Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery, book one, by G.P. Gottlieb! Today we are featuring a review of the first book in this delicious cozy mystery series. Stop by each blog on the tour  for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Giveaway for 3 – Digital Books and 3 Audible Codes of The Whipped and Sipped Cozy Mystery Series by G.P. Gottlieb – Winner’s Choice of Book! ENTER HERE! 

Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Illinois
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anamcara Press LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 10, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages
Paperback

About the Book:

Alene Baron has built more than a café—she’s built a community. At Whipped & Sipped, customers linger over Ruthie’s decadent-but-healthy desserts, children flock to Saturday story hour, and knitting groups craft blankets for refugee families. Alene prides herself on knowing her patrons so well she can often place “a wholegrain blueberry muffin on the counter before the customer themselves knew” they wanted it.

But when her neighbor and close friend is murdered, Alene’s cozy world begins to unravel. Suddenly, everyone she knows could be a suspect, and she starts noticing the smallest inconsistencies, furtive glances, and unexplained comings and goings around the café. With each clue and misstep, Alene pieces together a tangled web of secrets, realizing that danger may be closer than she ever imagined—and that her own family could be in the killer’s sights.

With her sharp eye for detail, wry sense of humor, and fierce devotion to her children, Alene steps into the role of amateur sleuth. But in a community where tempers flare over hot chocolate, grudges linger for years, and secrets hide beneath friendly smiles, finding the killer may prove harder than whipping up the perfect soufflé.

Battered, the first in G.P. Gottlieb’s Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series, is a delectable blend of mouthwatering recipes, quirky neighborhood drama, and page-turning suspense. Perfect for fans of culinary cozies, it’s a tale where friendship, food, and murder are always on the menu.

My Review:

I’m happy to share a review of the first book in this culinary cozy mystery series. Culinary cozies are right up there with library themed cozy mysteries – some of my favorites and so fun to read. I found Battered to be such a unique premise with a vegetarian cafe. Do not skip the included recipes. They will make your mouth water.

The tension and drama kicks off right away in this mystery and oh my gosh, does it include characters I enjoyed rooting for AND characters I did not like! I adored Alene and her dad (he is dynamite).

I found the mystery to be page-turning and I did not guess anything ahead of time due to several well timed and thought out twists.

The setting of Chicago was so descriptive that I felt like I was right there with Alene in her high-rise.

This is a fun treat, and I’m looking forward to digging into the rest of the books in the series.

About the Author:

G. P. Gottlieb has been a musician, teacher, and administrator, but she’s happiest writing recipe-laced murder mysteries and inventing mostly vegetarian recipes that are nothing like what she learned in courses at Chicago’s French Pastry School. Gottlieb is active in Sisters in Crime (Chicago and Colorado) and has interviewed over 275 authors as a host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network. She writes stories and essays that are published in a variety of journals and blogs, is a mother and grandmother, and lives with her husband in a Chicago high-rise that is strikingly similar to the building portrayed in the Whipped and Sipped Mystery series.

G.P. Gottlieb’s motto is, “Never pass up a piece of pie,” but she’s willing to try other pastries. The first three culinary mysteries in the Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series were reissued by Anamcara Press in early 2026 and book # 4 will launch in the fall. She is a member of the Blackbird Writers, active in Sisters in Crime Chicagoland and Colorado, and has interviewed over 275 authors as host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network. Find her book reviews, essays, and recipes on Facebook and Substack.

Author Links: ~ Website ~ Bluesky ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Medium ~ Substack ~ Twitter ~

Purchase Links: Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Thalia, Fable, Palace Marketplace, Vivlio, or Everand

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

• April 8 – Jody’s Bookish Haven– SPOTLIGHT
• April 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
• April 9 – Storybook Lady– REVIEW (All 3 Books) – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• April 10 – Because I said so – adventures in parenting – REVIEW
• April 11 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
• April 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
• April 13 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
• April 14 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT 
• April 14 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
• April 15 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• April 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• April 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
• April 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
• April 19 – deal sharing aunt – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• April 20 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW (All 3 Books) – Recipe
• April 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW (Book 1), RECIPE

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