This is a true cozy mystery. There is nothing that steps outside of the boundaries in the story design with this book. You have a wonderful inquisitive leading lady with two grown children, one of which has worked with his mom in past adventures as a private investigator, and a daughter who is trying to put together a fairytale wedding in England from a cruise ship in Alaska. In addition to an awesome mystery, the book has my foodie heart of pure bacon and baked goods going #nomnom.

Food is a huge part of this mystery and as the description states, ten of the chapters have recipes for food that the characters talk about. Each of her books do this and she has quite the following (she gained a new one person in me!)

Sadie is also an adoptive mother, both her grown children were adopted and low and behold, Shawn's birth mother shows up on the cruise! To top it off a birth sister he did not know about is with her, at least they think... As an adoptee myself I appreciate the diligence that was put forth in describing the process when closed adoptions are involved. I have searched for my birth parents and been the big sister who watched my mother go through one of her children finding their birth mother, who funny enough was much like Shawn's .. at least in the beginning... but to say anything else would be spoilers!

As with any cozy, there is no gratuitous sex (in this case nothing much at all just a light romance), no swearing. Like I said, this does not play with the genre, it is a pure and perfect cozy!

After my nightmare read and review earlier this week, I am total excited to say this book is a strong 4/5 stars...or should we say cupcakes! (Oh man I wish I could eat just one, but we are still here at the cabin!)
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Baked Alaska: A Culinary Mystery

This is the first Culinary Mystery that I have read. I now have a new bunch of Mystery books I want to read. This book does stand alone but are built on a lot of the same characters. The characters are well developed. I do wonder what happened in Boston last year. The book brings the reference up several times.

The Suspense and Mystery kept me guessing to the end. I did like the ending a lot. This is a clean read. One thing they do is talk about food and put the recepie in front of the chapters. Me personally would like them all in one spot if I was going to use them.
It would make them easier to find on a ebook.

Sadie is a mother of two grown children. She planned this vacation cruise for her family to get together and spend time to get to know her boyfriend Pete. Pete has just retired from the police force. Her son Shawn is almost ready to graduate from collage but lately has been keeping secrets from her. Her daughter Breanna is planning her wedding and hopes to use this time to help her. She has been living in England and her fiance lives their too infact he will inheirit a title and a estate.

Sadie has so many hopes for this cruise. But instead of getting her son to open up to her he seems to be hiding things from her.
She sees him arguing with a lady on the ship but tells his mom its nothing. Breanna knows some of Shawn's problems but does not feel like it is better for Shawn to tell her. Even Pete learns his secrets before she does.

While Pete and Sadie are watching the stars they discover a woman having passed out and they get her help. They are afraid she would freeze if left their overnight. Since it is a Alaska cruise they are on and does get colder at night time. Sadie recongizes the lady that she saw arguing with her son.

I liked reading Josi S. Kilpack's book and will lookout to read more of her work in the future.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when I have read it by Netgalley.
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (February 4, 2013) 368 pages ISBN-13: 978-1609073282 ( )

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com

Josi’s website states that it’s recommended to read the books in series order, but that they can be read out of order. The site goes on to state that once you get to Pumpkin Roll, which is book six in the series, that it gets a little trickier. I’ve never read any of the other books in this series. While there are references to something big that happened in the past, I had ABSOLUTELY no problem reading and enjoying this book.

Sadie Hoffmiller, along with her boyfriend Pete Cunningham, her daughter Breanna, and her son Shawn are all set to spend a wonderful fun-filled week cruising from Seattle to Alaska. Sadie hopes that her kids will get to spend time with Pete and get to know him better and she can help Breanna with her wedding plans. As in life, sometimes the best laid out plans are never meant to be.

Shawn is a little late getting on board the ship and Sadie, being the mother hen she is, has a feeling that something is going on with him. She spots Shawn with a woman she has never met before having what appears to be a pretty hot and intense conversation. In fact, when she gets close to them, they immediately stop talking and look at her. Shawn refuses to tell Sadie who the woman is or what their conversation was all about. Sadie’s suspicions are raised even higher when everytime she gets close to the woman, the mystery woman runs away from her.

Breanna knows what’s going on with Shawn but feels that it isn’t her place to tell Sadie. She feels that if Shawn wanted their mother to know, he would tell her. Sadie has no choice but to let this issue go for now. Breanna lives and works in the United Kingdom and Sadie doesn’t get to see her very often. Sadie is very excited to be able to use this time to help Breanna with her wedding plans. Turns out, Breanna is stressing out over the wedding for more reasons than one. Breanna feels that it’s her and Liam’s big day, so they should have things the way they want them. Too bad not everyone agrees with that. The way things are going, it’s possible that Liam and Breanna will just forget about the whole wedding.

For Baked Alaska to be the ninth book in the series, I really liked it. Just when I thought the book was going to go in one direction, it went in several different directions. Sadie Hoffmiller, God bless her little fictional character heart, is so nosy, it isn’t even funny. She just can’t seem to let things go. But what is a mother to do when the police are looking at your son as a murder suspect? Sadie will do whatever it takes to clear Shawn. Whether that means committing B&E, stealing, or risking her own life. With Baked Alaska, you get little side mysteries along with a couple of bigger mysteries, with the ending all wrapped up in a pretty little bow.

I have to admit, I’m looking forward to reading more of this series. Oh, and the recipes are another plus for the book.

Source: Publisher ( )

What a great captivating mystery this is, or should I say mysteries? We are on an Alaskan Cruise with Peter and Sadie, and Sadie's children Breanna and Shawn.
Breanna lives in London, and is planning a wedding, that her future MIL is taking over the planning of! She wants a small wedding and has picked out her gown and cake, but not what the Duchess wants...I forgot that she is marrying into Society. Sadie wants to help her Daughter, but how?
Upon boarding the ship she soon sees her son in an argument with some woman, she wants to know what is going on? No one seems willing to tell her so she starts investigating. Right up Sadie's alley!
There are at least a couple of murders, attempted murder, deception, attacks, and other devious activities on this beautiful Alaskan Cruise. Wow! So much adventure going on, and just when one thing is kind of cleared up, there is something else happening.
I really felt sorry for the character of Maggie, she was really being used, and had already had so much heartbreak. I hope in the end that some kind of relationship is forged between her and Shawn, and Sadie.
If you like a really good mystery this one is for you, it sure won't let you down.

I received this book through I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Blog Tours, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

I read Lemon Tart ages ago and knew I would one day read more by this author. Not only does Josi tell a good mystery story, but the recipes after some of the chapters I love!!
Now, this story was quite intriguing, though the last half was better than the first. It was hard to initially put the finger on the culprit, but once you knew, you were on the edge of your seat for the remainder. You just had to know how it would all turn out.
I love that in a mystery! Even when you have it solved, the story stays exciting.
It also had the sweetest ending ever! Perfect for such a delectable treat! ( )