Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers--Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.
Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there's no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery's signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it's up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good.[summary via Amazon]
Oh be still my cozy heart!! It's time for another Cupcake Bakery Mystery....
Let's take a short trip back to 2010 when I read the first Cupcake Bakery Mystery, Sprinkle with Murder. I was just getting into cozies and I was delighted at the combination of my favourite dessert and a tantalizing mystery. Since then I have eagerly awaited (and devoured) each mystery, equally enjoying the mystery, the cozy setting and characters, and of course the mouth-watering cupcake recipes!! Each trip back to Scottsdale is like a visit home to see family. I love catching up with Mel, Angie, Tate and Joe. And, of course, all the De Laura brothers!
Just like a delicious bakers dozen of cupcakes, I tell myself I will pace myself. Before I know it the cupcakes are gone, I've finished the mystery, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next mystery! Yes, this has been happening for 12 mysteries, and I hope it never ends!!
This time the mystery involves one of Mel's friends, Rene, an artist, who has been behaving very strangely. When Rene dies unexpectedly, all signs point to unnatural causes. It's up to Mel to put aside everything she thought she knew about her friend, and uncover the truth.
Jenn McKinlay delivers a top-notch mystery, not just in detection, but in emotion. As I'm reading through Mel's adventure, she uncovers things she didn't know about her friend, Rene, and her husband, Peter. There is so much emotion leaping off the page, and I really enjoy how easy it is to get caught up in the story and not want to put it down.
Beyond the mystery, the Cupcake Bakery mysteries is one of the best examples of character development from book-to-book. They are the reason I love reading series. Each book has built on the last, and I've enjoyed watching these characters grow and develop. The ending of Pumpkin Spice Peril feels very bittersweet for me. There are changes afoot for our favourite characters, but I have faith in Jenn McKinlay and her ability to leave readers feeling not just satisfied, but wanting more! Exactly like a good cupcake!
If you haven't read the Cupcake Mysteries yet, put everything else aside and pick them up. Start with Sprinkle with Murder, and read and read, until you've finished them all!!! You won't be disappointed!
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