A Murder Yule Regret - (Bread Shop Mystery) by Winnie Archer (Paperback)

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own. This was a light, Christmas-time cozy mystery that was a fun read in between heavier novels. And it was easy to jump right in with book #7 even though I hadn't read any of the others in the series. Ivy Culpepper, amateur sleuth and part-time photographer, also helps out at the Yeast of Eden bread shop. Everyone knows everything about everyone in her small town on the California coast (modeled after Santa Barbara), even the movie star celebrities who come to Santa Sofia for privacy. A few days before Christmas, Ivy is recruited as a photographer for a celebrity's Christmas party, where all the guests are dressed as Dickens' Christmas Carol characters. Soon after the celebrity makes her theatrical entrance, a dead body is discovered, which kills the party mood. *ha ha* Ivy has taken hundreds of photos during the party, and thinks she might have a clue to share with the town's police chief, who also happens to be her lifelong best friend. I thought it was refreshing to have the sleuth's police connection be her girlfriend, instead of a romantic interest. As Ivy has become friendly with the celebrity, she is drawn to investigate some of her hunches, but tries not to intrude on the official police investigation. This leads to some independent deductions on Ivy's part as well as mine. It took me a while to guess who the murderer was, as the story offers many suspects, clues, and red herrings throughout. In addition to the traditional cozy motifs (i.e. pet, supportive older women, food), the author skillfully added themes of reinvention, parenting, acting and pretense, and I was thankful the novel was written without the silliness that often infuses cozies. This was fun to read during the holidays, and all the delicious food descriptions were rewarded with a few recipes added at the end of the novel. If you're looking for an easy-to-read cozy with likeable characters, a make-you-think mystery, and mouthwatering food descriptions, this is the book for you.