Sarah Fox

Baking Spirits Bright by Sarah Fox takes us back to Larch Haven, Vermont where Becca Ransom is entering the Third Annual Baking Spirits Bright competition. Larch Haven is a unique town. It is a cross between a cozy Vermont town and Venice with the canals. I would love to skate on the canals in the winter and then warm up with a delicious cup of hot chocolate. Becca is getting the hang of being a chocolatier. The luscious descriptions had my mouth watering (had me heading to the pantry where I keep my chocolate stash). Competition brings out the bad side in individuals. Irma, the perpetually grouchy owner of the local bakery, is found dead before the final round in the competition. Becca switches her Tam O’Shanter for a deerstalker cap and begins sifting through the clues. Becca needs to be careful, or she could get burned. I figured out the mystery before Irma was murdered. I felt that there needed to be more clues along the way to help lead readers to the guilty party. I would have loved a twist. There is some action to spice things up. The whodunit is neatly wrapped up at the end. One of my favorite characters is Lolly, Becca’s grandmother. She is a sweet, warmhearted woman. There is some romance as well. It seems that Becca’s old schoolgirl crush might finally reciprocate her feelings. I could have done with less repetition. The author captured the chilly climate of Vermont in the winter. I could feel Jack Frost nipping at my nose. Baking Spirits Bright is the second book in A True Confections Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Baking Spirits Bright is a merry mystery with chocolate confections, a butchered baker, a distinctive stranger, taking a tumble, gossip girls, and enlightening notes.… (más)

recipes, family, family-business, gondolas, car-free-town, friendship, canals, cats, local-law-enforcement, series, amateur-sleuth, chocolatier, cozy-mystery, Vermont, small-town, small-business, murder-investigation, competition, ex-actress, hometown, relationships, family-drama, gossip*****

Becca is a former actress who has returned to her hometown to run the family shop (True Confections candy shop) with her grandparents (parents now live in Florida). The big event now is the
Baking Spirits Bright holiday baking competition which sets the scene as to Most Likely To Be Murdered On Purpose. Yup, that's the one, but the problem is that she is done in with Becca’s chocolate chipper! Even though she has a solid alibi, she and her best friend hop in to do some amateur sleuthing, much to the dismay of her possible boyfriend who is the local police chief. And so it begins! Good story with fun characters, distracting red herrings, and really unexpected twists. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!… (más)

I have never been so glad to see a victim killed before Archie Smith was murdered in this book. He died in chapter 2 but was so unpleasant already that when a dead body was found, I hoped it was his. It was. Archie was what I would call a raging senior. He hated everybody and everyone hated him because he opposed every official decision made in his hometown of Larch Haven.

Rebecca (Becca) Ransom is the amateur sleuth. She is an actress who recently left Hollywood to return to her hometown and take over her family's candy shop. She was present on the town's canal when Archie's body was found. When her grandfather became a suspect Becca was unable to convince him to hire an attorney. Fearing for his life, Becca decides that she must determine the identity of the killer. From this point Becca becomes an amateur sleuth. Her BFF, Dizzy, plays a prominent role as Becca’s friend but does not participate in the investigation. Becca’s brother Gareth owns a restaurant in town and is married to Blake. Officer Sawyer is a possible love interest for Becca. He did not participate in the investigation either other than telling her to stop interviewing suspects who could be dangerous.

The investigation of the murder was slow. Most of the story was about Becca’s family and friend relationships. I am assuming that the author was setting up the foundation for this new world she has created in Larch Haven. Still, the reveal of the murderer was surprising. I just wish there were more twists in the story.… (más)