The Silence of the Flans

An Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery #2

by Laura Bradford

Baker Winnie Johnson does her best work when the heat is on. As owner of the Emergency Dessert Squad, she has a deft touch in the kitchen and a soft spot for lost causes. So when her business professor beau, Jay Morgan, expresses misgivings over having to fail one of his fourth-year students, Winnie cooks up a sweet solution. 

She'll offer an extra credit opportunity in exchange for a little help with her growing business. But when her protege's first dessert delivery poisons a student journalist, the publicity threatens to burn Winnie's business to a crisp. Now the entrepreneur-turned-detective must uncover the ingredients behind a recipe for murder before she crumbles under pressure... 

RECIPES INCLUDED

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Fiction, Romance, Mystery Thriller

281 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 7, 2017

About the author

Aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey.

While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend's house nearly forty years ago, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil.

Those early attempts at the craft had her writing and illustrating stories for young children. Wise beyond her years, Laura saved her first writing attempt in a hand decorated shoe box (complete with sparkly stickers) and moved on to her next idea. Her second book—O’Casey’s Wish—was so utterly brilliant, she sent it off to a well-known New York publishing house at the tender age of ten, confident she was on the verge of becoming the next Don Freeman (Corduroy) or Shel Silverstein (Giving Tree).

Months later, she received her first form letter rejection.

While she wasn’t of the mindset to save that first crushing blow for posterity, Laura did save the original copy of this particular literary masterpiece in the event the letter was a mistake.

Desperate to prove her flexibility as a writer, Laura soon found herself dabbling in jokes (for her Girl Scout troop’s newsletter), stories of angst (a somewhat autobiographical look at her teenage years), movie reviews (for the Xavier University Newswire), and countless news and feature articles (for newspapers in CT, SC, TN, and MO).

It wasn’t until Laura was home raising children of her own though, that she was finally able to dust off that rainy day dream and bring it back to its original form—writing fiction. Today, she is a bestselling mystery author with Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin Publishing), and an award winning romance author with Harlequin American. She lives in New York with her family.

Oh, and if you meet Laura at a book event in the future, ask her about O’Casey’s Wish. It tends to travel with her everywhere she goes.

Reviews

[Stacie Amelotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Bradford is one author that never disappoints. From the moment you pick up one of her books you are immediately drawn into an adventure. She has a way of transporting you into the setting. For a moment in time you can escape reality and enjoy being part of Winnie’s life. When you close your eyes you can smell the mouthwatering desserts. If only we could call the real Emergency Dessert Squad to rescue our sweet tooth! Luckily some of the recipes are included and they sound yummy. This second book in this series continues with a balanced blend of uniqueness and creativity. Watching Winnie struggle to keep her business alive while trying to solve a murder draws you into her frustration. Ms. Bradford will keep you guessing and changing your mind several times while trying to find the killer. The secondary characters, Winnie’s neighbors, Mr. Nelson and Bridget add a touch of humor. The developments of their personalities as well as the bonds they build are very touching. Winnie’s love life is a roller coaster. The honesty of her struggle between Jay and Greg leaves us wondering which one she will end up with. Greg would be my pick as he has shown sincerity and has believed in her no matter what. I guess we’ll have to wait for book three, Dial M For Murder, to see what happens next!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review/Giveaway
Mar. 19 A Cozy Girl Reads and Writes
http://acozygirlreads.blogspot.ca/

Silence of The Flans has a unique premise any foodie with a insashable sweet tooth won't be able to put down. The dessert ambulance and Winnie, the ameture sleuth "rescuing" customers with life's problems with delicious desserts she bakes.

There's Winnie's charming elderly friends besides some insufferable characters. A precious love/hate relationship with her cat,Lovey who likes to tag along on Dessert Squad Deliveries. It was a interesting and heartwarming plot and a sweet romance or should I say romances

The Dessert names with the puns were fun and Winnie baking were my favorite parts of the story. Winnie proved to be a very determined character and what I love about most was her fighting for her dream and it came with a very flavourfull and delicious ending.

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, 9-Yum-Yum? I'm calling the Emergency Dessert Squad! I'm in the middle of studying for finals, and I need a fudgelicious chocolate cake with buttercream frosting!!!

A lip-smackingly wonderful cozy mystery. Ingredients contain delightful characters, humor, and a clever, refreshing plot. Delicious recipes at end of story! I highly recommend this series.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When The Emergency Dessert Squad gets an order for the special BlackBerry and Cream Fade No More Crisp there isn't a message to go with it for the receiver. After Winnie Johnson bakes it and delivers it to college student , Melinda B. Tully, she thinks the order is complete. Not so ! Something has gone horribly wrong, for Melinda dies before she can finish her dessert. Now the finger of blame is being pointed to Winnie as the Police department awaits the Coroner's report.
This all looks very bad for Winnie as news spreads that her dessert poisoned someone. For six weeks her new business has been doing very good as word of mouth brings more orders for her special delivery desserts all over the community of Silver Lake Ohio. Now Winnie finds herself to be a number one murder suspect and her new business is defunct.
To make matters worse her budding romance with college professor Jay Morgan is put on hold as he begins to avoid Winnie and stop returning her calls. Is this the end for the Emergency Dessert Squad and will Winnie be charged for a murder she didn't commit?
My heart broke for Winnie. She has tried so hard to make her new business venture be a success. Then she gets wrapped up in this murder and her new business goes down the drain. I felt that Jay needed a good swift kick in the behind. Even I, as a reader felt her feelings of hurt and betrayal by Jay and the town's citizens. But I loved how Winnie faught to clear her good name and save her business. I will say this story grabbed me in at the beginning and kept me in till the last page.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mysteries. It's part of a three book series and since characters are carried over from book one I feel they should be read in order to enhance your reading experience.
I borrowed a copy from the digital library. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.
4 likes

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silence of the Flans by Laura Bradford is the second book in the Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series. Winnie Johnson, owner of the Emergency Dessert Squad, delivers a rescue dessert to a student journalist who is then found poisoned by the dessert. I love the concept behind the Emergency Dessert Squad and I love the characters, but I found the murder investigation rather weak in this book and the ending rushed. I felt there was too much focus on the lack of attention from her boyfriend and a lot of whining about her business downturn. The main redeeming quality was the recipes.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SILENCE OF THE FLANS
Book 2 in the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries
By Laura Bradford
5 stars

EMERGENCY ALERT! The Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series is one of the tastiest cozy mystery series I’ve read!

I have had a craving to read THE SILENCE OF THE FLANS since I read the last page of ÉCLAIR AND PRESENT DANGER, book one in this delightful series. As always, author Laura Bradford has penned a tale that was totally worth the wait!

I’ve read all sorts of books ranging from awful to fabulous. Fabulous is the description that has fit every book I’ve read by Laura Bradford (including her pen name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey). She has a way of making me feel I am living a story as I read it. I can envision myself in every scene, watching it play out before my eyes. This wonderful book was no different.

Humor, decadent desserts, and a first rate mystery are what you’ll find between the covers of THE SILENCE OF THE FLANS. Everything great about the first book in this series is multiplied tenfold in this delicious installment. This was a solid mystery. Harder to figure out than some I have read. However, if you listen to your inner Nancy Drew, you may come pretty close to guessing it. But Ms. Bradford won’t make it easy for you. ;-)

Creative and unique, THE SILENCE OF THE FLANS is everything cozy readers are looking for in a book, and so much more!

Make sure to check out the fun recipes at the back of the book. And, read an excerpt of book three, DIAL M FOR MOUSSE!

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winnie’s new Emergency Dessert Squad business has been opened for six weeks, and it is quickly gaining customers. But then the unthinkable happens – someone dies after eating one of Winnie’s desserts. Now the phone has stopped ringing and it looks like Winnie may go out of business. In order to keep her new business running, she needs to find the killer, can she do it?

This series has such a fun premise, and the punny names that Winnie uses for her desserts are a delight. Just as much fun are the characters. They’re a bit unusual for a cozy series, but I appreciate them for that. The plot is strong as well. I saw a few plot points coming, but others caught me by surprise.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like main character Winnie and I especially love her neighbor Mr. Nelson. The dynamic of their relationship is what I enjoy most in this series. I found it difficult to figure out who the murder truly was and their motive in this book, I was truly surprised in the end when both were reveled. I was caught up in the side story of the relationships Winnie has with each character, even though I knew it was all centered around the murder, it was the relationships I took most from in this story. I am looking forward to reading book three for sure.

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I'm in the minority, but this series just doesn't grab me at all. It's cute, which is okay, but I like my cozy series to be more than cute. Stopping with this one.

[Sue Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story

When I first started this series, I wasn't sure. The more I read, the more I wanted more and this is what I got. Another great mystery. The characters in the series feel like I've known them my entire life and I find myself cheering for them. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how odd the concept of this was - and obviously, the person who designed the cover hadn't read the book. But it was still fun.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the emergency desert squad mysteries. Winnie's boyfriend confides in her about a failing student. She agrees to have her as an intern to help get her grade up. This almost immediately turns into a disaster. On the first day, they get an order for a blackberry crisp to be delivered to a student at the college. Winnie takes her intern with her and they drop off the desert. The next morning Winnie finds out that the student died and the police think her desert is to blame. Winnie sets out to prove that she is innocent so she can keep her business and her reputation.

I really enjoyed this book. I like the idea of an emergency desert squad. It is so unique and fun. I love Winnie's neighbors. Mr. Nelson and Bridget are lovely. They are awesome characters. I didn't particularly care for Winnie's boyfriend in this book. I felt hw wasn't there enough for Winnie. I liked the interactions between her and Greg and the guys at the station house. I hope to see more of them in future books.

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the Emergency Dessert Squad. Winnie offers to help one of Jay's students. A call comes in for a blueberry pie, Winnie changed it to a blackberry crisp... that's when Winnie's life changes until she can prove she didn't poison the dessert. I was completely stumped up until the very end... great story, laugh out loud moments with Mr. Nelson, yummy recipes in the back.. what more could you ask for??

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Winnie's Emergency Dessert Squad dessert names. This book was good and I'm definitely team Master Sergent Hottie (although Jay may be okay). The story was good, although I felt a lacking in police presence that should have spurred Winnie's investigating.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Bradford does it again, I loved this book. The whole idea of an emergency dessert squad is so intriguing, I wish there really was one.
When Winnie delivers a killer dessert the town looks at her as the murderer and the phones stop ringing for orders. Winnie and friends decide that they must figure it out.
I can't begin to say enough good about these characters, Winnie is real, she gets upset, she cries, she gets mad and frightened like any real person would do. Renee is so much fun and has Winnie's back at all times. Mr. Nelson and Bridget had me laughing out loud, I adore them when they get started. They are such an interesting mix of characters but they all meld nicely together and you feel like you are there right with them.
The mystery was excellent, I had no idea who, I kept jumping from person to person with each new twist, but it all wrapped up to a satisfying conclusion. I will definitely continue on with this series and eagerly await the next.
There is the added bonus of some of Winnie's recipes that sound fantastic.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second book in the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries. Unfortunately, this book didn't appeal to me at all. The mystery was uninteresting and I was able to figure out the details pretty early on. I understand Winnie enjoys spending time with her elderly neighbors, but it is like they are written as caricatures of themselves. And the whole "romance" with Jay (and to be honest, her relationships with Greg and Lovey) adds nothing to the book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the idea of an emergency dessert squad....so to find out it was in jeopardy during this book actually made me sad. (And my biggest disappointment with this one was that there were barely any emergency calls. I know that was all a part of the story...but that why I love the series). I was frustrated with many of the characters in this story, but in a way that I'm sure the author contrived on purpose. I love Winnie's elderly friends and they were constantly cracking me up. I can't tell if a real love triangle is forming, but if it does I am absolutely rooting for Master Sergeant Hottie. Jay's lack of communication DROVE ME NUTS and caused so many problems that I am annoyed with him. As for the mystery, I definitely had the pieces in place before Winnie did, which means the author did a good job of subtly dropping enough clues. The ending was actually kind of anti-climatic, which is pretty unique for a cozy mystery novel. This is a sweet and fun series that I am looking forward to continuing.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The focus on the romance—or lack thereof—with Jay—made me want to reach into the pages and tell Winnie to give it up. She’s only known him six weeks and while it’s great he puts his 16 year old daughter, Caroline, ahead of Winnie at almost every turn, it’s pretty clear they aren’t going to have a happily ever after. To make things worse, there is Greg, aka Master Sergeant Hottie, who wants nothing more than to date Winnie and while she’s friendly to him, and makes it clear she doesn’t feel anything or him, she doesn’t really give him a chance. That said, this is supposed to be a cozy mystery, not some angst-filled women’s fiction or a contemporary romance and I felt there should have been a little more detecting and a lot more focus on finding the killer. The ending wraps things up – we know the killer got Winnie in his/her sights, but not how the actual take-down happened. And then the whole storyline about Batkas taking over the town kind of disappeared with no resolution except a quick summation at the end.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi ci sono voluti due o tre capitoli prima di essere presa dal libro. Ho capito subito cosa stesse indagando la vittima; l'indizio fondamentale per capire chi fosse il colpevole viene però dato proprio alla fine. Il triangolo amoroso sembrava risolversi nella direzione da me sperata, ma dalla frase finale del libro sembra che accadrà tutto il contrario, uffa.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative and exciting read.

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Winnie Johnson and her Emergency Dessert Squad delivery service are back in The Silence of the Flans, the second book in Laura Bradford’s Emergency Dessert Squad Series. This standalone read finds Winnie defending herself and her business against a murder accusation.

Things are finally going good with Winnie and her new beau, college professor Jay Morgan. Unfortunately, Jay has been acting a little distant and withdrawn of late. When Winnie finds out Jay is worried about one of his students (Alicia Worth) failing and possibly not graduating, she offers to take Alicia under her wing for three weeks, in exchange for the girl getting a passing grade.

Melinda B. Tully is a journalism student who writes for Caughtcha a college newspaper at Silver Lake College. Melinda is known for her hard hitting investigative skills. In the past three years, she’s written major stories about gambling, cheating, and corruption at the school. Just weeks from graduating, she’s in the middle of investigating a story that could send shockwaves through the college once again. Unfortunately, before she can publish her findings and graduate she’s murdered. The fact that she dies within minutes of eating a blueberry pie points directly to Winnie.

While Winnie knows that she didn’t do anything to kill Melinda, people around town aren’t so sure. Business is suffering and she has to find out what really happened before it’s too late. While she has the support of her friend Renee, her neighbors Bridget O’Keefe and Parker Nelson, and even “Master Sergeant Hottie” paramedic Greg, she doesn’t seem to have the support of her boyfriend Jay. Just when she needs his support the most, he seems to be avoiding her. Even Alicia is avoiding her. She’s pretending to be the victim’s friend when just hours before, she proclaimed how much she didn’t like Melinda.

Winnie ultimately sets out to clear her name by finding out just who had it out for Melinda and why. To do so, she enlists the help of her friends and gets her hand on Melinda’s current research notes. Uncovering the truth is going to be more surprising than anyone could have imagined and Winnie’s life will get put in jeopardy.

I’m loving the Emergency Dessert Squad series. Laura has created a world with wonderful characters who are not only friends, but family. They all look out for each other and always have each other’s backs. I loved all the red herrings thrown into this mystery. Just when you think the story is going to go one way, it goes another. I wasn’t happy with the Jay storyline and with the way it played out. I also think the killer reveal should have been just a little bit more intense. It seems as if it was just glossed over. The recipes in the back of the book sound amazing. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

**Received a copy from Berkley Prime Crime and reviewed the book voluntarily.**

Rating: 4.5

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This carries on where the first book left off. Jay and Winnie are still going together but Jay has been really stressed recently. Winnie finds out that it is due to one of his student's who really need to do a good job especially with her grandmother being the only one she has. She gives her a chance to start but unfortunately that same day after they do a delivery together the girl they delivered to dies supposedly from her dessert. So in this Winnie is trying to get her dessert back on track. There are some twist and turns but we do not find out till the end who had murdered the girl. We find out the why early on but it takes sometime for Winnie to put the pieces together.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Laura Bradford's book overally. She has the wonderful ability to develop multidimensional characters. I like this series a lot because many of the support characters are senior citizens that are interesting and leading good lives. Good mystery and she advanced Winnie and Jay's characters. Love the cat. Recipes are good too.

[Drebbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winnie Johnson’s business “Emergency Dessert Squad” is fairly new but flourishing as is her relationship with Professor Jay Morgan. When she hears that Jay is having issues with one of his students, Winnie gladly gives the girl an internship hoping that will help her grade and ease Jay’s mind. However, when a college student dies from poisoning, apparently after eating one of Winnie’s deliveries, both her business and relationship with Jay are threatened. Winnie knows that in order to clear her name, she has to find the real killer, but will she solve the murder in time?

“The Silence of the Flans” is the enjoyable second book in Laura Bradford’s Emergency Dessert Squad cozy mystery series. I love the setup of this series – Winnie uses an ambulance and stretcher to deliver her baked goods – as well as the names Winnie comes up with for her food offerings – I D’Eclaire for example. Winnie is a great character who cares deeply for her friends – not only Renee, her business partner, but her elderly neighbors who help her in so many ways. While I am not overly fond of love triangles in cozy mysteries, the Winnie/Jay/Greg love triangle does intrigue me – I know who I would pick if I were Winnie. The mystery aspects are well done – this doesn’t happen very often when I read a cozy mystery but this time I felt sorry for the murder victim. There are just the right amount of twists and turns in this book to keep a reader guessing as to who the killer is. Finally, the ending of the book was perfect. 

“The Silence of the Flans” is another nice cozy mystery by Laura Bradford.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silence Of The Flans is the second book in the An Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery.

If you like punny books, then this is series should be on you TBR stack.

Winnie Johnson and her assistant Renee are pleased with how well their Emergency Dessert Squad is doing. They’re thinking they just way have a lights and sirens business on their hands

If only Winnie’s love life was going as well, then everything would be just perfect. The man that she is drawn to, Jay, has been acting a little distant lately. Renee finally convinces Winnie that she needs to make a Dessert Squad delivery to Jay’s office on campus. Jay has been concerned about one his students, Alicia Worth.

An order comes in for a Black-Berry Crumb to delivered to a Melinda Tully, a journalism student and a member of the campus newspaper and who has aspirations of being an investigative reporter. Shortly after eating her dessert Melinda is found dead in her dorm room. As Melinda and Alicia were roommates and didn’t get along in the least, Alicia becomes a person of interest. Winnie’s not sure if Alicia might have added anything poisonous but she knows that she needs to find out who did before her business is the next to die.

In addition to all the whacky dessert that Winnie and Renee come with, I also enjoy the characters that are in the book and are always there to have Winnie’s back. Winnie lives on a street that is mostly senior citizens. Winnie has an apartment in Mr. Nelson’s home. Nelson is hard of hearing and Winnie has to often remind him to turn on his hearing aid so he can follow along with conversations. In addition, there is Bridget, a next door neighbor, who is a reporter for the local newspaper. It’s always fun to follow the banter between Bridget and Mr. Nelson. One thing that brings great joy to Mr. Nelson is trying to get Bridget’s “goat”.

Killer recipes are also included in the book.

Looking forward to reading the next adventures of The Emergency Squad.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, I really wanted to like this series. The idea of the whole emergency dessert squad is awesome and cute but I really just feel like the series has yet to deliver. There's too much whining over her boyfriend and not enough sleuthing. I gave her a pass for the first one as she had to set up the world and such but this one wasn't any better.

So I'll give some pros and cons.

Pros- The sidekicks, Renee, Nelson and Bridget are fun characters that have good personalities.
The plot, the actual crime wasn't horrible and fairly well thought of.
Lovey-because cats are always a pro.

Cons-Winnie. I had such a major issue with her. She seems clueless and just dumb. When Renee suggests that they need to tell the police about Alicia, Renee has to hold her hand to explain why. She's really lovesick about Jay so much so that I fell like the author wrote the book and realized it was 50 pages short and decided to fill the rest of book with woe is me Jay moments.
Greg- I don't dislike the character per say but I hate that the author attempted to insert love triangle when Winnie established in the first book she had no inclination to be with him. And him saying that Jay is a fool for leaving the door open for him to win her over? WTF is that shit? I mean is she some prize and Greg was the runner up and since there's strife he automatically gets handed to him? *barf*
Crisp- I just thought she hardcore correcting everyone all the time was annoying.
Lack of investigation- once again Winnie spends half to 3/4 of the book complaining about her shop, Jay and instead of being an inspiring strong woman she's a limp noodle and Renee and Bridget have to get her started.
The concision- Or should I say the lack of one. Usually the main character finds a way to confront the bad guy something ensues and they use their wit to get out of it and the police come. Well if you thought the ending of the first one was lacking and not well thought out this one is worse. It literally skips the whole scene!! She's on the phone with Nelson, realizes who the killer is and tells him to call the police end of chapter. Next chapter they're patching her up and everything is concluded. I had to re-read the section because I was confused I was like...where is the missing chapter?
Jay- So he's stressed and decides that after the college student dies that maybe he's not good for Winnie. That he's the reason her shop is failing etc. But instead of telling her...anything he just ghosts her but not because he answers her call but just acts weird around her. Like just tell her you don't want to be with her I mean who act like that?

TLDR: The main character is uninspiring, there's little sleuthing and there's too much romantic drama.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in this series with a great premise.
An emergency dessert delivery service, I only wish that existed!
A good whodunit that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next in the series!

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the adorable Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series by Laura Bradford, SILENCE OF THE FLANS is a solid, entertaining addition! Winnie Johnson is an engaging protagonist with a smart sense of humor and witty dialog. I love her interaction with her elderly friends who are more like family to her. One of the fun things about this series is the absolutely creative, whimsical names for desserts that Winnie bakes and delivers! The author enlisted the help of a couple of people to come up with the names in this book and I think it would be so much fun to see the variety they created before narrowing it down to a few. I am not a pun creative type of person which makes me appreciate and admire those who can.

Winnie has a heart of gold: taking in a cat that hates her (which provides some comedy) along with helping out a troubled college student, whose grandmother is dying. Even though she’s warned about the girl, she still feels like she needs to do her best to help. Winnie says, “How much trouble can 1 college girl really cause?” and from there the story takes off with a bang when another college girl drops dead after eating Winnie’s Fade to Blackberry Crisp. Becoming a suspect with her dessert the cause of the poisoning, Winnie’s business comes to a standstill. Winnie’s tenacious determination to keep her business going and prove to the town that she’s innocent propels her into tracking down the real killer. Besides being a fun, entertaining read the mystery had a good flow and I enjoyed seeing her find new suspects and then rethinking old suspects which made it believable. The reveal wrapped up the plot and subplots with a satisfactory conclusion and made me anxious to find out what happens next!

With all the adorable, pun-filled dessert names floating around the book, I am grateful that the author provides several recipes for the reader to drool over! I tried her recipe for Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen. I’ve never had Kuchen before and was impressed with the yummy pastry crust, rich custard filling, and tart apples. The recipe is definitely a keeper!

I willingly provided a review after receiving a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marlea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a lot of issues with this book including, but not limited to:

1. What exactly does the police department do exactly? They seem to sit in the office all day and wait for baked goods without accomplishing any police work.

2. How is it that the newspaper was able to publish Winnie's picture and that her pie killed Melinda if the police hadn't conducted an investigation and pointed a finger? Whose running the town here? The police repeatedly said they thought Winnie was innocent but never actually did anything to prove someone else was the murderer. Which, again, leads to their lack of actual work and the need for Winnie to conduct interviews and photo analyses to not only prove her innocence but put a murderer behind bars.

3. The resolution. One minute Winnie says to call the cops. The next page the takedown happened and we don't even get a recap. That's a rushed finish if I ever read one.

4. Jay. Jay is a bona fide idiot and Winnie's interest in him and his arrogance is really pathetic. She's also blindly stringing along Greg which really irks me. Why write in a decent character who cares about the protagonist and have her fawn over someone so callous? It's a mystery series, not a half baked romance.

5. Batakas and the Councilman being in cahoots? That was about a 3 sentence insert that had nothing to do with anything and was given absolutely no explication, much like the apprehension.

6. The whole thing reads like Groundhog Day. The same jokes. The same quotes. Mr. Nelson's hearing aid is never on. Renee thinks Winnie is brilliant when coming up with names. Lovey prompts everyone to tell Winnie to give her time. It's like a giant copy and paste.

7. Why was it called Silence of the Flans? There was no flan. This story didn't mimic the Silence of the Lambs. I'm all about titles with puns, but the pun has to have something to do with anything in the book.

There are really no redeeming qualities for me. One star is a stretch.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Print Book/Paperback [Carnegie Library]

WHAT. THE. HECK?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. I did NOT enjoy this one at all. It had WAY to much romance, hand-wringing, and well, annoyance in this one. I was bored with the characters I really enjoyed in book one and it was like it was trying W A Y too hard. And the end...W T HECK?
This was just a huge NO NO NO for me. Ugh.
Sigh.