Reviews

Crêpe Expectations by Sarah Fox

ewil6681's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

hil_knecht's review against another edition

4.0

3.5* rounding up.
This was a cold case that Marley solves so it was a slight change of pace. Another enjoyable cozy mystery .

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

3.0

While Crepe Expectations is the fifth novel in A Pancake House Mystery series, it can be read alone. Marley cannot believe that she is once again wrapped up in a cold case (neither can I). She is loving her life in Wildwood Cove with running the Flip Side, her beautiful Victorian home on the beach, good friends, a friendly feline named Flapjack, and a handsome boyfriend. If Marley could just avoid these pesky bodies that keep turning up. Sarah Fox’s writing style is casual like friends chatting on the front porch. The story proceeded as a relaxed pace with interesting characters, a charming tourist town, and adorable cats and a frisky dog. The little kittens’ antics had me chuckling and Bentley, Brett’s dog, with his happy, welcoming demeanor had me smiling. Marley is busier than a kitten with a ball of yarn in Crepe Expectations with the cold case, judging the competition, running the restaurant, worrying about Chloe, curious if someone from her past has risen from the dead and wondering if someone is sabotaging the contest. I would have liked more complexity to the cold case so it would have been more challenging to solve, and I hope cold cases have run their course for this series (need something different). Crepe Expectations has amiable cozy moments with girl’s movie night, the animal’s antics, shared meals, and romantic interludes. Readers of the series will especially love the ending. There are recipes for Boston cream crepes, marzipan pancakes, and banoffee crepes at the end. Relax back in your lounge chair as you enjoy the lighthearted Crepe Expectations.

h_with_a_feather's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

kimdavishb's review against another edition

5.0

Crêpe Expectations by Sarah Fox is the fifth book in the Pancake House Mystery series but the first I’ve had a chance to read. This delightful cozy mystery was easily read as a standalone and I never felt lost by not knowing all the central characters and their backstory. That said, it did make me want to start the series from the very beginning for the pure enjoyment of seeing the growth of the protagonist, Marley McKinney, along with the supporting characters. They were all well-developed and I enjoyed their interaction. I especially liked the friendship Marley has with her boyfriend’s younger sister. It brought a sweetness to the story, while the siblings’ interaction together added realism.

The premise of the story with Wildwood Cove’s amateur chef competition was fun. I enjoyed how Marley got involved in solving a cold case murder, after she and her boyfriend find a skull on the property he was landscaping. She also gets involved investigating who tries to sabotage the town’s event. The author wove the two crimes together with plenty of suspects dished out for the reader to muse over. The startling reveal caught me by surprise with some twists I didn’t see coming. With a heartwarming ending, I’ll be revisiting Wildwood Cove just as soon as I can.

Marley owns the charming pancake house, The Flip Side. Numerous mouthwatering dishes are served there and luckily for the reader, the author provides some recipes at the back of the book that would be more than appropriate for a special breakfast or even dessert!

I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

katreader's review against another edition

5.0

CREPE EXPECTATIONS by Sarah Fox
The Fifth Pancake House Mystery

While chasing an errant kitten in the woods behind Wildwood Inn Marley McKinney makes a startling discovery: a skull. The remains belong to Demetra Kozani, a local girl gone missing ten years prior. The former classmate of Chloe wasn't short on enemies, but was she actually killed by another student? As the town of gets ready for its annual amateur chef competition Marley finds herself puzzling over the long ago mystery. Could the killer still be in Wildwood Cove?

Sarah Fox deftly combines daily life in Wildwood Cove with an intriguing mystery to create a thriving community filled with interesting people you want to know better. Character growth and development are paramount and Marley's search for family identity is key in this book.

I love being back in Wildwood Cove and am happy to drool over Chef Ivan's creations (Boston Cream Crêpes!) as well as the gruff chef himself. In this fifth Pancake House Mystery we're treated to a cooking competition as well as a cold case mystery.

CREPE EXPECTATIONS delivers both heart pounding and heart warming moments as Marley gets involved in another murder.

Recipes included.

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.

thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition

5.0

Crêpe Expectations is the fifth book in Sarah Fox’s Pancake House Mystery series. I had not read the previous four but enjoyed this one so much that I went and bought them for my TBR pile.

When a murder case from the past heats up again, it’s up to Marley McKinney to sort through a tall stack of suspects in the latest Pancake House Mystery . . .

Although it’s a soggy start to spring in Wildwood Cove, the weather clears up just in time for the town to host an amateur chef competition. Marley McKinney, owner of the Flip Side pancake house, already signed up to volunteer, and chef Ivan Kaminski is one of the judges. But when Marley visits her landscaper boyfriend Brett at the site of the Victorian mansion that’s being restored as the Wildwood Inn, she discovers something else pushing up daisies: human remains.

The skeleton on the riverbank washed out by the early-spring floodwaters belonged to eighteen-year-old Demetra Kozani, who vanished a decade earlier. While the cold case is reopened, Marley must step in when some of the cook-off contestants fall suspiciously ill. Stuck in a syrupy mess of sabotage and blackmail, it falls to Marley to stop a killer from crêping up on another victim . . .

I loved the setting of Wildwood Cove and can’t wait to visit it again. The protagonist Marley is a likable main character and Chloe makes a great sidekick. The characters are well-developed. The mystery had just enough suspects, red herrings, and twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. I found it to be a fun fast read.

Includes pancake recipes right from The Flip Side menu!

I enjoyed this book and recommend to my friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley and Kensington books. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

peggyemi's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoy this series as it is a light fun read. Marley is one of those characters that no matter where she is or what she is doing she is going to discover a dead body. This time, she literally stumbles over the body of a young woman who has been missing for over a decade. Because of the age of the crime, the police have to re-investigate all this time later. Marley being who she is cannot help but decide she needs to investigate herself. After all, the victim graduated in the same class as her boyfriends sister Chloe. For me, it seemed that it took a bit longer for Marley to start investigating the murder than it has in prior books. That being said, I think the author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer. There were some intervening events and red herrings that through me off track. I was surprised by the identity of the killer when the person was revealed.

I like Marley. Even though she does come off as a bit of a busy body, her character is warm, caring and just curious. I think that we have seen growth in her from the first book and I like how the author is progressing her relationship with Brett. Flapjack and Bentley are both adorable. The secondary characters provide balance and dimension to the series.

I enjoyed my visit to Wildwood Cove in this fifth installment of the Pancake House Mystery series and I will continue to return as long as there are new books in the series.

I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.

melmo2610's review against another edition

5.0

The more I read of this series, the better I like it....and I liked it a lot from the first book! I like the cozies that have cold cases, and this one fit the bill perfectly. A great mystery with an interesting side mystery to boot. Plus I love the character development and the surprise at the end was awesome! A fun cozy read!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

randombookgrl's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not a fan of reading books out of order, and this reminded me why. Although I did enjoy it- the characters are very enjoyable- I feel as though I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the previous books first, so that I better knew their backstory. Throughout the story, there are enough twists to keep you guessing as to who the killer was, I which I always like.
Overall, a fun, easy cozy mystery & I will definitely be getting the first books in the series to catch up!