On her first solo gig managing the Pinecroft Inn kitchen, a magical mistake while baking afternoon tea cakes has Tamsyn on the hook for murder. Can she cook up a spell to reveal what really happened to a famous author before the killer strikes again?
It’s Tamsyn’s first time alone at the Pinecroft Inn after Aunt Gwen skips out for a once in a lifetime cruise right before the start of the … once in a lifetime cruise right before the start of the island’s big literary festival. Tamsyn thinks she finally has a handle on the whole magical cooking thing, but her confidence turns to panic when a famous author dies after eating the treats she’d prepared for the festival’s fancy-schmancy afternoon tea.
Whatever caused his demise, the author’s ghost isn’t talking. The same cannot be said for Lillian, the newly manifested spirit of a feisty flapper who is making herself at home in Tamsyn’s bedroom. Between the lonely ghost and her demanding feline familiar, Tamsyn hasn’t had a moment of quiet in weeks. Is it any wonder she might have made a few mistakes when baking her cake? It’s not like she expected it to turn deadly!
Even as suspects start to pile up and it turns out there’s no end to the islanders who might have wanted the victim dead, all eyes remain on Tamsyn and her lethal lemon cake. Will her absolutely-not-a-boyfriend, the charming Dr. Caldwell, come to her rescue with lab results that clear her name, or will it be up to Tamsyn and her coven to cook up a spell to reveal what really happened at the tea before a killer can strike again?
Don’t miss the second book in the Witches of Pinecroft Cove series of paranormal cozy mysteries!
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Tamyn is going to hve to deal with the inn on her own. As her Aunt Gwen is going on a cruise for three weeks. Tamsyn is still having problems with
the kitchen witch magic, which she has hidden from her Aunt.
Once her aunt leaves, all chaos happens. She will be hosting the author for the festival, he has food allergies that she didn’t know about. Then
the other place pulled of hosting the full event at their location. She will end up having them there.
The guest speaker ends up dead, it looks like the food that she made killed him. So the sheriff shuts down the kitchen. Tamsyn is thinks that either
the food or her magic might have killed him.
Noah also wants her to help with a bake sale for his clinic, she isn’t sure if he has feelings for her or not. She seems to mess things up when
they are together
Tamsyn is still dealing with the ghost Lillian, seems that their magic combined makes for interesting stuff to happen.
Tamsyn will take it upon herself to solve the murder on her own, so she can clear her name. There are alot of secrets that are just below the
surface, including her own.
Love the slow build up to her and Noah, am hoping that they start a relationship soon and love they dynamic of the coven. Love the dynamic of all the
characters. Look forward to the next book in this series.
I received an ARC copy of this book, this is my honest opinion and review.
Love Tamsyn who is a fairly new witch trying to learn her craft, join her coven and help her Aunt run a B&B. While her aunt is on vacation its up to Tamsyn o host a Authors Tea, unfortunately for he the author turns up murdered , and she’s a suspect, Not only does she have to get herself out of this ordeal she also needs to find a way to deal with wayward ghosts … delightful story with great characters , look forward to more from this author
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed the book. I have listened to book one and think it helps to know the characters but it isn’t essential to enjoy this book because it could be read or listened to as a stand alone. I liked the way the author combines witch craft with murder and the plot plays out very nicely. I chose my suspect very early on and was proven right, so there isn’t any real twists to the plot but I enjoyed it all the same, especially the checky ghost cat. The characters are fun and quirky enough to be entertaining. All in all a light hearted cozy mystery that gets solved by using magic, although it doesn’t always go the way they are expected.
With her aunt off on a cruise Tamsyn is left in charge of the B&B and also the food for the writes festival. When plans change over hurt feeling when a guest speaker agrees to speak, Tamsyn agrees to host the party on the Pinecroft grounds and instead of catering for thirty people she finds herself cooking tor 130 people with a whole new menu because of allergies. She reorganized the rooms for the demanding writer to have an executive suit and she has to enlist her coven sisters to help and hire staff. Then the unthinkable happens and the guest speaker dies before his speech. Was it something Tamsyn served him? The police seems to think so and closes down her kitchen while they investigate. Was it a spell gone wrong, Tamsyn’s cooking or posion? The guest speaker use to live on the island and the mostly suspects are his so called friends, the newspaper writers group but why would anyone kill him? With the help from her friends and a ghost from the 1920’s can Tamsyn uncover the secret that got him killed? Or will her aunty return to find she is out of business?
I liked the narrator and thought she did a good job with all.the different voices needed to make this story so enjoyable.
I enjoyed this book. The characters are developing nicely but Tamsyn needs to gain a little more confidence. The mystery was well developed and kept me guessing until the end. The narrator does a wonderful job once again with the characters. Her voice is pleasant to listen to and she seems like a natural storyteller. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
COVENS, CAKES, & BIG MISTAKES is the second book in The Witches of Pinecroft Cove series. Though each will stand on its own, I highly recommend reading both that have been released and in the order of release.
This was a fun, entertaining, and enjoyable listen as I puttered back and forth to work. Between the humor and the light mystery it is absolutely my cup of tea. Just hold the poison, please.
Narration: Stephanie Murphy is a wonderful narrator with a sweet voice. While most won’t be bothered by the mispronunciation, I do need to mention that the word library has two Rs in it. Since the word is used several times, it became like nails on a chalkboard to me. Not enough to bring down my rating of the book, but I did want to say something since I know that reviews help the authors and narrators improve their crafts.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: COVENS, CAKES, & BIG MISTAKES
Series: The Witches of Pinecroft Cove #2
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery, Witches
Recommended for: 14+ due to vocabulary & murder
Listenability: OK for most ears
Received from: Nicole St. Claire (as an Audible gifted copy)
I received this ARC for a review. This is book 2 in the series, and the first book I have read in the series. Not having time to read book one, I dove into book 2. Tamsyn is a new kitchen witch and, after failing at her last job, has returned home to her aunt’s inn. There she is learning kitchen magic. Unfortunately, her aunt has planned to go on a cruise (a 3 year in the making trip), leaving Tamsyn to provide the food for the author’s tea event during the Summerhaven Literary Festival on the island.
Tamsyn and her aunt perfected the menu before her aunt left for her cruise. Tamsyn is later told that the guest speaker has allergies to most of the items on the planned menu. Tamsyn now has to create a new menu. She is aided by the flapper ghost and her cat. The menu is approved and when she goes to the venue to purchase the new fruit preserves with the shop owner, she casually tells him why she has to change her order. That is when the shop owner finds out he is not the guest speaker (as he has been for years).
To find out who killed the guest speaker (that’s in the book description), you will need to read the book. Will Tamsyn be accused of poisoning the guest speaker? Will the shop owner kill him out of vengeance for not being the guest speaker? Will it be someone else?
I purchased the first book because the cool cover caught my eye. The description sealed it for me. I joined her newsletter and voila, was offered the chance to read book 2. Ms. St. Claire combines humor and mystery in this story. Her choice of descriptive words paints visuals in my head. Definitely a cute cozy to read with some tea.