Maddy Montgomery is a master of social media. But when her livestreamed wedding turned out to be a public humiliation when the groom didn’t show up, she needed something completely different. So when her great-aunt passed away and left Maddy her home and business in Michigan, Maddy jumped at the chance.
Miss Octavia, as her friends had called her, had owned BabyCakes Bakery in New Bison. She was a smart woman who surrounded herself with good friends, but as she warns Maddy in the video she left behind, there are also some people with less pure motives in the town. Miss Octavia believed that there were some underhanded real estate deals going on, as so much of the beautiful lakefront property was getting swallowed up by wealthy out-of-towners instead of staying in the hands of the locals.
But Maddy’s biggest surprise comes in the form of a friendly but gigantic English mastiff named Baby. Baby was Miss Octavia’s companion and protector, but he is also a purebred and could fetch impressive stud fees. And while Maddy never got to meet her mother’s aunt while Miss Octavia was still alive, a tour of her house made Maddy feel like her great-aunt had great taste. A cozy reading room reveals shelves and shelves of mystery novels, including Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christies, some of Maddy’s favorites.
A quick trip to the bakery that night reveals a warm space with lots of room to bake and sell beautiful baked goods. But when she hears something that sets Baby on edge, she grabs a knife and gets ready to defend herself and her store. But when Baby calms down, Maddy thinks that there was no one in there after all and sets the knife down and heads back to the house.
Early the next morning, Leroy shows up at the house to find her. He works at BabyCakes and wanted to let her know that they were open and could use more help. Maddy puts some comfortable clothes on (does Jimmy Choo make sneakers?) and goes with Leroy. She meets Hannah, her great-aunt’s best friend who helps out at the bakery, and Miss Octavia’s gentleman friend, Garrett, who owns the bookstore across the street. Maddy learns to work the register and helps customers until the bakery cases are almost empty. Leroy offers to bake some more, and Maddy finally admits her dirty little secret—she can’t bake.
In her first couple of days in New Bison, Maddy meets a mastiff breeder who wants to buy Baby from her and a real estate developer who wants to buy her house. The mayor, who owns the hardware store next to BabyCakes, wants to buy her store so he can expand his business. And Hannah, who suffers from some dementia, tells her that Miss Octavia was murdered. Maddy refuses to part with Baby, and Miss Octavia has written into the will that Maddy had to stay in the house and run the bakery for a year before she could sell anything. Maddy digs her heels in, wanting to stay and create a future for herself in Michigan, even though her military father wants her to come home.
But when the mayor is murdered in the bakery, and then the store set on fire, Maddy is called into the police station to answer for the fact that the knife he had been stabbed with was one from BabyCakes. And it has Maddy’s fingerprints on it. But when Maddy finds out that Miss Octavia’s friends had banded together as The Baker Street Irregulars, solving crimes and building friendships, she is determined to find out what really happened to the mayor and to prove her innocence and her competence.
But as the Irregulars figure out that the killer must have taken the knife from BabyCakes that first night that Maddy thought she heard someone there, they realize that the killer must be someone that Baby thought of as a friend. Can Maddy crack the case and find a killer if Baby won’t protect her?
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the first in a new mystery series from veteran cozy writer Valerie Burns, and her past experience shines through. This book is well plotted, with characters you immediately wat to be friends with and a scene-stealing dog. It’s smart, with a little snark, and funny, with lots of delectable goodies. And at the end of the book are a few recipes to try out at home—Lemon Zucchini Bread, Apple Turnovers, and Thumbprint Cookies. So actually, you might want to start at the end, because you get hungry listening to everyone talk about how good the pastries are throughout the book.
I have read a decent number of mysteries, but I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything by Burns before. Actually, I probably haven’t if this is typical of her writing. I would remember, because her writing here is absolutely divine. Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder reads like butter. I tend to get distracted a lot (squirrel!), but I didn’t have a lot of trouble sitting down with this and getting lost in the story. I love these characters, and I can’t wait for more adventures from The Baker Street Irregulars.
Egalleys for Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder were provided b Kensington Books through NetGalley, but I was lucky enough to also receive a physical copy from the publisher, with many thanks.
