A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander – A Bakeshop
Mystery #2
Finished: 22 February 2016
Rating: 5 stars
“They say time heals a broken heart. I’ve noticed that no
one mentions exactly how much time it takes, though.”
I enjoyed the second book in this series even more than I
did the first. This time we visit Ashland, Oregon in the fall. Since it’s the
beginning of the family’s bakery, Torte’s, off season, Jules signs up to
compete on The Pastry Channel’s reality show, Take the Cake. Once she discovers
a fellow contestant dead on the set of the competition, she finds herself in
the middle of yet another whodunit. I really enjoyed the strong cast of reoccurring
characters that continue to grow and develop. They are realistic and flawed.
Jules’ relationship with her mom is very open and you can’t help feeling like
one of the family. The new characters we are introduced to are an interesting
group. Some I liked, some not so much but they all have secrets to hide. Of
course, the biggest secret being that someone is a murderer. Normally I dislike
the dreaded love triangle but the one between Jules, Thomas and Carlos is
unique. This triangle is between her past and her present. One of my favorite
lines from A Batter of Life and Death is when Jules explains the two men, “The only thing I could compare the two men to was pastry. Thomas
was like a soft oatmeal cookie, served warm from the oven with a chewy center.
Carlos was like cherries jubilee, flaming hot on the outside. Once the flame
burned out, what was left?”
I highly recommend A Batter of Life and
Death. A wonderful read and some top notch recipes, the perfect culinary cozy
combination.
