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A review by thephdivabooks
A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander
3.0
Ellie Alexander’s latest book in her Bakeshop Mystery series set in Ashland, OR sees pastry chef Jules’ growing extended family come to visit from Spain. Meanwhile a murder on the ski slopes threatens to upend everything in A Smoking Bun.
Review | A Smoking Bun
I’ve read some of the books in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries, but I certainly haven’t read them all. A Smoking Bun is book 18, which is quite impressive! Typically I comment on whether a cozy mystery can be read as a standalone, and technically this one could (the mystery is solved within the book). However, I think reading this in the context of the series matters more in this case than some others, as we see Jules dealing with a lot of life challenges outside the mystery that will have a greater impact if you’ve experienced at least some of her character arc across the series.
“They say you should embrace the seasons of life […] Beauty was literally all around me. My problem was more about centering on the moment. Being fully present and not spiraling into imagined worries and plans for my future.”
The book opens with Jules struggling to relax and enjoy life. Readers of the series will know that Jules is a great character, but she is a heavy character for a cozy mystery series. This isn’t the first book where the narrative is weighted down with her current issues (which is partly why so many love the series and it’s authenticity). This is a book where we see Jules tackling grief, anxiety, and reflecting on her journey of self-growth. Carlos has moved to Ashland, OR to be with Jules and his son Ramiro has been staying with them for the past six months. Ramiro’s family is coming to visit, and Jules is a bundle of stress (not only because of this).
Carlos and Jules have a checkered past in the series. I haven’t read every book and it seems that they are in one of the better places they have been the entire series in A Smoking Bun, but I can’t shake my dislike of him from some of his past behavior. Jules doesn’t seem to be having the same problem! In fact, I think she is most stressed that things seem to be going so well and this may mean they are ready for the next step—having their own children. More about that topic if you read the book!
“Baking is my escape from grief […] You know how they say that time heals all wounds? Don’t believe that lie—it doesn’t. […] Time changes us. Time morphs us. But for those of us who have loved and lost, grief comes with us.”
Oof. See what I mean by heavy? Jules is not the only person in this book dealing with grief and anxiety. She and another character bond over baking as a healing activity (this is actually a theme that has come up before in the series). That part of this story I found quite lovely. Jules has a big heart and she puts a lot of love into her baking.
If you are wondering why I haven’t touched on the mystery yet, it’s because the mystery really felt secondary to everything else going on for the first half! The second half picks up pace as the investigation goes on and we learn more about the suspects and their backgrounds and motivations. The conclusion to the mystery does have a satisfying twist to it, and a few heart-pounding scenes to balance the heavier ones.
Overall, I did like this book this book, but with the caveat that I’ve read some of the series. Jules is a character I care about from other books, so opening with her in such a low place didn’t push me away. I am curious how this opening will read for those new to the series. Will Jules be able to win them over, even as she is processing a lot of emotions and negative energy?
I think A Smoking Bun is truly a gift for the longtime readers of this series. Jules has a growth arc during the events of this book that are setting her up to be in a much different place in the next book in the series. I also think if you’ve grown to care about Jules as a character and seen her ups and downs over the previous seventeen books, this story will hold a special place in your heart as it feels like her truly processing and releasing a lot of what is holding her down. By the end of the book, it feels like Jules is embarking on a new chapter with a much lighter spirit in mind. A lot of credit goes to Ramiro’s mother, Sophia. I actually thought the scene between her and Jules at the wine tasting was the best of the book, though it had nothing to do with the mystery.
The mystery itself is good. It almost felt like a mini mystery happening intertwined with everything else going on in Jules’s life. Reflecting, I’m glad the author gave the space it did to Jules’ struggles. I think this was needed for the series to be able to move on from it, and I have faith it will. I think it may also resonate with readers who have experienced blended or nontraditional families, as well as readers who have experience with periods of grief and anxiety over the future. Alexander is a talented writer and lends a lot of depth and authenticity to Jules’ story.
Thank you to St Martins Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Review | A Smoking Bun
I’ve read some of the books in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries, but I certainly haven’t read them all. A Smoking Bun is book 18, which is quite impressive! Typically I comment on whether a cozy mystery can be read as a standalone, and technically this one could (the mystery is solved within the book). However, I think reading this in the context of the series matters more in this case than some others, as we see Jules dealing with a lot of life challenges outside the mystery that will have a greater impact if you’ve experienced at least some of her character arc across the series.
“They say you should embrace the seasons of life […] Beauty was literally all around me. My problem was more about centering on the moment. Being fully present and not spiraling into imagined worries and plans for my future.”
The book opens with Jules struggling to relax and enjoy life. Readers of the series will know that Jules is a great character, but she is a heavy character for a cozy mystery series. This isn’t the first book where the narrative is weighted down with her current issues (which is partly why so many love the series and it’s authenticity). This is a book where we see Jules tackling grief, anxiety, and reflecting on her journey of self-growth. Carlos has moved to Ashland, OR to be with Jules and his son Ramiro has been staying with them for the past six months. Ramiro’s family is coming to visit, and Jules is a bundle of stress (not only because of this).
Carlos and Jules have a checkered past in the series. I haven’t read every book and it seems that they are in one of the better places they have been the entire series in A Smoking Bun, but I can’t shake my dislike of him from some of his past behavior. Jules doesn’t seem to be having the same problem! In fact, I think she is most stressed that things seem to be going so well and this may mean they are ready for the next step—having their own children. More about that topic if you read the book!
“Baking is my escape from grief […] You know how they say that time heals all wounds? Don’t believe that lie—it doesn’t. […] Time changes us. Time morphs us. But for those of us who have loved and lost, grief comes with us.”
Oof. See what I mean by heavy? Jules is not the only person in this book dealing with grief and anxiety. She and another character bond over baking as a healing activity (this is actually a theme that has come up before in the series). That part of this story I found quite lovely. Jules has a big heart and she puts a lot of love into her baking.
If you are wondering why I haven’t touched on the mystery yet, it’s because the mystery really felt secondary to everything else going on for the first half! The second half picks up pace as the investigation goes on and we learn more about the suspects and their backgrounds and motivations. The conclusion to the mystery does have a satisfying twist to it, and a few heart-pounding scenes to balance the heavier ones.
Overall, I did like this book this book, but with the caveat that I’ve read some of the series. Jules is a character I care about from other books, so opening with her in such a low place didn’t push me away. I am curious how this opening will read for those new to the series. Will Jules be able to win them over, even as she is processing a lot of emotions and negative energy?
I think A Smoking Bun is truly a gift for the longtime readers of this series. Jules has a growth arc during the events of this book that are setting her up to be in a much different place in the next book in the series. I also think if you’ve grown to care about Jules as a character and seen her ups and downs over the previous seventeen books, this story will hold a special place in your heart as it feels like her truly processing and releasing a lot of what is holding her down. By the end of the book, it feels like Jules is embarking on a new chapter with a much lighter spirit in mind. A lot of credit goes to Ramiro’s mother, Sophia. I actually thought the scene between her and Jules at the wine tasting was the best of the book, though it had nothing to do with the mystery.
The mystery itself is good. It almost felt like a mini mystery happening intertwined with everything else going on in Jules’s life. Reflecting, I’m glad the author gave the space it did to Jules’ struggles. I think this was needed for the series to be able to move on from it, and I have faith it will. I think it may also resonate with readers who have experienced blended or nontraditional families, as well as readers who have experience with periods of grief and anxiety over the future. Alexander is a talented writer and lends a lot of depth and authenticity to Jules’ story.
Thank you to St Martins Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.