Death by Hot Apple Cider (Bookstore Cafe Mystery #9) by Alex Erickson

Death by Hot Apple Cider (Bookstore Cafe Mystery #9) Reviews

• 
  Tina

  This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series. I found the main characters likable, but they did not really pull me into what was going on. I found the mystery just ok, and I guess who did it before it was reveal. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Alex Erickson) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
• 
  The Sassy Bookworm

  ⭐⭐
  
  I really wanted to give this one more stars, but in the end it was just an okay read for me. I enjoyed the setting and some of the side characters. However, Krissy (the protagonist) is god awful. She has zero chemistry with Paul (or any characters, to be honest). She is nosy. Obnoxious. Not very intelligent. Jumps to conclusions at the drop of a hat. That entire scene with the DR and Kevin where she demands to know why Kevin is at the DR's, and a bunch of other stuff that was SO very much none of her business really put the last nail in the coffin of this book. What more can I say...🤷🏻‍♀️
  
  **ARC Via NetGalley**
• 
  Lisa Morin

  Once again we join Krissy Hancock in the latest addition to this series by Alex Erickson.
  In Death by Hot Apple Cider, Krissy is pleased to be participating in the town’s Fall Festival.
  As part owner of a bookstore/cafe, Krissy is pleased to see the crowd all enjoying her hot apple cider.
  Things suddenly take a bad turn when someone dunks for an apple, but doesn’t come back up.
  Even though she’s cleared of any wrongdoing, Krissy can’t stop herself from asking questions. It seems she makes someone upset with her nosiness, and finds herself in trouble once again.
  
  I enjoy this series more and more with each new book. The character are fun, and bring color and humor to the series.
  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.
  I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes a good cozy mystery.
  #DeathbyHotAppleCider #NetGalley
• 
  Deanne Patterson

  This is my second read in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series. I am enjoying this series.
  In this one we find Krissy Hancock’s who loves books and believes in the power of books and who also owns a bookshop-cafe teaming up with the local library for a Fall Festival . Autumn is here and the towns folks are enjoying themselves anticipating the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Krissy has supplied the apple cider for the Fall Festival but not all is as cheerful as it may seem to an outsider.
  Could Krissy have poisoned a patron with her cider especially since the death is of a known rabble rouser known to cause trouble for the bookstore and library for supposedly carrying scandalous materials?
  Well written. I enjoyed it.
  
  Pub Date 26 Oct 2021
  I was given a complimentary copy.
  All opinions expressed are my own.
• 
  The Cozy Review

  It seems that Krissy can always find trouble, even at a fall festival where all she is doing is watching people dunk for apples. In the latest book in the “A Bookstore Cafe Mystery” series, Death by Hot Apple Cider, Krissy and the team is gearing up for the holidays with the season’s first festival. But, unfortunately, just when they think everything is going smoothly and people are enjoying themselves, someone goes and commits murder.
  
  The characters in this series have many quirks. They are funny, intelligent, and at times far too nosy for their own good. Krissy always sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong. She jumps to conclusions faster than most people change their clothes. She also puts herself in danger more than any average person with a business to run, especially one as innocuous as making apple cider, should ever even conceive. This time the victim isn’t all that likable, but readers may find themselves feeling sorry for him. The suspects are everywhere, and most had good reason to dislike the victim and want him dead.
  
  There are plenty of red herrings throughout this story, some go nowhere, but a few help solve the crime. There is action, usually in the form of Krissy getting into things she shouldn’t and causing trouble. The location is delightful, and the festival sounds like an enjoyable event, the apple cider sounds delicious, and the atmosphere is ripe for excitement and intrigue. The murder is pretty easy to solve. Of course, Krissy can’t stay out of danger and barely manages to not get killed. Death by Hot Apple Cider is filled with everything cozy readers expect and a whole lot more. I recommend that you cozy up with a warm cup of cider, crank up the air conditioning, grab your favorite blanket and snuggle up on your favorite seat and spend a couple of hours pretending it’s autumn and enjoy the read.
• 
  Bridget

  Death by Hot Apple Cider is the 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.
  
  This was my 2nd delve into this series. Although it was book nine, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. It was a very entertaining read with snippets of humour and dashes of romance. Krissy Hancock, owner of 'Death by Coffee' - a bookshop/ café - is a marvellous protagonist who I find to be caring and determined. Set in Pine Hills, Ohio, around Thanksgiving, Death by Hot Apple Cider is well-crafted, nippily-paced, thoroughly entertaining and autumnal. The mystery is very engaging with its red herrings and misdirections and I was kept guessing almost until the end of this compelling yarn. There are quite a few instalments to catch up on and I can’t wait to meet Krissy in Pine Hills again. Very highly recommended.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
  
• 
  Patty

  Death by Hot Apple Cider by Alex Erickson is the 9th book in the Bookstore Cafe series and another fun addition. Krissy Hancock and her best friend,Vicki Patterson, own Death by Coffee which is a coffee shop and bookstore in Pine Hills, Ohio. It November and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Krissy supplied the apple cider and the apples for apple bobbing booth. Unfortunately one man bobs but never come back up, and Krissy is concerned about her reputation. Krissy, being Krissy, just can't leave it alone, she must solve the case. I really enjoy this fun series, and it was nice to see some of the quirky characters again. There are suspects around every corner, that kept me reading until I was finished with the book. The plot and characters were well developed, along with some romance. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, my favorite, I highly recommend this book/series. 
  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
• 
  Toni

  4.5 Stars
  
  This is the ninth book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.
  
  This was a great read. I feel like the author is really expanding the world in order to bring about more cool mysteries in Pine Hills. Here we see Krissy Hancock paired with the local library. Somehow her cider gets poisoned and someone dies. Ugh. How unfortunate. But putting Krissy in touch with the library sure opens a lot of doors for new stories. Kinda really excited about this new avenue.
  
  I loved following this mystery. The clues were planted so perfectly and I couldn’t figure out why anyone would go to such lengths to frame Krissy. Some of those characters I just waned to shake and say… “why oh why.” Stop messing with Krissy. I have been reading this series from the beginning. I just love it so much!
  
  If you love a cozy mystery, definitely check this one out.
  
  I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.
  
• 
  Jane

  Set in Pine Hills, the first annual Thanksgiving celebration is in full swing. Krissy Hancock, co-owner of Death by Coffee ☕️ is also participating. She co-owns the bookstore cafe with her best friend Vicki Lawyer. Her ex Will Foster left Pine Hills for a job but Krissy’s since been over him since she’s been seeing police officer Paul Dalton👮🏼‍♂️
  
  Meanwhile, a man named Sydney Tewksbury has been prejudiced against books at Cindy and her husband Jimmy Carlton’s library as well as Krissy’s bookstore café. He wants them to stop carrying certain types of books because he thinks they’re offensive and the books are responsible for the bad things happening in town.
  
  Sydney comes to the library often and demands that the librarians change their book selection claiming the books were corrupting the youth of the town.
  
  One of the activities at the show involves grabbing an apple with one’s teeth from a tub of cider. Customers donate to participate and the books are given out as prizes to encourage reading. A portion of the proceeds from the contest goes to the library for a reading program Jimmy hopes to set up. The rest is reserved for the food fund.
  
  Right after Krissy and Paul overhear Sydney raising his voice and causing a scene at the festival, the man’s body is found in the cider tank. A doctor at the scene takes a look at the victim and declares him dead by poisoning.
  
  Panicked, Krissy heads to find her friend Rita who also participated in the apple-bobbing contest. Rita Jablonski is one the biggest gossips in all of Pine Hills. Krissy wonders if Rita has also been poisoned by her apples or her apple cider?
  
  Fortunately, Rita seems fine as well other participants who drank Krissy’s apple cider 🍺
  
  So who killed Sydney and why?
  
  Thank you to Alex Erickson, NetGalley, and Kensington for the ARC of this book.
• 
  Carla

  The town of Pine Hills, Ohio is having an autumn festival and Krissy Hancock's bookstore-cafe is supplying apple cider for the event. The staff are also volunteering to man the apple-bobbing booth. Everyone is having a great time until one of the apple bobbers doesn't come back up. Initially the cider is suspected of being poisoned, but that is quickly dismissed. The victim was a man, known for his outspoken comments about literature that promoted murder, sex and all sorts of scandalous behaviour. Krissy's store was one of his targets and when a local woman picks up where he let off, Krissy is pulled into the investigation, much to her boyfriend's chagrin.
  
  This was an interesting story, particularly because of the theme of banning books. I found this to be a bit of a slower story, with Krissy asking a lot of questions and being reprimanded by her boyfriend, the lead detective in town. There are a lot of twists to this one, and a few suspects. The victim was not well liked, but by the end I did have some sympathy for him. Once again, Krissy sticks her nose in a few places that put her in danger and barely manages to not get killed. An interesting mystery that I enjoyed, but not as much as some others in this series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries set in small communities, mysteries set around festivals and are interested in why people want to ban books, pick this one up.
• 
  Cozy Reviews

  Death by Hot Apple Cider is the ninth addition to Alex Erickson's Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series. I have enjoyed this charming series from the beginning and this was a perfect addition to the series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. This is a great cozy mystery for fall with a fall festival theme .
  
  In this next in series Krissy is participating in the fall festival and serving apple cider . When someone bobbing for apples dies Krissy is under suspicion . She is determined to save her reputation and her business by proving herself innocent and finding the true suspect. Red herrings and suspects abound and soon Krissy may be in danger from the real killer. She depends on her friends to help clear her name and help her investigate .
  
  I love the charcters in this series, the small town theme and the well crafted sleuth. I love how the author infuses humor in each book and makes Krissy so likable. This was a pleasing read to conclusion.
• 
  Alison Chorney-Dubien

  Amateur sleuth, Krissy, is also the owner of the local cafe and co-organizer for the fall fair. During the activities at the fair, a local man is murdered. The book goes on with Krissy investigating the murder, along side her boyfriend who is a local police officer. In the end, the mystery is solved.
  
  Apparently this is not a stand alone book and there are others in this series. That being said, I had no troubles picking this one up and figuring things out. At one point I was wondering how Krissy was able to get away with some of her inquiries in people’s affairs without being a police officer, but I guess that’s what makes the story. Perhaps this is better explained in the author’s other novels
  
  Overall, this was a fun little who dunnit mystery without the violence and gore of psychological thrillers. I would rate as 3.5 stars out of 5. .
• 
  Lisa

  Having a murder mystery start off right away in a book is always a great way to start. Even though I am coming in late to this series, I was able to find out who the key players were. I was just really surprised that Krissy did most of the mystery-solving and not a lot of help from the police. Even the "you are butting in too much", or "if you do not stop interfering". I am not sure if I was more surprised about that or all the helpful advice Krissy was giving her exes. It was a great read and I am interested to see what comes next.
  
  Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advance read
• 
  Sarah Sammis

  The middle section of this mystery reminds me a bit of
  Muffin But Trouble (2019) but written in a less grim-dark tone. It's not that Alex Erickson is flippant with his approach, rather that the "cult" Krissy encounters is less established and less threatening.
  
  
  http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
• 
  DaShannon

  This pre-Thanksgiving seasonal cozy is #9 in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series and is on par with the rest of the series. This is another spot on cozy series published by Kensington Publishers. I've read them all and will continue as I like the characters, setting, and mysteries. I need to pick up the side book Christmas Cocoa Murder in December. It is not my favorite cozy series but I really like the audio productions and the paperback size for a good coffee/ seasonal based cozy series. I met the author at Cincinnati's Books by the Banks- cancelled for the 2nd year I believe. Krissy Hancock the coffee/bookstore owner is a bit whiny and nosy for my taste but she is a cozy sleuth so that and her singleness seems to be a requirement in the genre. She is settling into her relationship with police officer Paul Dalton as several exs make a reappearance to fog things up a bit. I like the seasonal atmosphere of the Pine Hills, Ohio small town and the festival. The book banning, prejudiced bad guy gets his comeuppance when he ends up dunked in the apple basket, unfortunately linked to Krissy's Hot Apple Cider. It's a good, seasonal read.
• 
  Kathleen

  This is the third in the series I have read but is number nine in the pecking order. I had no problem holding my own while reading, definitely a standalone. I plan to read the series from the beginning and already own three others in this series.
  We are drawn in right away with a poisoning at the festival. Krissy’s apple cider was used as the vehicle of delivery. The victim Sidney Tewksbury is a man that is outspoken and not kind to others.
  
  I found this story to have enough red herrings and mis-directions to keep me engaged.
  I wouldn’t want to have Krissy’s personal life – the two ex-boyfriends keep popping up and they are really a pain in the neck.
  
  I was not sure who was behind the nastiness going on towards the library, the coffeeshop/bookstore, and the school until just before the reveal. I was surprised at how many players had different roles in the nastiness.
  The holiday dinner (Thanksgiving) was a nice touch.
  
  I was given an Advanced Reader’s Copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.
  
• 
  Josh

  When I started reading this cozy mystery book, I thought it was going to be a nice little fall-themed mystery. I had no idea how topical the subject matter was going to be and how relevant it was going to be in 2022. The mystery surrounds a murder of a right-wing nutjob who harassed employees of the local school, library, and bookstore for selling what he and his group deemed sinful, corrupting reading material. There are no shortage of suspects with a reason for wanting to off the guy, and there are a ton of side plots that were interesting and fun. The detours help increase the list of suspects and I was kept guessing until the very last chapter.
  
  I highly enjoyed this book and I think that's because it was so topical and the murder victim was a despicable human being who looks a lot like all the wingnuts currently running around the United States demanding books be banned. I took some pleasure in Sidney Tewksbury's death. And, I'm not ashamed to say that. This book was not what I was expecting and that's a good thing.
• 
  Maria

  The mystery and setting were good in this book. I found the clues were easy to follow and kept me interested in the book. The problem is Krissy is an idiot. She's obnoxious and nosy, constantly throwing out accusations without any evidence and hopes one of them sticks; she does this in every book. Why anyone confides in her is beyond me. She questions taking a prescription written by a doctor who was also the doctor of the victim, wondering if the doctor would prescribe her poison? OK, even if he did, would the pharmacist fill it?!!! Also, would someone please explain why these police detectives keep dating the women whose snooping around makes them seem completely incompetent in their jobs? How can you want to be with someone who thinks they're better at your job than you are?!!! I don't know why I bothered with this one. I'm definitely done with this series now.
  
  
• 
  Marsha

  Death by Hot Apple Cider is book nine in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson. I really enjoy this series.
  Krissy has provided the cider for the autumn festival. When a town member drops dead after drinking her cider, she wonders if she will be blamed. Once she is cleared, she starts her own investigation,
  There are plenty of plot twists and suspects that will have you guessing to the end. The main characters are likeable and relatable, Krissy is a loveable klutz that brings humor to the story. There is also romance and friendship. It was hard to put the book down.
  I was given an ARC by Kensington Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
• 
  terpkristin

  A murder by poison and a backdrop that is too similar to the world today where people want to ban books. I live in VA, so I've been seeing election ads for half a year, so I found it kind of irritating (especially since one set of ads right now is about
  Beloved being too"explicit" for a politically-connected year 12 student in AP English).
  
  Anyway. my theory about this series remains more or less true. But I like the characters so I'm sticking with it.
• 
  Sheila

  Krissy Hancock owns a bookstore and cafe in the small town of Pine Hills , Ohio. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and she is gearing up for a town event buy supplying hot apple cider and a bobbing for apples booth. Unfortunately one person bobbing for apples doesn't lift his head out of the water...he's dead! Who is this man? How was he murdered? And why? You'll want to keep turning the pages to find the answers as Krissy does some investigating on her own. I love this series! Great characters and a really good mystery. I definitely recommend it!