Ellie Alexander

The first hints of spring hang in the air as pastry chef Juliet Capshaw prepares her staff at Torte in Ashland, Oregon for a busy spring and summer and to move into her old, childhood home. Mid-move, Jules discovers an old journal belonging to her father, who passed in her formative years. But this is no diary, rather, it's his case notes. Her father, Will, and his best friend, Doug AKA the Professor investigated a hit-and-run together in the 1980s. Jules is immediately intrigued by the old case. Jules goes on a journey to the past and the Professor brings her father to life again. But unearthing long forgotten memories may prove dangerous; if Jules isn’t careful, she might end up following her father’s footsteps and coming face to face with a killer.

It's Christmastime and everyone is heading to Torte, the most cheerful bakery in town. There's no place like home for the homicide... Ashland, Oregon, looks as pretty as a postcard this holiday season. The halls are decked, stockings hung, and eyes are all aglow--mostly thanks to the buttered rum. Jules Capshaw and her staff at Torte are busier than ever. . . still, even the town's most in-demand bakers need to take a break. So Jules invites everyone to celebrate at the local Winchester Inn's Dickens Feast, a six-course extravaganza with Yorkshire Pudding, Christmas goose, and all the trimmings. But as the weather outside becomes frightful, things inside turn less delightful when one of the guests ends up as dead as Scrooge's doornail. Now it's up to Jules and her helpers to make a list of suspects--and check it twice--to try to find out who's naughty, who's nice, and who's guilty of murder... The Bakeshop mysteries are: "Delicious." --RT Book Reviews"Marvelous." --Fresh Fiction

Business at Torte is booming, and Jules has agreed to help Mum and the Professor on their househunt. While on a lakeside picnic Jules and Helen make a gruesome discovery: a skull. They’ve found old skeletal remains that the Professor and Thomas believe might be connected to a missing persons case from the 1960s. Jules can’t believe that she’s stumbled on an unsolved case. Things become even more complicated when a vacant lot, just a few blocks from Torte, comes on the market. Edgar, the cantankerous longtime owner of the lot, appears to be playing everyone off of each other in an attempt to drive up the price. When Edgar is found dead, Jules is immersed in two murders - the past and present collide as she tries to track down whodunit and keep her head above water.

The Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, Washington, is home to the Krause family’s cheery, generational brewhaus. Sloan Krause, gifted with a nose for hops and a talent for concocting delicious microbrews, has big plans to expand her in-laws’ old-school business by creating original, handcrafted German beers. Until she sniffs out what’s going on between her husband, Mac, and one of his barmaids. Fortunately, Beervaria’s hip new microbrewery, Nitro, is about to launch and owner Garrett Strong hires Sloan on the spot to craft Northwest-inspired ales, whip up a tasty bar menu, and promote his buzz-worthy Pucker Up IPA. It’s a win-win for Sloan, who can’t help but enjoy Mac’s envy at their success. But when Mac is arrested after one of Nitro’s competitors is found dead in a fermenting tank, clutching Garrett’s secret IPA recipe, Sloan is on the case to exonerate her cheating ex and uncover who spilled over into murder.

Torte - the small-town bakeshop no one can resist - is hosting a midsummer night’s wedding . . . where merry-making and murder are served up in equal measure. Jules Capshaw has too much on her plate - and she’s feeling the pinch: the whole town of Ashland, Oregon, is in on the surprise Elizabethan-themed wedding she’s planning for her mum and soon-to-be stepdad. But is her secret scheme half-baked? She’s hiding racks overflowing with sweet treats while Torte is topsy-turvy with a major remodel and the return of Jules’s estranged husband, Carlos. And until now, Jules had no clue about the bitter family feud that has her friend Lance frazzled and suspicious. But when a party crasher takes someone out with a serving of poisoned wine and Jules discovers the deadly cup was intended for her, it’s time to turn the tables on a killer.

Torte - the beloved small town bakeshop run by Jules Capshaw - is set to hit the stage. But who would have guessed that murder would makes a surprise appearance? It's the role of a lifetime for Jules. The Shakespeare Festival has returned to Ashland, Oregon, for the season and Torte has been castas the supplier of Elizabethan-era treats for the main event. But on the eve of opening night, a brawl between Jules's friend Lance, the artistic director, and a strapping young thespian named Anthony almost brings down the house. . . and the next morning, Anthony is dead. Jules knows that Lance loves his drama - and his just desserts - but she also knows that murder is way off-script for him. Now it's up to Jules to cut through a bevy of backstage betrayals and catty co- stars who all have their own secrets - before the curtain drops on someone else...

Torte--everybody's favorite small-town family bakeshop--is headed for the high seas, where murder is about to make a splash. . . Jules Capshaw is trying to keep her cool as Torte gets set to make its transformation from quaint, local confectionary caf to royal pastry palace. Meanwhile, Jules's estranged husband Carlos is making a desperate plea for her to come aboard his cruise ship and dazzle everyone with her signature sweets. She may be skeptical about returning to her former nautical life with Carlos but Jules can't resist an all-expense-paid trip, either. If only she knew that a dead body would find its way onto the itinerary . . "A warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly and likable main characters, and a nasty murder mystery to solve " --Fresh Fiction Now, instead of enjoying tropical drinks on deck between whipping up batches of sea-salted chocolates and flamb ing fresh pineapple slices in the kitchen, Jules is plunged into dangerous waters. Her investigation leaves her with more questions than answers: Why can't anyone on board identify the young woman? And how can she help Carlos keep passengers at ease with a killer in their midst? Jules feels like she's ready to jump ship. Can she solve this case without getting in too deep? "A perfect mix for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Leslie Budewitz, or Jessica Beck." --Library Journal

It's early March in Ashland, Oregon. The town is preparing for the opening of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's new season and the annual Chocolate Festival, which will bring with it a bevy of tourists to the small Southern Oregon town. Business is booming at Torte as Jules and her team whip up chocolate confections, like hand-dipped truffles and chocolate crepes filled with mascarpone cheese and drizzled with dark chocolate. At the festival, everyone raves about Jules's four-layer decadent chocolate cake. One of other exhibitors is famed chocolatier Evan Rowe of Confections Couture. Evan's been crowned the "best in show" and the "people's choice" winner for the last five years, and he's not pleased that Jules is in the competition. Jules is not one to worry about an egomaniac like him. But when Evan stops by Torte's booth to sample a slice of Jules's four layer chocolate cake he immediately goes into anaphylactic shock from his nut allergy. In a matter of minutes Evan is dead and all eyes are on Jules. What could have happened, and why? Jules knows the answer lies in the ingredients, and she sets out to sift out the truth.

Welcome to Torte--a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count... Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos's return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there's no rest for the weary...especially when murder is thrown into the mix. When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there's Carlos, who is pleading--with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent--for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start...and risk getting burned?

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good. It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer. "An intriguing new series."-Reader to Reader Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts. "A delectable tale of murder and intrigue."-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

It's January in Ashland, Oregon. Things are quiet in the cold, sleepy town, and Jules is thrilled when she's hired to cater a retreat at the nearby Lake of the Woods Resort. She packs up her baking supplies and maneuvers the twisting, treacherous roads to the high alpine lake. Jules and her assistant Sterling quickly familiarise themselves with the rustic lodge and its equally rustic kitchen. But just as they find their rhythm in the kitchen and the guests arrive, so does someone from Jules not-so-distant past - her estranged husband Carlos. They haven't seen each other in months, and Jules can't believe that Carlos wants to work on reconciliation while she's in the middle of her biggest job ever. Things go from bad to worse for Jules when a storm hits and knocks out power. She treks through the snow to the marina for extra supplies, where she discovers a body resting on the ice. Now Jules has a retreat to cater, a husband intent on fixing their marriage, and a murder on her hands.

Autumn has arrived in Ashland, Oregon - the perfect season for a spiced hot apple cider with a slice (or maybe two) of peach crumble. The Pastry Channel has also landed in the quaint little town to film the "Take the Cake" reality show. Jules Capshaw, now that she's decided to move home and help her mom run Torte, the family bakeshop, wants nothing to do with the competition - until she is unwittingly entered into the competition. The cash prize of $25,000 certainly isn't anything to sneeze at, and Torte could really use the extra dough. 80, Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron. But just as the competition starts heating up, one of her fellow contests, Chef Marco, is discovered buried in buttercream. Could the portly chef have overdone it, or is there something more sinister cooking?

In this small town bakeshop, the sweets are to die for...Welcome to Torte-a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it's criminal...After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte's customers turns up dead, there's much ado about murder...The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival's newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her...but still. The silver lining? Jules' high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can't help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all...