The Whisking Hour

By: Ellie Alexander

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, and baker Juliet Capshaw is excited to celebrate the season with a night at the theatre. Lance Rousseau, Ashland's renowned theater director and one of Jules' closest friends, has put his own spin on a production of the Broadway classic Perfect Crime, drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment as a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. As the final show approaches, Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce.

On the day of the soirée, life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. After the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity. But when an actor is discovered dead in his dressing room, Jules wonders if she's just witnessed the real perfect murder.

©2026 Katherine Dyer-Seeley

Loved it

Ellie Alexander has created another great addition to the Bakeshop Mystery series with book 22 The Wisking Hour. All the usual characters are present as well as an excellent mystery to solve.
Emily Durante gave a great performance as she brought the storyline to life and gave each character their own unique voice.
I look forward to the next installment and highly recommend this book and series to cozy mystery fans.

Return to Ashland

Returning to Ashland, Oregon with Ellie Alexander always feels like coming home. The Whisking Hour serves up everything I've come to love about the Bakeshop Mystery series: the cozy charm of Torte, the warmth of Jules and her found family, mouthwatering treats, and a murder that unfolds against the backdrop of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

This time, the theater takes center stage, blending perfectly with the mystery and reminding readers why Ashland is as much a character as anyone in the book. While the whodunit keeps the pages turning, it's the friendships, familiar faces, and comforting sense of place that make this series so special.

If you've been missing Torte and its wonderful cast of characters, The Whisking Hour is the perfect trip back to Ashland. Cozy, delicious, and delightfully murderous—just the way Ellie Alexander does it best.