Life in Ashland, Oregon is idyllic, picturesque, and charming thanks to our town’s Shakespearean-inspired shops and restaurants, our lush parks, gorgeous rivers, and snow-capped mountains. Not to mention our warm and welcoming community. At our bakeshop, Torte, everyone is like family. Whether you’ve lived in Ashland for your entire life or are just passing through to take in a show at the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, at Torte you’ll always be treated like royalty.
My mom, Helen, has been serving up warm scones and rich espresso with a side of love for the last few decades. People come to Torte for our delicious sweets and savory pastries, but also to gather and chat about the latest production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, brush elbows with the actors and playwrights from the company, or catch up on the gossip around town. And lately the gossip had been focused on a new restaurant moving onto the plaza—ShakesBurgers.
One of the things that makes Ashland such a unique place is our adherence to all things Elizabethan. Every shop and restaurant on the downtown plaza is designed in old world architecture with ornate gables, extravagant towers, and multi-paneled glass windows. In addition to looking like you’ve stepped back into Shakespeare’s time when touring Ashland, you’ll also be treated to thematic shops like Puck’s Pub where pints of Northwest microbrew are served in antique silver mugs or A Rose By Any Other Name, the flower shop where each beautiful bouquet comes tied with a sonnet. So when news started to spread that a chain restaurant was moving into the plaza, our usually warm and welcoming community was less than thrilled.
Having grown up in Ashland I left to go explore the world after I graduated from high school. Maybe it was the pressure of being named after one of literature’s most romantic heroines—Juliet. Or maybe it was just that I needed to explore far off corners of the globe for myself. Either way, I’m glad that I had a chance to travel and expand my culinary palate, but there’s no place like home and I was happy to be home again.
Except that the sweet hometown I knew and loved was abuzz with anger over the new chain restaurant, ShakesBurgers moving in. Mindy Nolan, the owner of ShakesBurgers, had assumed that Ashland would be the perfect spot for her fast food burger joint, given its whimsical name, but that was where any further references to the Bard ended. Not only was ShakesBurgers a chain but Mindy and her team had torn down the old Shakespearean façade and replaced it with hideous neon green and orange signage. No one in Ashland was happy to have a chain restaurant on the plaza and no one was inviting Mindy to Torte for a slice of Oregon marionberry pie or a warm cup of Chai.
I found myself caught in the middle. Mindy was drooling over our homemade sourdough bread and interested in partnering with Torte on a very lucrative wholesale account. She wanted us to bake all of ShakesBurgers’ buns. Torte could really use the extra dough, but with the rest of the town up in arms over ShakesBurgers appearance on the plaza I might be making a deal with enemy if I agreed to Mindy’s terms. But when Mindy was discovered dead things went from bad to worse. Now I was in the mix with a potential killer and fighting to save everything I loved about my quaint hometown.
Caught Bread Handed is the fourth book in the Bakeshop mystery series, published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks, coming June 28, 2016.
Welcome to Torte―a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count. . .
Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary. . .especially when murder is thrown into the mix.
When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading―with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent―for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start. . .and risk getting burned?
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About the author
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Caught Bread Handed plus sweet drinks to accompany the read like Strawberry Lemonade and Oregon Chai. US entries only, please. The giveaway will end June 28, 2016 at 12 AM EST. Good luck everyone!
All comments are welcomed.
Yes please Dru. I love this new series and would be thrilled to add it to my home library.
Yay, so glad you’re enjoying the series!
One of my favorite series. Thanks for the chance to win this newest book!
Doward, you are the best!
A favorite series !!!
That makes my day!
I love culinary cozies! Thanks for the giveaway!
Donna, I agree mysteries with a sweet treat are always a great pairing!
This sounds like a great giveaway. This is a fun series to read.
Happy reading and baking!
Love this series! Can’t wait to get my hands on this one!
Kim, XO!
Since I live in the Pacific NW, I am partial to authors from this area. This one sounds especially appealing.
Three cheers for the PNW!
New series to me. Thanks for the chance.
I hope you’ll give it a try!
GREAT series, loved Meet Your Baker. Catching up – love this title!
Meg, I love that we got to meet IRL! Can’t wait to connect again soon. Maybe you need a visit to Ashland.
Would love to catch up with this series! I love the setting of Ashland. Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m glad you love Ashland. I think it’s one of the best places on the planet.
A great series and one that should definitely be on any cozy reader wish list! Can’t wait to read the next installment and find out what happens with Carlos!
Oh yes, Carlos is hanging out at Torte in this installment and things are heating up in the kitchen!
This is going on my wish list! Thank you for the chance to win a coy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Thanks for adding it to your list!
This is such a fun series. Thanks for the reminder about the newest book coming soon, Dru. 🙂 Looking forward to reading it soon. Thanks to Ellie for the fun and generous give-away. <3
Yes, many thanks to Dru for being such a champion of mysteries and connecting us all! And, I hope you enjoy the book!
ooh this looks like a good read!! fingers crossed!
I’m crossing mine for you, Amy!
Thanks for the review I’m looking forward to reading this, it sounds very good
Penney
🙂
I so hope that I win this! Cannot wait to read this wonderful story!!
Thanks, Gayle! I hope you enjoy it!
I love the title and twist of words used for it. It would be wonderful to claim this book as my own when I’m lucky enough to win. Thanks Dru Ann for including it on your blog. robeader53@yahoo.com
Coming up with punny titles is one of my favorite things!
Wonderful series. Thanks for this giveaway.
Thanks for entering, Anne!
Love the premise and cover.
Rita, I LOVE these covers so much! The cover designer at St. Martin’s is amazing!
Favorite new series! I visited Ashland several times when a friend lived in Ashland. We also went to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They had and still have access for everyone, including Deaf and hard of hearing theatergoers. Just found out that they now have a Deaf actor in the OSF ensemble. Will there be a deaf character in a future Bakeshop book?
Look forward to the virtual launch next week!
I want to win this book!
Diana
Thanks so much, Diana! I am going to have to work a deaf character into a future book. Perhaps an interpreter signs something that reveals a clue, but no one else knows because they don’t know ASL… what do you think?
I love bread! Thanks for a chance to win a copy of your book.
Fair warning, don’t read on empty stomach and maybe have a nice loaf of sourdough nearby 😉
Love the concept. Old versus new, to the extreme.
I agree. I had a lot of fun researching this book and learned that Ashland does have design standards for any business on the plaza.
Love this cover. Thanks for the chance to win.
We do judge books by the cover, don’t we? Good luck!
Sounds like a wink and a nod to Shake Shack. But Danny Meyer isn’t going to some up dead.
Shake Shack! Love it.
There is an Ashland n Kansas where I was raised and all through the review that’s where my thoughts went. I love the review Dru and send many thanks to Ellie.
Meant to say: Ashland in Kansas.
I had no idea there was another Ashland. Maybe Jules will have to venture to Kansas as some point 😉
I’m reading #3 right now. I’m from Oregon so I’m a little bias but I really love these stories! The setting, the writing, the characters…it’s all wonderful!!! I can’t wait for release day!
I’m with you. We’re so lucky to live here in the PNW! Thanks for loving the series!
I have not read any books in this series, but am definitely going to start (who can resist a Bake Shop Mystery)! Caught Bread Handed sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Awesome! You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Wow. Seems fo be quite a story.
LOL!
Thanks for offering this giveaway! I love mysteries and I’d love to read your book!!
Of course! I love connecting with new mystery readers.
Looking forward to giving this series a try. Love the title and cover. These cover artists are so talented. Thanks for the chance to win a print copy of Caught Bread Handed.
You’ll have to let me know if you do and if you end up baking something from the books!
I Love your mysteries & I would go crazy if I had a chance to win this book. Thanks for your generosity.
Don’t go crazy… unless you go crazy for cake, then do for sure!
Great series! Can’t wait to read “Caught Bread Handed”. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Thanks so much! Best of luck!
“Caught Bread Handed.” What’s not to love!!
My thoughts exactly!
I would love to win this giveaway.
Crossing fingers and toes!
Sounds amazing! I really want to read it!!
I love books set in Oregon and have been intrigued with Ashland for a long time.I need to get in to this series!
Really enjoy this series and looking forward to reading this one.
love your books and am looking forward to this title. Thanks for the chance!
I haven’t read the series yet but after this tease, I’m visiting to my local library this afternoon!!
Love the series and recipes!
Thanks for the chance to get started with a new author. Book looks like a really good read
Hi Dru! I am really excited to read this latest installment of Ellie’s series. Thank you for the chance to win!
This is a great series! Really looking forward to reading “Caught Bread Handed”. Thanks for a great giveaway.
Thanks for having such a great giveaway . Love cozy mystery.
I love the series and I’ll see Ellie at the book launch
Sounds fun and I love all things Elizabethan myself. Thank you for the chance. Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
This series is new to me, but it sounds really good.
This is a fun and interesting series. Have only read a couple so far so anxious to catch up. A great cozy series.
This mystery sounds interesting to read. I would love to win this and the drink mixes to soothe me as I read her print book. Would love to win this. Thanks.
Cannot wait to read this book…
Thank you for the giveaway…..