Title:	Sticks and Scones
	Author:	Ellie Alexander
	Published:	August 20, 2024, Minotaur
	No. of Pages:	310
	Cover Price:	$9.29 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle

---

Although I love good heavy duty thrillers by my favorite authors, sometimes I get too much suspense and want to read something a little lighter. There are dozens of good cozy mystery series by excellent authors. My favorites tend to be culinary mysteries, and they generally include recipes. One series I like to read is Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Series, The 20th installment of this fun series is Sticks and Scones where Jules’s best friend, Lance, the artistic director of Ashland’s Annual Shakespeare Festival, is debuting his new group of actors, The Fair Verona Players, in a presentation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew to be held at Uva Winery, with Jules’s bakeshop, Torte, serving the food. The main actor, Jimmy Paxton, is arrogant and obnoxious, and has offended almost everyone in the troupe, as well as Jules and some of the investors in the project. Unfortunately, after his amazing performance in the play, Jimmy is found dead in the wine cellar of Jule’s and her husband’s winery. Jules has always been sort of an amateur sleuth and investigates to solve the murder.

It’s also fun to read about favorite characters that have become well-known throughout a fun series. Alexander has done an excellent job of developing the main characters and by this installment, they are loved and feel like real friends. Alexander also does an excellent job of spinning a story that is believable, as well as suspenseful. Jules, et al are in danger some of the time, and as the story unfolds, there are several suspects that have reasons to murder Jimmy. However, after twists and turns, there is a surprise ending.

All told, this is an excellent book, and it includes some mouthwatering recipes. Although this novel can be read as a standalone, readers will want to start at the beginning and read all of the books in order. Because they are cozy mysteries, they contain no profanity, violence, or sexual innuendo; they are suitable for everyone who likes a good mystery.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.