"A Sweet Debut to A Promising New Series"
Murder Most Sweet
Genres: Mystery Culinary | Mystery Cozy
Posted: September 10, 2020
MURDER MOST SWEET is a tantalizing start to the new Bookish Baker mystery series featuring a spunky sleuth who has survived breast cancer, reexamined her life, and is now living life to the fullest writing cozy mysteries and baking up a storm in her hometown of Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin. Her sidekick, rescue dog Gracie, keeps her busy and when murder is added to the mix, sleuthing becomes her main focus as she fights to clear her name and keep her writing contract.
Cozy mystery writer Teddie St. John is attending handsome British author Tavish Bentley’s book signing when she overhears two women arguing about him in the restroom. To make matters worse, one of the women steals her scarf. Teddie has to make a quick exit due to a horrendous hot flash, but when she returns, she finds a young woman strangled outside the store with her silk turquoise scarf. The woman is Tavish’s ex-fiance and the scent of jasmine perfume leads Teddie to believe she was one of the women in the restroom. Could the other one be a murderer? And why is everyone looking at Teddie as the prime suspect?
As Teddie starts sleuthing to clear her name, she starts to realize how charming Tavish Bentley is and how many people may hold a grudge – a jealous stalker, a gold-digging ex-wife, a fellow author accusing Tavish of plagiarism, and a lovelorn assistant. As Teddie and Tavish get closer, a second murder occurs, and the internet goes wild with rumors about Teddie’s involvement in both crimes. Can Teddie uncover the truth, save her writing career, and keep herself alive before someone writes her final chapter?
MURDER MOST SWEET by Laura Jensen Walker is the beginning of the promising new Bookish Baker mystery series with several likable and memorable characters. Teddie has an overbearing mother, childhood best friends, and a hometown full of fans that add charm and establish a great sense of place. The mystery starts off strong, but runs a little long and veers off track in the middle with some far-fetched theories of suspects/motives. But MURDER MOST SWEET pulls it together and provides an enjoyable ride with some very funny scenes and a good resolution to the crime at the end. Delicious recipes included!
Book Summary
Everyone in Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin, knows Teddie St. John. Tall, curly-haired Teddie is a superb baker, a bohemian bon vivant, and a mystery writer. Teddie is walking her American Eskimo dog, Gracie, when her four-legged friend finds Teddie's missing silk scarf. Only problem: the scarf is tied tightly around the neck of a beautiful blond woman, the fiancée of a touring British author.
Before you can say "Wisconsin kringle," Teddie becomes a murder suspect. Everyone in town knows all too well that the distinctive scarf was hers. But there are more layers to this case than there would have been on poor Kristi's wedding cake. Tavish Bentley should be bereaved after his sweetheart's strangling. Instead, the dashing Brit takes a shine to Teddie's witty wisecracks and to-die-for cookies, and soon he's mooning over her instead of mourning his bride. That is, when he's not dodging the attentions of Annabelle, an obsessive fan who's taken to stalking him.
And when a second murder shocks the community, the plot thickens to the consistency of fondant as Teddie stands accused of not one, but two, murders. With the help of her friends Sharon and Char, can Teddie clear her name and deliver a killer's just desserts?
Read an Excerpt
Crooked Lane Books
September 1, 2020
On Sale: September 8, 2020
Featuring:
289 pages
ISBN: 1643855026
EAN: 9781643855028
Kindle: B08272M182
Hardcover / e-Book