Book Review: Fudge and Jury (A Bakeshop Mystery #5) by Ellie Alexander

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Cozy Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Author: Ellie Alexander
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Release Date: January 3rd, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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 crèpes 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?

ALL THE CHOCOLATE.

This book made me intensely crave everything related to chocolate. I need to find a local chocolatier and get some because YUM. Still one of my favorite things getting all of the recipes at the end!

I liked this one (even if the 3 stars may appear otherwise). It was a good mystery, I really wasn’t sure who the murderer was until closer to the end. I think Alexander does a solid job on keeping the reader enough in the dark to keep pursuing the story.

Am I the only one who loves Thomas more than Carlos?! I think if Carlos can’t bother to stay, then why not let things move on? I feel like that’s where the plot is going, and I know it’s a long series, but I do wish the pace for this moved a little quicker. A couple can work together to solve mysteries too!!

The other sides plots are charming and I can’t wait to see how those further develop too. With her Mom’s story, and Jules’ friendship with Lance, the new additions to the bakery and more. I really love this series as a palate cleanser between denser books. They’re well written and incredibly charming.

Overall audience notes: