City Developer Murdered at Historic CastleAnna’s Café is flourishing. Locals and tourists can’t stop gorging on her delicious cupcakes.Dolphin Bay is in turmoil as a city developer proposes new construction on the scenic Coastal Walk. Locals flock to the town meeting to protest. Hours later, the man is dead, stabbed to death in a room full of people. The police face a big challenge since … face a big challenge since everyone present had a motive to kill. Then the murder weapon is discovered.
When Anna’s friend and local resort owner Charlie Robinson becomes the top suspect, she reluctantly steps in to help. Can she ignore his sordid reputation and trust he is innocent?
New secrets are revealed and multiple suspects emerge as Anna travels across cities and digs into the past to find the real killer. Her personal life proves to be highly eventful, keeping her on her toes. Meanwhile, the local football team is in dire need of assistance.
Apple Caramel Mayhem is a fast paced clean cozy mystery that will keep you guessing till the end. Book 3 in Dolphin Bay is chock full of fall flavor and sets the tone for a cozy autumn evening by the fireside.
If you like cozy mysteries with strong women, second chances, friendships that endure and plenty of yummy food, you will love Apple Caramel Mayhem.
Buy or borrow this fall cozy today and start reading.
Books in the series –
Raspberry Chocolate Murder Book 1
Orange Thyme Death Book 2
more
Fantastic! I loved it. Each book is better than the last. I look forward to the next one.
A great story to add to a great series!
I discovered this series after reading THE PELICAN BAY COZY MYSTERY SERIES by Leena Clover. I read the five books available in this series before writing the first review. Anna and her BFFs, Julie and Mary, refer to themselves as the Firecrackers and share the most amazing friendship. Although I prefer reading the stories in order, each book can be read as a stand-alone. The backstories of Anna and her daughter, Cassie, are revealed in bits and pieces throughout the series. The backstory itself is interesting, to say the least, with more revealed in each book.
I don’t like reviews with spoilers so I will only share my general opinion of this story. The story is a great whodunit with the murder taking place in a room filled with people, yet no one saw the stabbing. There are so many suspects and motives for Anna and her friends to sort through to find this killer. There is more than a little romance in the air with this story.
If you enjoy reading an entertaining cozy mystery, then you don’t want to miss this one.
APPLE CARAMEL MAYHEM is the third book in the Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery series. Though each cozy mystery will stand on its own, there is an over arcing storyline of Anna’s personal life with her daughter and granddaughter that needs to be read in the order of release.
You can almost smell the apple cider, bonfires, and autumn leaves as fall comes to Dolphin Bay. There is more than a mystery to solve, as the local football team needs more than parental boosters, the new café is flourishing, the town landmark is threatened by developers, and family always keeps Anna on her toes.
I loved the town secrets that were brought to light. Might there be more? The more characters brought into the series, the richer the stories become. This book had more depth, more layers, more feeling than the previous two. I hope this is a trend that continues as the series moves forward. I know I’m looking forward to what may come next.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: APPLE CARAMEL MAYHEM
Series: Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery #3
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 14+ due to murder element; vocabulary
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Leena Clover
I’m loving this series! A developer is murdered before he has a chance to make big changes in Dolphin Bay. A friend, the prime suspect, asks Anna to prove his innocence. The plot is tight and multi-layered and filled with believable characters. It was a delightful read and I’m looking forward to future installments. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Anna Butler, owner of Bayside Books for more than 20 years, and more recently Anna’s Cafe, where her specialty is cupcakes, has been baking all of these cupcakes at home and then with the help of her granddaughter, Meg, delivering them to the cafe each morning. With the help of her daughter, Cassie (Meg’s Mother), the three of them have been very busy maintaining both stores. The cafe has been doing so well they have been selling out of their food, including the cupcake specialty of the month, the Apple Caramel cupcake.
Mike Donovan, a big city developer, is in town for a meeting at the Castle Beach Resort, regarding a big project coming to Dolphin Bay, which would involve the Coastal Walk. The mayor, Lara Crawford, is supporting the project. It has been rumored she has accepted bribes to push the project forward. Many in attendance are against the project. That becomes even more clear when a scream is heard and Mike Donovan’s body is discovered in a chair in Charlie Robinson’s office. The dagger believed to be the weapon is found in Charlie’s office. The Robinsons have owen the Castle for more than 200 years. The family is rumored to have been smugglers back in the day.
Charlie, a friend of Anna’s deceased husband, John, comes to Anna asking for her help in clearing his name. When Anna and her best friends, Julie and Mary — the Firecrackers — begin investigating, Anna depends on Meg and Cassie to run the bookstore and cafe.
Gino Mancini, owner of Mystic Hill Winery, and former Chief of Police, warns Anna about investigating and to take care of herself. Anna has had some health issues. That is why her daughter, an award winning actress, is back in town helping her. He has also heard that Lara Crawford is still spreading rumors that Anna was jealous about her husband having an affair and actually killed him.
Most of the town doesn’t know that Paul Sykes and his family have owned the Coastal Walk for years. Donovan has been pressuring Paul to sell the Walk to him. When Paul is found dead in his Antique Shop, Anna is asked by his son, Justin, to find his Dad’s killer.
I love how the characters have developed in this series. I feel there are still secrets that are being withheld by Anna, Cassie and Meg. There are many suspects for everyone to investigate. This book will keep you turning the pages to find out who did kill Donovan and Sykes.
I recommend this book. I received an advanced copy. This is my honest review.
Mike Donovan, a big city developer, is proposing to build luxury condos along Dolphin Bay’s scenic Coastal Walk. He has the support of the mayor, Lara Crawford, but the town folk are opposed to the project. A Town Meeting is being held at Castle Beach Resort to hear arguments for and against the project. With refreshments following the meeting, there was still a large crowd at the Resort, when a scream brings everybody to a halt. Mike Donovan is sitting in a chair…dead.
When the murder weapon is found in Charlie Robinson’s office, he becomes the prime suspect and asks Anna to help clear his name. There are rumors that the Robinson ancestors had a history of smuggling. Does his ancestor’s history automatically make Charlie guilty of murder? How was Mike Donovan killed in a room full of people without anybody seeing it happen? How did the murder weapon end up in Charlie’s office? Can Anna uncover the real culprit?
Leena Clover has created another wonderful mystery with great characters and plenty of twists and turns. The short chapters help to make this a very easy and quick read. Even with the main mystery solved, the reader is left with a question that will have them looking forward to the next book in the series.
I honestly am enjoying this series. From the friendship of the Firecrackers to the tangled web between mothers and daughters. The interesting turns the investigation takes as Anna delves into secrets keep me reading past bedtime.