Hello Sleuthers! The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox won the January Cozy Mystery Book Club poll by less than one percent. However, the title isn’t available as a paperback anymore. To be a Cozy Mystery Book Club title, books need to be available as paperback, eBook, and audio. So, the second place title, Pride, Prejudice & Poison, became the official January book club read.
To honor our January buddy read, Crepes of Wrath, the lovely Colleen (aka @ilikeoldbooks1213) wrote this guest blog post. Enjoy!
by Colleen
My child and I just finished reading all the books in the Pancake House Mystery series by Sarah Fox. Since the first book, The Crêpes of Wrath, is the Cozy Mystery Book Club buddy read for January, I thought I’d share some of the hallmarks of this cozy mystery series.
ONE: GREAT SETTING
A Washington beach town called Wildwood Cove is the setting for this series. Marley often spends time on the beach. No matter the time of year, Fox captures the beauty of the beachside setting.
TWO: THE FLIP SIDE
Marley’s restaurant (a pancake house, of course) is an important part of the books. She often hears gossip and rumors that aid her investigations. Most importantly, we get details about the delicious food, including delectable seasonal offerings.
THREE: LIKABLE CHARACTERS
This series is full of nice people. Marley is very sweet and the series regulars are also lovely. A favorite for my family is Ivan, the gruff but good-hearted chef at the Flip Side. He adds some humor because he acts grumpy but he loves his people. Sienna, the high schooler who helps Marley with sleuthing, adds fun youthful energy. And of course my child wants me to mention Flapjack, Marley’s cute cat.
FOUR: ROMANCE
This series is romance heavy. But no stressful love triangles, just one kind and supportive boyfriend. Marley reconnects with a childhood crush, they fall pretty hard, and we get to see their relationship progress through the books. Although they have tough times in one book, overall their love story is happy. Indeed, these books do contain quite a bit of kissing!
FIVE: FUN MYSTERIES
Fox always keeps us guessing. We have had so much fun working through theories. I think she stumped us in about 6 of the 8 books in the series, which is a great record. Although the books are generally cozy and calm, Fox delivers some thrilling conclusions.
I hope you will give this series a try AND check out Fox’s other series! She is a must-read cozy author for me.
