Title: Cranberries & Criminals
Author: Lucinda Race
Genre: Paranormal cozy mystery
Book Blurb:
Whose half-baked idea was it for bookstore owner and witch Lily Michaels to enter an amateur baking contest in her small town of Pembroke Cove, Maine? Her pie plate’s already bubbling over learning about her witchy powers from her trusted companion and snarky familiar—a talking cat named Milo. Toss in solving a few murders while stirring in wedding planning, and Lily’s stretched thin as an overworked pie crust.
Lily doesn’t have the baking skills of her best friend, Nikki, who’s an accomplished kitchen witch. As Milo says, Lily can barely boil water and his dear witch should stay out of the kitchen except when opening a package of smoked salmon. But why shouldn’t she try baking? The crisp November air and approaching holiday season is the perfect inspiration for whipping up some seasonal goodies. It’s not like somebody can die from eating a muffin, can they?
With help from Nikki, and the support of Lily’s fiancé, police detective Gage Erikson—a.k.a. Detective Cutie—Lily preps for the Cranberry Bakeoff. But it’s a recipe for disaster when a judge collapses. Was it an allergic reaction, or is someone tired of losing and tart fruits turned into sour grapes. The air is thick with suspicion, and it’s up to puzzle-loving Lily to combine the right ingredients to catch a killer with their fingers in the cookie jar.
Cranberries & Criminals is the ninth novel in the A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series; although each book can be read as a standalone, it is best to read them in order. It is a witty, small town paranormal, cozy mystery that guarantees the culprit is caught. Happy reading!
My Review:
Pushing herself to new levels, Lily enters an amateur baking competition. Using no magic and with the support of her loved ones, she excels. The competition is fierce, but everything goes sour when a judge collapses. Is it an accident or something more deadly? While competing, Lily has an inside track to uncovering the criminal. As the clues add up, it’ll be up to Lily and Gage to put cuffs on the one hellbent on revenge before a winner in crowned in the competition.
Cranberries & Criminals is a paranormal cozy mystery combining my two loves: baking and solving crimes. Flawlessly written, I thoroughly enjoyed Lily trying something totally out of her comfort zone. The descriptive narration is so detailed, you’ll be craving these sweet treats. The cast of characters are quirky and add humor to the story. If you love baking competition mysteries, you’re in for a delightful treat with Cranberries & Criminals.
Lucinda Race has penned the best book in this paranormal cozy mystery series. It’s filled with zany one-liners, a couple of red herrings, and a sweet ending. The investigation flows well. The star of the book is Lily. It’s so well-written, you’ll be hooked.
Disclaimer: I proofread this book but it in no way influenced my review of this book.
My Rating: 5++ stars
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Author Biography:
Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a avid fan of fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading cozy mystery and romance novels and getting lost in the fun and hope they represent. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dream was to become an expert at crafting a captivating novel.
As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for the McKenna Family Romance series and the Paranormal Cozy Nook Bookstore Series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys. She weaves paranormal cozy mystery stories and romance with guaranteed happily ever afters.
Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing mystery, suspense or romance novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on.
Social Media Links:
Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race
Youtube Lucinda Race https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lucinda+race+author
Universal Link https://books2read.com/ap/xyYO2g/Lucinda-Race
Bookbub Lucinda Race https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucinda-race
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lucinda-Race/e/B00Q0MMNUM
Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578
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Reviewed by: Nancy