Book Review: Murder is a Piece of Cake

-


Title: Murder is a Piece of Cake

Author: VM Burns

Publication: 6/27/2023 

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Series: Baker Street Mysteries #2

Summary from the publisher: With small town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews.

IThere’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes’s knife stuck in his back.

Maddy’s whole life just went from #thriving to barely surviving. Now, supported by the crafty Baker Street Irregulars and her new boyfriend, she must find the courage to face off against a killer who could very well get her name trending for the first and last time . 

What I liked:

🍰 Maddy’s determination

🍰 Involvement of social media & hashtags

🍰 Bake off challenge with the victim

🍰 Baby, the English mastiff, & his blues

🍰 Michael, the vet & Maddy’s boyfriend.

Final thoughts: This was a quick read & fun book. It has a modern feel to it (which I love seeing in cozies), great characters, funny moments and a few twists & connections to the murder I did not see coming. 

I love that Maddy is determined to keep her Aunts legacy alive and is learning all she can in the bakery. And the fact that Michael defended her to her dad just made me fall for him as much as she has. 

As for the murder, I love when the victim is not killed right off and is so unlikeable. As the book unfolds we find out several people had problems with him. I enjoyed following the clues, being thrown off by red herrings and being surprised at the end. 

I really enjoyed the book, the characters and the humor  can’t wait to see what book 3 will have in store!

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Get your copy of the book here!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Conflicting thoughts….

-
Image
  Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult publishes tomorrow, 11/30/2021.  It’s March 2020 and Diana and her boyfriend Finn are set to take a trip to the Galapagos. Unfortunately Covid has hit the US and Finn, a physician in a NYC hospital, needs to stay and work so Diana goes on the trip alone. Once in the Galapagos though everything is closing due to the virus & she can’t make it home. She is taken in by a local family and begins a journey of self discovery. Or so it seems.  I loved the descriptions of the Galapagos, the story of self discovery & second chances. I was not expecting the twist in the second half of this book and am still not sure how I felt about it.  Personally, it’s still a little too soon to be reading about COVID, especially as we are still in the midst of it. I listened to this book on audiobook and really enjoyed the narration by Marin Ireland. Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for an advanced listener copy of this book through the Volume...
Read more

A Cure For What Ales You

-
Image
Title: A Cure For What Ales You Author: Ellie Alexander  Publication: 10/5/2021 Genre: Cozy Mystery  My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ In short: It’s spring & Leavenworth is getting ready for Maifest. A local housekeeper is murdered and a mysterious woman from Sloan’s past is involved. She also brings a warning that Sloan & her family are in immediate danger.  From the publisher :  After a long cold winter, spring is beginning to bloom in the alpine village of Leavenworth, Washington, where craft brewer Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are putting the finishing touches on their bright and refreshing Lemon Kiss ale. They’ll be debuting their new line at the Maifest celebration, which will bring visitors from near and far to dance around the Maipole and shop at the outdoor flower markets. Despite the festive spirit in the air, Sloan is brewing over her past. She’s spent months following leads that have turned into dead ends. But when she spots a woman wh...
Read more