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It is my pleasure to share my thoughts today about A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death (A Baker Street Mystery) by Valerie Burns!
A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death (A Baker Street Mystery)
by Valerie Burns
About A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death
A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death (A Baker Street Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (July 23, 2024)
Paperback : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496738241
ISBN-13 : 978-1496738240
Digital ASIN : B0CLZ49T1M
Audiobook ASIN B0D2LQDDW1
On the shores of Lake Michigan, influencer Maddy Montgomery has turned the bakery she inherited from her great aunt Octavia into a destination. There’s just one thing she won’t post: the body in the freezer . . .
Thanks to Maddy’s social media savvy, Baby Cakes Bakery is becoming a huge success—so much so that she’s attracted the attention of her former nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Brandy Denton. When Brandy blows into New Bison like an ill wind and disrupts a vlog Maddy’s filming, their argument goes viral. After Brandy’s body is found in the freezer at Baby Cakes, Maddy instantly goes from viral sensation to murder suspect.
As Maddy is still reeling from the murder, a stranger shows up in the bakery claiming to have been a friend of Octavia. He believes Maddy is in danger. When a second body washes up on the lake shore, it seems clear someone’s out to kill to keep a secret—and it may have to do with her great aunt.
Maddy rallies her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars; Sheriff April Johnson; and her veterinarian boyfriend Michael—not to mention her English mastiff Baby—to do some digging and root out whoever’s behind the killings . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Baby Cakes Bakery which Maddy Montgomery inherited from her great aunt Octavia is becoming a rousing success thanks to social media. It has also caught the attention of the woman who stole Maddy’s fiancé, Brandy Denton. When Brandy goes too far, interrupting a Vlog filming Maddy can’t hold her temper. The argument is filmed and posted all over the internet. Which isn’t good for her reputation or the bakery, but when Brandy is later found dead in the bakery’s freezer things go from bad to worse. That argument lands Maddy at the top of the suspect list.
As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, a stranger asserts he is Octavia’s friend and tells her she is in danger. Then a body is found washed up on the lakeshore. With two bodies she thinks the man could be right.
Are the deaths related to her aunt’s? Or has Maddy stirred up some other trouble? It’s all hands on deck as Maddy, her veterinarian boyfriend Michael, Sheriff April Johnson, the Baker Street Irregulars, and even her English mastiff Baby pitch in to put the pinch on the killer.
When I open a book by Ms. Burns I know I am in for a treat. The first chapter had me giggling and as expected the humor popped up in all the right places throughout the story.
Maddy is surrounded by all the characters we have come to love since this series started. Trooper Bob returns and Maddy’s father the Admiral arrives on the scene. The Admiral was a great addition. His love for his daughter shined in this story. Maddy has truly found her place in New Bison. Her baking is a work in progress, but she is making progress. I enjoy how everyone in her life comes together to always help her in any way they can. Whether helping with the bakery or tracking down a murderer, they give their all.
Trooper Bob, when asked to protect Maddie – “Are you joking? Her father’s a naval admiral, she’s dating an ex-Army commando, lives with the town sheriff, and walks around town with a two-hundred-fifty-pound horse who recently ate his way through an SUV when he thought she was in danger. Who in their right mind would come close to her? She got more protection than the freakin’ governor.”
The mysteries in this book are complex because a thread that started in Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, continued in Murder is a Piece of Cake is wrapped up by the end of this story. People from Maddy’s LA past have curiously shown up in New Bison and she appears to have a stalker, and then two of them are dead. Ms. Burns twisted things together in unexpected ways that tested her characters. A new friend proved to be very valuable. As did the lovable Baby. The truth was soon revealed and the takedown was epic! Part familiar from another source was executed perfectly.
A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death is a fabulously fun read. It’s filled with delightful characters, zany misunderstandings, crazy situations, mysteries with teeth, and an ending that touches the heart. The ending feels like the end of the series which makes me sad. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. I hope the author proves me wrong and there is another visit to New Bison, Michigan in our future.
#5starread #recipes #perfectescape #murder #cozymystery #babycakes #englishmastiff #somuchfun
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About Valerie Burns
Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha and Edgar Award-nominated author. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. As Kallie E. Benjamin, Valerie writes the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series. She is an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, and a mentor in the Pocket MFA program. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at vmburns.com.
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Written as VM Burns
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”