Hard Dough Homicide: A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery (Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #2), by Olivia Matthews

 Publication May 23, 2023

This series is as much about families and togetherness as it is about murder investigations. I'm finding myself more and more drawn to cozy mysteries with strong families and character development. This one is still relatively new and has a way to go toward having completely well defined characters but it's showing promise. Main character Lyndsay Murray/Lynds began the series as a likable but probable push over, bullied as a child and not accustomed to standing up for herself in most circumstances. 

The circumstance that kicked started her willingness to step forward involved her family, as it does here. Her family has invested their hearts, time and money, not to mention their energy, in making the Spice Isle Bakery a success. Despite this, she is reluctant to book a retirement dinner for an old nemesis of her mother. It's a family decision to accept it when the outrageous fee quoted to discourage those trying to book the dinner is accepted. Little did Lynds know it would lead to her involvement in another murder investigation when her mother's past history with the victim makes her a person of interest.

So, who killed retiring school principal Emily Smith? Quite frankly, simply based on her arrogance and sense of entitlement even before the meal begins, it could be any of the invited guests. Tensions are high and that isn't helped when it turns out one of the male guests once had a crush on Lyndsay's mother. To complicate things, it turns out a hefty sum of money may have gone missing from school funds. How was Emily poisoned? Could it be the assistant principal, eager to take her spot? Emily's assistant, who is downright nauseating playing up to Emily, seemingly to gain favor? One of the others? Who had the opportunity and, more importantly, how did they do it?

Through it all, the Murray family stays strong, even when Lynds is crushed to hear her bakery will not be included in that year's Caribbean festival due to the murder there. How will that impact their quite young business? Will the threatening messages sent to Lynds detour her? Oh, come on. Of course not. Read this one to find out how it all plays out in the end. There's even romance brewing.

Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress - #StMartinsPaperbacks for letting me revisit Lyndsay's Spice Isle Bakery. Looking forward to where the end-of-the-book developments take us.