- yummy sounding food, a somewhat twisty mystery, a romantic subplot, and a reluctant heroine. The audio narration is done well too. Definitely worth a try! I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I liked this (third) series installment more than the first, but not by a landslide. I haven't read the second book.

Tiny annoyance (falling short of qualifying as “the bad”): For a short book, there's a surprising amount of unnecessary repetition. The biggest offense may be excessive description of clothing. I'm not talking about accounts of outfits that support the storyline—of which there are some—but of repeated description of the casual bakery uniform, including the color of their shirts. We get it—they have matching shirts for their family business.

The indifferent: There were a couple of potential romantic partners in book one, both of whom are still around in book three. Lindsay is brutally clear to one that she doesn't like or trust him. Unfortunately, there is next to no heat generated between Lindsay and the other man, despite hints of mutual attraction. If you're looking for Stephanie Plum– or Finlay Donovan–level heat, you won't find it here. Maybe the slow burn is part of the series strategy . . . or maybe it's just not of interest to the author, which is fine, too.

The good: As expected from a series centering on a family business in a close-knit ethnic neighborhood, there is a strong sense of family and community. Camille wanted proceeds from the band's CD to go to a local cause. Lyndsay’s brother is torn between returning to his law firm and staying with the family bakery beyond the initial need for which he took a break from his law practice. We learn more about the grandmother's history, including the reason for her estrangement from a close friend. These were the most interesting parts of the story, though they have nothing to do with the mystery. Also as expected from a food-themed cozy series, there are recipes at the end.

If you are looking for a very light cozy mystery, this might suit you. I'm not disappointed that I read it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected December 26.