Review by Tracy Condie
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card, and a link to buy the book.
Have you ever been to an afternoon tea? I mean a proper afternoon tea with all the bells and whistles and overseen by Queen Victoria and her consort. Not a high tea, that is something completely different, as explained in the story. I have not but sure do wish that this wonderful plot point was an actual event that I could add to my cozy mystery location/event bucket list. Masher of Ceremonies is the 13th book in the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series, and it starts out with the annual “Tea with the Queen” event. Every year for decades, “Tea with the Queen” has taken place in Queensville, Michigan and is a major tourist event. This year, our sleuth, Jaymie Mueller, is in charge of the event. She has been told that the event needs to show a decent profit, or else it will cease to continue. Talk about a pressure cooker of a situation. There are so many moving parts to this event, and the last thing that Jaymie needs is for it to be spoiled by an extortionist, or worse, a murder. Not to mention that Jaymie is trying to balance the volunteer event with the impending opening of her new business venture with tea shop owner and friend Val. It makes me tired just wondering how Jaymie is balancing so many things.
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| Image Source Beyond the Page |
Suspects include Ryan, the belligerent blackmailer; Nigel, the temperamental blackmail target; Sterling, the stylish yet suspicious spouse; Charlie, the snooty sister; and her husband Rudy, the frozen food Chef. This story does a great job of laying out the clues but not making them obvious. I was completely fooled by who did it and why.
This was not an easy one to solve as an armchair sleuth, but you are rewarded at the end of the book with a very tasty and savory sounding recipe for Schinkennudeln, which I will be making for dinner this weekend.
To enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift card, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "masher,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen July 4, 2026. US & Canadian residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!You can click here to purchase this book.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.
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