Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker

Written by Patricia Meredith

Narrated by Rebecca Cook

"A vivid and intense historical thriller featuring murder and mystery, mayhem and madness in 1901 Spokane.” — New York Times bestselling author William H Keith

Set in Gilded Age Spokane, Archie Prescot has traveled across the country to design the now-iconic Spokane clock tower for the new Great Northern Railroad Depot. When his talent for creating unique clock chimes connects him with a local patroness, he is thrilled, until she is discovered dead in the workshop of his new colleague. Her grand home on the South Hill provides ample suspects, as Archie works with his lodgers, Detective Carew and his twin brother, to prove his fellow inventor and himself innocent of the crime. 

While on the hunt for the murderer, romance crops up when a young lady crosses his path with a mysterious past of her own. Six intersecting storylines create a cohesive look at a convoluted murder that will require all points of view to discover the truth.

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker is the first in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. Rebecca Cook brings to life the story's narrative and characters in a way that will make you feel like you're standing in the midst of the action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Games Afoot, LLC
• Release date: Oct 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667006840

Reviews for Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker

[Kayla Yetman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

5/5 Stars

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A heart stopping mystery you won’t want to put down. Set in 1901 this self-published historical thriller will keep you on your toes down to the last page.

In the quaint town of Spokane we meet Archie, a clock maker sent to the city to design the new clock tower. Lodging with Detective Carew, and his twin brother, Archie quickly finds himself a suspect in the murder of his recent acquaintance Miss. Mitchell, a local patroness. As her grand home provides ample suspects, Archie works with Detective Carew to clear his name and the name of his colleague.

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker is the first book in what I am predicting will be a binge-worthy trilogy. I flew through this in 2 days and felt compelled to keep reading. Patricia Meredith’s writing is easy to get lost in while creating charming characters, and an immersive story.

The pacing was spot on and seeing the story through multiple POV’s, of well written characters, was a delight.

It was clear that there was a lot of heart and research put into this. At the end of the book, there is a section called “Historical Notes” giving readers a detailed outline of the historical facts versus fiction throughout the story.

I read the physical book along with the audiobook. I have to say the narrator, Rebecca Cook, did a wonderful job of bringing this story to life.

As this is a mystery best experienced by reading it, I will keep this review short. However, I highly recommend this for anyone interested in getting swept away to 1901 for their next immersive read.

This is the kind of book that will be even better on a reread. I can’t wait to continue with books two and three to see what else Patricia Meredith has in store.