A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication Date: February 20, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Pages: 336

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4/5

A Smoking Bun was an intriguing foodie cozy mystery that genuinely had me guessing who the murderer was until the final reveal. Juliet is preparing for her step son’s family to visit so she has planned a lot of fun adventures for them. One of those adventures is watching the annual Downhill Dummy contestant race at the local ski lodge which involves different groups sending decorated dummies on skis down a big slope. However, things go very wrong when an unliked mountain tour guide is killed during the contest.

This was a well paced story that had a little bit of everything. We got to follow along with Juliet’s personal life, she and her team at Torte made some delicious sounding food, and the intrigue and drama of the ski resort. Also, I know this book is officially set in Ashland, Oregon but I think she also has it based on an area close to me in California. Which was fun because I’ve actually been to Mount Shasta and spent some time there so it was easy to picture everything in my head.

If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery that will have your mouth watering then you can never go wrong with one of Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries. This one in particular was one of my favorite cozies I’ve read since I had no clue who the killer was. Alexander did a great job making everyone look believably guilty. Also I’ve had a huge craving for chai cookies since reading this book!