#SticksandScones #NetGalley is such a fantastic story, I read it in about 5 hours. I stayed up late, and woke up early to finish it.
Jules is an amazing character and I love her role as friend, daughter, wife and step mother. Her friendship with Lance shines throughout the story and their easy going bantering always makes me laugh.
There's so much going on in the story, you just have to read it to believe it.
I'm not saying more, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but you must buy this book, it's that good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I'm extremely excited to recommend this book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Alexander, and Minotaur Books for this advance reader copy of the book. Below is my honest opinion review of the story.

Publication date: ‎ August 20, 2024
Print length: ‎ 310 pages
A Bakeshop Mystery series

The latest installment of the Bakeshop Mystery series, this makes #19. I'm new to the author and series and found that there wasn't a lot of backstory at first, I wasn't sure who most of the characters were. There's a fine line between too much past information and too little but I though this erred on the side of too little. As a standalone it didn't work for me, it was many chapters into the story that I found out Carlos was her husband. As the story unfolded more of the characters did fall into place but it was confusing at first.

Now for the hard part, I didn't like the story. It moved so slow I became impatient and halfway through I gave up and skipped to the end. The plot had promise and I did wonder who killed the actor but it was an effort to make it to 50%. I wasn't invested in the main character, Jules acted like she didn't know how or wanted to solve the mystery. She's a novice but is in the loop with the police on the investigation? It didn't make sense. After 18 previous murders she should be either resolved or excited to find a dead body. One person was excited about the mystery and Lance was the only one. Without giving it away I will say the choice of murder weapon was original and properly icky. I'm a fan of culinary mysteries but this one is a no for me.

#SticksandScones #ABakeshopMystery #EllieAlexander #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #culinarymystery #foodmystery #cozymystery #contemporarymystery

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of STICKS AND SCONES (Book 19 of the Bakeshop Mystery series) by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. In order to satisfy his need for drama during Ashland’s off-season theater scene, Lance has created a new acting troupe, the Fair Verona Players, has partnered with Uva’s vineyard to act as a venue for the plays, and has further partnered with Torte to provide delicious goodies for the theater patrons. It all sounds wonderful, but the first show ends with more drama than anticipated when Juliet finds the male lead whacked in the wine cellar. Once again, Juliet and Lance are hot on the chase.

I enjoyed this book and love the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series. I recommend the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring food, bakeries, tourist destinations, themed towns, treasuring born family, and finding chosen family.

#SticksandScones #NetGalley

As usual a good book in a good series by Ellie Alexander. This has good food and a little Shakespeare mix in a dead Shakespearean actor . I recommend it as a good read.

It is very clear when reading this book that the author loves cooking, perhaps, even mirrors Jules thoughts on cooking being great therapy. I personally will attest to the statements, some days, I just want to be alone in by kitchen to prepare something tasty. Speaking of tasty the author does a nice job of describing lots of yummy treats as Jules uses cooking both mentally escape and clear her mind to dive back in. The author describes in many seems the baking process in such a loving you you know she is passionate about her cooking.
The cooking makes a nice backdrop to the a well plotted mystery. Again, the mystery was full of red herrings and finger pointing between the suspects. What surprised me and both added to my enjoyment was the closeness of the town from Lance going to Jules for help to Julies working with the cops. They community was very tight knit and close and described as a beautiful town. I am almost surprised that with so many lengthy cooking paragraphs and a slightly longer book length that I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a very easy to read and a fun read. The recipes at the back are well worth checking out, maybe, for the holiday cooking season that we will upon us. Speaking of the end of the book, lots of good news and who know where that good news will lead future stories.
My final note, this book came out on my birthday yesterday and I had taken a vacation day so I allowed myself an afternoon siesta to read with my feet up. This was the perfect book for that because good stories make good gifts.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Yet another great story in the Bakeshop Mystery series! There's a murder at Uva vineyard and Jules finds the dead body - again! One of these days I will figure out who did it before Jules figures it out, but it certainly wasn't this time! I hope this series will continue for a long time to come, especially when you find out what is revealed at the end of the story - nope I'm not giving any hints away! Can't wait for the next one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This book was an extra awesome one as readers soon find out toward the end of the book. Meanwhile, one of the actors in Lance’s player company was murdered, and Lance was itching to sleuth with Jules again. Those two always crack me up when they go sleuthing! Lance is such a fun and crazy character, love him to pieces!

The series has lotsa other amazing characters that’ve grown and changed over the course of the series. I really love The Professor's character and how he’s been such an awesome dad figure for Jules as well as a fair and hard-working police detective. Eye leakage may be experienced toward the end but it's the happy kind. Can't wait for the next book which thankfully comes in February!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin Paperbacks via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Sticks and Scones is the 19th book in Ellie Alexander’s A Bakeshop Mystery series. This book focuses on Lance’s side project of hosting live performances at their winery Uva and how the tension between the cast and crew led to a deadly first curtain call. But as Lance would say “the show must go on!”

Finally the announcement I’ve been waiting a few books for and it made me so excited for the next book but also a little sad about all the other changes coming to the Torte family. Long running series have a way of sticking with you and you truly become invested and feel like you know the characters.


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

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Ellie Alexander's mysteries are always a pleasant and entertaining read as she's an excellent storyteller and the mystery are well developed and solid.
This is ful of lovely people, mouthwatering food. The solid mystery surprised me and I appreciated the solution.
Even if it's the 19th instalment in this series it can be read and appreciated as a stand alone
Well done, highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved A Smoking Bun. So I was excited to jump right into Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander.
This Bakeshop Mystery series has been such a delightful treat.
I enjoyed the mystery in this one and had trouble figuring out “whodunit.”
Every guess I made was wrong!
SAS was a captivating cozy mystery filled with characters that feel more like old friends with each book in this series. I am excited to return to Ashland to see what Alexander has planned for Juliet and her friends and family.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a sweet, enjoyable, cozy mystery. Lots of great characters, and delicious food and drinks. For me, I felt like I was missing something as I hadn't read the previous books in the series, but I was able to follow along with the mystery of who killed Jimmy.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ellie Alexander for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Sticks and Scones coming out August 20, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn’t realize this was the 19th book in the series. I love this author, so I was excited to check it out. I definitely need to go back and read more books in the series. It took a little bit of time to get into the book, but I didn’t feel really lost in the story. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries, especially when food is involved. I love the recipes at the end of the book. I think the mystery was a lot of fun. I love Juliet’s character and the plot surrounding Taming of the Shrew was so fun. I love Shakespeare and the Oregon setting felt really cozy. I would definitely check out more books.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Ashland, OR’s opening of The Taming of the Shrew comes to a dramatic close when their Petruchio is found murdered in the wine basement. When Juliet is the one to discover the body in her own wine cellar, she feels compelled to investigate the murder.

This was delightful! Juliet is charming, & her relationships with all her employees as well as her friends are so nice to see. Her community is such a great support system. And I love her relationship with her mother.

All of the different food sounded so delicious and I can’t wait to try the recipes at the end of the book. I desperately wanted more of the show’s adaptation. The whole description sounded fascinating.

The mystery itself is almost a B plot, as Juliet deals with some possible serious health concerns as well as expanding the bakery all at the same time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Sticks and Scones is #19 in the Bakeshop Mystery Series. I am a huge fan of Ellie’s Sloan Krause Mystery series so I was interested to check out her other books. What I love about Ellie’s books beside her writing is the yummy food and drink in every book. Sticks and Scones has coffee, wine, and the most yummy sounding baked goods. And then there’s murder….lol. If you like cozy mysteries then pick up any of Ellie’s books!

Sticks and Scones is a part of a long running series like book nineteen I think. I quickly figured out I was at a disadvantage with this book having not read the previous ones. The mystery was okay even with the whodunnit not being a surprise. The author added twists to the why behind the murder. My biggest fall back is I didn’t get a feel for any of the characters in this book. After finishing the book most of the characters still felt like complete strangers which I am sure is due to the characters being well developed over the long run of the series. Not having much of a grasp on the characters made a lot of the different suspicions between characters just seem odd. My personal feelings are that this book would be better enjoyed as a part of the series instead of a standalone. I just felt like I was missing too much relevant background information. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander offers another cozy slice of life in Ashland, Oregon, where the charm of the town and the allure of Torte's delectable treats make for a delightful setting. This latest installment in the Bakeshop Series finds Juliet "Jules" Capshaw juggling her responsibilities at Torte with the intrigue surrounding a local theater production. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival's modern twist on The Taming of the Shrew takes a dark turn when the lead actor meets an untimely demise. As Jules dives into the mystery, readers are treated to mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods that almost steal the show.

While Sticks and Scones continues to deliver the cozy ambiance and culinary delights fans of the series have come to love, the mystery at the heart of the story feels somewhat underbaked. The plot, though engaging, lacks the depth and tension that might elevate it from a light, enjoyable read to a more gripping tale. The characters remain endearing, and the setting is as charming as ever, but the mystery itself feels secondary to the atmosphere. Despite these shortcomings, Sticks and Scones is still a pleasant addition to the Bakeshop Series, perfect for those who enjoy a blend of culinary creations and cozy mysteries, though it might leave some readers craving a bit more substance.

I did not realize that this was #19 (!) in the series -- I thought this was from another series. So not the right place for me to start, as there are way too many characters mentioned in the early chapters. I felt lost, understandably.

My rating is based on how I wasn't interested enough in the setup, cast, setting, or any other factors to want to go back and try an earlier entry in the series.

Baker and entrepreneur Jules Capshaw doesn’t have time to feel ill, not when her best friend Lance’s new production company, the Fair Verona Players, is about to debut its very first performance in just a matter of days. Their updated take on Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew will premiere on the grounds of Uva, the winery Jules owns with her husband Carlos. In addition, Jules’ bakeshop Torte is catering the play’s opening night, so she’s got a lot on her plate even before dealing with the backstage shenanigans of perhaps overdramatic cast and crew.

Fortunately for everyone, the first performance is a hit, with lead actor Jimmy Paxton stealing the show as Petruchio. It nearly makes up for how awful he’s been to almost everyone around him, as Jules has witnessed firsthand in between the infrequent but troubling bouts of dizziness that have recently started plaguing her. The dizziness has become debilitating enough that she’s not exactly thrilled to have to climb the stairs down to Uva’s wine cellar to get a bottle for a difficult patron after the performance. Things go from bad to much, much worse though when she gets to the bottom to find Jimmy dead, with a corkscrew stabbed through his neck.

The immediate question is who could have hated Jimmy enough to murder him. Sure he was a full blown diva who wasn’t above weaponizing his charm to win over anyone who might prove useful to him then discarding them the instant they weren’t. But that hardly seems like a motive for murder… does it? As Jules helps her friends in Ashland’s police force figure out who killed Jimmy and why, she’ll have to investigate too the reason that she’s been feeling so run down, even as she has to cope with unexpected curveballs in both her professional and personal lives.

I love catching up with Jules and her family and friends so much! Her Oregon town’s philosophy of community policing, as led by her stepdad, makes her involvement in apprehending murderers all the more convincing. I also loved how that same stepdad – fondly known to all as The Professor – urged her to take a step back from her punishing work schedule and make more time for herself, especially with her body giving her ample signals that she needs more rest. This felt like a particularly thoughtful and uplifting installment of the long-running Bakeshop Mystery series, and I’m looking forward to enjoying many more.

There were six recipes included here, all for drinks and dishes deliciously described in the text. I felt like baking up something sweet but not too complicated, so decided on this one:

QUOTE
Strawberry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.

Whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract in a separate small bowl until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix until the dough just comes together. Place the dough on a floured surface and pat it into a circle (about 1 inch thick). Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle them with granulated sugar. Bake the scones for 15-18 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.
END QUOTE

Fresh strawberries in these scones make them so good! The scones themselves are delicious and fluffy, and while they can absolutely be enjoyed on their own, I very much appreciated them with more of the leftover sliced strawberries, as well as with freshly whipped cream. Served that way, they honestly tasted a bit like one of my favorite desserts: a real southern strawberry shortcake with all the fixings. The preparation is also quite easy, making this a relatively quick treat to whip up.

Next week we travel south down the coast to investigate the murder of a disrespectful guest in a series debut while baking up a delicious meal. Do join me!

In this installment of the Bakeshop mysteries, Jules and team partner with the local Shakespeare theater director to provide excellent culinary adventures along with wine and theater at the vineyard. However, as usual for Jules, death accompanies the event, and there is no lack of suspects. It seems as if several of those affiliated with the venture had secrets, as did the victim of the crime.

Readers who enjoy lots of culinary detail, this novel will fit the bill and provide inspiration for preparing some treats. If you do not like all that detail, just skip over it, since the mystery is still worth the read. This novel would especially appeal to wine and food lovers, as well as avid theater folks.

For readers of this series, familiar characters will add interest and provide engagement with the story, although there are new twists and turns to the plot. The author sets things up nicely for the next installment in the series. However, this book can be read as a standalone.

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