In this third book in the Spice Isle Bakery series, Lynds and family are again embroiled in solving a murder. When the lead singer of a popular local band falls down a flight of stairs, suspicions of foul play are in the forefront. The Little Caribbean community is again rife with gossip, and the bakery run by Lynds and family is the hub of the discussions. Lynds teams up with her local law enforcement and romantic flame (maybe) to uncover the solution to the mysterious death. Of course, granny and Mommy and Daddy, plus brother Dev and assorted relatives get involved too.

The story moves along slowly for most of the book, with a quick conclusion to the crime at the end. Although it is part of the series, it can be read as a stand alone. The characters, especially the grandma, are the highlights of the story.

This book provides readers with a glimpse into the Caribbean cultures, with foodie and fashion information, as well as physical descriptions of the people in the book. For readers who become frustrated with this level of detail, give this one a miss. Readers unfamiliar with Caribbean culture will probably find the unique terms related to food and the speech patterns to be puzzling. This book would benefit from a glossary. The recipes at the end add nothing to the story, and seem irrelevant.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The ideas expressed here are my own. ( )

Looking for some post-Christmas cozy reading? Family bakery co-owner Lyndsay is back to breaking cases before the cops can in this third Spice Isle Bakery mystery. Read my full review here.

Publication is expected December 26.

#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #CoconutDropDead ( )

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Matthews created another fun cozy with her third entry in her Spice Isle Bakery series. I read and loved the first book, didn't get the second, but was able to jump into Coconut Drop Dead without any problem. That's the sign of a good cozy series for me: it's great if you can start at the beginning, but if you can pick up the later books and not get lost, you know you're in capable hands.

In this book, Lyndsay is excited that her family will have a food stand at Brooklyn's Caribbean American Heritage Festival. Her cousin Manny even seems to have something going for Camille, the lead singer of a popular local group. When Camille dies at the festival, Lyndsay is relieved that, for once, her family isn't suspected of murder by hot detective Bryce, but her heartbroken cousin is certain Camille's death is suspicious. Lyndsay, with the help of her wonderful family, sets off to investigate.

This book really hits the right balance between the cozy special interest (Caribbean foods) and the murder mystery. I'm not familiar with Caribbean culture, so I really enjoy learning about Lyndsay's Grenadian roots and the cultures of other people in the neighborhood. And man, I really want to try the coconut drops and other food! I think my only complaint is that there were no twists at the end. Really, though, a great book, and I'd happily read more in the series. ( )

Lyndsay Murray and her family are busy with the Caribbean American Heritage Festival when Camille Abbey falls to her death down a flight of stairs. Camille is the lead singer of DratonFlyZ an up-and-coming reggae band. Lyndsay's cousin Manny was close to Camille and wanted to be closer. Lyndsay decides to look into the death to see if it was murder.

When Camille's death is judged to be murder, and the police seem to be taking their own sweet time to investigate, Lyndsay and her family decide to do their own investigations to answer their questions and help Manny grieve.

There are a number of suspects from the manager who was often at odds with Camille and the ex-boyfriend who was her fellow songwriter. Maybe the backup singer who was displaced for Camille had decided to get rid of the competition.

Besides investigating, Lyndsay is also busy with the upsurge in business the festival brought her bakery and the new catering opportunities the festival also brought. She's also wondering about her relationship with detective Bryce Jackson who seems to want to date her. But she still hasn't forgiven him for thinking that she was a murderer and worse that her mother was.

Lyndsay has changed a lot since she and her family opened the bakery. She has grown more self-confident and assertive. Successes at solving two mysteries have been good for her self-esteem, While this case has its complications, Lyndsay and her family are up to the task of solving the murder.

I enjoyed the vivid and colorful descriptions of the bakery with all of its wonderful spices. There were so many delicious sounding dishes served there. A couple of recipes are included at the end of this story. ( )

bakery, food-truck, festivals, family-dynamics, family, family-business, cozy-mystery, Brooklyn, culinary, Caribbean-peoples, relationship-issues, relationships, unputdownable, murder-investigation, local-law-enforcement, friends, friendship, recipes, multigenerational, cultural-heritage, Grenadian, kickboxer, romance, verbal-humor*****

Did the fantastic singer of the band fall? Or was she pushed!?
The guys at Spice Isle Bakery are back with the Caribbean American Heritage Festival! And they wind up involved in another murder investigation (at least no one in the family is up for top suspect this time).
Great sleuthing by the whole extended family, real red herrings as well as Lyndsay's feelings about Homicide Detective Bryce made things a little murky when plot twists sneaked in. It was a joy to read about such a dear and loving family as they worked through problems together. Loved it!
Not an unbiased review because I love the series (and Brooklyn/Prospect Park area).
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )