I am so excited to have Ellie Alexander here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight.
Thanks Ellie and Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for allowing me to join your A Crime of Passion Fruit Blog Tour!
Please take it away, Ellie!
A Crime of Passion Fruit (A Bakeshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
St. Martin’s Paperbacks (June 27, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250088079
E-Book ASIN: B01MRU56AS
Torte ― everybody’s favorite small-town family bakeshop ― is headed for the high seas, where murder is about to make a splash.
Jules Capshaw is trying to keep her cool as Torte gets set to make its transformation from quaint, local confectionary café to royal pastry palace. Meanwhile, Jules’s estranged husband Carlos is making a desperate plea for her to come aboard his cruise ship and dazzle everyone with her signature sweets. She may be skeptical about returning to her former nautical life with Carlos but Jules can’t resist an all-expense-paid trip, either. If only she knew that a dead body would find its way onto the itinerary.
Now, instead of enjoying tropical drinks on deck between whipping up batches of sea-salted chocolates and flambéing fresh pineapple slices in the kitchen, Jules is plunged into dangerous waters. Her investigation leaves her with more questions than answers: Why can’t anyone on board identify the young woman? And how can she help Carlos keep passengers at ease with a killer in their midst? Jules feels like she’s ready to jump ship. Can she solve this case without getting in too deep?
Guest Post
Thanks so much for having me on as a guest today. Your blog pretty much summarizes my life. My name is Juliet Montague Capshaw, but please, please call me Jules. I’m a hopeless romantic, pastry chef, and as of late an amateur sleuth. I never anticipated stumbling upon murder. When I returned to my beloved hometown of Ashland, Oregon a while ago I thought I would be able to focus on nothing more than rolling out pie crusts and whipping mounds and mounds of silky buttercream. Ashland seemed like the perfect place to disappear into pastry and forget about the life that I had left behind.
Our little hamlet is nestled in the valley near the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon. We’re not far from the California border and are a destination for theater and adventure lovers of all types. In addition to a variety of outdoor sports and recreation opportunities, Ashland is also home to the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The festival originally began with a small theater troupe who performed Shakespeare’s works in the park every summer. It has grown over the year to encompass an entire complex right in the heart of our bustling downtown plaza. Actors in the company preform hundreds of shows on the famed Elizabethan outdoor stage as well as modern productions and musicals on the indoor stages. Whether you’re in the mood for a whimsical fairytale like Cinderella or a serious classic, like Othello.
A visit to Ashland feels like stepping back in time. Our community embraced the theater and designed the shops and restaurants on the plaza to resemble an old English village. The PCT trail, made famous by Wild, cuts through Ashland which means that there are always hikers and explorers passing through. As well as college students from Southern Oregon University and a plethora of actors, writers, and artists. It really is quite an idyllic place to live.
Our family bakeshop, Torte, sits in the center of all the action. Locals come in for an iced cold brew with coconut milk and a slice of our lemon strawberry pie. They cozy up at one of the tables or booths in the dining room and catch up on all the gossip. My mom, Helen, is known as Ashland’s unofficial therapist. People tend to spill their secrets while noshing on a slice of our buttery sweet bread.
I suppose one of the reasons that I’ve found myself mixed up in a handful of murder investigations is because I can’t stomach the thought of harm coming to anyone I know or love. When I left the cruise ship where I had worked as a pastry chef for over a decade and my husband, Ashlanders welcomed me home with open-arms. They didn’t pry or ask questions about why I had returned home. They nibbled on cinnamon scones and made me feel like family. It’s my duty to return the favor and protect them.
Being a pastry chef gives me a unique perspective. People tend to open up more when they’re eating something sweet. I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed the thrill of tracking down a killer on Ashland’s quaint streets. Only I didn’t expect that when I decided to take off for a week at sea that murder would follow me on board.
I agreed to help run the pasty kitchen on board the Amour of the Seas for a week. I figured it would be a chance to get some closure with my husband, and say “Bon Voyage” to the life I used to know. However not long after we pulled away from the dock I stumbled upon a woman’s body. So much for tropical baking, suddenly I was on a new case.
About The Author
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.
Author Links
Web: http://www.elliealexander.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexanderauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakeshopmystery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander/
Purchase Links
Amazon B and N IndieBound
Giveaway
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Please follow the rest of the tour here, thanks:
http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/books-currently-on-tour/crime-passion-fruit-ellie-alexander-2
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