A Smoking Bun is the 18th book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and the lovable characters are still going strong. Consistent characters, tense situations, and of course, delicious baked goods make for an easy, quick read.
Jules and her family are once again thrown into another mystery as they are getting ready to celebrate the New Year. While it is always thrilling to watch Jules and her friends get embroiled in the mysteries that never seem to stop in small town Ashland, it is starting to get to the point where even the suspension of disbelief is not enough to convince me that she should be getting involved in cases that really have nothing to do with her. That being said, it is always wonderful to see how Jules is able to put compassion into her time investigating. Her warmth and kindness is part of what keeps me coming back to the series.
Speaking of warmth and love, the side characters and employees at Torte never disappoint. Their banter and relationships with one another always leave me wanting more. The problem with this book was that there were simply too many characters that deserved time in the spotlight. It was nice to get to see more of Andy’s personality, but given that he was the one closest to the actual case, it would have been nice to see even more of him.
It was an exciting concept to see more of Ramiro’s family, but despite the numerous activities that they were involved in, there was very little in the way of character development or growth for any of them, including Ramiro. It would have been great to see more of their personalities shine beyond hearing about how much Jules loved them all.
Overall, this is an enjoyable addition to a fun cozy mystery series and a great, quick winter read. I’d love for some more character development, but this book is still a nice piece of dessert!
⅗ stars
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
The Novel Llama 