Emma's Review: The Windmill Café: Christmas Trees by Poppy Blake

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

As Rosie Barnes takes her latest batch of warm St Clement’s mince pies from the oven, even December’s wintery weather can’t dampen her spirits. With friends Grace and Josh getting married on Christmas Eve, and her beloved Windmill Café hosting its inaugural Christmas Tree Carousel competition the night before, there’s so much to look forward to.

But when Theo, one of the stag party, has a nasty accident during a bike race through the woods, the mood turns chilly. With someone potentially targeting wedding guests, Grace begs Rosie to team up again with outward bound instructor Matt, to try and solve the mystery and save her wedding.

With Rosie’s tree competition and Grace’s marriage at stake, they need to act fast. Can they find the culprit before Willerby’s winter wonderland turns into a festive fiasco?

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Many thanks to Harper Impulse via NetGalley for my copy of The Windmill Cafe: Christmas Trees to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.

Without doubt The Windmill Café series has been a highlight of my reading this year, I chanced upon it by accident when I spotted book one Summer Breeze and have been enthralled ever since. What sets this series apart is that it's not your usual run of the mill girl meets boy story, instead within each book is an element of mystery that pervades throughout the story and our main character Rosie Barnes has become the investigator. Normally I would run a mile from these kind of books but Poppy Blake has achieved a brilliant balance between the mystery, comedy, some serious issues and of course romance. Sadly we have reached the conclusion of this series with The Windmill Café: Christmas Trees and suffice to say it was another brilliant read keeping the reader hooked and engaged from beginning to end. There were plenty of questions arising from the first two books that needed definite answers but again the element of mystery which I so adore was present. But surely sinister things can not be occurring at the most wonderful time of year especially with a wedding just around the corner?

Rosie Barnes helps to run the Windmill Café and the adjacent luxury holiday site in the absence of the owner Graham, who likes to spend his time travelling to far flung destinations. Rosie is ably assisted by her friend Mia, who is chaotic, yet enthusiastic and loyal.  As the Christmas season draws ever nearer the range of enticing treats available in the café expands on a daily basis. The smells and sights of minced pies, yule logs, iced ginger biscuits, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves are mouth watering. But don't be fooled into thinking this is just another café book of which we've all read so many of before, Poppy Blake has gone beyond the realm of endlessly describing delicacies, nice although they may be, and given the 'café genre' a new twist by always having some crime or misdemeanour to solve alongside keeping the café and holiday site running smoothly.

Rosie has only been in Willerby for several months and just when she was settling into a new life and attempting to put the past behind her, unfortunately the past made a reappearance but thankfully she has now put her foot down and put the past in its place. But it's the future she needs to look forward to and to decide will she open up to Matt, co owner of Ultimate Adventures, and partner in crime when it comes to solving all the unusual circumstances that seem to crop up? They are really becoming amateur super sleuths extraordinare. Or will another proposition be too tempting and once again Rosie will flee? 'She couldn't envisage being any happier than she was at The Windmill Café surrounded by friends who loved her and accepted her for what and who she was, foibles and all. Surely no gold plated business opportunity could come closer to delivering that?'

Rosie is a complex character, not straight forward by any means, but as she battles inner demons in contrast to the sanctuary, but also the excitement of the café and the people she has met and now comes to call friends, she must decide once and for all what her final decision should be. Should she leave or should she try and make a go of things with Matt? 'But what you have here is more than just a job. You have a home and you are surrounded by friends you love- not to mention a guy who thinks the world of you'. Rosie's obsession with cleanliness and order and abhorrence to clutter and disorganisation leads to anxiety and it controlling her life whereas baking gives her the break she needs from this stress.

It was brilliant to get an even deeper glimpse into Rosie's past to learn and understand why she thought and acted the way she did. I had even more compassion for her as character and it made me wish even more for a positive outcome for her. She is changing but I think she needed one more final push to truly express how she feels and make that final commitment needed to find full and true happiness. 'She was a totally different person to the one who had arrived at the café, draped in a mantle of gloom that she's worn as some sort of protective battle armour - and there was one person who had contributed to that improvement more than any other'. But as a stag party gather to celebrate the upcoming Christmas wedding of Grace and Josh, Rosie will once again find herself out of her comfort zone and working alongside Matt to discover who would want one of the stag party - Theo - to meet with an unfortunate accident?

When Theo doesn't make it back from the cycling activity the stag party have engaged in, worries arise and soon he is found  injured and unconscious. Just who could have set things up and who would have known Theo would venture off the normal route in his quest to outdo and be better than everyone else? Naturally suspicion falls on the various members of the group and as Rosie and Matt work together establishing motives and trying to rule people out one by one more than a few surprising revelations occur. That's what I really love about these books the wool is always pulled over my eyes and even when the big, pivotal moment arrives and things are being wrapped up I'm still guessing as to who the culprit could be? More importantly what were the reasons for wanting rid of somebody? Suffice to say it's always the one you least expect and you think god I really should have paid closer attention to him or her. The connections established between the guilty party and the person to whom the damage has been done are never flimsy or too far fetched instead you think ah that really does make sense and I get why everything occurred.

As the group work away on their creations for the Christmas Tree Carousel Competition, Matt and Rosie delve even deeper because Grace and Josh want everything resolved before they marry. They can't have a suspect amongst their wedding party which would only create angst and unease. Theo like all the previous culprits was a horrible character and one whom you begin to think really did deserve to get what came to him. Maybe not to be written off completely but still a little torment was what he needed. He was so competitive and combined with his arrogant, condescending and bullying nature really it was only a matter of time before someone decided to do something about it. He has trampled on so many people's dreams to get what he wants but will the same happen for Grace and Josh or will Rosie and Matt win in the race against time and discover the mystery behind everything? I was so keen to find out and it was just a joy to see Rosie become more determined and confident in the entire process of doing so.

The Windmill Café: Christmas Trees was a brilliant and exciting conclusion to what has had to have been one of my top reads of the year. It's a little gem of a trilogy that shouldn’t get lost amongst all the women's fiction books that are published every year. It has showcased what a talent Poppy Blake is and I am very interested to see what she will write next. She has found her formula and it is very successful but will she go even further and venture down different paths in future books? If you haven't read any of these books yet I suggest you start with Summer breeze and work your way through the three books. They are an absolute delight to read and it was a privilege to journey with Rosie as she navigates uncertain and unstable waters. Will she find happiness with Matt? Will the culprit roam free? To find out the answers to these questions and so many more and to just enjoy an excellent story do pick up this book as soon as possible.

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