Source: Publisher
Description: When up-and-coming singing sensation Shelby Vaughn arrives in town for two weeks of concert dates, she hires her old friend Angie and the rest of the bakery crew to supply cupcakes for the VIP guest lounge every night.
After overhearing Shelby in a heated argument with her manager, Mel is concerned, but she and the crew decide to make the best of their time working with the star. Just as the bakers fall into the rhythm of the job, Shelby's manager is found dead, clutching a bit of fabric from a Santa suit and a cupcake. With the bakery crew and Shelby's backup dancers all dressed in similar Santa costumes, it's impossible to say who is the killer. When all suspicions lead back to Shelby, Mel and Angie stand up for their friend, determined to prove her innocence before she's frosted for a crime she didn't commit.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: This is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors and I usually enjoy this series
My Impression: This was a fun quick read with yummy cupcakes and an entertaining mystery. This is a series that I read the first book then missed a few and came back to the series in the middle somehow so I am missing a bit of history of the characters. Part of this was when Angie was dating the Rockstar but that wasn't an issue and I had no issue catching up with how Angie and Shelby were connected.
I enjoyed getting a peek into the music industry as Mel and Angie work with Shelby and have to deal with her controlling manager. There's a lot of backstabbing and secrets and hidden agendas so it's no big surprise when Mel stumbles on a dead body - and it's no surprise who the dead body is!
The murder didn't occur until about 30% into the book but the pacing was quick as McKinlay shows the tension building up. Even when I had a guess as to who the murderer was I wasn't quite sure until the very end. The conclusion is a touch rushed but it didn't detract from this being an enjoyable light read from beginning to end. Now I must go find a cupcake!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I have really enjoyed all the cozies I've read by this author.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy light cozy mysteries this is a great series to try. I think I do prefer her Library Lovers series but this one is a reliably enjoyable read.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy light cozy mysteries this is a great series to try. I think I do prefer her Library Lovers series but this one is a reliably enjoyable read.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Sounds like another good series and hmm a cupcake is very inviting.
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