Scones and Scandal: A cozy murder mystery full of twists
- Downloads：2776
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-26 22:31:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Agatha Frost
- ISBN：B08Y1XJTXP
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
QNPoohBear
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I received an advanced review copy from BookSprout in exchange for a review。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway。3。55 starsJulia South-Brown is trying to focus on motherhood and not worry about her cafe。 She's sure everyone is doing a great job while she's on maternity leave。 Jessie is off traveling the world with her brother and Barker is busy with his P。I。 business。 In fact， his latest case is for Katie and Brian who finally have an offer on the Ma I received an advanced review copy from BookSprout in exchange for a review。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway。3。55 starsJulia South-Brown is trying to focus on motherhood and not worry about her cafe。 She's sure everyone is doing a great job while she's on maternity leave。 Jessie is off traveling the world with her brother and Barker is busy with his P。I。 business。 In fact， his latest case is for Katie and Brian who finally have an offer on the Manor。 Katie worries it's not legit。 Julia is trying to help her sister who needs a break from work and her three-year-old twins but Sue won't let Julia help。 Then the neighborhood watch group， Peridale's Eyes， sets their sights on Julia's parking space in the alley behind her shop， Dot is ready to declare war！ After all， there are bigger problems to solve， like the mystery of the thief breaking and entering and stealing valuables from local homes， including Julia's friend Leah's cottage。 Dot seizes the opportunity to take the lead when neighborhood watch leader Penelope is first ousted， then murdered in the cemetery。 Dot forms her own as-yet-unnamed watch group and aims to solve Penelope's murder！ As Dot takes the lead， things get tense in the village。 Will she go too far this time？ They need Julia's calm， rational sense but she's unwilling to get too involved in her Gran's crazy schemes。 She has Olivia to look after now and baking millions of scones in the cafe to use up the extra ingredients Katie accidentally ordered。 Will Penelope's murder ever be solved？ This is one of the better entries of the series， at least among the books I've read so far。 Skipping forward a few books did make me feel lost for a little while。 Certain events have transpired since the last book and it was hard to catch up at first。 The author fills the reader in a bit but it's best if you read the series as a whole， in order。 I HATE babies so all the time spent on Olivia， Vinnie and Sue's twins bored me to tears。 The plot didn't move along very speedily at first either。 After the halfway mark the plot picks up and I couldn't put it down。 There are a couple of mysteries going on。 I wasn't sure the two main mysteries were related or how to solve either one。 The big murder mystery reveal was a surprise。 I hadn't expected that at all。 Then there's too much resolution and it goes on for ages after the mystery was solved。 The final chapter sets up the next mystery and THAT sounds like one I need to read。 I loved the scone baking in this book and really want a recipe for chocolate orange scones！ They sound amazing and probably don't need the jam and cream but I'll take those too！ I noted a few typos。 On p。 29 "previsions" instead of provisions and in Chap。 11， page 130， there is a word or two missing from the sentence "last and time" doesn't make sense。Julia's journey to motherhood is a very important part of the story and if you miss the first few books and the last few， you'll lose some of the essence of who Julia is。 She's kind of blah and unappealing in this one。 She misses Jessie （pity party）， she feels guilty leaving Olivia （pity party）， she feeds the baby， etc。 the baby。 SNOOZE！ I like Julia better when Jessie is around。 Jessie is usually so much fun with her outrageous comments。 I miss her too but she deserves to spend time with her brother traveling and seeing the world after her rough start in life。 Barker is as boring as Julia。 He's a nice guy and he has stopped being grumpy。 He spends a lot of time with the baby and works at his new P。I。 business so he feels fulfilled and happy now。 I was pleased to see him do the child care and be eager and willing to split the duties 50-50。 He wasn't so thrilled with Jessie at first but I guess instant teenage daughter is a lot different than your own biological newborn。 Dot has gone off the deep end this time。 She's normally pretty crazy but this time， her antics take the cake！ Dot is complete insane。 She's power hungry， egotistical and a bad friend。 She doesn't listen to anyone and her attempt at investigating goes as well as an elephant in a china shop。 Yikes！ Dot is just so unlikable and the things she does and says are just so inappropriate for the situation。 She does have a clever mind and a sense of pride in the village but her methods leave a lot to be desired。 Dot's new husband Percy is a sweetheart！ He's so lovely， supportive and caring。 He understands Dot but he also recognizes her faults。 He lets her make her own mistakes and is there for her when she needs support。 They're also adorable pet parents！ Katie has grown up a lot since I last saw her。 She's matured into a responsible businesswoman who is not only eager to help Julia but capable。 The mistake she made wasn't totally her fault and she helped turn the situation around。 When she had misgivings about a situation， she paused and asked for help。 I admire her for being willing and able now to give up everything she was raised with。 Brian is still kind of an air dreamer。 He's a bit too enthusiastic and rushes in without thinking things through。 He's older and knows better so there's no excusing his behavior。 I'm still not crazy about him。We get to know Evelyn better。 I last saw her after she learned about the loss of her only child。 She's doing OK-still into crystals and sénaces and whatever but she's delightful。 I don't remember meeting Shilpa before but she seems nice。 Shilpa is a cautious， nervous sort of person but she's not a helicopter parent。 I appreciate her allowing her son to live his own life。 Amy is still weak and whiny in Dot's eyes。 She hasn't really experienced any character growth。 Julia's friend Johnny takes center stage here。 He's apparently in a cast because his ankle was run over by a car in a hit and run。 That's one of the mysteries that needs solving。 When news breaks， Johnny is the one to get the scoop and run with it。 He's not a very ethical journalist。 He should write for tabloids。 Then there's a personal relationship plot。 I do not know Julia's friend Leah but Johnny is dating Leah now and gotten over Julia。 Leah is a wedding planner and seems wealthy。 I don't quite trust her even if she is Julia's friend。 Leah is shaken up because her house has been burgled。 I don't blame her for being nervous and stressed out， I'm just not sure I like her yet。 She's not fun like Roxy。Penelope was a really horrible person。 Her vendetta against Julia is silly and she hasn't actually done anything to HELP the neighborhood。 The motive for murder is just as bad。 （view spoiler）[She was enabling her grandson by covering up the truth。 She should have let him go to jail。 It might help him get clean better than all her pleading and attempts to help。 （hide spoiler）] Still， she didn't deserve to be murdered。 Chief among suspects is her frenemy， Ethel。 Ethel served with Penelope from the neighborhood watch and then took over the second Penelope died。 She's just as horrible and nasty as Penelope and she seems to be hiding some secrets that really need to be shared。 Gus Morris， Penelope's widower， is her second husband。 He must have known her secret and why she was in that graveyard in the first place。 Since Dot is massively suspicious of Gus and he seems genuinely sad to see Penelope gone， I don't think he did it。 What about Desmond， Penelope's FIRST husband？ He still carries a torch for her and is rather snippy and weird when questioned。 He could easily have killed Penelope。 He knows her better than anyone。 Also suspicious is Vicky who owns the coffee van by Brian's antique shop。 Who starts a coffee van without knowing how to make coffee？ If she's not the murderer， she knows more than she's telling anyone。 She was part of the original neighborhood watch group with Penelope。 I don't feel sorry for her for anything that happens。 Julia is too nice。 I might actually read more of this series if they continue on a lighter note。 I also may go back and fill in some of the ones I missed some time。 。。。more
K。L。 King
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I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Agatha Frost tale in her Peridale Mystery series。 We follow Julia， with baby Olivia in tow， as she works to solve another murder as well as a series of thefts in her quaint， yet quirky village。 Barker does his best to assist as he can while working as a private investigator。 There is more Dot and Percy （along with their tiny pups） as they - and Julia - work with a group of concerned villagers to investigate as well。 The mystery was engrossing and the characters l I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Agatha Frost tale in her Peridale Mystery series。 We follow Julia， with baby Olivia in tow， as she works to solve another murder as well as a series of thefts in her quaint， yet quirky village。 Barker does his best to assist as he can while working as a private investigator。 There is more Dot and Percy （along with their tiny pups） as they - and Julia - work with a group of concerned villagers to investigate as well。 The mystery was engrossing and the characters lovely。 Another wonderful read！I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Karen
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