Muffin but the Truth by Ellie Alexander is the sixteenth A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. The author provides all the needed background information on Juliet âJulesâ Capshaw and the secondary characters she encounters at work and home. I thought Muffin but the Truth was easy to read. The author has a conversational writing style that is reminiscent of friends having a gabfest. Jules has a come a long way since the first book. She is happily running Torte, her marriage to Carlos is on solid ground, and the pair have Carlos's son, Ramiro living with them for the school year. We get to catch up with the other characters as well. Sterling's skills keep improving. Jules knows it is only a matter of time before he will be scooped up by a restaurant. Bethany promotes Torte on the social media platforms. She is making a name for herself. What will happen when a not to be missed opportunity comes her way? Jules has agreed to cater a leadership retreat for the top executives of Bamboo. The group will be glamping along the Rogue River. Jules and Carlos will be cooking the food over an open fire. Jules soon regrets taking the gig. There is no pleasing Josie Jones, the owner and CEO of Bamboo. Miller Redding, her personal assistant, is wound a little tight (I bet his blood pressure is through the roof). Jules wakes up early on the first full day in the great outdoors. She heads down to the water where she finds one of the Bamboo executives floating in the river. Jules is quick to holler for help and jump into the river to get the individual to shore. It is a good thing the Professor came along on the trip since it is soon evident that the person was murdered. When Jules returns to Ashland, Lance is quick to find her. He is thrilled that they have a new case to solve (it is impossible to say ânoâ to Lance). Jules and Lance ask questions and look for clues. The whodunit is a cinch to solve. I wish the author would create a more complex mystery. The executives from Bamboo were an unbearable bunch and the big boss was insufferable. I felt that the background information was lacking (severely). I believe more time was devoted to cooking, baking, and eating than the mystery (do we really need to know all the steps in how to make different baked goodsâthough, the bread Jules made sounded delicious). The motive for the murder was a tad farfetched. There are a couple of details that are off in the story (a detail regarding the pink life vest and the creator of Superman are two examples). The story has an upbeat ending. Muffin but the Truth is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a teen transplant, a jumpy PA, white water rafting, a pretty pink life vest, an eliminated executive, a slew of suspects, and a bevy of bakers.
Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Muffin But the Truth: (Bakeshop Mystery, Bk 16) on + 639 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
Jules Capshaw and her team at Torte are preparing for a group of business professionals coming for a weekend retreat in the Rogue Valley. Torte has been hired to cater a welcome dinner and then Jules, Carlos, Jules' mom and her husband Doug, aka The Professor, and Carlos' son Ramiro will join the group in the woods to prepare campsite food as their retreat continues with glamping, rafting, ghost stories, and team building.
While Jules had worked out all the details with the CEO's assistant, Miller, when his boss arrives on the scene she micromanages everything. Then as the welcome dinner is served Jules sees huge cracks in the team. When they arrive in the woods the dysfunction is magnified especially when the wine and liquor start to flow.
Jules is a happy camper when the group hits the rapids for an afternoon of rafting. She learns that trip was filled with drama too but she was totally shocked when she finds one of the executives dead in the water the next morning. Thankfully The Professor is quickly on the scene because the death was NOT an accident . . . It Was MURDER!
I get excited every time I start a new book in this series. It is like visiting old friends. As I have said time and time again, Ms. Alexander's characters are genuine and their dialogues are true to life. Jules is so supportive of her employees and they are growing by leaps and bounds. They are so proficient at their jobs that she knows they will go out on their own someday but so far they have been able to take part in new opportunities while keeping their positions at Torte. They truly are like family. And speaking of family, Carlos' son Ramiro has come to the states and is attending school as an exchange student. Jules loves having him in her home and attending her school.
The new characters introduced, members are the Bamboo executive team are quite a group. The CEO is way beyond unlikeable. If she were my boss I think I would run screaming from the building. The rest of the crew seems to be very talented but poorly utilized. It was no surprise that one of them didn't survive the retreat.
In this story, we are taken away from Ashland to explore more of the Rogue Valley. Venturing into the woods and out onto the Rogue River sounds like such a good time. Glamping would be more my style these days and of course, we can skip the dead body. And just because we are outside of his Shakespeare realm doesn't mean Jules's friend Lance doesn't make an appearance. He is around and more than ready to start an investigation with Jules into the murder.
Part of the mystery was an easy solve for me but some of the details were a bit foggy. I knew the who but not the why. Every one of the Bamboo team was suspect and there were some true red herrings. I always have fun tagging along with Jules as she tries to put the clues in order. I enjoy the way she uses Lance as a sounding board and more. But this time there was a difference in how all was revealed. A nice twist!
Muffin But the Truth comes alive with Ms. Alexander's descriptive writing style. I love when she describes what's baking in the kitchen. She always tempts my tastebuds.
While I am a stickler about reading a series in order the author writes the stories to stand on their own. But if you really want to get to know these fabulous characters start at the beginning and enjoy!
Jules Capshaw and her team at Torte are preparing for a group of business professionals coming for a weekend retreat in the Rogue Valley. Torte has been hired to cater a welcome dinner and then Jules, Carlos, Jules' mom and her husband Doug, aka The Professor, and Carlos' son Ramiro will join the group in the woods to prepare campsite food as their retreat continues with glamping, rafting, ghost stories, and team building.
While Jules had worked out all the details with the CEO's assistant, Miller, when his boss arrives on the scene she micromanages everything. Then as the welcome dinner is served Jules sees huge cracks in the team. When they arrive in the woods the dysfunction is magnified especially when the wine and liquor start to flow.
Jules is a happy camper when the group hits the rapids for an afternoon of rafting. She learns that trip was filled with drama too but she was totally shocked when she finds one of the executives dead in the water the next morning. Thankfully The Professor is quickly on the scene because the death was NOT an accident . . . It Was MURDER!
I get excited every time I start a new book in this series. It is like visiting old friends. As I have said time and time again, Ms. Alexander's characters are genuine and their dialogues are true to life. Jules is so supportive of her employees and they are growing by leaps and bounds. They are so proficient at their jobs that she knows they will go out on their own someday but so far they have been able to take part in new opportunities while keeping their positions at Torte. They truly are like family. And speaking of family, Carlos' son Ramiro has come to the states and is attending school as an exchange student. Jules loves having him in her home and attending her school.
The new characters introduced, members are the Bamboo executive team are quite a group. The CEO is way beyond unlikeable. If she were my boss I think I would run screaming from the building. The rest of the crew seems to be very talented but poorly utilized. It was no surprise that one of them didn't survive the retreat.
In this story, we are taken away from Ashland to explore more of the Rogue Valley. Venturing into the woods and out onto the Rogue River sounds like such a good time. Glamping would be more my style these days and of course, we can skip the dead body. And just because we are outside of his Shakespeare realm doesn't mean Jules's friend Lance doesn't make an appearance. He is around and more than ready to start an investigation with Jules into the murder.
Part of the mystery was an easy solve for me but some of the details were a bit foggy. I knew the who but not the why. Every one of the Bamboo team was suspect and there were some true red herrings. I always have fun tagging along with Jules as she tries to put the clues in order. I enjoy the way she uses Lance as a sounding board and more. But this time there was a difference in how all was revealed. A nice twist!
Muffin But the Truth comes alive with Ms. Alexander's descriptive writing style. I love when she describes what's baking in the kitchen. She always tempts my tastebuds.
While I am a stickler about reading a series in order the author writes the stories to stand on their own. But if you really want to get to know these fabulous characters start at the beginning and enjoy!
