Hi, cozy mystery book lovers! I’ve got another fun book for you! Tide and Punishment is the third book in the Seaside Cafe Mystery series by Bree Baker. As with most cozy mysteries, it’s best to read the series in order though it isn’t completely necessary.
I received this book free from the publisher; however, I was not required to give a review, positive or otherwise. This post contains affiliate links.
Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker
Seaside Café Mystery, #3
September 24, 2019 | ISBN: 9781492664819
Mass Market Paperback | $7.99 U.S.
No one dreams of a killer Christmas…
It’s Christmastime in Charm, North Carolina, and while Everly Swan would prefer to focus on decorating her iced tea shop for its first holiday season, Great-Aunt Fran has decided to run for mayor against her long-time nemesis. But when the other candidate turns up dead just before the first scheduled debate, all eyes turn to Fran as the suspect with the most obvious motive.
Everly knows her sweet, elderly Aunt Fran couldn’t have murdered anyone, but as she struggles to find the real killer, it begins to seem like this may be the last merry Christmas her family may ever have.
Book review
The Seaside Cafe Mystery series is so enjoyable to read! Like I said before, you don’t absolutely have to read cozy mysteries in order, but knowing the characters and seeing how relationships have developed in prior books does help. I reviewed both Live and Let Chai and No Good Tea Goes Unpunished. You can read my reviews of those by clicking the titles.
In Tide and Punishment, Christmas is coming, and just like you’d expect, the residents of Charm are in full holiday mode. Everly is hosting a Christmas party, and while Aunt Clara has kept herself busy painting gnomes, Aunt Fran has been making her mind up about running for mayor. Of course, the former mayor has gotten wind of Aunt Fran plans to announce her candidacy, and he shows up to “show her up.” When he ends up dead, Aunt Fran ends up as the suspect, so, of course, Everly wants to investigate! If you’ve read any of the previous books, you know how a certain law enforcement member feels about this.
The characters in Tide and Punishment are great, as always, and I love seeing how they and their relationships develop with each consecutive book. I’ve said before that I want to live in Charm, and that’s still the case. It’s such a cute little town, and (if you don’t mind the crime rate) anyone would want to live there. I love the cookie baking, delivery service, gnome “issues,” tea drinking, Christmas celebrating, and mystery solving in Tide and Punishment. Oh, and as much as I love Grady, I’m really falling for Wyatt. Read the books…you’ll see!
About Bree Baker
Bree Baker is a Midwestern writer, obsessed with small town high jinks, sweet tea and the sea. She’s been telling stories to her family, friends and strangers for as long as she can remember, and more often than not, those stories feature a warm ocean breeze and recipe she’s sure to ruin. Now, she’s working on those fancy cooking skills and dreaming up adventures for the Seaside Cafe mysteries. Her debut title, Live & Let Chai released from Sourcebooks in July 2018. Bree is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers and the Romance Writers of America.
This sounds like a series I might enjoy. I’m going to have to visit the library to see if they have the entire series. I hate starting one in the middle.
These sound like good reads. I appreciate you sharing this. We love reading at our house