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starsnstitchin's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
booklover81's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
aliciareadsit's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 STARS
Christmas has come early for cozy culinary lovers! The Candy Cane Caper is the 13th book in the Cozy Culinary Mystery series. If you like cozy mysteries with recipes, this series is for you! This was actually my very first Cozy Culinary Mystery, but it read as a standalone, so i was not super confused.
The mystery was interesting without adding murder (which I hear is in most of the other novels) and the culprit was a bit of a surprise so that was always nice, It's always a disappointment if its too predictable. There was a lot of investigating throughout the book, and I would have liked a bit more story around the characters than just that, but it was still an entertaining holiday read. I absoluetly loved that the author included recipes throughout the book, and all the talk of baking had me hungry while reading! Some of these recipes sound so delicious that I may just have to try them out too!
Overall, I enjoyed the read and look forward to returning to the beginning books in the series and getting to know the characters even better.
*Special Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advanced paperback copy in exchange for my honest review and blog post*
4 STARS
Christmas has come early for cozy culinary lovers! The Candy Cane Caper is the 13th book in the Cozy Culinary Mystery series. If you like cozy mysteries with recipes, this series is for you! This was actually my very first Cozy Culinary Mystery, but it read as a standalone, so i was not super confused.
The mystery was interesting without adding murder (which I hear is in most of the other novels) and the culprit was a bit of a surprise so that was always nice, It's always a disappointment if its too predictable. There was a lot of investigating throughout the book, and I would have liked a bit more story around the characters than just that, but it was still an entertaining holiday read. I absoluetly loved that the author included recipes throughout the book, and all the talk of baking had me hungry while reading! Some of these recipes sound so delicious that I may just have to try them out too!
Overall, I enjoyed the read and look forward to returning to the beginning books in the series and getting to know the characters even better.
*Special Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advanced paperback copy in exchange for my honest review and blog post*
hugbandit7's review against another edition
5.0
Sadie is back! I thought this series was over a few years ago but was thrilled to see at least one more book in this series to give us a peek into what Sadie has been up to since she married Pete. They are enjoying life and she has hung up her investigating shoes until someone steals some of Mary's priceless ornaments from the tree in her room at the local nursing home. With Pete out of town for work, she pulls out her sleuthing skills to determine who might have stolen the ornaments and why.
I have to say I did not expect the thief to be this character. I truly had my eyes peeled another way or two and never suspected this person. But beyond the mystery, this book was also about forgiveness and not letting those that you love stray too far from your life before it is too late.
There are many recipes in the book that made my mouth water and I'm going to have to try some of them out very soon.
We give this book 5 paws up. If you have never read of the books in this series, you might want to start at the beginning or at least part of the way through the series to learn about the characters.
I have to say I did not expect the thief to be this character. I truly had my eyes peeled another way or two and never suspected this person. But beyond the mystery, this book was also about forgiveness and not letting those that you love stray too far from your life before it is too late.
There are many recipes in the book that made my mouth water and I'm going to have to try some of them out very soon.
We give this book 5 paws up. If you have never read of the books in this series, you might want to start at the beginning or at least part of the way through the series to learn about the characters.
caleykapowski's review against another edition
1.0
Sadie is a nosy wee cow
One of the most unpleasant and unlikable characters I've read of late. I didn't enjoy this book at all
valerieelseswhere's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps I would have found the story more enjoyable if I had read the first Sadie story. As it was, I didn't feel invested in the characters and the plot was predictable.
thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
4.0
The Candy Cane Caper is the 14th book in the Culinary Mystery series. However, I had not read any previous books and I was able to follow along.
Sadie is overwhelmed with checking things off her to-do list before her family arrives for Christmas. Yet, when her friend’s priceless, family-legacy Christmas ornaments go missing, Sadie is on the case.
I liked Sadie as she is quirky, and being a retired P.I. she does stick her nose in where it doesn’t belong, but it’s always done with good intentions. I liked how the story stressed the importance of family, friendship, and not judging others by appearance.
I really enjoyed how this Cozy was about the missing ornaments rather than murder and I loved learning about the ornaments history. (I use to collect ornaments as a teenager)
There are several suspects as family, friends, and nursing home staff are included in the suspect list. I didn’t guess the thief until the very end.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Sadie is overwhelmed with checking things off her to-do list before her family arrives for Christmas. Yet, when her friend’s priceless, family-legacy Christmas ornaments go missing, Sadie is on the case.
I liked Sadie as she is quirky, and being a retired P.I. she does stick her nose in where it doesn’t belong, but it’s always done with good intentions. I liked how the story stressed the importance of family, friendship, and not judging others by appearance.
I really enjoyed how this Cozy was about the missing ornaments rather than murder and I loved learning about the ornaments history. (I use to collect ornaments as a teenager)
There are several suspects as family, friends, and nursing home staff are included in the suspect list. I didn’t guess the thief until the very end.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
katiemayveil's review against another edition
5.0
This book brought tears to my eyes! It was so fun to catch up with Sadie Hoffmiller. In 'The Candy Cane Caper' Sadie is determined to help her friend Mary have a good last Christmas. Mary is older and blind, so Sadie helps her decorate her Christmas tree. The very next day Sadie realizes that several antique ornaments are missing from Mary's tree. Sadie is now on a mission to recover the ornaments without Mary discovering they were taken. All she has to do is conduct several interviews, pretend to be Mrs. Claus, and pick a few locks.
As always, Sadie treats us to some wonderful awkward moments, some laughs and some tears. Sadie helps remind us of the importance of family, memories, traditions, and service. This book was a wonderful end to Sadie's stories that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The previous books don't necessarily need to be read to follow this story, but I highly recommend them.
As always, Sadie treats us to some wonderful awkward moments, some laughs and some tears. Sadie helps remind us of the importance of family, memories, traditions, and service. This book was a wonderful end to Sadie's stories that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The previous books don't necessarily need to be read to follow this story, but I highly recommend them.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
3.0
This was another cute cozy mystery torpedoed by a super unlikable lead character. Sadie was annoying as #"¤%. A judgmental busybody that I wanted to throat punch about a million times. Other than that, the rest of the book was good. Very festive. The mystery was well done. A nice array of likable side characters. And a lot of yummy sounding recipes to try out. 
kshea1's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
Adorable! First of all, any story set during Christmas has a special magic. Secondly, I love that this cozy mystery surrounded stolen goods, not a murder
Adorable! First of all, any story set during Christmas has a special magic. Secondly, I love that this cozy mystery surrounded stolen goods, not a murder