Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Cozy/Culinary
Pages: 320
Dates Read: September 26-28, 2019
Format: Paperback ARC provided by publisher
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My Goodreads Review
SYNOPSIS:
“This Christmas, Sadie Hoffmiller Cunningham is making a list and checking it twice. For the first time since she and Pete married five years ago, their combined families are gathering for the holidays in Fort Collins, Colorado, for a party that would make Santa and Mrs. Claus proud.
She just has to bake the famous Cunningham Candy Cane Cake, make sure the looming snowstorm doesn’t derail everyone’s travel plans, and oh, yes, solve one teensy-tiny mystery before the big day.
At ninety-four and nearly blind, Mary, Sadie’s friend and neighbor, knows this will be her last Christmas. When Sadie learns that someone has stolen antique Christmas ornaments from Mary’s tree, she vows to find the thief, no matter what. The ornaments had been appraised at more than $40,000, but they were worth even more to Mary, who had intended to bequeath them to her great-granddaughter, Joy, as a final gift.
With Pete in Arizona wrapping up a case of his own, it’s up to Sadie to question the residents of Nicholas House, where Mary lives, and deduce who had the means and the motive to steal heirloom ornaments during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
When stories of other thefts surface, Sadie feels like she’s creating a “naughty” list that could rival Santa’s. Identifying the thief, recovering the ornaments, and restoring them to Mary’s tree in time will take a Christmas miracle—and maybe a few extra-special cookies.
About the Author:
Josi S. Kilpack is an accomplished and prolific author of nearly two dozen novels including the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. She has won multiple Whitney Awards for Myster/Suspense, Romance, and Novel of the Year as well as the Utah Best of State Fiction Winner. She lives with her family in Utah.
Follow the author on Instagram @authorjosiskilpack
Advance Praise/Endorsements:
“A warmhearted mystery.”
-Kirkus
“Sadie Hoffmiller dishes up a fresh serving of Christmas cheer. An inspirational cozy whose
feel-good vibe will be perfect for fans of Julie Hyzy’s and Nancy J. Parra. Readers with a sweet
tooth will be sure to enjoy Sadie’s family recipes, sprinked throughout the book.”
-Booklist
“Kilpack represents a nice range of ages in this story, and the relationships feel both real and
aspirational. The clues and solution are complex enough to keep readers guessing. Recipes are included, making this a fun choice for cookbook discussion groups as well as general readers. Twelve previous “Culinary Mystery” titles precede this entry, which can be read on its own.”
-Library Journal
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 STARS
Christmas has come early for cozy culinary lovers! The Candy Cane Caper is the 13th book in the Cozy Culinary Mystery series. If you like cozy mysteries with recipes, this series is for you! This was actually my very first Cozy Culinary Mystery, but it read as a standalone, so i was not super confused.
The mystery was interesting without adding murder (which I hear is in most of the other novels) and the culprit was a bit of a surprise so that was always nice, It’s always a disappointment if its too predictable. There was a lot of investigating throughout the book, and I would have liked a bit more story around the characters than just that, but it was still an entertaining holiday read. I absoluetly loved that the author included recipes throughout the book, and all the talk of baking had me hungry while reading! Some of these recipes sound so delicious that I may just have to try them out too!
Overall, I enjoyed the read and look forward to returning to the beginning books in the series and getting to know the characters even better.
*Special Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advanced paperback copy in exchange for my honest review and blog post*
Alicia Reads It 