I was so happy for Victoria Hamilton when I found out that her Vintage Kitchen Mystery series had found a new home with Beyond the Page! And I’m equally happy to share in her celebration with her brand new release, LEAVE IT TO CLEAVER!

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This newest book opens with a very tender scene featuring Jaymie Leighton, her beau Jakob Mueller, and his young daughter, Jocie. It sets the stage for the rest of the book… a well crafted mystery interspersed with sweet, heart-warming interludes. The mystery itself dates back to 1984 and Victoria effectively uses flashbacks, from different points of view, to piece together the story. She expertly weaves the current story with the long ago story so I never felt lost, and in fact, found it to be an exciting variation that grabbed my attention. The author uses strong descriptive language that captured the setting and feel of the 1980’s and had me reliving that time period. It was a blast from the past for me!

Jaymie is a likable protagonist and she is often at odds with her much older sister, Becca. It was enjoyable seeing them work out their differences and the way the murder of Becca’s classmates brought them together. The author provides quite a few viable suspects and the fact that the murders occurred so far in the past, made the puzzle more difficult. Just when I was sure I had figured it out, a twist and turn pulled me in another direction. I am glad that there will be future books coming in this delightful series!

Not only does the author include a vintage recipe at the back of the book, but she has allowed me to share one of her other vintage recipes from a previous book. I had never heard of Queen Elizabeth Cake but loved the list of ingredients, which are a bit reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding. According to Wikipedia, the cake may have been prepared for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. During this time, food rationing still existed in Great Britain, and a cake with few ingredients was in order. A recipe for Queen Elizabeth cake was published by the Coronation Cook Book in 1953. Queen Elizabeth Cake is easy to make but turns out moist and flavorful. The cake typically is baked in an 8″x8″ pan with the frosting spread on top. I chose to make it in two 6″-round pans, double the frosting, and layer the two cakes. It makes for a festive looking cake but no matter how you serve it, it will be enjoyed by all! 

Amazon Synopsis

Vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton has agreed to help her sister clear out the house of a deceased older neighbor, and she’s thrilled at the prospect of discovering antique kitchenware and other treasures—until she opens a vintage trunk in the cellar and finds the remains of a teenage girl with a cleaver buried in her skull. When the body of a second girl is found just days later in a nearby river, the clues all indicate that the crimes are connected—and that the culprit’s motives are hidden in the past.

Jaymie just wants to cut and run, but the victims were both high school classmates of her sister when they disappeared, and that makes Jaymie the perfect person to help the local police investigate the killings. As she dredges up old memories and even older rivalries and jealousies, her list of suspects grows. But Jaymie knows she’ll have to whittle it down to just one, and fast, because someone has decided to cut their ties to Jaymie—in the most fatal of ways . . .

 A huge thank you to Victoria Hamilton for providing an e-book copy of LEAVE IT TO CLEAVER plus a pen, bookmark, and a fridge magnet for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, June 26, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST. Swag is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Queen Elizabeth Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing/Topping

• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• Additional coconut for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Cake

1. Mix dates, boiling water, and baking soda together and let stand while doing the rest.

2. Blend together shortening, sugar, egg, and vanilla in large bowl.

3. Mix together in a separate bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add chopped nuts.
4. Mix dry ingredients with wet until thoroughly combined, then fold in date mixture.
5. Spray an 8x8 pan with Pam, or other spray oil, pour cake batter in and bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Icing/Topping

1. Meanwhile… mix topping ingredients and boil 3 min.

2. Remove cake from oven, and while still warm pour this mixture over cake. Sprinkle additional coconut over and put back in the oven to brown. Keep a close watch as coconut will burn quickly. 

Tips

1. I used two 6" round cake pans to bake the batter. The cakes baked for 30 - 34 minutes. I also made extra Icing/Topping using these measurements: 2/3 cup brown sugar; 3/4 cup coconut (for a thicker frosting that won't drip off the cake while warm); 1/3 cup butter; 1/4 cup cream. 

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 I was provided a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Author Deborah Garner’s books are known for memorable characters; some quirky, some fun, some mystical. I was intrigued when her very fun, very flamboyant character from CRANBERRY BLUFF, spun off into another series and I was charmed when I read A FLAIR FOR DRAMA! Sadie Kramer is an “older” sixty-plus woman, which is a refreshing change from the usual late twenties to thirty-something protagonists who populate most cozy mysteries (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). It’s my experience, and Sadie Kramer certainly exhibits this, is that by the time we get to a certain age we really don’t care what people think. As long as we do what pleases ourselves and what we know is the right thing to do, then all social peer pressure vanishes. It can be quite liberating! As a result, Sadie says and does things that entertains the reader, making us chuckle a bit, and admire her pluck. 

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Sadie’s sidekick, Coco, is an adorable Yorkie. This precocious, pampered pet literally and figuratively steals both the scenes and the show when she is on stage. Coco provides a nice supporting role to Sadie’s sleuthing trying to find out who killed the leading lady in her friend’s stage production. There are plenty of suspects and leads to keep the reader guessing, while the plot has several twists and turns to keep it entertaining. This coziest of cozies is a fun book to while the afternoon away curled up on the couch or enjoy as a beach read on vacation. 

Be prepared, though, to be thoroughly craving chocolate while you read this book! Sadie discovers Chocolate Lava Cakes while visiting her friend in Monterey Bay… and she eats them often. I was honored when Deborah Garner asked if I would create the recipe for Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes for the book! Decadent chocolate truffles create a delectable, gooey center for the rich chocolate cakes. Served with whipped cream and raspberries, these are an elegant dessert that will be having your family and guests oohing and ahhing! 

Amazon Synopsis

When a former schoolmate invites flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer to a theatre production, she jumps at the excuse to visit the Monterey Bay area for a weekend. With quaint Carmel shops a short drive away and luxurious linens in her hotel accommodations, the excursion promises to be both entertaining and relaxing.

Plenty of action is expected on stage, but when the show’s leading lady turns up dead, Sadie finds herself faced with more than one drama to follow. With both cast members and production crew as potential suspects, will Sadie and her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, be able to solve the case?

A huge thank you to Deborah Garner for providing a winner with the choice of either print or an e-book copy of A FLAIR FOR DRAMA! Contest ends Monday, June 19, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents for a print copy. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER, the fifth book in Edith Maxwell’s Local Foods Mystery series, brings the reader back to Westbury, Massachusetts. We find organic farmer Cam Flaherty hard at work tending her fields and chickens, when her academic parents decide to come for a visit. Cam’s parents were more interested in their studies and researching abroad every year than spending time with her while she was growing up and as a result, they were never close. Cam has always felt insecure in their love for her and isn’t sure that she wants them there for too long of a visit, especially when her mother starts protesting against Nicole, a new hydroponics farmer in town. 

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I found the introduction of the controversy over hydroponics in organic farming very interesting. My husband grows flowering plants in hydroponics and semi-hydroponics and I’m intrigued at the possibility of growing food using that method. The town is divided over the issue and when Nicole is murdered, Cam’s visiting mother becomes a suspect. Cam knows her mother must be innocent but she appears to be hiding a dark secret and won’t confide in Cam or anyone else. The author weaves in the theme of looking for acceptance and finding yourself while making peace with the past. Cam’s mother may be hard to get to know but her father seems more amiable, kind of a forgetful, bumbling at times, professor who brings a sweetness to the story. The mystery of who killed the hydroponics farmer is satisfying with plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. The story is well paced with a suspenseful ending that had me up late, turning pages to find out how it ended!  

Edith provides several delicious recipes at the end of the book and many are farm-fresh recipes that make me think of spring and summer. The recipe that caught my eye, Swedish Cheesecake, is one that is a light, not too sweet, dessert that provides a perfect ending to a summery dinner. Instead of relying on rich cream cheese, Swedish Cheesecake uses cottage cheese and almond meal making it lighter with a unique texture much different than American cheesecake. After trying a piece, I was reminded of a dessert from my childhood that was similar. I don’t have the recipe nor can I remember much about it, but it’s funny how certain tastes and textures bring back memories…good memories! I made this recipe and cut into bite-sized pieces for one of the desserts I provided for my granddaughter’s school’s Teacher Appreciation week. I must admit there were a few squares missing from the platter by the time it was delivered to the staff’s lounge 🙂 

Amazon Synopsis

It’s been a hot, dry spring in Westbury, Massachusetts. As organic farmer Cam Flaherty waits for much-needed rain, storm clouds of mystery begin to gather. Once again, it’s time to put away her sun hat and put on her sleuthing cap…

May has been anything but merry for Cam so far. Her parents have arrived unexpectedly and her crops are in danger of withering away. But all of that’s nothing compared to the grim fate that lies in store for one of her neighbors. Nicole Kingsbury is the proud owner of the town’s new hydroponic greenhouse. She claims the process will be 100% organic, but she uses chemicals to feed her crops. To Cam’s surprise, her mother embarrasses her by organizing a series of loud public protests against Nicole’s operation.

When Nicole is found dead in a vat of hydroponic slurry—clutching another set of rosary beads—Detective Pete Pappas has a new murder to solve. Showers may be scarce this spring, but there’s no shortage of suspects, including the dead woman’s embittered ex‑husband, the Other Man whose affair ruined their marriage, and Cam’s own mother. Lucky for Cam, her father turns out to have a knack for sleuthing—not to mention dealing with chickens. Will he and Cam be able to clear Mrs. Flaherty’s name before the killer strikes again?

A huge thank you to Edith Maxwell for providing a hardcover copy for one lucky winner! Contest ends Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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I was provided an advanced copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.