Jelly Bean Jiggery-Pokery (A Candy & Chaos Cozy Mystery… (2024)

It was a cozy mystery where a dead body is found outside the candy shop and Blue is the main suspect. There were a lot of characters randomly introduced and half followed up on. It is like Blue's life was in stasis until this book and suddenly she has a lot of ideas about what to do and how to do.

I didnt really care for the characters or the mystery. I wont be continuing the series but that just might be a me thing.

Good

When an objectionable customer is found murdered near Blue’s candy shop, she’s rather surprised to find herself on the suspect list. Enlisting the new PI in town, Blue is determined to unearth the culprit, find some answers, and clear her name.

I give this three and a half stars: because while the story was entertaining, there were a lot of things that caused interruptions in the story flow. For instance, the fact that the parents weren’t around, or precisely why Blue thought the use of magic needs to be limited remain unexplained (and is Grandma dead or not?).
There was also a lot of confusion with the times of day and how things worked out- it wasn’t always clear, and I found myself feeling like Blue and Pepper were going to bed at 7pm, or conversely staying up all night before heading to bed.
Blue always seemed to be brainstorming ideas for the candy shop- but the implications are that she had never had such thoughts before!
Also, I’m NOT a fan of love triangles, and the fact that the last part of the book started implying one definitely turned me off.

That being said, I did like Blue, and I found the small glimpse into her life an intriguing one, especially the last chapter.
I liked her candy shop ideas, and even the rather odd relationships with her sister and familiar.
I suspect that some of my unanswered questions are to be answered later in the series, so I guess it is wait and see.

This was an entertaining read, with a rather intriguing (if a tad reckless) heroine, and a murder victim who definitely deserved it! The mystery was okay, but I preferred the little glimpses into Blue’s magical world.

3.5 stars rounded up. Blue Bell is a witch running her own candy store and raising her teenaged sister. During an argument with a customer over a special order, Blue angrily threatens him, making her the prime suspect when his dead body is found next to her shop. With the help of her new business neighbor, PI Ethan Moore, Blue sets out to clear her name and find the real killer.

First in a new series by Sara Bourgeois, the characters are interesting and likeable, however I found myself with more questions regarding their circ*mstances and motivations. Blue is supposedly a powerful witch but won’t use her magic due to something with her father. It’s also not clear what happened to her parents leaving her to raise Pepper. Hopefully things will be fleshed out more as the series continues. Her familiar, Tiffany, speaks Valley Girl and is always asking to go to the mall and see Brenda. Although a nice change from the stereotypical snarky familiar, she really doesn’t seem to play much of a role. There’s a potential romance brewing between Blue and Ethan with her long time friend, policeman Brock also showing interest.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Blue is the female lead charater and Tiffany is her cat. Pepper is her teenage sister. Blue runs a candy shop in Hemlock Hollow. Her financial situation is not good at all, though.

The empty store next to hers gets rented to a guy that is running a private-eye type of business.His name is Ethan.

Then there's Tom, an ultra-nasty guy who everyone hates and who complains about the candy sold in her shop. He ends up dead and Ethan and Blue try to figure out just who killed him since Blue herself is a suspect.

The book from that point on is a detective story where the two of them work to find out who could have murdered him (just about anyone in town, really, he was that hated) but in that process they make some very remarkable discoveries. indicating a vicious depth to what he had been doing.

There's also a problem with her teenage sister which culminates in something very bad happening to her and it seems to bring the two sisters closer together.

I like the detective work and especially the types of things they uncover and the incredible nastiness of Tom to virtually every single person in the town. A good book in the series.

Sucre Bleu is a candy shop in Hemlock Hollow run by Blue Bell. Can I just say that I love the names that the author came up for all of these amazing characters in this amazingly well written and wonderful read. Blue is raising her teenage sister Pepper and Tiffany is her familiar that always wants to go to the mall which I think is so funny. Blue doesn't only have to help raise her sister, she is running her own candy shop which comes with irate customers that sometimes makes you say things you don't mean and then they go and get themselves killed making Blue the prime suspect so now she has to figure out who did it, so she get back to taking care of her sister and her candy shop and all the 99 of her other problems.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

entertaining paranormal cozy mystery series

This is a new and entertaining paranormal cozy mystery series. A fun cast of characters and an entertaining storyline. Blue is a witch and she owns her own candy shop. She is raising her teenage sister after her parents disappeared. She refuses to use magic or let her sister use it to keep themselves safe and hidden. Her shop is in a strip of businesses along one of the streets in their town. Next-door is a business that is supposedly haunted and has been vacant for years. Someone in town is looking to rent it. As this is a new series I’m not going to give you any spoilers and you must read it. Things happen she meets new people And learns that she needs magic more than she thought. The adventure begins and it is a pretty entertaining one. Check it out.

Blue Bell, owner and proprietor of Sacre Bleu candy shop seems a mostly bright and sunny gal

she carries a heavy load, with running her shop and managing her teen sister

for a busy young witch, she suddenly seems to have quite a bit going on, what with her business, a mystery or several, and more than one figure who might be hazardous or helpful to her or her family

full of twists and very personable traits and challenges

looking forward to seeing this world grow and deveop, along with the sisters and their magical, personal and professional interests

Jelly Bean Jiggery-Pokery is book #1 in the Candy & Chaos Cozy Mystery series by Sara Bourgeois.

This was an enjoyable start to a new series. Blue, Ethan, and Pepper are likable characters. Tiffany, the cat, is something else. Loved what Blue and Pepper did for her. The murder victim was not a nice man and there were plenty of people with a reason to want him dead. I was not expecting the investigation to wrap up the way it did and the way the book ended has me looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

1st in new series. Sucre Bleu is a candy shop in Hemlock Hollow run by Blue Bell, a witch hiding her magic. After she threatens to kill an unpleasant customer, she finds him dead in front of the shop next door. Several motives for the murder emerge. Can Blue, her sister Pepper, Valley Girl familiar Tiffany & new PI next door Ethan solve the crime?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It was a slow moving but interesting investigation but Blue and Ethan do get the crime solved with an unexpected suspect as the culprit. There may be a bit of romance on the horizon for Blue and Ethan but there is another interested in her as well. Blue is revealed as she can be dangerous when provoked.

Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. in hemlock hollow Tiffany the cat ,blue and her sister pepper own the candy shop sucre blue. when Ethan Moore a private detective moves in next door the same day a murder happens now their on the hunt to solve the murder. I love these crime stories and following to see who did it.

Here is an example I noticed in this book: (there are others) When they are at the motel, they glance at the doors and they are metal doors but when Blue knocks on the door it is wooden. That is just one example. This is a good story with great characters. It still was a great read.

The more I read the worse it got. It read like it was written with bad AI. Not at all what I expected from this author.

Great new series

Looking forward to the next book. Now that we know the characters I'm looking forward to more story and less background. Great beginning.

new series

The story flows easily. The characters are extremely likable and interesting. After the ending I can’t wait to read the next.

not edited and definitely written by AI

There was zero character development, no editing and some scenes were in one place then next paragraph somewhere different. The metaphors were every two sentences. It was definitely written by AI and not edited which is a real shame.

Why in heavens name does this book Have such high ratings? I cannot imagine a person writing something this chaotic so I have to agree that AI has to be involved.

Is this a spinoff of another series? Not much background was given or “rules” of the magical universe explained