Welcome to Leaven—oh wait—Santo Domingo, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!Family bombshells, sibling rivalries, blackmail, and a trip that could be deadly…and the new year has only just begun! After a disastrous Thanksgiving, Jolie Tucker is beside herself and feeling the walls closing in around her. She feels like she needs to escape Leavensport before she loses her mind. She unexpectedly … unexpectedly gets her wish when her best friend and co-owner of Cast Iron Creations, Ava Martinez, gets a terrifying email revealing that her papa, Thiago, is in danger in Santo Domingo. The girls are off on a dangerous adventure in new territory. Will they be able to save the day before danger finds them?
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jolie and Ava embark on a trip to Santo Domingo soon after Ava gets a frantic email from her father, Thiago. They don’t really know what they are flying into but Jolie really needed a break from Leavensport so she hopes it is just a family squabble that can be wrapped up quickly and she can enjoy a little vacay before heading home.
When they arrive Ava’s family is surprised, the last thing they wanted was her wrapped up in their troubles. The girls finally figure out that Thiago is being blackmailed and really does need their help and their money. So while posing as tourists the girls try to find out who is behind the blackmail and why. Turns out acting like a tourist is a lot more dangerous than they imagined.
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Jodi Rath has penned a fun little mystery and takes her characters and readers on a trip too!
Even with all the trouble they were facing it was great to get to know more about Ava’s family. Sure blackmail is the main mystery but the family dynamics and sibling rivalry are what really drew me in. They were not what I expected at all.
Never fear, Jolie may have been out of the country, but she was just a phone call away from her family. She had hoped the distance would give her time to process family secrets recently revealed but that didn’t happen. Sometimes funny, sometimes pushy, her family just couldn’t leave her alone. This helped keep the Leavensport characters on the pages but I felt a little sorry for Jolie.
The author delivers up plenty of twists and turns and action. I was flipping the pages so fast there should have steam billowing out of my Kindle.
Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail was a nice addition to this series. Entertaining characters, an exciting mystery, plenty of humor and a smidgen of romance give readers a charming little escape. I am looking forward to Cast Iron Stake Through the Heart set to be released on May 29.
Our girls Jolie and Ava are back and this time they are not solving a mystery at home, oh no they are heading to the beautiful Dominican Republic town of Santo Domingo, not for a holiday (despite having a disastrous thanksgiving and the girls in desperate need of one) but to help Ava’s father who is being blackmailed.
Sun, Sea and blackmail await the girls in Santo Domingo, and even though I an idea who I thought was behind it all, it still came a surprise when I found out.
I really enjoyed this instalment in the series and I loved getting to know Ava’s family more, but I do look forward to the girls being back home for their next adventure.
The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series is one of good clean cozy mysteries that you can get lost into for a few hours with some great characters and food recipes to boot!
4 stars
Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail by Jodi Rath is taking the girls to Santo Domingo, where Ava’s family originated.
Who is blackmailing the Martinez family?
Jolie Tucker
Jolie Tucker finds herself in Santo Domingo for two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day because of a family issue for Ava. She has done a lot of self-reflecting while taking a stand for herself in some parts of her life. Will it helps her? Who knows?
The Mystery
The mystery is basically my question up above. Who is blackmailing the Martinez family? There is a lot of circling around and not figuring out a whole lot of things fast because of how invested Jolie and Ava are in this case. Ava, especially since it is her family. We learn a lot about Ava’s family and how things are done in the Dominican Republic. These two ladies find clues, but they have a hard time putting them together. Granted, I didn’t figure out who the blackmailer was until right before Jolie.
Four Stars
Ms. Rath did a fantastic job of researching all of these things. From the things happening in Santo Domingo to the recipes to the research of a dance called merengue. Researching that dance must have been so much fun, especially trying it out. I am giving Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail by Jodi Rath four stars, and I will be recommending it to any cozy mystery reader out there.
Don’t forget to check out the recipes in the back. The blueberry cobbler one sounds good, but I’m not so sure about the Bubble Tea.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail by Jodi Rath.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Come and enjoy the beautiful Dominican Republic. This time we have the privilege of getting to know Ava’s family. This author crafted a wonderfully intricate plot. The wealth of amazing characters keep me guessing and coming back for more. I highly recommend this book and series!