Book Review: Charred by G. P. Gottlieb (Whipped and Sipped Café Mysteries #3)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good characters, interesting storyline

Cons: Historical issues, one storyline has serious issues

The Bottom Line:

Pandemic setting

Storylines not juggled well

But good characters

Will Alene Get Charred During the Pandemic’s Early Days?

I’m really not ready for novels set during the pandemic, and I’m glad most authors seem to realize that and are either mentioning it in passing or pretending their characters live in an alternative universe where it never existed.  However, author G. P. Gottlieb decided to tackle it by setting Charred, the third in her Whipped and Sipped Mysteries, in May of 2020.

If you haven’t tried this series yet, it focuses on Alene Baron, the owner of the Whipped and Sipped Café in a neighborhood in Chicago.  In addition to her employees, her life also revolves around her three kids and her father, who all live with her.

As I said, this book is set in May 2020.  Alene and her staff are still going into the café every day to serve their customers via takeout and delivery.  She has had to cut her staff and cut everyone’s hours in order the keep them opened even that much.  There is a homeless man who sits outside their front door, causing issues with the few customers who show up for takeout when he is there.

However, the real drama in her life is her long-lost uncle who has reappeared after vanishing twenty-two years ago.  He wants to meet with Alene’s father, his brother, but Alene’s father isn’t so sure he should give him the chance to hurt all of them again.  What will he decide?

Oh yeah, and there’s also a storyline about a couple of bodies that have appeared in nearby burned-out buildings.  The buildings and the bodies all seem to tie back to Alene’s best friend and pastry chef, Ruthie, and Ruthie’s husband.

With a title like Charred, you’d think that last part would be the main focus of the story, but it isn’t.  Instead, it is a sub-plot at best.  Sometimes, it seems like even less than a sub-plot.  The main focus really is on what Alene’s father is going to do about his brother showing back up.  Which was okay with me since I was invested in the story.

Since this is book three in the series, I was definitely reading for the characters.  They are a diverse bunch, and I like them.  Some of them are a little annoying, but they are supposed to be.  And everyone has their moments when they are lovable, which I appreciate.

Even so, I really did feel like the emphasis in the book was backwards.  While I was on board for the main story, with a title like Charred, the burned-out buildings should have had more page time.  And the climax of that particular storyline was extremely weak.

I also have to point out the historical inaccuracy of the book.  Yes, even something this recent missed something major.  As I said, the book is set in May of 2020.  It opens a few days before Memorial Day weekend.  All through the book, there is talk about the riots that happened after George Floyd’s death.  The problem with that is, he didn’t die until Memorial Day, which happens part way through the story.  And yes, I did have to stop and look it up because it was bothering me.

Other than that, it does a good job of capturing the feel of that time.  I appreciated the fact that it never got too dogmatic on anything.  Yes, some characters had opinions, but other characters represented the other side well, and Alene was definitely caught in the middle, trying to do the best thing for her employees while also staying safe.  It felt very relatable in that way.  I’m still not sure I needed to read a book set during the pandemic, but it did a good job of capturing the feel for those who are ready to read about it.

The Whipped and Sipped Café features items that are vegan and often gluten free.  That’s definitely a twist on the usual culinary cozy.  And that is reflected in the nine recipes we get at the end of the book.

My issues with the plot keep me from fully recommending Charred.  If you’ve enjoyed the previous entries in the series, you’ll want to find out what happens next to the characters.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.