The theft of a friend’s priceless, family-legacy Christmas ornaments brings amateur detective and culinary expert, Sadie Hoffmiller, back on the case in a new standalone cozy mystery. In the latest chapter to the Culinary Mystery series, amateur detective Sadie Hoffmiller continues combining her sleuthing with her cooking and baking to connect with people and gain information she might … information she might otherwise not have access to. Moreover, now that Sadie is married to Detective Pete Cunningham, she has a street-savvy husband to test out her crime-solving theories.
With Christmas approaching, Sadie is preparing for a large blended-family gathering–including many new grandchildren–in their home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Even with the festive chaos, Sadie drops everything when word gets out that her friend, Mary, is the victim of a holiday robbery.
At ninety-four years old, and nearly blind, Mary knows this is may be her last Christmas and the last year to enjoy her family heirloom Christmas tree ornaments. She wants just one more holiday to display her ornaments and following Christmas Eve Mass, she’ll pass them on to her great-granddaughter, Joy. Though priceless to the family, the collection has been valued at $40,000, and the Christmas tree in the care facility has never looked so good. But before the ornaments can be retrieved by Mary, eleven of the most expensive ornaments are stolen.
A holiday Christmas caper might be new to Sadie, but she’s ready to mix in her seasoned crime-solving skills with a pinch of new holiday recipes.
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I’m always happiest when I’m reading a mystery book of some sort. I have loved this series by Josi Kilpack. It made my day when I heard that she was releasing a new Sadie book after 5 years. And it was completely worth waiting for!
This book didn’t pick up right where Wedding Cake left off. I loved that. It’s been 5 years since the last book about Sadie and it had been five years since Sadie and Pete got married in that book. It just worked!
Anyway….Sadie has a dear friend who is blind and lives in a nursing home. Her super expensive Christmas ornaments disappear. And it’s up to Sadie to find them and put them back before her friend misses them on Christmas Eve. To do so, she must get help from all the right people and not let the thief know she’s onto them.
I love Sadie so much! She might be my very favorite character ever. Sadie is kind of a busy body, not as much as she was five years ago. I felt like Sadie had grown up some since then. She’s also really good at what she does. She can find clues like no one else. But there’s always something that just makes me laugh. Like the scene when she’s Mrs. Claus and she makes a huge mess. That was probably my favorite chapter.
One of my very favorite things about this series is the recipes. I love that the reader can make the same things that Sadie makes in the book. It would be so fun to make these for a book club that had read the book.
This book is so great! I loved the mystery. It kept me guessing. I love the characters, and the recipes. And the final chapter left me teary eyed. This is a book for all of you out there that love food and mystery. It’s such a great combination.
Series: Culinary Mysteries – Book 13
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Holiday/Culinary
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Page Count: 320
From Shadow Mountain comes a standalone holiday cozy book from author Josi Kilpack, in her “Culinary Mysteries” cozy series The Candy Cane Caper. This beautiful holiday book will have readers smiling, longing for the holidays, family, and a warm fire, but it will also at times leave readers in tears. It is an emotional ride from beginning to end and one that will stay with readers for a very long time to come.
Sadie’s friend Mary is dying, there is no question that this will be her last Christmas, and everyone wants to make sure it is precisely what Mary wants it to be. But when someone steals some antique Christmas ornaments from Mary’s tree, Sadie does whatever she can to get them back before Mary finds out they are gone and ruins her final holiday.
This holiday cozy book doesn’t have a murder, only a thief. The suspects are likable, even loveable, even the thief. Its heart wrenching knowing that Mary will die and if readers don’t cry, then they aren’t human. This book is one of those rare tomes that will make readers want to hold on for dear life to those they love for as long as they can. To keep memories of times gone by close to their heart and relive events that made them happy. Especially holidays spent with loved ones who are no longer with them.
The Candy Cane Caper is filled with clues and suspects, all of which enhance the reader’s enjoyment and keep them guessing. The twist at the end of the book will have the tears they shed for Mary dry up replaced with a big smile that will spread across their faces. This holiday cozy book has everything a great book should have and more. The writing is smooth and proper, the characters memorable and the plot original. I am thrilled to recommend this book for readers who are looking for holiday cozies for the upcoming season.
It’s been awhile since I read a Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery! It was so good to be back in the crazy that is Sadie’s life. She has mellowed a bit since her first books but she is still the same Sadie and I’ve kind of missed her.
Mysteries are Sadie’s thing and when her friend’s prized ornaments go missing, Sadie is on the case in an instant. Her investigations have her talking to lots of people and that’s where I find the most satisfaction. She makes connections with people and learns about them. Even though I’m always wondering who did it, I am enjoying the growing relationships and how perceptions change as Sadie gets to know people. There is always guaranteed to be a scene or two that will make you smile because Sadie can’t help but get herself into an embarrassing scrape or two.
This is a sweet mystery, cozy, and full of fun recipes, perfect for the holiday season. There are a couple I’m going to try for sure.
this is a good mystery, can she find out what is going on at the nursing home before it is too late. she liked to bake and is getting ready for Christmas, but is asked to help find out what is going on and solve several mysteries a good story I was give n the book by netgalley but this is an honest review
I am a HUGE fan of Kilpack’s Culinary Mystery novels and I was so over-the-moon excited that she decided to write another one! Sadie and Christmas together? Yes please! This is definitely a stand-alone (you do not need to have read any of the previous books to understand and enjoy this book) and I loved every single second of it! Sadie is that grandmother character that everyone cannot help but love! She is fun, smart, and a fantastic baker who happens to have a knack for investigating mysteries. With her plans for the perfect Christmas with her blended family carefully laid, she unknowingly walks right into a mystery of her friend Mary’s missing antique ornaments. Sadie dives in head-first and gives the investigation her full attention. I like how loving and kind she is, yet she has no issue with picking a few locks or getting into places she shouldn’t be in! She is the perfect blend of grandmotherly kindness and no-nonsense private eye! Sadie’s Christmas caper will pull you right inside and will not let you go until the mystery is solved! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.