Nestled deep in the sleepy heart of Enumclaw – a little town in Washington state – Hedy Leckermaul owns a bakery renowned for its strange, sugary confections. Unbeknownst to the town, she also hosts mysterious visitors. Hedy, Adelaide the ghost, and Hedy’s menagerie of animals, offer a place of safety to Enumclaw’s supernatural travelers. Life in the little town in the shadow of Mount Rainier may … may appear picturesque, but things are often not as they seem.
Peace and tranquility rarely last, and it isn’t long before arson and abduction rock the friendly town, turning the bakery’s world upside down. Hedy must think fast when one of her own is now in danger. She has to solve the mystery before it is too late – seconds count before you are Burned to a Crisp.
Cover Design by Bridgette Dracass
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This is a slow burn type of cozy mystery in a small town with a sweet touch of paranormal to make it interesting. Probably my favorite in the Gingerbread Had series because I found the mystery part puzzling and satisfying. All the characters are new and there is an element of uncertainty as to what will happen which I enjoyed.
I wouldn’t bill this as romance but more of a story of friendships between humans and supernatural creatures with the added spice of a mystery to keep things going. A good introduction to the idea of a network of hidden BnB locations just for creatures from legend and myth.
Well-written and engaging.
This was a delightful surprise! A cozy-type mystery but with unusual supernatural twists. The main character, Hedy, runs a bakery and a kind of bed-and-breakfast for some very unusual guests. I won’t spoil the plot by revealing too much more because experiencing the revelations as they are made in the book was a big part of the fun, but I will say that Hedy and the other characters, human and non-human, were original and well-drawn. I particularly appreciated that underneath all the spooky shenanigans, there is a very clear and heartwarming message of inclusiveness embracing all those that may feel different or like misfits, a message that we can’t hear often enough. And to top it all off, there are mouth-watering descriptions of all the wonderful baked goods Hedy sells and the food she makes her guests. I love a book that makes me hungry! Great start to a great series. Recommended for cozy mystery readers looking for something a little different and a lot enjoyable! (less)
Mythological Creatures – Alive and Well in the Pacific Northwest
5 star plot
—Clever story idea
3 stars punctuation and grammar
— apostrophes, commas, and run-ons, Oh My!
3 stars sentence structure
— There are way too many compound sentences throughout the book.
—Following is one example:”Ana left the room and she felt lighter in her heart than she had in some time.” (At the very least it needs a comma after room.)
—Better: “Feeling more light hearted than she had in a long time, Ana left the room. ”
— Occasionally extra unnecessary explanation came after a perfectly good sentence
3 stars editing
—All editors should do a quick word search for their, they’re, there; to, too; its, it’s; and then, than.
—There were other glaring spelling errors, as well as instances where a word was left out.
3.5 stars accuracy
—The town of Enumclaw is in King County, not Pierce County (They’d love to be in Pierce where taxes are lower.)
—Ceres not Circe was the goddess of the harvest. Circe, a witch, could turn people into animals.
No sex
Very limited strong language – one F bomb.
Fast paced, plenty of action.
Plot no spoilers:
Hedy, the main character, runs a rather eccentric bakery in her home. Besides that, her house, which is haunted and where animals are able to talk, is a safe house for unusual, often magical travelers. Two arrive, one with the gift of fire, the other with strong connections to water. Coincidentally, the usually quiet town of Enumclaw is beset by arson, missing women, and an unusual spike in discord among its citizens.
Can Hedy trust her guests or is one of them causing the difficulties?
Light reading. Enjoyable if you can ignore the distractions listed above.
If you can get past them, I’d say give the book a try.
This paranormal cozy mystery brings in a lot of fun twists. The paranormal characters have fantastic personalities that blend well with the story’s supernatural plot. I found it to be a superb read for the fall and Halloween, and would recommend it for anyone who wants to jump into a sleepy Pacific Northwest town and be transported into a magical mystery.
A cozy mystery with supernatural elements, Burned to a Crisp by K.A. Miltimore, is a well told and enjoyable novel.
Bakery owner Hedy is also the owner of a bed-and-breakfast-style safe space she operates out of her home. The travelers that stop by to rest are supernatural creatures. When strange fires are set and women start disappearing, Hedy can’t ignore the crimes that are causing so much unrest in her sleepy town. Are her guests safe? Is one of them the arsonist?
The pace is a little slow in my opinion, but the strange characters keep things interesting. The vibe is spooky yet fun. The characters and settings are well described and original. This book is suitable for both teens and adults. I recommend this book to any reader that enjoys mystery and fantasy.
Burned to a Crisp is a great start to a new series, and Hedy appears to be human but I wonder …
This was a very different read for me, but having said that I still found it to be an enjoyable one. I found the book well written, I enjoyed the characters and the talking animals. It was a very easy read and a quick read, for those that enjoy cozy mysteries with a hint of the supernatural tossed into the mix they should enjoy this read.