Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
OR

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Shortbread and Sorrow (Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 5) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,300 ratings

Read for FREE on KINDLE UNLIMITED!


The 5th book in the BESTSELLING Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series!


"I thought for sure I had this one figured out. Obviously, I don't have those great detective skills of Julia!"

When Julia’s gran, Dot, wins an all-inclusive spa trip to Scotland, Julia finds it difficult to refuse the offer of a relaxing week away from her café. Along with her sister, Sue, they pack up her tiny vintage car and drive all the way from Peridale to Seirbigh Castle, ready to be pampered. The last thing Julia expected was to be caught up in another murder investigation, but when the cruel owner of the family-run spa, Henry McLaughlin, is shot dead, she can’t resist ditching the facemasks and massages in favour of cracking the case.

Julia quickly befriends the young cook and talented-baker, Blair, and acquires a job in the kitchen so she can observe the strange family in the wake of the murder. Henry’s wife and children are acting suspicious, and with an incompetent young Detective Inspector on the case, Julia makes it her mission to discover the secrets held within the ancient walls before Seirbigh Castle claims another victim.

Book 5 in the Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery read with a cat-loving and cafe-owning amateur female sleuth, in a small English village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril.

Other books in the series:
1. Pancakes and Corpses
2. Lemonade and Lies
3. Doughnuts and Deception
4. Chocolate Cake and Chaos
5. Shortbread and Sorrow
6. Espresso and Evil
7. Macarons and Mayhem
8. Fruit Cake and Fear
9. Birthday Cake and Bodies
10. Gingerbread and Ghosts
11. Cupcakes and Casualties
12. Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune
13. Ice Cream and Incidents
14. Champagne and Catastrophes
15. Wedding Cake and Woes
16. Red Velvet and Revenge
17. Vegetables and Vengeance
18. Cheesecake and Confusion

Shop this series

See full series
This option includes 10 books. This option includes 32 books. See included books
1 unreleased or unavailable book is excluded.
Shop this series
There are 33 books in this series.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

This option includes 3 books.

This option includes 5 books.

This option includes 10 books.

This option includes 32 books.

Something went wrong.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

Customers also bought or read

Loading...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0718ZSL9M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pink Tree Publishing LTD; 1st edition (May 23, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 23, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2189 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,300 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Agatha Frost
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Agatha lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.

When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.

From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.

Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.

WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE? Agatha tries to publish often so you’re never waiting too long for the next instalment in a series, so sign up to her FREE newsletter at: www.AgathaFrost.com

Follow Agatha Frost across social media to stay up to date with the latest books, giveaways, and the occasional pet and countryside picture.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
2,300 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and easy to read. They appreciate the charming mystery and interesting series. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making the story engaging and entertaining. Readers enjoy the humorous moments between suspense and drama. The setting in Scotland is described as wonderful and different from other books. However, some found the pacing irritating from the beginning.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

72 customers mention "Readability"72 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an enjoyable read with a well-written story. They say it's a fast, easy read with a good plot twist at the end. The author is described as skilled at writing stories.

"This series is easy to follow and keeps your interest...." Read more

"...Fast-paced read with the same loveable characters. Highly recommend" Read more

"...so eloquently that you can cuddle up with it and read the entire book in a few hours." Read more

"...know better than to doubt Ms. Agatha Frost, this book was simply a wonderful read...." Read more

45 customers mention "Mystery depth"45 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery depth of the book. They find it a charming detour from hard-boiled mysteries, an interesting series, and an easy read with a good plot twist at the end. The stories keep getting better and better, with lots of twists, turns, and surprises that keep you guessing until the very end.

"...Although it is a series, each book is a stand alone story which can be read independent of the other books. Good main character development." Read more

"A great novel of suspense and mystery. The story is written so eloquently that you can cuddle up with it and read the entire book in a few hours." Read more

"...Easy-to-read and fun. They usually keep me thinking and trying to figure out what's going on...." Read more

"...But a good read nonetheless.It kept me wondering until the very end, even though some of the story line did stretch reality." Read more

30 customers mention "Character development"27 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters wonderful, quirky, and interesting. The characters make them laugh and cry, and the author truly brings the town and characters to life. The mystery is weaved in with the characters, making it a fantastic series.

"...Good main character development." Read more

"...Fast-paced read with the same loveable characters. Highly recommend" Read more

"...through the fifth in the series, only to notice how well she has developed her characters...." Read more

"The characters are wonderful and quirky. The plot is twisty. The world building is great. I'm looking forward to reading the next book." Read more

25 customers mention "Humor"25 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it entertaining, engaging, and exciting. The story draws them in right away and takes them on a wonderful adventure. It's a fun summer read set in a Scottish Castle.

"This series is easy to follow and keeps your interest...." Read more

"I enjoyed this author's mysteries. Easy-to-read and fun. They usually keep me thinking and trying to figure out what's going on...." Read more

"...'who done it', strong believable characters, and it is interesting to someone in the US to be able to imagine the small English community...." Read more

"This is a fun summer read set in a Scottish Castle...." Read more

6 customers mention "Scotland setting"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the Scottish setting. They find the castle interesting and the village wonderful. The book starts with a trip to Scotland, but ends with a mystery solved. The world-building is great and the plot is twisty.

"...will do her best to relax and enjoy sister time with Sue at this amazing castle spa. She always has the best of intentions...." Read more

"...The plot is twisty. The world building is great. I'm looking forward to reading the next book." Read more

"...This one is set in Scotland at a castle and it is quite different from the other books in this series...." Read more

"...A wonderful village, with very likable characters, with well developed plots...." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive5 negative

Customers find the book's pacing slow and unengaging from the start. They find it rude, unmannerly, and unappealing. Some readers feel the book feels forced and disappointing.

"...I have enjoyed her previous books immensely but this book almost feels forced, as if it didn't grip her in the writing as her others have." Read more

"...seems a bit more callous and ill tempered than usual, and I found it unpleasant and not "cozy" at all...." Read more

"...the grandmother is supposed to be quirky and amusing, but was instead rude, unmannerly and simply irritating from the very first pages of the book...." Read more

"...The character who won the spa trip was cantankerous, rude, and obnoxious...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
    This series is easy to follow and keeps your interest. Although it is a series, each book is a stand alone story which can be read independent of the other books. Good main character development.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024
    Julia, Gran, and Sue are off to the spa for a holiday in Scotland. Relaxing isn't really Julia's thing, but she has promised she will do her best to relax and enjoy sister time with Sue at this amazing castle spa. She always has the best of intentions. The owner ends up murdered and then a while, a lot of shady things happen amongst the rest of the family members. Julia can't help but follow the clues to try to figure out what exactly is going on. She is on her own in this one. Can she figure it all out before something far more sinister happens? Fast-paced read with the same loveable characters. Highly recommend
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
    A great novel of suspense and mystery. The story is written so eloquently that you can cuddle up with it and read the entire book in a few hours.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2017
    I will admit, falling in love with Peridale and its residents over the past four books, I was hesitant entering into this book knowing it was to take place outside of Peridale. And due to this skepticism, it took me an obnoxiously long time to finish it. I've two books ahead of me with the 8th installment being released very soon. I decided to pick this book back up this morn, resuming at just about 30% completed, and just finished 4hrs later. I should have know better than to doubt Ms. Agatha Frost, this book was simply a wonderful read. Filled with the same wonderful ingredients (pun intended) as the previous Peridale mysteries. I am delighted to know I have two more Perdidale mysteries to catch up on before the 8th is released at the end of the month as the wait between releases seem long and daunting. ;)
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017
    I enjoyed this author's mysteries. Easy-to-read and fun. They usually keep me thinking and trying to figure out what's going on. This one didn't have as many clues, and I felt like all of a sudden the character solved the situation. Won't let me give up on Agatha Frost, though. I'm pre-ordering her next book.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2018
    Review by J Matthews - August 14, 2018

    This book is deserving of a 5-Star rating because it was an easy read and kept me on the edge of my seat. Author, Agatha Frost, knows how to write a story. I like the way that she weaves the story line from beginning to end. I have read books first through the fifth in the series, only to notice how well she has developed her characters. The characters have been memorable and I cannot wait to read the sixth in the series.

    Personally, for me, I am glad to be reading these books in the order they have been written.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017
    Number 5 in the Peridale series, Julia, her sister and grandmother leave their quaint little village for a Scottish castle for a spa week that her grandmother has won. Julia's penchant for finding dead bodies follows her to Scotland where for so me very strange reason (which adds to the mystery and the mood) the spa is nearly deserted of guests. Unbelievably, the owner of the castle turned spa and his wife have a very public fight and the wailing woman s banished from the hotel. Soon after the angry husband is shot dead and his lifeless body falls trough a second floor balustrade to decorate the lobby floor. The wife becomes suspect number one for a very short time... until her own untimely death the next day.

    Just as unbelievably, Julia offers to help the only person currently employed in the kitchen and is allowed. This allows her to overhear critical conversations that enable her to puzzle through who actually killed both victims and uncover the real mystery of the castle spa. Not my most favorite of the Peridale series, but probably because it wasn't set in Peridale. But a good read nonetheless.It kept me wondering until the very end, even though some of the story line did stretch reality.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024
    The characters are wonderful and quirky. The plot is twisty. The world building is great. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • E who Reads a Thousand Mysteries
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book in a high quality cozy series!
    Reviewed in Canada on February 22, 2023
    I'm really glad I picked up this book and turned on the speech to text, got me through a nasty winter storm. Wonderful!
  • juju
    5.0 out of 5 stars roman
    Reviewed in France on August 13, 2024
    super. merci.
  • Crizz
    2.0 out of 5 stars Sleuth???
    Reviewed in Germany on August 12, 2023
    How can it be that Julia knows and sees hidden stuff and not see her sisters obvious pregnancy? This book has a lot illogical stuff, quite a disappointment.
  • Cliente Amazon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Alla Agatha Christie. Un classico giallo.
    Reviewed in Italy on August 17, 2017
    Lettura divertente e scorrevole. Niente parolacce e , come dicono gli inglesi, it's a pure clean entertainment. Divertente scoprire l'assassino few tanti personaggi.
  • Vicki K-S
    5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS SERIES!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2017
    *REVIEWING FOR ROCK HARD ROMANCE*
    *PURCHASED TO ADD TO OWN COLLECTION*

    'I just keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the shadows'~Julia

    Another adventure again with an appealing cover design to catch your eye!
    This time we are out of the quaint village setting of Peridale,and off up to Scotland,after Dot wins a 'spa break' away ,taking both Julia and her sister Sue for company.As ever,Dot is a hoot,and adds to the enjoyment,Sue who hasn't really featured all that much,has her own little secret,and of course,with Julia around...there is a murder or two to solve!
    As the blurb says enough,I won't say too much more as it would spoil it,the writing is again so descriptive that you do feel as though you are right there along side Julia,and the other character's spin along the story with intrigue and you are kept guessing to see who the culprit(s) are.We do get a connection back to Peridale with Jessie and Barker keeping things running while Julia's away.

    This series is a quirky,enjoyable,and easily read,each book a great addition,and I can't wait for the next one!

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?