Valerie Burns

recipes, pet-dog, Michigan, unpleasant-victims, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, local-politics, family-by-choice, family-dynamics, relationships, relatives, amateur-sleuth, multigenerational, murder, murder-investigation, English-mastiff, situational-humor, verbal-humor, art-fraud, veterinarian, ex-military, wealthy, influencer, surprises, bakery, friends, friendship, small-business, small-town, Mitten-State, dementia, cozy-mystery*****

The state deputy is a caricature of a bumbling law enforcement officer but the bakery owner who was an LA fashionista and influencer and her 250 pound English Mastiff named Baby are on the case. A very nasty competitor from LA shows up in the small Michigan town to do things to embarrass Maddy but winds up dead and stuffed in the bakery's cart after a rather public row. Who else could have done it? and how? This fun (except for all those annoying #) cozy mystery is a great stressbuster with engaging characters and some baffling twists. Loved it
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Jul 23 2024… (plus d'informations)

Book one in a new cozy mystery series. Maddy Montgomery’s great aunt Octavia has left her a lakefront house and a bakery … in New Bison, Michigan. Maddy is used to a higher-end living situation, what with her “Jimmy shoes” and huge social media presence. But the conditions of Octavia’s will are that Maddy must reside in New Bison for at least a year … oh, and take care of Baby, an English mastiff. She’s surprised by how nice the house is, and that the bakery has a dedicated staff. But she’s barely in town for 24 hours when a murder occurs IN the bakery. Now she has to figure out who’s behind this, and whether Octavia was also murdered.

This was cute and enjoyable. I’m not into social media the way Maddy is, but I found her hashtags and tweets entertaining. The plot was a bit thin and there’s a bit of a cliff-hanger ending (one of my pet peeves). Still, I liked the residents of the town, especially Sheriff April Johnson and local veterinarian Michael Portman. Maddy seems to be in over her head, in terms of running a bakery (she can’t cook or bake), but she’s intelligent and self-reliant. A few recipes are included at the end.

And Baby … what an adorable dog!… (plus d'informations)

I love a cozy mystery! And I am so glad that I have found a new must-read author in the genre. Valerie Burns’ novel, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, checked all the boxes for me. I loved the small town setting of New Bison, a town on the shores of Lake Michigan, the colorful characters including influencer main character Maddie and a very drool-y, very huge dog, and a twisty mystery that kept me guessing. And with all the baking going on in the book, I was torn between reading and pulling out my Kitchenaid. 😉 Maddy is a fun character — a social media influencer who is determined to prove that she has a purpose and a plan. Inheriting a bakery from an aunt she barely knew, Maddie is challenged from day one. But with her knowledge of literary sleuthing and clues left from her deceased aunt, she is a formidable, if amatuer, detective. A light and easy read, this book was the perfect choice for a busy holiday season. I smiled and laughed and kept turning the pages as fast as I could. Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the first in a series — there are currently two more books available. I look forward to the murder, mayhem, and pastry delights ahead!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)… (plus d'informations)

Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns is the second book in A Baker Street Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone for those who did not read Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. We return to New Bison, Michigan where Maddy is getting ready to reopen Baby Cakes, the bakery she inherited from her great aunt, Octavia. Maddy wants the opening to coincide with New Bison’s Spring Festival. Maddy is still S to see. Maddy likes to take pictures (of food, events, etc.) and post them online with hashtags. I quickly tired of the hashtags (there were too many). The first half of the book deals with the setup. It was obvious who would die. The victim was not a nice guy. Maddy and her friends work to solve the mystery. Maddy is determined to find the guilty party which will clear her friends. The killer can easily be identified along with the why (there might as well have been a neon sign over the killer’s head). The reveal felt rushed. I was left with some lingering questions. I have a feeling that residents of New Bison have more secrets that will come to light in the future. I wonder, though, how many murders can occur in one small town (soon the tourists will stay away in droves). Maddy seemed a touch more grounded in this book than in the first. She has made some good changes to the bakery and, hopefully, it will get to open to the public soon. I like the discovery they made concerning the bakery (sorry, but it is a spoiler). I love Maddy’s dog, Baby (I like big dogs). Baby is the highlight of the story. Murder is a Piece of Cake is a lighthearted cozy mystery with whipped egg whites, a horrible husband, a lovesick mastiff, a setup sheriff, copious hashtags, and a probing baker.… (plus d'informations)