Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

It's late spring in Juliet's charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights--lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.

Meanwhile, Juliet's friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe--the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva's vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on The Taming of the Shrew, but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she's going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.

Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

Amidst the rocky beaches of the Oregon coast, Torte's beloved Sterling and Stephanie have been hired to take over the aging restaurant at the cliffside Whaleshead Resort. They're nervous about striking out on their own, but excited by the opportunity to put their own spin a new menu. From fresh fish caught the very same day to vegan options and handcrafted pastries, they're buzzing with ideas. What's even better is that Jules and the team from Torte have come out for opening weekend to cheer them on.

Despite some opening night jitters, the dinner is off with a bang. Guests and long-term residents of Whaleshead Resort are eager to taste the young couple's creations. As the tickets begin to line up and guests pile in the front door, Jules and Carlos offer to roll up their sleeves and help in any way they can.

Stephanie is taking on every chef's nightmare--a fluffy chocolate soufflé--and Sterling is fast at work prepping shrimp linguini and pan-seared halibut when they suddenly hear screaming. Erik Morton, the manager of Whaleshead and their new boss, has taken a fatal fall down the steep and dangerous cliffside trail leading to the beach. Jules and her young protégés quickly realize this was no accident. Now, the team will have to juggle the investigation while keeping the restaurant--and Steph and Sterling's new jobs--from crashing like the waves along the cliffs.

Behind the shelves of The Secret Bookcase, where the sun slants through the windows onto rows of classic crime novels, a body lies...

Bookseller Annie Murray is thrilled when the mystery-themed book festival she sets up to revive the dwindling fortunes of her workplace and sanctuary seems poised for success. But events take a shocking turn when a body is discovered hidden behind the shelves, and it's revealed that the victim is Annie's old college acquaintance.

Determined to ensure the festival's success and save the small town of Redwood Grove from a killer, Annie begins piecing together clues with the help of her friends. But as the list of suspects grows longer - a local boutique-owner, an envious old classmate, a bitter ex-boyfriend - Annie is drawn deeper into the case.

With the aid of her old criminology professor-turned-detective, can Annie unmask the murderer before they turn her festival into a real-life whodunit?

Full of lovable, quirky characters and small-town charm, The Body in the Bookstore serves up an irresistible blend of intrigue for fans of cozy crime including Lauren Elliott, Merryn Allingham, M.C. Beaton and Leslie Meier.

What readers say about Ellie Alexander's cozy crime:

Couldn't put it down!!! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An exceptional storyteller.... just when you think you have it figured out, there's another twist. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a great author! She draws you in and keeps you engaged from start to finish. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow. I didn't see the plot twist coming. I love this book. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wonderful cozy mystery! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A consummate storyteller who makes you feel as though you could book a trip to the area. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A delightful cozy mystery that will keep you turning pages. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh how I love this series! This book had me guessing who done it right up until the killer was revealed... I just can't wait to see what's next. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My favorite cozy mystery series! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Annie Murray is excited to host a murder mystery-themed dinner party, but soon the evening takes a deadly turn...

When her friend Penny confesses she's struggling to finance the restoration of the historic Wentworth farmhouse, Annie is instantly inspired. The beautiful property has stood empty since the 1970s, but rumors still swirl about the eccentric Wentworth family and their hidden fortune. It's the perfect setting for a spooky, immersive dinner party, and the evening is a roaring success - until neighboring landowner Curtis Wright drops dead at the dining table...

Annie knows she didn't add arsenic to the entrée, so who messed with her catering, and why? Everyone in the party had some reason to hate renowned bully Curtis - not least Penny, who was under pressure to sell land to him. Annie realizes she'll need to clear her friend's name fast. Soon, she's in deep, uncovering long-buried family secrets, shady business deals and pitch-black hidden passageways.

But as Annie closes in on the truth, the killer is determined to stop her at all costs. Will justice be served in time, or will Annie get a helping of death with dessert...?

Packed with twists, turns and charming small-town intrigue, Death at the Dinner Party is a deliciously page-turning, cozy mystery that will keep you guessing. Fans of Lauren Elliott, Tonya Kappes and Janet Evanovich will love the latest tasty treat from The Secret Bookcase series.

Readers love The Secret Bookcase Mysteries:

Knocked me out of my seat!!! Loved this first book and I am eagerly waiting the next... Five stars hands down. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kept me glued to the page as I raced to find out whodunit. A winner!Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was AMAZING! A great start to a new series... I can't wait to read more! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely loved this!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and had no idea whodunit until it was revealed... I love a good twist! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unputdownable cozy mystery!! This was such a fun read, I could not get enough. It felt like a classic Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc mystery. Perfection! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ellie Alexander has done it AGAIN!! As cozy mysteries go this is one of the coziest... So good I devoured it in one sitting. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a magnificent read! A perfect cozy mystery. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ELLIE ALEXANDER HAS A NEW SERIES!!!!! I immediately wanted to hop on a flight to Redwood Grove to take part in the festival and meet Annie, her friends, co-workers, and townspeople. The characters and the setting seemed so real. I'm looking forward to book two... Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A page-turner. Ellie Alexander has once again proven herself as the queen of cozy mysteries. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have loved every series Ellie has written so far and this one did not disappoint! I truly was hooked and I stayed up way too late because I just needed to finish the book. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A definite must-read for all book lovers, and fans of cozy murder mysteries. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Annie Murray's festive plans at the Secret Bookcase are thrown into disarray when a celebrity baker drops dead during a gingerbread-baking competition...

As whispers of foul play swirl like snowflakes, Annie soon finds herself tangled in a web of secrets, small-town rivalry, and long-buried mysteries.

With pub-owner and new love Liam by her side and the help of her loyal bookstore colleagues, Annie sets out to solve Redwood Grove's latest murder mystery. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more she discovers that the baking community isn't as sweet as it seems...

Can Annie unwrap the truth before the killer strikes again? Or will this be one Christmas she won't live to remember?

Grab yourself a Christmas cookie and lose yourself in this delightfully twisty murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. A perfectly festive read fans of Joanne Fluke, Tonya Kappes, and Ellery Adams will adore.

Readers are loving Ellie Alexander's new series:

Knocked me out of my seat!!! Loved this and I am eagerly waiting the next... Five stars hands down. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kept me glued to the page as I raced to find out whodunit. A winner! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was AMAZING! I can't wait to read more! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely loved this!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and had no idea whodunit until it was revealed... I love a good twist! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unputdownable cozy mystery!! This was such a fun read, I could not get enough. It felt like a classic Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc mystery. Perfection! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ellie Alexander has done it AGAIN!! As cozy mysteries go this is one of the coziest... So good I devoured it in one sitting. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a magnificent read! A perfect cozy mystery. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A page-turner. Ellie Alexander has once again proven herself as the queen of cozy mysteries. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have loved every series Ellie has written so far and this one did not disappoint! I truly was hooked and I stayed up way too late because I just needed to finish the book. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fun and fast-paced. I will recommend this to everyone. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow, just wow. Any reader will find it hard to put down this enchanting mystery. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everything I enjoyed from the first book - the quirky characters, the rich background, the ideal bookstore - were all back and as enjoyable as ever... I can't wait to see what happens next! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When bookseller and events organizer Annie Murray invites the glamorous world of Hollywood along to her small-town film festival, she finds herself entangled in a sinister plot as twisted as any big-screen thriller...

After the success of her first event, which revived the fortunes of the bookstore she loves so dearly, Annie is excited to launch Redwood Grove's first film festival. But when an infamous film critic plunges to his death during the premiere of a Hitchcock-inspired thriller, Annie's instincts tell her that this was no accident. She soon discovers that many of the cast, crew and guests are harboring dark secrets; from the lead actress with a scandalous past, to a film historian obsessed with protecting his vintage reel collection.

Determined to unravel the mystery, Annie must sift through a tangled web of hidden agendas and deception to expose the killer before they strike again. Can she crack the case and save her film festival - or will she find herself in the spotlight?

Packed full of plot twists and a colorful cast of characters, A Murder at the Movies sparkles with charm, heart and humor, and will keep cozy mystery fans guessing until the final pages. Perfect fans for Lauren Elliott, Tonya Kappes and Janet Evanovich.

What readers say about Ellie Alexander's cozy crime:

Couldn't put it down!!! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm SO happy, this was brilliant! Wonderful and exactly what I want in a cozy! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An exceptional storyteller... just when you think you have it figured out, there's another twist. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a great author! She draws you in and keeps you engaged from start to finish. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow. I didn't see the plot twist coming. I love this book. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wonderful cozy mystery! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A gripping whodunit... masterfully intertwines suspense, intrigue, and a love for literature. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's official; Ellie Alexander is the undisputed queen of cozy mysteries... this is a book that readers won't be able to put down. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A delightful cozy mystery that will keep you turning pages. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh how I love this series! This book had me guessing who done it right up until the killer was revealed... I just can't wait to see what's next. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My favorite cozy mystery series! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the cozy town of Redwood Grove, Annie Murray's Valentine's Day plans take a sinister turn when a beloved pillar of the local community is found dead at her Agatha Christie-inspired bookshop.

As Annie assists the lead detective in unraveling the mystery, she quickly identifies a host of likely suspects - from an oddball psychic, to a professional matchmaker, to a rival bookseller - each with a worryingly plausible motive.

With her keen eye for detail, soon Annie suspects there may be connections to the decade-old tragedy of her best friend's death, which still haunts her. Putting her own Valentine's Day plans with the irresistible Liam on hold, Annie must solve the crime - before she ends up on a hot date with a killer.

This charming and utterly addictive cozy mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of Tonya Kappes, Lauren Elliott and Ellery Adams will love this murder mystery with a dash of romance.

Readers love The Secret Bookcase Mysteries:

Knocked me out of my seat!!! Loved this first book and I am eagerly waiting the next... Five stars hands down. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kept me glued to the page as I raced to find out whodunit. A winner! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was AMAZING! A great start to a new series... I can't wait to read more! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely loved this!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and had no idea whodunit until it was revealed... I love a good twist! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unputdownable cozy mystery!! This was such a fun read, I could not get enough. It felt like a classic Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc mystery. Perfection! Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ellie Alexander has done it AGAIN!! As cozy mysteries go this is one of the coziest... So good I devoured it in one sitting. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a magnificent read! A perfect cozy mystery. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ELLIE ALEXANDER HAS A NEW SERIES!!!!! I immediately wanted to hop on a flight to Redwood Grove to take part in the festival and meet Annie, her friends, co-workers, and townspeople. The characters and the setting seemed so real. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A page-turner. Ellie Alexander has once again proven herself as the queen of cozy mysteries. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have loved every series Ellie has written so far and this one did not disappoint! I truly was hooked and I stayed up way too late because I just needed to finish the book. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A definite must-read for all book lovers, and fans of cozy murder mysteries. Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause is back to brewing in this latest installment of Ellie Alexander's popular cozy mystery series, Beer and Loathing. Includes recipes and a travel guide to Leavenworth!

It's ski week in everyone's favorite Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington. Sloan Krause and her brewing partner in crime Garrett Strong are pouring pints of their deliciously decadent obsidian IPA and serving up slices of peanut butter chocolate pretzel bars. The mid-winter has everyone buzzing with excitement, especially Garrett. His family is arriving for a long overdue visit to Nitro. He can't wait to show them around the village, spend afternoons skiing the surrounding alpine slopes, and curling up in front of a crackling fire with a hearty evening stout. But the cozy vibe takes a dark turn when a young doctor has a fatal fall from the ski lift. At first, everyone assumes it was a terrible accident, but Sloan isn't convinced. Hazel Anders had insider information on medical research that could be worth killing for. Now barstool sleuth Sloan is on the case and using her nose for hops to sniff out the murder.

Welcome to Torte-a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it's criminal...

After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte's customers turns up dead, there's much ado about murder...

The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival's newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her...but still. The silver lining? Jules's high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can't help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all...

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for...

It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon-'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered-death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

From Ellie Alexander, beloved author of the Bakeshop Mysteries, comes the first in an intoxicating new series: Death on Tap.

When Sloan Krause walks in on her husband, Mac, screwing the barmaid, she gives him the boot. Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn't have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro's owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzz with his newest recipe, Pucker-Up IPA. This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can't help but be green with envy at their success.

But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro's competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain and Jules can't wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.

The annual competition is a favorite amongst snow lovers. Contestants strap makeshift dummies to skis and send them hurling down a death-defying ski jump in hopes of catching big air. The team at Torte is in the mix this year with their own replica of a tiered cake and a baker who closely resembles their fearless leader. It's a fun and festive atmosphere as dummies sail past the crowd to huge cheers and applause. Until one of the dummies takes a deadly detour and lands atop Fitz Baskin.

Fitz is a guide on the mountain and his icy dealings have made for frosty relationships with everyone he encounters. Suddenly there are more suspects than snowdrifts as Jules dives into the investigation. She unearths a web of secrets and motives that threaten to shake the rustic mountain lodge to its core. Can she catch the killer before they strike again, or will the truth be buried forever under fluffy layers of fresh snow?

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

An intriguing new series.-Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

A delectable tale of murder and intrigue.-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

Things are getting spooky in Catch Me If You Candy, the next delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series from author Ellie Alexander, set in Ashland, Oregon!

Halloween has arrived in picturesque Ashland, Oregon, and all of the ghouls and goblins have descended on Main Street for the annual parade. It's a giant street party and Torte is right in the mix.

Jules Capshaw and her team have been baking up autumn delights and trick-or-Torte bags filled with sugar cookie cutouts, spiced cider, and mummy munch. It's the end of the season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which means that the costumes for the parade are going to be out of this world. The elaborate guises even extend to pets. The grand marshal of this year's parade is no other than a regal pug aptly named King George. Jules is delighted to get to share the experience with Carlos and Ramiro, but things take a dark turn when she discovers a dragon slumped in front of the bakeshop.

Jules is distraught when she realizes the dragon is dead. She's also shaken because a few days before the parade, her mother's Mahjong partner Helen discovered a warning note about a dragon in an antique game set. Jules hopes it's just a random coincidence, but as the clues begin to unfold it becomes evident that there's been a murder on All Hallow's Eve. Can Juliet sift out the truth before the killer comes after her?

It's Christmastime and everyone is heading to Torte, the most cheerful bakery in town. There's no place like home for the homicide...

Ashland, Oregon, looks as pretty as a postcard this holiday season. The halls are decked, stockings hung, and eyes are all aglow--mostly thanks to the buttered rum. Jules Capshaw and her staff at Torte are busier than ever. . . still, even the town's most in-demand bakers need to take a break. So Jules invites everyone to celebrate at the local Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast, a six-course extravaganza with Yorkshire Pudding, Christmas goose, and all the trimmings. But as the weather outside becomes frightful, things inside turn less delightful when one of the guests ends up as dead as Scrooge's doornail. Now it's up to Jules and her helpers to make a list of suspects--and check it twice--to try to find out who's naughty, who's nice, and who's guilty of murder...

The Bakeshop mysteries are:
Delicious. --RT Book Reviews
Marvelous. --Fresh Fiction

Ellie Alexander's Bake, Borrow, and Steal, the most delicious installment yet in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, Oregon!

As the autumnal hues of November fall over the Shakespearean hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, Jules and her team at Torte are working on their biggest event ever. They've been invited to create chocolate showpieces for the gala opening of a new exhibit, Shakespeare's Lost Pages at SOMA. The museum, located on the campus of Southern Oregon University, is getting ready to unveil the Bard's lost manuscript, Double Falsehood, which is being touted as the greatest artistic discovery of modern times. In addition to molding luscious, silky chocolate into magnificent structures, Torte will be serving an authentic Elizabethan feast straight from the pages of a sixteenth century cookbook featuring Lardy cakes, Frangipane tarts, and jellies with chestnut cream.

Jules has underestimated the amount of work required to pull off such a culinary feat. She finds herself in the strange position of feeling frazzled and stressed as the day of the gala approaches. However, her team rallies around her and once the massive works of chocolate art are safely installed at the museum, she can finally let out a sigh of relief and revel in the excitement of the grand celebration. But her relief is short-lived. Right before the unveiling, news quickly begins to spread that Shakespeare's lost manuscript is missing. Not only that, but the security guard tasked with keeping the priceless artifact safe has been killed. Is this a case of a heist gone terribly wrong? Or could it be that a killer is lurking in the museum archives?

Welcome to Torte--a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count...

Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos's return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there's no rest for the weary...especially when murder is thrown into the mix.

When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there's Carlos, who is pleading--with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent--for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start...and risk getting burned?

Welcome to Torte--a friendly, small-town family bakery where the pastries are delicious...and, now, suspicious.

It's almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin' at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules' team whips up cr pes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year's confectionery belle of the ball Life couldn't be sweeter--unless murder taints the batter.

Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for--literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead...right after sampling a slice of Jules' decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?

Torte--everybody's favorite small-town family bakeshop--is headed for the high seas, where murder is about to make a splash. . .

Jules Capshaw is trying to keep her cool as Torte gets set to make its transformation from quaint, local confectionary caf to royal pastry palace. Meanwhile, Jules's estranged husband Carlos is making a desperate plea for her to come aboard his cruise ship and dazzle everyone with her signature sweets. She may be skeptical about returning to her former nautical life with Carlos but Jules can't resist an all-expense-paid trip, either. If only she knew that a dead body would find its way onto the itinerary . .

A warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly and likable main characters, and a nasty murder mystery to solve --Fresh Fiction

Now, instead of enjoying tropical drinks on deck between whipping up batches of sea-salted chocolates and flamb ing fresh pineapple slices in the kitchen, Jules is plunged into dangerous waters. Her investigation leaves her with more questions than answers: Why can't anyone on board identify the young woman? And how can she help Carlos keep passengers at ease with a killer in their midst? Jules feels like she's ready to jump ship. Can she solve this case without getting in too deep?
A perfect mix for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Leslie Budewitz, or Jessica Beck.
--Library Journal