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THE GRIM READER, the fourteenth book in the Bibliophile Mystery series by Kate Carlisle, brings the reader back to the delightful setting of Dharma, a quaint wine country town situated in Sonoma County in Northern California. A long-time fan, I’ve greatly enjoyed previous books that has protagonist, Brooklyn, and her new husband, Derek, surrounded by their family and close friends. THE GRIM READER brings them all back together for the first annual Book Festival in Dharma. The close-knit relationships Brooklyn and Derek’s family have together is heartwarming. I love how they’re supportive of each other with nary a jealous or snide remark to be seen within the in-laws. In fact, Brooklyn and Derek’s mothers have become best friends and together they are a force to be reckoned with. I greatly enjoyed seeing Brooklyn’s mom, Becky, take center stage in this story, which helps give the reader glimpses of why Brooklyn is who she’s become in adulthood. One of the greatest strengths in this series is the character development Ms. Carlisle brings throughout the arc of the books and builds on that development with each passing page.

While Brooklyn and Derek’s families may be kindhearted, caring individuals (and most of the community is as well!) a greedy predator is gobbling up local vineyards and using the harvests to produce inferior boxed wine. He goes out of his way to harass and threaten the Book Festival committee, particularly, Becky. Early on in the book I thought I knew which way the mystery would go but Ms. Carlisle throws in several twists to keep the reader on their toes. I love how she intertwines a rare mishandled first edition copy of Little Women into the mystery along with scenes showcasing Brooklyn’s bookbinding and restoration skills. With plenty of suspicious suspects to keep the reader guessing, the plot unfolds at a nice pace until the dramatic reveal. The author does a great job of wrapping up all the threads in the story into an entertaining conclusion that left me wishing the next book in the series was ready for me to read!

Brooklyn and Derek share many meals with their family and close friends during their visit to Dharma, especially breakfast. I was delighted to see the Ms. Carlisle provides several mouthwatering breakfast recipes at the back of the book, all which sound fabulous! I was drawn to the recipe for Streusel-topped Pumpkin Scones (I’ve been on a pumpkin kick for a while now!) and am so glad I decided to try it. My granddaughter isn’t a fan of scones but she gave these two thumbs up and went back for seconds. The sweet streusel complements the cinnamon in the scone without being overly crumbly, while the mild pumpkin brings color and good texture to the treat. She liked that these were moist and sweet enough on their own without having to drench them in additional butter and jam making them perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

Amazon Synopsis

Brooklyn and her new hunky husband, Derek, are excited to be guests at Dharma’s first annual Book Festival. The entire town is involved and Brooklyn’s mom Rebecca is taking charge. In addition to all of her other event related duties, she’s got Brooklyn doing rare book appraisals and is also staging Little Women, the musical to delight the festival goers. If that wasn’t enough, she and Meg—Derek’s mom—will have a booth where they read palms and tarot cards.

Brooklyn couldn’t be prouder of her mom’s do-it-all attitude so when a greedy local businessman who seems intent on destroying Dharma starts harassing Rebecca, Brooklyn is ready to take him down. Rebecca is able to hold her own with the nasty jerk until one of her fellow festival committee members is brutally murdered and the money for the festival seems to have vanished into thin air.
Things get even more personal when one of Brooklyn’s nearest and dearest is nearly run down in cold blood. Brooklyn and Derek go into attack mode and the pressure is on to catch a spineless killer before they find themselves skipping the festival for a funeral.

A special thanks to Kate Carlisle for providing one lucky winner with a print advance copy of THE GRIM READER! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, June 14, 2020 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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Streusel-Topped Maple-Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

Maple Sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons maple-sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon butter

Scones

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple-sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Maple Sugar

1. Stir together maple and sugar with a fork until well combined. Set aside.

Streusel Topping

1. Whisk the flour and sugar until well combined. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Set aside.

Scones

1. Place pumpkin in a sieve over a bowl so the pumpkin will drain. If possible, do this the night before and put the sieve and bowl in the fridge because cold ingredients make for flaky scones.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put in the fridge.
3. Sift together the flour through nutmeg. Whisk in the sugar. Cut the butter into ¼-inch chunks. Add to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry blender or two butter knives until the mixture has a crumb-like texture.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin, ¼ cup of cream and vanilla. Fold into the dry ingredients just until it pulls together into a ball. If necessary, add cream one teaspoon at a time. Don’t overwork.
5. Place the ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet and pat down into a 10-inch circle. Slice into 8 wedges and pull apart so each scone is separate. Brush with cream. Top with streusel. Bake until scones are brown on bottom and streusel is golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.

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I’m delighted to be participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour presenting SOUTHERN SASS AND A CRISPY CORPSE, the second book in the Marygene Brown Mystery Series by Kate Young. The action starts right from the very first in this edgy cozy mystery. Protagonist Marygene Brown gets involved in a decades-old cold case after accidentally bumping into the remains of the missing young woman while skinny-dipping in the ocean off the coast of Peach Cove Island in Georgia. From this set up, the mystery takes a unique and entertaining twist in that Marygene doesn’t want to be involved in solving the mystery, nor has she ever wanted to be an amateur sleuth. Except her deceased mother’s ghost is quite insistent that Marygene do so… or else… Adding to the twists in Marygene’s life is the fact that she’s the daughter of Sheriff Eddie Carter, the result of an affair between the sheriff and her mother. Marygene is pulled between her mother’s ghost and her sheriff father while working alongside her half-sister and half-brother at the family-owned Peach Diner. Ms. Young’s vivid imagery leaps from the pages as the story unfolds. The reader feels the emotional angst the protagonist feels, smells the delectable peach treats baking at the family diner, hears the sound of the waves on the beach, and sees a ghost that shouldn’t be there. With each turn of the page I felt like there was something new to discover.

Ms. Young crafts a fast-paced plot. There are layers upon layers of mystery surrounding the cold case(s) and plenty of suspects for Marygene to discover. The author has created some terrific characters, especially in the island’s older generation that were around when the cold case occurred. These memorable characters added some humor and humanity which I found important since the book covers some serious topics that can be quite tragic. It adds an element of emotional depth and I appreciated that each scene is written with sensitivity and weaves into the story without detracting from the flow. With a heart stopping reveal, Ms. Young wraps up the threads of the plots and subplots in one highly satisfying conclusion, making me count the months until the next book in this series is released.

With the Peach Diner serving up all sorts of delicious Southern food and delectable peach treats, the reader will get hungry reading the descriptions. There are several recipes at the back of the book and I just had to try the recipe for Peach Muffins. Chock-full of peaches these mix up quickly without any fuss. Canned peaches even work when fresh aren’t available which makes this recipe convenient year round. And, thanks to the generous amount of peaches used, the muffins are super moist and flavorful. The batch makes plenty to serve a hungry family or can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days to nibble on for breakfast or snack time!

Amazon Synopsis

On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .

After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.

But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .

A special thanks to Kate Young for providing 1 winner with a $50 Amazon gift card! Contest ends June 1, 2020 at 11:59 pm PST and is administered by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Peach Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 cups chopped peaches, fresh or canned

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and line muffin tins with 16 muffin paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, mix oil, vanilla, buttermilk, eggs, and brown sugar. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix gently until combined. Fold in peaches.

4. With a large ice cream scoop, spoon batter into muffin cups.

5. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Note:

1. If using canned peaches, drain well before dicing. I used a 29-ounce can of peaches but it wasn't enough to make 3 cups. Due to grocery store lines during the shutdown, I made do with what I had and the muffins turned out fine.

2. I sprinkled half of the muffins with coarse sparkling sugar for a bit of added sweetness and crunch.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 25 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
May 25 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
May 26 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
May 26 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 26 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 27 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 27 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
May 28 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
May 28 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
May 28 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT
May 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
May 29 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
May 29 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
May 29 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
May 30 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
May 30 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 30 – Gimme The Scoop Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 30 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
May 31 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
May 31 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
May 31 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 31 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
June 1 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
June 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 1 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
June 1 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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SHREDDING THE EVIDENCE, the ninth book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber, is another terrific addition to a well-loved series! The protagonist, Jenna Hart, is preparing for their town’s week-long Food Bowl event, where local chefs create imaginative bite-sized delicacies. I adore the clever event themes Ms. Gerber bases each murder mystery around in her books. It adds to the reader becoming immersed in the setting and provides the opportunity to experience it with all the senses. She also creates entertaining, witty names for the businesses in town which showcases the author’s humor. Jenna is a very likeable character and I appreciate how the author has continued to find avenues of growth and change for her along with the other central characters. It makes them seem all the more relatable. Jenna is a true friend to her employees and treats her many customers with respect. It’s no wonder her shop, the Cookbook Nook Bookstore and Nook Café, which she co-owns with her Aunt Vera, is so successful. I would love to spend my free time in the Cookbook Nook browsing the many veritable, specialty cookbooks that Jenna sells. Instead I do the next best thing and search for those that catch my eye on Amazon to add to my own collection.

The local food reporter turned murder victim didn’t come as a surprise. She was a mean-spirited woman and there were many, many people who had reasons to hate her, including Jenna’s best friend’s husband. In keeping with her character, Jenna jumps in to support her friend no matter the cost and prove his innocence. Ms. Gerber writes a tightly plotted mystery with the clues twisting and turning to keep the reader on their toes. With the murder happening in a “locked-room” situation, the reveal was quite stunning on how it was pulled off with an edge-of-your seat conclusion. The author does an admirable job wrapping up each strand of the story creating a highly satisfying read!

With Food Bowl week happening and the Nook Café serving up all sorts of delightful goodies, the reader will be hungry as they turn the pages. You can always count on Ms. Gerber’s books containing many delectable recipes at the back of the book and as usual, I want to try them all! As a bonus, many of them have been adapted for those who need to eat gluten-free as well. In the end I chose to try the author’s Pumpkin-Chocolate-Coconut Muffins. Oh my goodness… these are so yummy! The chocolate gave just the right amount of bittersweet sweetness to the pumpkin base while the coconut added a nice texture. I found them quite easy to mix up and appreciated I didn’t have to drag out the stand mixer for this recipe. With the additional garnish of extra chocolate chips and coconut on the tops, these made me feel like I was eating dessert for breakfast… a !

Amazon Synopsis

The denizens of Crystal Cove are salivating over the upcoming Food Bowl Week, when local chefs offer some of their best and most imaginative creations in bite-size portions all over town. Bookstore proprietor Jenna Hart is hungry to sample as many of the delicacies as she can, but when she stumbles onto the dead body of a local food reporter and learns that her best friend’s husband is the primary suspect, she’ll have to summon the appetite for a side dish of sleuthing to prove his innocence.

Jenna knows the ambitious and aggressive reporter, who was strangled at a fitness center with her shredded restaurant reviews scattered around her, left behind a long list of potential suspects. As she begins piecing together the scant clues, she uncovers illicit ties between the victim and a local newspaper owner, a spurned would-be lover, and a host of disgruntled restaurant owners not a bit torn up by the critical reporter’s demise. And with a solution so close she can almost taste it, Jenna turns up the heat on the culprit, realizing too late that she’s the next course on the murderer’s menu.

A special thanks to Daryl Wood Gerber for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of SHREDDING THE EVIDENCE! Giveway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, May 24, 2020 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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Pumpkin-Chocolate-Coconut Muffins

While the recipe was created to be gluten-free, it's easy to make these with all-purpose flour if you don't have gluten-free flour on hand.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups gluten-free flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon whey flour (omit if using all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, whey flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until combined. Add in the coconut and chocolate chips.

4. Fill each of the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with additional coconut.

5. Bake muffins for 20 - 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. When you remove from the oven, top with additional chocolate chips. They will melt as the cupcakes cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

6. Once completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container.

Yield: 24

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I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.