Book Review: A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for...

It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon-'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered-death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?[summary via Amazon]

A Batter of Life and Death is the second book in the Bakeshop Mysteries. The theatre season is winding down for Jules and the residents of Ashland, Oregan's prime spot for everything Shakespearian. However, that doesn't mean that life is about to get quiet. With the appearance of The Pastry Channel's reality tv show, Take the Cake, life is getting really interesting in Ashland. Especially since Jules is a contestant on the show! Things really heat up when one of the contestant's is found dead.

I love to bake and I love to read. However, I'm generally more interested in the cozy mysteries that feature around bookstores and libraries. However, with the underlying Shakespearian tone of this series, I absolutely love the Bakeshop mysteries. The mouthwatering desserts, the tantalizing mystery and the delightful characters in Ashland keep me coming back for more.

I liked that A Batter of Life and Death features around the chaotic world of reality tv cooking shows. I'm a big fan of cooking shows, especially Netflix's Nailed It!, and I liked reading about the drama behind the scenes. Of course there is bound to be drama with melodramatic chefs on board, but the drama turns deadly this time.

The mystery itself kept me on my toes. While I was reading I kept trying to guess who the murderer was, and I had to keep adjusting my guess with every twist and turn!! In the end Jules solved the crime before I did!

I love Ashland and the characters! I'm very much a character-driven reader, and there are so many interesting characters in Ashland, to get to know. I especially love theatre director, Lance. There is an edge to Lance, and every time I wonder if he is the murderer. He especially keeps me on my toes.

A Batter of Life and Death was a delightful and tantalizing mystery and I can't wait to go back for another helping of this series!