Tropical Girl Reads

The Price of Paradise- Book Review

Hello all! It’s Friday! Just finished with The Price of Paradise by Susana Lopez Rubio, a Spanish author. Here is my book review!!

In a city as corrupt as it was luxurious, those who dared to dream were bound to pay the price.

Havana, Cuba, 1947. Young Patricio flees impoverished Spain and steps into the sultry island paradise of Havana with only the clothes on his back and half-baked dreams of a better life. Blessed with good looks and natural charm, he lands a job as a runner at El Encanto—one of the most luxurious department stores in the world.

Famous for its exquisite offerings from French haute couture to Arabian silks, El Encanto indulges the senses in opulent extravagance. It caters to visiting Hollywood stars, rising politicos, and prerevolutionary Cuba’s wealthiest power players, including the notorious mobster César Valdés.

Falling in love with the mobster’s young wife, Gloria, is suicide. But Patricio is irresistibly drawn to the beautiful girl with sad eyes, a razor-sharp intellect, and a penchant for both Christian Dior’s clothes and Einstein’s theories. Within the walls of El Encanto, anything seems possible, even a love that promises to heal them and a desire that thrums with the mambo beat of the city itself.

In a reckless love affair that spans half a century, Patricio’s and Gloria’s lives entwine time and again, challenged by every twist of fate—for in a world of murder, betrayal, and revolution, those who dare to reach for paradise seldom survive unscathed.

Print Length: 374 pages
Publisher: Amazon Crossing (June 1, 2019)
Publication Date: June 1, 2019
Genre : Historical Fiction/ Romance

Susana López Rubio was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1978. She is a screenwriter who wrote the popular television adaptation of the novel Time In Between by María Dueñas. She writes short stories for adults and children.

I got this book free from Amazon during the “World Book Day”. This is a historical fiction, set in late 1940’s in Cuba. Patricio, the main protagonist of the story flees from impoverished Spain and moved to Cuba, in the hope of a better life. He gets a job as a clerk in a well reputed and prestigious department store in Cuba, El Encanto. While working in the store, he meets a beautiful girl named Gloria. The two first become friends and eventually starts a love affair secretly. But there’s a problem. Gloria is the wife of the notorious mafia gang leader, Cesar Valdez who is known to be ruthless, violent and cruel, feared by many people. What will happen if Cesar finds out about their affair? The story continues with how both their lives are entwined as Cuba is going through political changes and in a world of murder and corruption.

This is just going to be a lazy review so I will just say in point form.

The author seemed have done tremendous research on the lifestyles of rich and poor in Cuba during the 1940’s till the Cuban Revolution in 1958. Rich people seemed to be enjoying a luxurious lifestyles and splendor in Havana while poor people seemed to be struggling with day to day activities. This was outlined in Gloria’s lifestyle as she is married to a rich mafia and enjoying a lifestyle of luxury (though she doesn’t really) and Patricio who is struggling with the money.
As a reader, I learned a lot about the Cuban culture (like the fact that the children are dancing in the rain), many of the names of the Cuban cuisine. We also learned about the politics in Cuba–from being having a corrupted dictatorship regime to communism. As such, I learned a lot about Cuba and in my mental image,I felt as if I am in Cuba with Patricio and Gloria.
The story was told from Patricio’s and Gloria’s perspectives so we get to know what each of them thinks about each other.
I also like the friendship between Patricio and the two men that Patricio befriended after arriving to Cuba. Even after Patricio flees from Cuba, I like how he maintains his friendship, showing strong bond between the three friends.
I like how Patricio, though he is not a Cuban embraces Cuba as if it is his own country and how much he misses being in Cuba.
I like the relationship between Patricio and Gloria–how their innocent friendship soon turns into a romantic affair. Sometimes, as a reader, I was afraid of them getting caught!
The only bad side about this book was, it was a bit too long but I enjoyed reading the book nonetheless

Overall, this is a good romantic historical fiction, learned really a lot about Cuba and its culture. Worth five stars!

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The Breakdown–Book Review

Hey all! Just finished reading The Breakdown by B.A. Paris and today will be the book review about this book!

The Breakdown: The gripping thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors by [B A Paris]

f you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

It all started that night in the woods.

Cass Anderson didn’t stop to help the woman in the car, and now she’s dead.

Ever since, silent calls have been plaguing Cass and she’s sure someone is watching her.

Consumed by guilt, she’s also starting to forget things. Whether she took her pills, what her house alarm code is – and if the knife in the kitchen really had blood on it.

Print Length: 337 pages
Publisher: HQ (February 9, 2017)
Publication Date: February 9, 2017
Genre:- Psychological Thriller/ Women’s Fiction

B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and Bring Me Back. Having sold over one million copies in the UK alone, she is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller as well as a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her books have sold in 38 territories around the world. Having lived in France for many years, she recently moved back to the UK.

I have not yet read her first novel, Behind Closed Doors yet (which I am planning to read soon). I decided to try this book, The Breakdown first.

The story begins with Cass Anderson, who was at a party with her colleagues from work. On her way home, she takes the shortcut, instead of taking the main road, that is through the woods. While driving through the shortcut, she sees a car, parked by the side of the road, and sees a woman inside the car. Cass stops and then drives away, as it was raining heavily and she thought that the woman had already asked for help. The next day, the news came that the woman who Cass saw in the car was murdered brutally. Later on, we find that the woman’s name was Jane Walters who Cass befriended two weeks ago at a party. Cass is now overwhelmed with guilt of not helping her friend at the time. And then, she starts receiving silent phone calls and then she keeps forgetting things…

Let’s start with the ones I like about the book.

I thought the plot line for the story was actually good. It was in fact intriguing.
Towards the end, there were twists to the story so it actually hooked me into the story as to what is going to happen next.
As a reader, you would think if Cass is actually going crazy or if she was imagining things in her head.
The book is well written in my opinion–it was easy to read.

Now about the ones I didn’t like about the book.

The story to me was a bit predictable, including the one of the characters I knew would be Jane’s murderer
None of the characters in this book are likable–Cass, the main character to me was naive and whiny, her husband, Matthew is inconsiderate and her friend Rachel to me, I didn’t really like her.
This is a slow paced thriller which is not to my liking

Overall, this was a good book but only worth four stars because of the good plot and the story was well written.

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Cappuccinos, Cupcakes and a Corpse–Book Review

Happy Monday!! I am back with a book review–I got this book free from Kindle. The first series of Cape Bay series, Cappuccinos, Cupcakes and a Corpse, a cozy mystery book by Harper Li.

Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Book 1) by [Harper Lin]

Francesca Amaro moves back to her hometown of Cape Bay, Massachusetts, and takes over the family business, Antonia’s Italian Café. She spends her days making delicious artisan cappuccinos, until she stumbles upon her neighbor’s dead body. When the police discover Mr. Cardosi was poisoned, Francesca becomes a suspect.

The victim’s son, Matty, happens to be Francesca’s old high school friend. Together, they uncover the secrets of the locals in order to find the killer in their idyllic beach town.

Print Length: 286 pages

Publication Date: May 25, 2015

Genre:- Cozy Mystery

Harper Lin is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of cozy mysteries. When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga classes, hiking, and hanging out with her family and friends.

I have been reading a lot of cozy mystery books and this is one of the books. The story begins with Francesca, who moves back to her hometown in Cape Bay from New York after her mother had passed away. She owns a family chain cafe in Cape Bay and keeps herself busy most of the time. And one day, when she was on her way home, she sees Mr. Cordozi, slumped on his chair, dead. And then begins her investigation.

So let’s start with the ones I like about the book.

I like the book cover of the book.
Towards the end, the book got interesting as both Fran and her childhood friend Matt set about to find Mr. Cordozi’s killer.

Things I didn’t like

I felt many parts of the story was not really related to the story–a lot of unnecessary parts

Overall this is an OK book. Give three star rating

Stuck in the Blizzard–No Exit Book Review

Just finished a fast paced thriller, No Exit by Taylor Adams and so can’t wait to share my insight with you all.

A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?

With exquisitely controlled pacing, Taylor Adams diabolically ratchets up the tension with every page. Full of terrifying twists and hairpin turns, No Exit will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless

Print Length: 287 pages

Publisher: William Morrow (January 15, 2019)
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Genre- Psychological Thriller

Taylor Adams directed the acclaimed short film And I Feel Fine in 2008 and graduated Eastern Washington University with the Excellence in Screenwriting Award and the prestigious Edmund G. Yarwood Award. His directorial work has screened at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival and his writing has been featured on KAYU-TV’s Fox Life blog. He has worked in the film/television industry for several years and lives in Washington state. EYESHOT is Adams’ debut novel, published by Joffe Books.

I have wanted to read this book for a while had been in want to read list. I finally found this book as an E-book on Scribd and so started reading it!

Darby Thorne is a sophomore from CU Boulder, who is driving from Boulder to Utah, as her mother is in the final stages of cancer and was at the hospital. While driving and due to to hazard of blizzard and the threat of closing the roads, Darby stops at a small rest in. In this small rest in also four other people, who are also stuck in the rest place because of the blizzard. While outside, trying to get a signal on her phone, she sees that inside one of the vans, a girl was being caged in a dog cage. Then begins the story, as to who is the one who is carrying a captive in a van.

So as usual, I will start with the ones I like about the book.

This thriller is actually fast paced, which I liked about the book. Something is going on or going to happen in each of the chapter and so the author did a good job of keeping the reader hooked into the story
To Darby, every four person is a suspect–Ashley, the talkative accountant, Ed a retired veterinarian and his cousin Sandi and Lars, a creepy teenage looking boy. We have no clue as to who is actually having a small girl as a captive in one of the vans. (I am not going to let too much info about that)
Also, once Darby finds the real culprit, it becomes a cat and mouse chase and as a reader, we are wondering who is going to get out of the place alive or whether the girl inside the van will get saved.
The author uses the hours and time as chapters in the book, beginning with the evening when Darby is driving and is stopping over at the rest in and ending in the dawn time.
There were twists in each and every one of the chapters.
To be honest, while reading the book, I thought I was in kind of a horror movie–an interesting horror movie, with no telephone signals stuck with a certain psycho so that actually made the reader feel tensed and at the edge of the seat.
Like most psychological thrillers (nearly every protagonists in a psychological thriller is dealing with some personal issue), Darby is a vulnerable girl, who has some personal issues and a dysfunctional relationship with her mother and as a reader, you kind of feel sorry for the character as she herself (or even the reader) has no idea if she is able to save the little girl and save her life or die.
The ending was a bit unexpected.

Now about the ones I didn’t like about the book.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!! I am a bit confused about the ending. However I assumed that Darby is dead and Jay was talking to the ghost of Darby.
It was a bit gory and disgusting when you are reading towards the end i.e. too much violence towards the end. I don’t really like violence much.

Overall, if you like a fast paced thriller, then No Exit is for you. Worth four stars in my opinion.

April Wrap-Up

April has come to an end, it’s been more than a month since the lockdown and stuck at home. So I will just briefly wrap up the ones I have read in April.

Title	Genre	Rating
Pachinko	Historical Fiction	*****
The Husband’s Secret	Women’s Fiction/Thriller	****
The Librarian of Auschwitz	Historical/True Story	*****
Indecent	Women’s Fiction	***
Baby Doll	Thriller	****
The Murmur of Bees	Historical Fiction/Family Saga	*****
The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes	Contemporary/Women’s Fiction	*****
Cream Caramel and Murder	Cozy Mystery	****
The boy in Striped Pajamas	Historical Fiction	****
My Sister The Serial Killer	Thriller/Dark Humor	****
The Girl I Left Behind	Historical Fiction	*****
How to Bake a Murder	Cozy Mystery	****
The Secret of Lost Stones	Magic Fiction/Friendship	*****
The French Girl	Thriller	****
Coffee and Crime	Cozy Mystery	*****

Stay Tuned for my May Wrap Up coming soon after May!!!

Pretty Girls – Book Review

Hello all! I am back with one of Karin Slaughter’s thriller books, Pretty Girls and so I am going to be sharing a review with you all!

Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.

More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

No of Pages :- 592 Pages

Language :- English

Genre:-Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Karin Slaughter is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling standalones, COP TOWN and PRETTY GIRLS. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world. Find her on the web at http://www.karinslaughter.com

So I will first start with the the things I liked in the book

The book is well written, with vivid descriptions and scenes with a good use of language–Karin Slaughter is a very good writer and she manages to keep the reader at pace and at the edge of the seat when she ends each chapter with a nail biting moment.
The story is emotional tale of sisters’ relationship–One sister disappeared about twenty three years ago, two sisters have an estranged relationship and were reunited when one of the sisters find a dark secret her husband had kept away from her for eighteen years.
Story also talks about the emotional stress that leaves a mark to the family when one of their members go missing. Karin has written the father’s perspective by writing letters to his missing/dead daughter.
There were many twists and turns particularly when Claire finds that her husband who she assumed is dead is still alive and is a violent psychopath.

The things I did not like

OK, most of Slaughters books are violent and this is violent. It talks about sexual abuses, and is not just sexual abuses–there were some parts in the book where it is disturbing, particularly the parts where Slaughter writes a scene where the girl is brutally branded with an iron rod.
The brutal torture description that Lydia one of the sisters have to go through particularly waterboarding with urine (ewww) is too much
The part where the girls were raped with a machete (!?!?!?!?!) and tortured with cattle prod and machete is so disturbing and gory.

Overall, my rating for this book will be

My Sister The Serial Killer – Book Review

Hello all! Recently, I became a member of Scribd where I can access an unlimited amount of books on my iPad!!! Does anyone use Scribd? Anyway, I came across My Sister The Serial Killer, the debut book of Oyinkan Braithwaithe and since I have this book in my want to read book list, I decided to read this. And now here I am, sharing my thoughts with you!

My Sister, the Serial Killer: The Sunday Times Bestseller by [Oyinkan Braithwaite]

When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…

Print Length: 242 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Books (January 3, 2019)
Publication Date: January 3, 2019
Genre: Humor/Thriller/Women Fiction

16 Questions With Oyinkan Braithwaite | Aitken Alexander Associates

OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE is a graduate of Creative Writing and Law from Kingston University. Following her degree, she worked as an assistant editor at Kachifo, a Nigerian publishing house, and has been freelancing as a writer and editor since. In 2014, she was shortlisted as a top-ten spoken-word artist in the Eko Poetry Slam, and in 2016 she was a finalist for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

This book as I said earlier had been in my Want to Read Book List for some time, as I have read some praising comments about the book so I got this book.

This is the story about two sister, Korede and Ayoola, a middle class family living in Lagos, Nigeria. Korede is a serious nurse, dedicated to working in the hospital while Ayoola is an upcoming fashion designer and is the beautiful one of the sisters. Ayoola has strings of boyfriends, who falls under her charm and beauty. But the problem is, Ayoola cannot maintain a serious relationship–at the beginning of the story, we find that she has killed three boyfriends thus the name My Sister, The Serial Killer. Meanwhile, Korede is secretly in love with the doctor, Tade who works in the same hospital but when Ayoola comes to the hospital one day to have lunch with Korede, Tade falls in love with her…and so the story goes.

Now as usual, let’s start with the ones I like about the book.

The book was only 220 pages long and the chapters were not too long–they were short. So it was actually quick to read. I finished this book in a day.
I like learning a bit about the Nigerian culture as the author has outlined some details of culture of Nigeria in the book.
I like how the author has outlined the relationship between Korede and Ayoola. Despite the fact that Korede cannot actually stand her sister Ayoola (who finds everything funny) and sometimes feeling envious and jealous towards her sister, Korede would do anything to help her sister to get out of the mess, even if her sister had committed a crime.
The book had some sense of dark humor in it and is told from the perspective of Korede.
I like how the author labeled Korede as someone who wants everything clean and tidy which is why she was perfect for when Ayoola commits a murder.

Now the things I didn’t like about the book.

Except for the characters of Korede and Ayoola (though at times I couldn’t stand both of them), I never favored Tade, the apparently kind and nice doctor working in the same hospital as Korede. To me, he sounds naive and inconsiderate.
I know that the girls’ father’s murder might probably might have triggered Ayoola into committing murder but I wish I know the actual reason and the background why Ayoola, who is charming, funny and perky kills her boyfriend by the end

Overall, this is a good book to read with a sense of humor in it. Worth four stars in my opinion!

Sneak Peek at the books I am currently reading

Hello all! So I am going to be reading lot of Kindle and one physical book so I thought I will let you get a glimpse of what I am reading. And of course, what will come next in my book review blog!!

Cappuccinos, Cupcakes and a Corpse–Harper Li

Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Book ...

From USA TODAY Bestselling Author Harper Lin: a dessert cozy mystery series with recipes!

The victim’s son, Matty, happens to be Francesca’s old high school friend. Together, they uncover the secrets of the locals in order to find the killer in their idyllic beach town.

Includes two special cupcake recipes!

2. The Price of Paradise – Susana Lopez Rubio

The Price of Paradise by [Susana López Rubio, Achy Obejas]

In a city as corrupt as it was luxurious, those who dared to dream were bound to pay the price.

3. Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies: The No.1 bestseller behind the award-winning TV series by [Liane Moriarty]

Perfect families, perfect houses, perfect lives.

Three mothers, Jane, Madeline and Celeste appear to have it all . . . but do they? They are about to find out just how easy it is for one little lie to spiral out of control.
_____________

Single mum Jane has just moved to town. She’s got her little boy in tow – plus a secret she’s been carrying for five years.

On the first day of the school run she meets Madeline – a force to be reckoned with, who remembers everything and forgives no one – and Celeste, the kind beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but is inexplicably ill at ease. They both take Jane under their wing – while careful to keep their own secrets under wraps.

But a minor incident involving the children of all three women rapidly escalates: playground whispers become spiteful rumours until no one can tell the truth from the lies.

It was always going to end in tears, but how did it end in murder?

The Girl I Left Behind- Book Review

Hello all! I just finished an awesome historical fiction and debut novel of Andie Newton, The Girl I left Behind. So let’s begin the review!

The Girl I Left Behind: An emotional, gripping and heartwrenching ...

What would you risk to save your best friend?

As a young girl, Ella never considered that those around her weren’t as they appeared. But when her childhood best friend shows Ella that you can’t always believe what you see, Ella finds herself thrown into the world of the German Resistance.

On a dark night in 1941, Claudia is taken by the Gestapo, likely never to be seen again, unless Ella can save her. With the help of the man she loves, Ella must undertake her most dangerous mission yet and infiltrate the Nazi Party.

Selling secrets isn’t an easy job. In order to find Claudia, Ella must risk not only her life, but the lives of those she cares about.

Will Ella be able to leave behind the girl of her youth and step into the shoes of another?

Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The German Midwife and Kate Furnivall.

Print Length: 368 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1789546680
Publisher: Aria (October 3, 2019)
Publication Date: October 3, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
Genre–Jewish Fiction/Historical Fiction

Andie Newton writes female-driven historical fiction set in WWII. She’s the author of The Girl I Left Behind (Aria 2019) and The Girl from Vichy (Aria 2020). Andie holds a Bachelor degree in History and a Master in Teaching. She would love to say she spends her free time gardening and cooking, but she’s killed everything she’s ever planted and set off more fire alarms than she cares to admit. Andie does, however, love spending time with her family, trail running, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

I got this book through Kindle at a discounted price. I am a die hard fan of historical fiction, particularly if the book is based on Holocaust or based on during the Nazi regime. The Girl I left Behind is such a book. The story, told from the main protagonist point of view, Ella is best friends with Claudia. They are in the Women’s League, which, in Nazi Germany at the time, all German teenagers are required to join. However, Claudia is involved in a resistance movement named “The Falcons” which is involved in opposing the Nazi Regime and helping the Jews and others who the Nazis consider “irredeemable” to hide. But things become complicated when Claudia was caught by the Gestapo. Ella, who moved to Munich from Nuremberg joins the Reich government as a secretary to a high ranking Nazi official and at the same time, selling the secrets to the resistance and the spies, acting as a spy herself.

So let’s start with the ones I like about the book.

The book was actually well written, quiet emotional towards the end that you actually feel like you want to cry.
The author has done tremendous research on this book, particularly about the life of a German teenage girl during the Nazi regime, the resistance movement that opposed the Nazi regime. Though the book is fictionalized, the events that are described in this book is real, particularly about the description of the political prison.
Despite the seriousness of the topic, I like how the author has put in a hint of romance in the book–the budding romance between Ella and Max and then Ella and Eric (her own boss) (SPOILER ALERT)
I like the way the author has made Ella as a brave and courageous girl, risking her own life while working as a secretary to the Reich by acting as a spy, selling secrets. As a woman, I greatly admire Ella’s character in the book.
The author managed to make the reader feel as a part of the story, particularly the part where Ella goes for skiing with her boss Erik and cousin Alex and three others, describing the life in the mountains, away from the chaos of war. Also, you feel that you are a part of the story as well.
The author has done a good job keeping the reader at the edge of the seat. As a reader, I was worried about Ella and about how and when she will get caught.
The last few chapters were bit emotional and sad to read at the things Ella had to go through.

There were not many things that I didn’t like. Towards the end, we know that Ella is going to start a new life as a new person though I kind of wished I know what happened to Max and Claudia.

Overall, this is a good historical fiction book, keeps you hooked into the story and you don’t really want to put the book down! Worth five stars in my opinion!

Rating Five Stars stock footage. Video of light, rating - 103597750

Cookie and Cream — How to Bake A Murder book review K.J. EMRICK

Hello all! These days I have been reading a lot of culinary fashioned cozy mysteries and it is actually free on Amazon kindle. So today, I am going to do a book review, How to Bake a Murder by K.J. Emrick, a cozy mystery novel and the first part of the Cookie and Cream series.

How to Bake a Murder (A Cookie and Cream Cozy Mystery Book 1) by [K.J. Emrick]

“I can’t get a pulse. Cookie, call for an ambulance.”

Definitely not the words you want to hear when a man has just collapsed in the middle of your bakery.

A few minutes is all it took for Karen ‘Cookie’ Williams to be thrust into the center of a nightmare. A customer was dead and she was considered a suspect. Her beloved shop was a crime scene.

Things weren’t looking so great for her.

If you add in the strange figure that was lurking around at night, the prominent businessman who was harassing her to sell up and an unhappy granddaughter who was spending the summer with her you had a recipe for disaster.

Can Cookie work out who killed her customer and save her bakery from ruin before she becomes a victim herself?

Print Length: 194 pages

Publisher: South Coast Publishing; 1 edition (July 26, 2016)
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
Genre:- Cozy mystery

Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick dreamed of being an author for the majority of her life.

She never quite gave up on the idea of being a published author and at the age of 51, thanks to Amazon and their Kindle platform, she finally realized her dream. Her maturity allows her to bring a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.

She lives in beautiful South Australia with her family including several cats and dogs. Kathrine can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal and like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library. Her goal is to regularly produce entertaining and noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.

To find out more please visit the author’s website at http://www.kathrineemrick.com

First of all, I really like the book cover. The title itself also sounds cheesy. In a nutshell, Karen “Cookie” Williams owns a bakery in a small town. She brings her granddaughter, Clarissa over the summer, in the hopes of getting to know each other. There is also a budding romance between Jerry a police officer who often comes to the bakery. Then one day, a regular customer, Julien dies on the doorstep of Cookie’s bakery after eating his cream puff especially made for him.

Let’s start with the ones I like about the book.

The book is simple and short and the author has written in a easy format.
It was funny as well.
Reading cozy mysteries especially based on culinary kinda makes you feel hungry too.
I like the relationship Cookie is having with her little dog who is named Cream
I like how the relationship between Cookie and her granddaughter started improving towards the end of the book.
Many of the characters in the book were likable especially the main character Cookie.

Now about the ones I didn’t like about the book.

Too much of dialogue and at times, it was confusing.
Some parts of the story was a bit unrealistic.
The budding romance between Cookie and Jerry was a bit too fast in my opinion

Overall it was a good book, a good cozy mystery thriller to read. Worth four stars!