Cremas, Christmas Cookies, and Crooks

Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Series, Book 6

By: Harper Lin

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

It's almost Christmastime in Cape Bay, and another murder has everyone in town talking. A despised new drama teacher at the local high school is killed in the school's parking lot. The police arrest a beloved teacher, Mrs. Crowsdale, but everyone else thinks she is too nice to murder anyone. Mike, however, says they have solid evidence that proves she did it.

Sammy is particularly devastated. Mrs. Crowsdale was her favorite teacher and still her hero. Sammy begs Fran to find the real culprit. Fran isn't so sure. Mike would be angry with her for butting in on another case. And what if more danger befalls her? After all, there are some pretty dangerous people in town....

©2017 Harper Lin (P)2018 Tantor

Verbal Abuse and cowardice. This one needs a TRIGGER WARNING !

I have barreled through this series nearly bing-reading the first 5 books. I’ve enjoyed each one a great deal. But there should be a trigger warning on this one.

The Police Detective (Mike) is so verbally abusive to Fran in chapter 14 of this one that I jumped to the end in the hope of finding some sort of relief.

To make matters worse the young subordinate makes excuses for his boss's atrocious and deeply unprofessional behavior.

Then in the very next chapter, Fran who doesn’t try to stand up to the screaming and verbal abuse from Mike jumps to the defense of her friend who is being annoyed by a perceived female rival,

And where is Matteo? Are we to believe that Matteo (Fran’d) boyfriend, would have been fine with what Mike did had he walked into the cafe and witnessed it?

It doesn’t take much courage for a man to scream at a woman, and publicly berate her in her place of business.

Is the takeaway supposed to be, “Oh, well men will be men.” or somehow be okay with it because that’s just the way it is in Massachusetts? Was the author hurt or angry when crafting this one?

Poo pooling away any kind of abuse verbal or otherwise, with only the fear of losing the abuser as a “friend” as the protagonist's main concern is dangerous and irresponsible.

I don't trust the rest of the series now…

Smidge of Christmas Lots of Cremas

"Cremas, Christmas Cookies & Crooks (Cape Bay Cafe Mystery #6)" by Harper Lin was more about the Cremas than about Christmas. I would say it was almost too much detail about Cremas and maybe the occasional mention of gingerbread or sugar cookies and a very short bit about a Christmas party at the end of the book.

The mystery was decently done. There were a couple of details I didn't see coming in the end. However, I ended up being right about the who.

Love these series!

Such a clean, respectable and mysterious Story. I look forward to the next book to come out.

the lead character is clueless

See the title. it says it all. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.

Outcome

Every now and then, it would be nice if the police (department) was right and the amateur sleuth was wrong 😏

Not sure about this one.

I enjoyed the familiar characters. The story was a little slow until the end. More frustrating than entertaining. I have enjoyed reading the books in the past in this series. I was not fond of the narrator. She was fine but just not what I had hoped for. A little too sing-song like.

Stupid Heroine

I have been reading this series, and liked the books so far (really glad they were free!). This one is where I have to stop and write a review. Maybe long series where the lead character goes around snooping, and falls into a solution for a crime, has to end after 5-6 books. When it keeps going on like this, I start to dislike the heroine.
I don't like how the heroine is sucha busy body and has no respect for her "friend" the detective. Isn't real life enough example of flawed policing, that the "bumbling police" in this series is just too much. Especially in this book when the heroine is told not to investigate and not to go near a 16 year old....wow, can she really be this stupid?? The detective points out that Fran should not be meeting with a child who is below the age for consent, but she won't listen and pushes in anyway. This is the kind of behaviour that requires a psych assessment. It's not cute or cozy when you take instruction from a teenager and still think you are doing the right thing.
The narrator is very good and the times when the detective yells is a wonderful performance. I was a little frightened just listening.
I can't recommend the series after this point, because I know Fran will continue to snoop after all of the trouble she has caused, and I can't respect this interferance. As noted, the books are free, so this is the only upside for continuing.