Author: Ruth Baker
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book (Hardcover Also Available)
ISBN #: 9798856516790
Clean Tales Publishing
198 Pages
$9.99; $2.99 Amazon
August 13, 2023
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Excitement courses through Lucy as she receives an exclusive invitation to a televised bake-off competition, set on a secluded private island off the enchanting coast of Georgia. A charismatic celebrity will play host to this culinary showdown, where Lucy's unwavering confidence in her culinary skills fuels her ambition to claim the coveted grand prize.
Stepping onto the island, Lucy finds herself amidst an intriguing cast of characters, each concealing ulterior motives beneath their smiles, all vying for victory to further their personal agendas.
Surrounded by the lush island backdrop, a sudden tragedy strikes as one of the enigmatic characters meets an untimely death. Whispers of their demise echo through the island, intertwining with tales of a mythical beast lurking within the dense woods.
In this unsettling atmosphere, Lucy battles confusion and fear as tensions surge among the contestants. Isolated from her familiar surroundings, she observes the ruthless lengths to which people will go for their selfish gains.
Despite being cautioned to stay uninvolved, Lucy's curiosity propels her to delve into the intricate connections between the deceased and the remaining competitors.
As she pieces together the puzzle, she grapples with a choice: should she maintain her focus on winning the tantalizing cash prize, or should she follow the breadcrumbs of clues, risking her safety to unveil a malevolent scheme?
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Lucy Hale returned to Ivy Creek after her parents were unceremoniously killed in an accident, to run her family's bakery. She's made it a success, and even expanded, which has made her content. But unfortunately, her oven has finally died, being there since her parents opened. Now she needs a new one, but doesn't know where the money will come from.
That is until she receives information asking if she wants to join a televised culinary show where the winning baker will receive $10,000. So Lucy and her friend and fellow baker Hannah venture to an isolated island in Georgia, where they are surprised to find that they will be staying at an old mansion that has been reserved for the project.
Also unfortunately, Lucy finds that a couple of rival bakers aren't as nice as she is, and will do anything to win. But when the body of someone involved with the competition is found on the grounds by Lucy, she also wonders how far will someone go? Will they kill? Now with everyone on the island as suspects, Lucy and Hannah set their own investigation in place-- but will it get her killed as well?...
This is the thirteenth book in the series and I have read them all, but I do think that I liked this one the best. We have Lucy in unfamiliar territory as she attempts to solve a murder at a mansion that is occupied only by the owners and people involved with the cooking competition. She wonders if one of her fellow contestants is to blame, but if so, which one?
With few clues and needing to stay under the radar, she and Hannah try their best to work stealthily while still managing to try and come out on top in the investigation. It's an interesting combination, and it works. (The recipes are very good, too).
But it seems that someone else is interested in what Lucy is doing -- the killer -- and they're not about to let her get away with finding them out. In the climax, we see that Lucy is capable and even though she didn't figure it out as soon as she should have, everything comes together nicely and the ending is satisfying all around. I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Ruth Baker's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ruth-baker/
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