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COLOR ME MURDER, the first book in the brand new Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis was everything I had hoped and so much more! The reader is introduced to Florrie Fox, a delightfully creative protagonist. She has a kind and loyal heart and I loved the relationship she has with her family, especially her sister. It’s refreshing to see close-knit families portrayed on the page. Ms. Davis includes a cast of characters at the beginning of the book so that you can reference if needed. I felt that the author was judicious in bringing new characters to the page, so I never got confused about who was who. But it was nice to know the list was there if I needed it. The story quickly pulled me in and allowed me to get a good sense of who the main characters are, especially Florrie, while the murder mystery provided page-turning suspense. I found Florrie’s method for collecting and organizing clues by sketching what she had seen or heard to be very unique and added to the enjoyment of the story.

The mystery was well plotted and kept me guessing as Florrie uncovered suspects, including her own sister… which puts her loyalty to the test. There are so many creative twists and turns in the book and I love how the author expertly weaves together humor with mystery, adds adorable animals and admirable humans, hidden secret passageways with a missing author, and then ties it all up with an exciting conclusion! And if a delightful tale isn’t enough, Ms. Davis provides several delectable recipes at the back of the book and if you purchase the print copy, you will have your very own cover to color with your own creative style.

Speaking of the recipes, they are drool worthy and you’ll want to try them all! I’m delighted to share Krista’s recipe for Blackberry Muffins, perfect for breakfast, snack, tea time. Since I visit my sister in Oregon every summer and pick wild blackberries, I’m always on the lookout for blackberry recipes to try. Not only were these blackberry muffins super quick and easy to mix up, they were utterly delicious from the crunchy, cinnamon-y topping to the jammy pieces of tart blackberries baked into the sweet bread. Since it’s not wild blackberry season yet, I had to settle on store-bought cultivated blackberries. They are much, much larger than wild berries so I cut them into smaller pieces so they were more evenly distributed. I can’t wait for berry season to start so I can make these again and again!

Amazon Synopsis

By day, Florrie Fox manages Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. By night, she creates her own intricately detailed coloring books for adults, filling the pages with objects that catch her eye. There’s plenty of inspiration in her new apartment—a beautiful carriage house belonging to Professor John Maxwell, Florrie’s boss. He offers the property to Florrie rent-free with one condition—she must move in immediately to prevent his covetous sister and nephew from trying to claim it.
 
When the professor’s nephew, Delbert, arrives, he proves just as sketchy as Florrie feared. But the following morning, Delbert has vanished. It’s not until she visits the third floor of the store that Florrie makes a tragic discovery—there’s a trap door in the landing, and a dead Delbert inside. The esteemed Professor Maxwell is an obvious suspect, but Florrie is certain this case isn’t so black and white. Doodling clues, she begins to consider other colorful characters on the scene, all with a motive for murder. With a killer drawing closer, Florrie will need to think outside the lines . . . before death makes his mark again.

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing a print copy of COLOR ME MURDER for one lucky winner. Contest is limited to U.S. residents only and ends Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below 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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Blackberry Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing muffin tin
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Fahrenheit.

2. Grease muffin wells in the muffin pan.

3. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Mix well with a fork, and make a well in the middle.

4. In another bowl, whisk the egg with a fork, pour in the milk and combine, then whisk in the 1/3 cup melted butter.

5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. It should be lumpy. Do not overmix!

6. Add the blackberries and turn gently to distribute.

7. Spoon into the muffin pan, diving evenly, filling each well about 1/2 full.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, stir the cinnamon with the 1/4 cup sugar.

10. Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl.

11. Remove the baked muffins from oven. While still hot, remove each muffin from the pan, dip into the melted butter, and then dip into the sugar. 

Note:

1. If your blackberries are huge, as often times cultivated berries are, cut them into smaller pieces so they distribute more evenly in the muffins. 

Notes

Makes 12 muffins

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

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APPLE STRUDEL ALIBI, the eighth book in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries by H.Y. Hanna is a very fun addition to an enjoyable series! The protagonist, Gemma Rose, owns Little Stables Tearoom, a successful tearoom near Oxford, England. She’s having a difficult time connecting with her investigator boyfriend… murder cases keep getting in his way and his latest cancellation of their holiday plans is the last straw. When Gemma’s tearoom Traditional English Scones win a contest, she sees it as the perfect chance to go on holiday to collect the award in Vienna, Austria. Fortunately for the entertainment of the reader, the four elderly women (aka the Old Biddies) who frequent Gemma’s tearoom, decide to invite themselves along for the holiday. From there zany antics abound as they find themselves embroiled in murder and mayhem away from home.

While Gemma’s English village and tearoom are charming, it was a refreshing change to see Vienna through her eyes. I loved the description of Austria – the sights, sounds, smells and above all the tastes of their famous pastries! Ms. Hanna made the location come alive and I felt like I was on vacation with Gemma. Muesli, Gemma’s adorable and mischievous tabby, also makes the trip and plays a prominent role. But once again, it’s the Old Biddies who steal the limelight of each scene they’re in! They are such great characters and talk Gemma into the craziest trouble, providing lighthearted humor. Their sauna scene is one of the funniest scenes I’ve read in a long time and one I won’t soon forget.

The mystery itself is well plotted with plenty of suspects with viable reasons to kill the victim. I didn’t figure it out until just before the reveal and the suspenseful conclusion wrapped up the plot and subplots nicely. I was a bit unnerved when a young child was threatened but it was handled with sensitivity and the resolution adhered to our cozy guidelines: a happy ending… which is why I enjoy cozy mysteries so much!

Be prepared to drool all over the pages with the many mentions of Vienna’s delectable pastries and desserts! Ms. Hanna provides a recipe for Traditional Apple Strudel at the back of the book, which was generously provided by Ursula Schersch, blogger at Li’l Vienna. I’ve provided a photo and a link back to Li’l Vienna’s blog at the bottom of the page for that recipe. I’m re-sharing my post of Ms. Hanna’s recipe for Traditional English Scones which was published in A SCONE TO DIE FOR, the first book in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries. These “award winning” delectable scones will make you feel like you’re visiting a quaint English tearoom… like Little Stables Tearoom!  

Amazon Synopsis

When Gemma’s romantic holiday with her boyfriend is cancelled, the tearoom sleuth finds herself heading to Vienna instead, with her cat Muesli and the nosy Old Biddies for company. And it’s not long before they stumble across a murder right in the heart of Austria’s historic capital.

A handsome art critic dies suspiciously at their hotel and the Old Biddies are determined to sniff out the killer. Is it the bitter hotel owner nursing a grudge? The critic’s jealous mistress wanting revenge? Or even the visiting American who seems inexplicably nervous around the police?

Soon Gemma is dragged into an impromptu investigation which has her tackling Vienna’s famous pastries, snooping in police files and even braving a nude sauna in search of clues!

But can she sort the suspects from the Schnitzel, and solve the mystery before the killer strikes again?

 A special thanks to H.Y. Hanna for providing one winner the choice of print or an e-book copy of APPLE STRUDEL ALIBI! Contest is open worldwide and ends Monday, April 16, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below 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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Traditional English Scones

Ingredients

• 500 grams all-purpose flour (approximately 4-1/4 cups or 17.6 ounces)
• 4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder*
• 1/2 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar**)
• 125 grams butter (room temperature (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon or 4.4 ounces)
• 150 ml full fat milk (just under 2/3 cup)
• 2 eggs beaten lightly
• Egg and milk wash for the “egg wash” to glaze the scones***

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250C / 400F

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl (this is important to add more “air” to the mixture).

3. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers – it is important to coat the flour with butter as much as possible. Keep doing this until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

4. Add the sugar to the mixture and mix well with your fingers. (This is the stage when you can add in extra ingredients such as raisins and currants, if you wish.)

5. Add the eggs and some of the milk – do not add all the milk at once; go slow and check that the dough does not become too wet otherwise the scones will “drop”.
   

6. Mix well with your fingers until the dough forms a ball.

7. Tip the dough onto a floured board, scatter some more flour on top, and then knead lightly. It is very important not to over-work the dough otherwise the scones will become very hard.

8. When the dough looks smooth, gently pat it out (or use a rolling pin) into a thick slab, about 1 – 1.5 inches thick. This is one of the secrets to great scones – not rolling the dough out too thinly.

9. The dough should now be rested for at least 30 minutes – unless you are using a single-acting baking powder. Some chefs say that resting the dough for hours, even overnight, is the secret to getting really light, fluffy scones.

10. Using a cutter of your choice, stamp out the scones from the dough. Be careful not to twist the cutter as you are pressing it down – only twist it gently at the very bottom to free it.

11. Roll up any leftover dough and spread it out again – keep cutting out scones until you have used up all the mixture.

12. Place the cut rounds onto the greased baking tray or baking paper. Brush the tops with the the egg and milk wash – this will give them a lovely golden glaze.

13. Bake in the hot oven for about 12 – 15 minutes.

14. Cool the scones on a wire rack. Serve warm with some jam and butter or clotted cream! Enjoy!

Notes

1. *”Double-acting” baking powder contains both cream of tartar and baking soda and causes the dough to rise only after heat is applied. If you use single-acting baking powder (which rises immediately), then you must not leave the dough to “rest” but must cut the scones and bake them immediately.
   

2. **If you don’t have super fine sugar on hand, run regular granulated sugar in the food process for a minute or two.

3. ***I used 2 teaspoons egg taken from the recipe’s beaten eggs and 2 teaspoons whole milk. You don’t need to waste an entire egg for this. A little goes a long way.
   

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Apple Strudel (“Apfelstrudel”) is a typical and beloved Austrian dessert. This is Ursula Schersch’s granny’s recipe!   http://www.lilvienna.com/original-viennese-apple-strudel/