Charred (A Whipped and Sipped Mystery) by G.P. Gottlieb is set during the early days of the pandemic with Alene having converted her cafe to deliveries to keep it afloat and her staff employed. A fire ravages the affordable housing project owned by the husband of Ruthie, Alene’s best friend and pastry chef. Then not one but two bodies are found in the charred debris. To further complicate matters Alene’s uncle Finn, convicted of a bank robbery years earlier, selects this moment to show up to make amends with her father.

Interestingly this book seems to be more about the trauma and struggles of the pandemic, rather than about the mystery, which never seemed to be more than a secondary character. This was my first book by this author and I kept wondering if there was any character who was not troubled in some way, from a recovering addict to a lonely, unfulfilled older person, Ruthie was the only positive character but excessively so. I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own. The author did capture the uncertainty and challenges of the pandemic very well but missed the mark otherwise - for me.

Alene Baron is dealing with frustrated employees, closed schools, and a homeless man who harasses customers outside the door of her café. Then, two dead bodies turn up in the burned remains of buildings owned by the husband of Alene’s best friend and pastry chef, Ruthie. Both bodies are wearing jackets that once belonged to Ruthie and crumbled in the pockets are the café’s distinctive wrappers. At the same time, Alene's uncle, a convicted felon, has resurfaced after disappearing for 22 years. It's all too much for the owner of the Whipped and Sipped Café.
The homeless man was responsible for the deaths. He also was suspected of being the same person who threw the brick into the cafe.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Covid protocols have hit the cafe. Only pickup and delivery orders are allowed. So hours are cut and employees are unhappy. The children are missing their friends and Cal's caregiver caught Covid and is in the hospital. Alene is once again stretched thin yet trying to maintain a romance. So much going on then an employee's husband has a building in the construction station burn down and it is arson. 2 dead bodies are found. Alene can't help herself. She wants to know more. I liked the story.

This is the second book I have read by this author and enjoyed every minute of the cosy mystery! It’s such a light read and enjoyable.

An entertaining and solid cozy mystery that kept me guessing. Liked the characters and the setting.
I had a lot of fun and it's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was so good and so highly entertaining. I loved this.
I just reviewed Charred by G.P. Gottlieb. #Charred #NetGalley
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I enjoy cozy mysteries and this fit that bill. The plots are generally straight forward and easy to follow and all the books are wrapped up with a bow at the end, leaving the reader with gentle satisfaction. This book tells the story of Alene, a café owner, figuring out to to run a business in 2020. She also has to deal with friends getting COVID, crimes happening around her community, and the social issues that the pandemic brought to the surface. I liked that the book is set in the pandemic and the author portrays that initial panic of the period well. Everyone in the book seems at loose ends which is a realistic picture of the early days of COVID shutdowns. This book is the third in the series and I did not read the first two. That said, I struggled with this book. I think much of the character development was done in the previous books so I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. The author tries to remedy this with a character key in the front of the book, but reading on a Kindle makes going back and forth tougher. The ending felt a bit rushed and I don't know that I would actively seek this author's books again.

Covid has hit and the cafe is only operating with delivery and takeout orders. With a skeleton crew and everyone being cautious within their pod, Alene takes Kofi to salvage some wood from a recent fire, only to find out he saw a body in the building and asks her not to tell Frank, who is a homicide detective. While Alene struggles with her promise to Kofi and keeping things from the man she loves, another fire occurs and another body is found. Alene knows she must tell Frank about when Kofi saw the first body, but somehow she always manages to avoid it. Add to the intrigue a long lost uncle who resurfaces and the discovery of a former speakeasy in a newly discovered basement along with jewels and Life is truly hopping for Alene, in the midst of a pandemic.

Soon the murders of the women are tied to Alene's partner and dear friends, Ruthie and Benjie. While they fires were in properties Benjie was building, the bodies themselves are directly tied to the family and Frank's partner is like a dog with a bone and won't stop harassing Ruthie to get the answers he wants. Will Alene be able to help her family heal or will she be yet another woman lost in the shadows of Covid?

While I really enjoy this series, I have to say I am so over covid and wish this had occurred in a different time. I get that the mystery itself is tied to the circumstances of the time, but we're all really over it. That said, the mystery itself was well written and really uses the challenges and restrictions of the time to help build out a solid whodunit. A great series that includes vegan and gluten free recipes as well.

Lots of action and characters. At times a little too hard to keep up with so many. But has a good story plot. Liked the setting. Thanks #netgalley and #BooksGoSocial for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Charred
A Whipped and Sipped Mystery (Whipped and Sipped Mysteries)
by G.P. Gottlieb
This was a good book, but so very hard to keep up with so many characters in the book. Far too many for me. I almost gave up or started notes. But, I just tried to everyone except the main story characters.

This is the first time I've read a book by this author, and while I found the story interesting, there was too much going on.
Alene owns a Cafe and the story takes place during the pandemic.
A dead body is causing tension between friends and it takes a long time to figure out whodunit.
The overwhelming amount of employees seemed over the top to me, especially when everyone is supposed to be limiting interaction.
I'm not sure if I'd read another book by this author, but others may find the book delightful.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.