As the 'Baking Bookworm', this cozy mystery series, centred around a small-town bakeshop, sounded right up my alley. I recently read the first book in the series (Meet Your Baker) to get a feel for the main character and set up before jumping into this 22nd book of the series.
In The Whisking Hour there's the requisite murder (that doesn't happen until one-third of the way in), a few potential culprits and small-town happenings and characters that long-time fans of the series will enjoy seeing again. But the mystery fell flat for me and felt quite secondary in the main story with Jules (surprisingly) only superficially involved in solving the crime.
Instead, it felt like a lot of page time was spent on small-town life, Jules awaiting the birth of her twins and long descriptions of baking techniques and running the bakery. I love a good recipe, but I'd have preferred the mystery to take centre stage, especially since readers can enjoy the recipes at the end of the book.
Ellie Alexander has written quite a few series, and her Sloan Krause series remains my favourite of the bunch. I very much enjoyed the brief mention of one of the characters from the Krause craft beer cozy mystery series towards the end of this book and suspect she'll be making an appearance in book 23!
While this was a miss for me, I think fans of the series (who didn't jump from book 1 to 22) will enjoy going back to Ashland, Oregon with its small-town inhabitants, bake shop filled with delectable descriptions and a side of murder.
Disclaimer: My thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 2.5 stars
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Bakeshop Mystery 22
Publisher: Minotaur (SMP)
First Published: February 24, 2026
Read: Feb 2-5, 2026
Book Description from GoodReads: Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, and baker Juliet Capshaw is excited to celebrate the season with a night at the theatre. Lance Rousseau, Ashland’s renowned theater director and one of Jules’ closest friends, has put his own spin on a production of the Broadway classic Perfect Crime, drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment as a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. As the final show approaches, Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce.
On the day of the soirée, life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. After the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity. But when an actor is discovered dead in his dressing room, Jules wonders if she’s just witnessed the real perfect murder.
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