Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder: A Book Review
This was such a fun series debut by Valerie Burns! A good portion of it was because the main character, Maddy, is not your conventional wholesome amateur sleuth you find in most cozy mysteries. Maddy’s a spoiled adult who is used to having everything done for her. After being dumped at the altar by her fiance and has no job, she flies from the big city to a small town to check out the inheritance her great-aunt Octavia willed to Maddy who had recently passed away. Maddy discovers she is now the owner of a bakery and a huge, but lovable English Mastiff.
I enjoyed the character growth Maddy displayed throughout the story. The red herrings were great and I love that there is this alternative continual mystery that was still not solved after the murder of the main mystery was figured out by Maddy.
The baked goods described in the story were mouthwatering and I loved the romance aspect to the story; although I felt it was a bit rushed.
Overall, this was a delightful, funny and entertaining read.
Thank you Kensington Books for the advanced reader's copy. Thoughts in this review are completely my own.
Book Description
When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great-aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 250-pound English mastiff named Baby.
Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka the Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .
Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions, too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.