Livia J. WashburnCritiques

I'm giving this two stars only because it's nice and I'd feel guilty if I slammed it with one star.

I read this because I found it on the book swap table at work and I'm currently obsessed with all things pumpkin. It seemed appropriate to read this little mystery.

What a waste of time! It was like watching an episode of "Murder,She Wrote" that took days instead of an hour. I know, I know, I should have expected that.

It was just so overly polite and persnickety from start to finish. I was completely annoyed by Phyllis and all her friends and especially by her grandson and his 'fection (aka ear infection) who served ABSOLUTELY NO PURPOSE.

The mystery itself was not too exciting and the sudden solution out of left field. Not nearly enough clues for my liking. I also didn't understand the serious dislike of the police detective....maybe that's a holdover from a previous book? I'll never forget because I won't be touching this series ever again.

Not recommended even for a time-killer beach read or for a plane ride. SNOOOOZER from start to finish.

(I will be keeping the pumpkin cheesecake muffin recipe though!)

When the poll for our monthly read in the American Western group I’m in came along last month, it seemed a rare occasion when I would have been happy with any of the choices. I finally voted for this one because it seemed the most underrepresented as per reviews, especially on Amazon. Now that I’ve read it, I’m certainly glad I came across it.

This is a Western in the old-fashioned tradition. It even has some pulp elements in the plot, and the quick flow of the story. Whether it was a conscious choice or not for author Livia J. Washburn, I felt this was close to a well-written homage to some of the better dime westerns of old, when you’d run across an author whom you’d never heard of, and finally put the book down thinking it had been a surprisingly good read. Bandera Pass is like that.

There is really nothing new under the sun where the Western genre is concerned, which is one of the elements that draws most people to the American Western. The moral integrity and codes of honor, the values so in conflict with modern times, is what attracts readers to the time-honored genre. There’s some of that in Bandera pass, making this a familiar — in the good way — and enjoyable Western read set in Texas in 1874. Most of it takes place in Bandera County, where thirty-three years earlier a famous ambush occurred at Bandera Pass.

The book opens with a nightmare Sheriff Samuel Knight is having, that will eventually tie into the narrative of two Texas Rangers named Hank Littleton and Joe Casebolt. They are chasing down a former member of the now defunct State Police who has turned outlaw. But before they set out after him, the old and seasoned Casebolt, and the young but sharp Hank have a whale of a time bringing in the Kimbrough gang. The action is well written and it’s exciting when Hank and Joe are ambushed at Medina River while trying to bring the gang back for trial. A humorous and eventually poignant element is introduced because Casebolt has a toothache he isn’t exactly in a hurry to have looked at.

The author is obviously familiar with the Texas landscape and does a good job of describing the area as the Rangers head for Bandera County. There they meet up with the aforementioned Sheriff Knight, his wife Faye, and more importantly for Hank, his young and foolish daughter, Victoria. What Sam’s nightmare is about is revealed, and it will play a role by the end of the narrative in a psychological twist the reader won’t see coming.

A lot of work went into making this an easy, breezy read. I was worried for a while as a romance began to bloom between Hank and Victoria, that it would become mired in the typical unassuming cowboy falling for the spirited — i.e., annoying and foolish — but pretty girl. It’s to the author’s credit that she instead used that element of the story to show that there are consequences for foolish and headstrong actions in these days, and sometimes they can be deadly. In this case, they are very sad.

This one has a stagecoach robbery, some exciting posse action, and a twist most won’t see coming. The ending is terrific, making this a good one. Bandera Pass has an old-fashioned, dime-western kind of feel to it. Low-key but breezy, with some good action sequences, Bandera Pass delivers the goods. An enjoyable read for fans of the traditional Westerns of old.

Phyllis Newsom’s best friend & boarder, Eve, walks down the aisle for the fifth time. Shortly after the honeymoon, the bridegroom is brutally murdered & Eve is arrested for the crime. Naturally, busybody Phyllis must come to the rescue & save Eve from paying the penalty for someone else’s misdeed.

None of the characters are particularly appealing. Phyllis and Carolyn are bossy, gossipy, and prone to almost constant bickering. Phyllis’ significant other, Sam, is a pathetic caricature of an in-bred hillbilly whose cornpone lingo is simply nauseating.

The worst aspect of this book is the fact that the killer and the killer’s motive are obvious from the second the character is introduced. The author may as well have just had a marching band playing with a banner that said, “THE MURDERER HAS ARRIVED!” Once the murderer made a glaringly obvious entrance into the narrative, I immediately knew the who & the why of the crime. I didn’t see the need for reading any further, so I just skipped ahead to the final chapter, and—lo and behold!—I was correct. Not a lot of whodunit suspense to be had here, folks.

This is the second Livia Washburn mystery I have read, and I must say that Miss Washburn seems to have a serious problem subtly introducing the actual murderers into her storylines. In both books, Washburn really stumbles with making her villainous characters fly under the radar; instead, they sort of just clumsily trip onto the scene, flailing their arms in the air, shouting, “Here I am! I’m the killer, and here’s my motive!” It’s truly the one Achilles' heel a professional mystery writer should not have.

Phyllis Newsom—a sixty-something retired schoolteacher, boardinghouse proprietor, and all-around busybody—discovers the dead body of Logan Powell, local real estate mogul and philandering husband, at the annual Harvest Festival. The strange thing is Logan’s corpse is found dressed up as a scarecrow and sitting on a bale of hay among the Festival decorations. Logan’s long-suffering wife Dana is immediately suspected and quickly arrested for his murder. But, Phyllis believes Dana is innocent and sets out to find the real culprit before Dana is sent up the river for a crime she didn’t commit.

This book isn’t awful, but it’s not very good either.

Phyllis and her friends are not very likeable or even well-developed characters. Some of them are downright irritating. Phyllis and Carolyn are both incredibly pompous and bossy to the point of obnoxiousness. The absolute worst is Phyllis’ cornpone boyfriend & boarder, Sam. Sam finds it impossible to pronounce any words ending in “-ing” and all of his ‘I reckons’ and ‘darn tootins’ get darn obnoxious right quick. Almost all of the characters are public schoolteachers and the fact that they are all idiots and can’t manage basic English grammar is irksome…sadly realistic, but irksome.

I found it particularly funny that Phyllis is supposedly babysitting her four-year-old grandson Bobby, but she manages to constantly foist the snot-nosed little tot off on her paying guests.

Sadly, there really is little mystery in this ‘cozy mystery’. The murderer (& the motive) are glaringly obvious from the moment the character is introduced. And Phyllis does very little in the way of putting clues together; she just sort of has an epiphany moment in the kitchen, and—Bob’s your uncle!—Dana is exonerated and the real murderer is not-so-dramatically apprehended. Meh.

I’d probably be willing to read other installments of this series if they come my way, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to track them down and I certainly wouldn’t go out and buy them.

this was okay. i could take it or leave it. but i'll let the girl read it in a year or so.

This was basically my very first cozy mystery and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The mystery is set up nicely and amateur sleuth, Phyllis, reminds me of Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote (one of my favorite shows back in the day). She is known around town as "the woman who solved all those murders," much to the dismay of the police, most likely because it seems she tends to show them up. I can certainly say that I was kept guessing about who committed the crime...there was no figuring this one out! I will say that no one should read this book on an empty stomach or if you're on a diet. Phyllis and her roommate, Carolyn, are constantly baking yummy treats and cookies. I felt like I could reach into the pages and grab one of Phyllis's German Chocolate Cookies and eat one myself. I wish! I was so pleased when I discovered that there are recipes that Phyllis prepared in the story at the back of the book. I'll definitely be trying them out. In all, this book was a wonderful read at Christmas, even if it surrounded solving a murder. I'm thinking I will definitely be checking out more of Livia's Fresh-Baked Mysteries in the future.

Another great book by Ms. Washburn

This is a nice cozy mystery with recipes, starring an older lady as the sleuth, a retired school teacher. She reminds me a bit of Miss Marple, always coming across murders without looking for them, with a friendly relationship with some of the police, while other official police investigators find her annoying.
The solution to this mystery is not too obvious, and all the information is present in the text for the reader to work it out alongside, or even before the sleuth, despite lots of red herrings.

Good characters, well written. Worthwhile to read more from author.

It's the holiday season in Weatherford, Texas. Retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom is attending the town Christmas parade with her housemate Sam Fletcher. Sam spots Barney McCrory, an old acquaintance, preparing the carriage with horses that will pull Santa down the parade route. Sam, a former basketball coach, coached Barney's daughter Allyson and her now-husband, Nate Hollingsworth, when he was teaching. Shortly after eating one of Phyllis's candy cane cupcakes, the parade begins, and Barney collapses, his team of horses running wild with the carriage.

It is soon clear that Barney was murdered, shot with a hunting rifle. The police suspect Nate Hollingsworth as he had several heated disagreements with his father-in-law over signing gas leases on Barney's land. Sam is certain Nate is innocent, and he and Phyllis begin to investigate Barney's murder. They can't be sure however that Barney was the intended target as a local county commissioner, Clay Loomis, who was dressed as Santa Claus in the parade was near Barney when Barney was shot. Further investigation reveals Clay Loomis had a lot of enemies.

Working with a tabloid TV reporter, Phyllis and Sam hope to ferret out the truth so Nate and Allyson can spend the holidays happily. In the meantime, Phyllis is busy perfecting her recipe for baklava macarons for "A Taste of Texas" magazine along with the article to accompany the recipe.

I have read the previous books in this series, and this book is among the better books in the series. It made for a quick, cozy read, and the recipes are sure to please any foodie.

It's autumn in Weatherford, Texas. Retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom and her boarder Sam Fletcher are looking for a dog for the house. The dog is more for Sam than for Phyllis. At the animal shelter, a worker brings in a Dalmation with an injured leg who is a likely stray. Sam decides to adopt the dog and takes the dog to the vet recommended by the shelter, Dr. Hank Baxter. It is obvious Dr. Baxter is good with animals, but Phyllis and Sam overhear a heated argument between Hank and his wife Susan, a surgeon. Later, Susan is found dead in her office, her head bashed in. Hank's fingerprints are on one of the medicine cabinets in Susan's office, and he is arrested for her murder. Sam cannot believe that Hank Baxter would kill his wife and begins looking into the murder, soon dragging Phyllis with him. The two discover illicit affairs and shady dog breeding practices. Will they uncover Susan's murderer in time to save Hank and his veterinary practice?

This book made for a quick cozy read. It was pretty clear to me who the murderer was, but this story had a better conclusion than some of the other books in this series. I liked reading about the recipes Phyllis and her boarder Carolyn Wilbarger were entering for the "A Taste of Texas" recipe contest.

It's time for the annual State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom and her fellow friends and boarders, Sam Fletcher, Carolyn Wibarger, and Eve Turner all want to attend the festival. Because the festival is a drive from their home in Weatherford, Texas, Phyllis and her friends will be staying with Carolyn's cousin, Peggy, near Dallas. The fair holds plenty of cooking contests. Phyllis plans to enter her maple pecan funnel cake topped with maple syrup and pecans in the funnel cake contest. Carolyn wants to enter several cookie contests. Even Sam has decided to enter the Spam cooking contest.

Everyone is excited that one of their favorite cooking shows, "The Joye of Cooking" starring Joye Jameson will be broadcasting live from the state fair. When Phyllis is invited on air to prepare her funnel cake recipe with Joye, she is flattered. However, when Joye takes a bite of Phyllis's funnel cake, she drops to the floor in an apparent allergic reaction. An injection with an epipherine pen only seems to make Joye's reaction worse, and Joye dies in the middle of filming. It soon comes to light that the corn cooking oil used to cook Phyllis's funnel cakes was replaced by peanut oil, and Joye had a deadly allergy to peanuts.

The Dallas police promptly arrest Bailey Broderick, Joye's assistant and the show's assistant producer for the murder. After all, Bailey had ample opportunity to tamper with the ingredients and with Joye gone, Bailey would have been substituting starring in the cooking shows until a permanent replacement was chosen or the show was re-branded. However, Phyllis was standing near Bailey as Joye collapsed, and she witnessed Bailey's genuine sorrow and grief when Joye passed away. Phyllis does not believe Bailey had anything to do with the murder.

Even though the Dallas police warn Phyllis to stay out of the case, Bailey's attorney consults Phyllis, and she finds herself drawn in. Phyllis uncovers a web of affairs and past flings as well as knowledge of the fact that Joye was overbearing and hard to get along with with she didn't get her way. Gloria Kimball, the woman Joye replaced on the cooking show, likely had a grudge against Joye as well, and Joye was causing havoc with the syndicate executives, trying to negotiate a higher salary for herself in the next round of contract talks. Phyllis is on the hunt for a killer.

I have read the previous books in this series. This story is one of the better mysteries in the series. I liked the feel of the Texas State Fair as well as the descriptions of the food. However, the mystery was slow to get started, as Joye did not die until nearly the middle of the book. I kept waiting and waiting for the murder to occur. I did figure out the murderer in the end, but to be fair, there really weren't too many suspects to choose from. Foodies will enjoy trying out the tasty recipes at the end of the book. Overall, this is a good, solid cozy mystery.

It is almost Christmas in Weatherford, Texas, and retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom is busier than ever. After a whirlwind courtship, her long-time boarder and friend Eve Turner will marry her boyfriend Roy Porter on New Year's Eve. In addition to hosting the wedding, Phyllis is hosting Eve's bridal shower on Christmas Eve. Though she has misgivings about the speed of Eve's romance, Phyllis can see that Eve is happy with Roy.

After their honeymoon, the newlyweds settle down at a bed-and-breakfast nearby while they continue to search for a house. All seems to be going well until Phyllis's son, sheriff's deputy Mike Newsom, shows up at Phyllis's house, searching for Eve. It seems Roy has been murdered, stabbed through the throat with Eve's distinctive letter opener. The only fingerprints found at the scene belong to Eve, and she is promptly arrested for the crime.

Phyllis knows Eve, and she knows Eve would not murder Roy. It's up to Phyllis to clear Eve's name, despite the warnings of the district attorney to stay out of the case. At Roy's funeral, a private investigator shows up, hot on Roy's trail. It seems Roy was something of a con artist, and there are many people who may wish to see him dead.

I have read the previous books in this series, and this book was a slow read and a bit of a yawner for me. I figured out the culprit early on. There wasn't much action, and the reader never gets introduced to any other suspects in person except the bed-and-breakfast owners and the actual murderer. I liked most of the other books in this series, but this one was just so-so.

It's December in Weatherford, Texas. The Christmas season is upon everyone. Retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom is busier than ever this year. She is planning the Christmas Eve shower and New Year's Eve wedding of her boarder and fellow retired teacher, Eve Turner. Phyllis is also busy mixing up her German chocolate cookies to enter into the newspaper annual cookie recipe contest. Although her plate is full, Phyllis agrees to help out Georgia Hallerbee, the organizer of the Christmas Jingle Bell Tour of Homes. Each year, around a dozen homes in Weatherford are elaborately decorated for Christmas, inside and out. Guests pay a small fee for the privilege to tour the homes, and the proceeds go to local civic organizations. This year, a participant had to drop out of the Jingle Bell Tour due to illness, and Georgia wants Phyllis to put her home on display for the tour. Even though it means she has less than a week to prepare, Phyllis and fellow boarders Carolyn Wilbarger and Sam Fletcher help get the house ready for the tour.

On the night of the Jingle Bell Tour, Phyllis's doorbell rings. When she goes to answer the door, Phyllis hears a tremendous crash and shattering. She opens the door to find one of her large outdoor ceramic gingerbread men shattered and Georgia Hallerbee lying unconscious in a pool of blood. It is obvious someone hit Georgia over the head with one of Phyllis's decorative gingerbread men.

Unable to take an assault happening right on her doorstep, Phyllis jumps into investigating the case with Sam Fletcher. She learns there are people on the Jingle Bell Tour of Homes who do not have alibis for the night of the crime. Also, since Georgia was an accountant and tax consultant, she could have had privy to knowledge of financial wrongdoing. Phyllis seems to hit dead end after dead end as alibis are produced and proven and struggles to get to the bottom of the case.

Phyllis must continue ahead in her preparations for Eve's wedding all while investigating this heinous crime. As days go by and Georgia does not regain conscious, it is looking like the charges may soon be upgraded to murder. Can Phyllis catch a killer, pull off a shower and wedding, and still have time for a little Christmas spirit?

Having read the previous books in this series, I was already familiar with Phyllis and her boarders. Even though I read this book in March, it was a nice, seasonal read and reminded me of Christmas time and Christmas lights. I did not guess the identity of the murderer and enjoyed the story overall. The recipes at the end of the book are sure to please the foodies out there. This is a great addition to the Fresh-Baked Mystery series.

It is November in Weatherford, Texas. Fall is in the air, and the first annual Harvest Festival is soon to be held. Phyllis Newsom, a retired schoolteacher, is watching her grandson, Bobby, while her son and daughter-in-law are out of town and looks forward to taking him to the festival. Of course, no festival would be complete without a cooking contest, and Phyllis plans to enter her pumpkin cheesecake muffins with pecan crumble in the cooking contest. For once, the friendly cooking rivalry between Phyllis and her fellow housemate, Carolyn Wilbarger, will be put to a rest as Carolyn has agreed to be a judge in the cooking competition.

Phyllis helps Carolyn and some fellow teachers prepare for the festival by arranging scarecrows on hale bales. The morning of the festival, Carolyn and Phyllis notice a scarecrow is out of place and go to move it, only to discover underneath the scarecrow costume lies the dead body of Logan Powell, a festival organizer and real estate developer. Worse yet, there is a substance in Logan's mouth that appears to be a bit of Phyllis's pumpkin cheesecake muffin. Suspicion immediately falls on Dana Powell, Logan's wife and a current schoolteacher who is a friend of Carolyn's. Neither Phyllis nor Carolyn believe Dana could have committed the murder and both feel the police are doing little to look for another suspect.

Phyllis begins to ask questions and learns of a lucrative real estate deal in the works as well as whispers of extramarital affairs. Can Phyllis solve the murder before Dana is convicted of the deed?

I have read the previous books in this series. This book was much better than the last one, in which Phyllis came off old-fashioned and judgemental although I do think it was a poor choice to have Phyllis in charge of her grandson as she seemed to foist him off on whichever of her roommates was available while she could investigate a murder and clear the name of a woman she barely knew. Overall, though, this book made for a quick, cozy read.

This was just okay for me. I had expected more about a bake off and less about the neighbors. Also I guessed who did it almost from the beginning which kind of spoils the book.

It's early autumn, and Phyllis Newsom and her fellow three boarders are on the Texas Gulf Coast in Fulton, keeping an eye on the OakKnoll Bed-'n'-Breakfast while Phyllis's cousin is out of town. The annual SeaFair in nearby Rockport, TX is approaching, and Phyllis is eager to enter the Just Desserts competition.

Before Phyllis accompanies her fellow boarder and boyfriend Sam Fletcher fishing, the pair encounter surly guest Ed McKenna from San Antonio. He is going fishing, too and remarks that he doesn't feel well. Later, Sam gives Ed a friendly slap on the back and Ed topples off the fishing pier, dead in the water. It transpires that Ed was dead before he fell in the water, poisoned by the leftover clam cakes he had for breakfast that morning. Suspicion falls heavily on the bed-and-breakfast cook, Conseula, but all the guests staying at the bed-and-breakfast are under suspicion.

Phyllis is afraid her cousin's business will suffer if the murderer isn't caught soon and begins investigating. When Ed's children arrive to claim his things, it is obvious there was no love lost between their father and them. Some of the guests staying at the bed-and-breakfast have secrets Ed could have stumbled upon. There is also a secret business merger in the works. Unless she uncovers the murderer soon, Phyllis fears it will be the death of her cousin's business.

I wanted to really like this book, but it was just so-so to me. It read quickly, and the writing itself was OK. I read the books before this in the series and enjoyed them more. I figured out the solution to the crime a mile away, and it didn't even seem like a very good motive for murder. Besides lacking a good solution to the crime, Phyllis comes off very sanctimonious and not open-minded in this book. She even seems to have trouble accepting a couple where the wife is taller than the husband. She also keeps important information from the police and doesn't seem to like the police assistant chief even though the woman seems to have done nothing wrong and is friendly. In addition, Sam Fletcher's casualness and bravado all feel forced and ridiculous. I don't know. Maybe it's that I just read a book coming off a five-star review (rare for me to give). I know cozy mysteries are written for enjoyment, and I didn't expect this book to be the epitome of fine literature, but I did want to like to the protagonist and story line. I still requested the next book in the series from my library in the hopes that it won't disappoint and that Phyllis will redeem herself.

It is nearing Christmas time in Weatherford, Texas. Phyllis Newsom is hosting the annual neighborhood cookie exchange. When she decides to bring a plate of cookies to her home-bound elderly neighbor, Agnes Simmons, Phyllis has no idea a murder is about to occur. Mrs. Simmons asks to borrow some cookie cutters from Phyllis, and when Phyllis returns to her neighbor's house, it is to find Agnes lying dead on the floor, strangled with the belt of her own bathrobe. Before Phyllis can try to help Agnes, Phyllis is hit on the head and sustains a slight concussion.

It is not long before the police set their sights on Randall Simmons as the murderer. Randall is Agnes's grandson, but he has warrants out on him for failure to appear and possessing drugs with intent to sell. Randall had been secretly hiding out in his grandmother's attic, and it is possible she could have threatened to turn him in to the police herself, causing him to turn on and kill his own grandmother.

However, Agnes doesn't believe Randall is a killer. As she investigates Agnes's death, Phyllis learns many people had motives to want Agnes dead, including her children. Many people in the neighborhood are harboring secrets of their own, and Agnes, housebound and watching through her picture window, could have learned someone's secret and threatened to expose them.

With Christmas just a few days away, can Phyllis solve Agnes's murder and enjoy the holiday once again?

I've already read a couple of books in this series and enjoyed them. I nearly figured out the murderer in the book but didn't figure out the motive until it was revealed at the end of the story. The descriptions of food brought to mind many past holiday celebrations of my own. The recipes are sure to delight any foodie out there. I definitely want to read the next book in this series.

Summer is upon Weatherford, Texas, and retired history teacher Phyllis Newsom has a lot on her plate. She is busily trying to prepare a recipe for her entry in the cooking contest at the Parker County Peach Festival. In addition, she is worried about the declining health of her boarder and fellow retired teacher, Mattie Harris and is welcoming a new boarder, retired basketball coach Sam Fletcher into her house.

While picking peaches with Mattie, the owner of the peach orchard, Newt Bishop, is killed when the car he is working on falls on him. Newt didn't have the car on blocks and his death could have been an accident, but Phyllis has the nagging sensation that someone threw the jack lever, murdering Newt. Phyllis soon learns there was no love lost between Newt and his son, Darryl. Alfred Landers, a local realtor, had once lost a lawsuit to Newt Bishop over a piece of land that was prime real estate property. Newt's official cause of death is listed as undetermined.

Phyllis is busy finalizing her recipe for a spicy peach cobbler for the cooking contest. She has a friendly rivalry with another of her boarders, Carolyn Wilbarger. Both want the blue ribbon in the peach cooking contest. On the day of the contest, one of the judges, Donnie Boatwright, drops dead right after sampling Phyllis' cobbler, and this time, the death is ruled a homicide. Donnie Boatwright was well-known in the community, but he had made his share of enemies, including Carolyn Wilbarger and her daughter, Sandra Webster. Phyllis is sure her friend Carolyn is not a murderer and works with Sam Fletcher to investigate Donnie Boatwright's death. She learns that Boatwright was the sole heir to his mother's will, which left him a small fortune and cut out his brother and sister.

Phyllis has a feeling the two deaths are connected, but she doesn't see how. Then, a young teacher is deliberately struck by a car in the school parking lot and nearly killed, and slowly Phyllis begins to piece together how the incidents in her small town are connected to one another.

I actually read the second book in this series, "Murder By the Slice" first, so I was somewhat familiar with the main characters, i.e. Phyllis and her roommates. While this book is well-written, the conclusion seems far-fetched. I did figure it out, but I found the second book to have a much nicer solution. I liked the small town setting and the setting at the Peach Festival as I grew up in a small town in Texas and definitely have been to my share of festivals. I only give this book three stars because of the conclusion to the mystery, which I find messy and unsatisfactory. However, the writing is top-notch.

Phyllis Newsom, a retired history teacher, is working a bake sale in Weatherford, TX with her fellow roommates, all retired teachers, when Phyllis and her roommate Carolyn Wilbarger find themselves recruited to help with the bake sale at the Oliver Loving Elementary School fall carnival. Phyllis is on the fence about helping with the bake sale but knows the money raised will go to a good cause. When Phyllis and Carolyn attend their first carnival-planning PTO meeting, they find the president of the PTO, Shannon Dunston, to be an unlikeable woman who runs the PTO with an iron fist, delegating work but doing as little herself as possible. The other PTO board members all seem to be browbeaten by Shannon and don't want to face her wrath.

On the day of the fall carnival, Shannon Dunston is discovered murdered, stabbed by a knife that was used at the bake sale. Phyllis tries not to intervene but finds herself pulled into the investigation. She had recently spotted Shannon in Fort Worth with Russ Tyler, the husband of Marie Tyler, a woman on the PTO board. Russ and Shannon had looked awfully cozy, and Phyllis thought they might be having an affair. Phyllis doesn't know whether to give the information to the authorities and risk Marie's marriage, or keep it to herself. As she and her roommate, retired basketball coach Sam Fletcher, investigate Shannon's murder, Phyllis finds plenty of people had reason to want Shannon Dunston dead. Shannon had two failed marriages and two ex-husbands. Her second ex-husband, Joel Dunston, was at the PTO carnival that day. Lindsey Gonzales, a PTO board member, had been browbeaten by Shannon for not collecting carnival posters in a timely manner and was discovered screaming near the body. Marie Tyler may have realized her husband was possibly involved with Shannon and killed Mrs. Dunston to save her marriage. Shannon's son from her first marriage, Kirk Warren, is rough around the edges and was sent to military school in his teens to straighten out and could have possibly had a juvenile record. He apparently has once again taken up with people from the wrong crowd.

In addition to the murder, there was a theft at the school a week or so prior to the carnival. However, there were no signs of a break-in, so whoever carried out the theft must have had a key to the school. In addition to teachers and the principal, Shannon Dunston had had a key to the school. After the murder, it is discovered that the money raised by the carnival is missing from the locked drawer of the secretary's desk, again without signs of a break-in. One of Sam Fletcher's old aquaintances, Gary Oakely, is a custodian at Loving Elementary. It comes to light that Gary lied on his job application and is a convicted felon, having done time for burglary. As a custodian, he would have keys to the school.

Phyllis is not sure if the thefts and Shannon's murder are linked. Can Phyllis and Sam stay one step ahead of the murderer and put the bad guy behind bars?

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I have been a PTO member and have helped my daughter's elementary school with the annual fall festivals. I also remember going to the annual Halloween carnival at my elementary school as a child and definitely could relate to the setting. This was a good cozy mystery with some tasty recipes included. I would definitely recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers.

Trick Or Deadly Treat is the ninth book of the A Fresh Baked Mystery series.

Sam Fletcher, Carolyn Wilbarger and Eve Turner, three retired teachers, all live with Phyllis Newsom in her big house in Wetherford, Texas. Carolyn and Phyllis enjoy having some friendly competition and Sam and Eve are the lucky recipients.

Sam has convinced Phyllis that it might be nice to have a dog, so they are at a local rescue looking over the dogs that are available for adoption. While they are looking a volunteer brings in a Dalmatian that was just hit by a car. Sam takes one look and says that is the dog that he wants, signs the necessary paperwork and heads up the road to Dr. Baxter to have the dog examined. When Phyllis and Sam return to get their dog, they find the police arresting Dr. Baxter for the murdering his wife. Sam feels he's innocent and takes and begins to investigate who else might have murdered Baxter's wife. Phyllis has had more experience with the amateur sleuthing and is soon helping Sam

The book has a wonderful and believable cast of characters. The book focuses more on Phyllis and Sam, but Carolyn and Phyllis' politely trying to outdo each other with the banter while cooking is also enjoyable.

This is the first book that I have read in this series, but will be looking forward to reading more.

Synopsis: The local vet seems like a good guy, particularly when he's working on animals. However, his wife is less than pleasant. A doctor herself, she belittles her veterinarian spouse and generally creates havoc when she comes to the clinic. Her sister, equally unpleasant, and her slimy husband arrive at the vet clinic demanding the records and keys when the vet is accused of murdering his wife. It's a complicated mystery that Sam intends to solve with or without the help of Phyllis.
Review: This is an overly complicated story with a rather odd ending. It is nice that Sam gets a dog.

Synopsis: It's state fair time and the entire gang goes to Dallas. Phyllis wins a cooking competition and ends up on a national cooking show just in time for the star to die from anaphylactic shock. When an young woman is blamed for the murder Phyllis and Sam step in to prove her innocent.
Review: This was fun to read and it was nice that it took place somewhere other than Weatherford. While there were plenty of red herrings, it was fairly evident that one character was most likely about 3/4 of the way through the book.½

Synopsis: Eve marries the man of her dreams, but less than a month later he's murdered. Phyllis and Sam have to figure out 'who done it'.
Review: This is a nice cozy mystery and it's nicely descriptive of the Weatherford area in Texas. The plot is not so difficult that you can't figure it out by about 3/4 of the way through the book.½

I enjoyed Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn. Phyllis Newsome's cousin has been asked to help her out at her Bed and Breakfast. Her cousin has to help her daughter out who has a new baby. Sam, Phyllis's boyfriend and some of her other women friends will be there too.

Phyllis does mention going Walmart a lot but in isolated places that may be the only place to get a variety of things. A great cook, Consuela, at the bed and breakfast had made some crab cakes and quickly came under suspicion when one of the guests drops dead. Phyllis wants to help but the local law enforcement team are leery of that at the beginning. The book goes quickly and keeps you reading until the end. I liked Sam's imitation of John Wayne, maybe because I am a distant cousin to Mr. Wayne.

The characters are what shines in this book, the plot was OK but the motive was a little hard to swallow.

If you are looking for a good cozy to ease you through some bad times or when you are not feeling good, this one will definitely do.