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gwenm's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars really. The books in this series are better with each entry.
Mel and Angie enter a prestigious baking contest in Scottsdale. Death always seems to follow them.
Mel and Angie enter a prestigious baking contest in Scottsdale. Death always seems to follow them.
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
justlily's review against another edition
4.0
This is probably my favorite of the series so far. The mystery itself was interesting, I really enjoyed the addition of Oz to the bakery, and if you're a fan of Ironchef and similar shows-- This one will be right up your alley too. I don't know how I feel about the whole Tate and Angie romance. At this point it's been so drawn out that if it ever does happen, I feel like it'll just be jumping the shark.
melinda1962's review against another edition
5.0
This series is so fun. The characters are great. Mel’s mom is the perfect degree of kooky. Angies’s 7 older Italian brothers are a menace and hilarious. No wonder Angie can hold her own. Tate is the glue I think that’s holds everyone together. And now, new character punk goth Oz. Love it. The story, the setting, that ending… Olivia the nemesis is over the top.
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
3.0
Better than most domestic mysteries, but really unbelievable in spots.
kristirose's review against another edition
5.0
A Fun Cozy Mystery
The best and brightest in the food world are in Scottsdale for the Challenge to the Chef competition. Mel and Angie hope that their Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery comes out on top in the cutthroat contest. However when one of the judges is discovered in a freezer, Mel quickly shifts her focus to tracking down the murderer.
Jenn McKinlay excels at writing wonderful characters. Even the secondary characters are fully developed and loveable. I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series.
The best and brightest in the food world are in Scottsdale for the Challenge to the Chef competition. Mel and Angie hope that their Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery comes out on top in the cutthroat contest. However when one of the judges is discovered in a freezer, Mel quickly shifts her focus to tracking down the murderer.
Jenn McKinlay excels at writing wonderful characters. Even the secondary characters are fully developed and loveable. I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series.
literary__escapism's review against another edition
5.0
I have raved and raved about how much I adore the Cupcake Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. It's not going to come as a surprise that I absolutely loved DEATH BY THE DOZEN, the third book in this series.
DEATH BY THE DOZEN sees Angie and Melanie entering the Challenge to the Chef competition, with Melanie's mentor, Vic Mazzotta, as one of the judges. Of course Melanie and Angie find themselves in the middle of a murder, soon enough, and are caught trying to find out who killed Vic, before the killer strikes again.
I enjoyed DEATH BY THE DOZEN so much. Everything about it was pretty much perfect. The plot kept me very interested, as I tried to figure out the killer (and failed!). More than just the murder it is the little sub-plots, like the rivalry between Fairy Tale Cupcakes and Confections, and the romance between Melanie and Joe, that kept me glued to the pages.
Jenn McKinlay writes so smoothly. Each scene flows into the next like a perfect jigsaw puzzle, and as I read on I kept turning the pages faster and faster wanting to find out how everything ended.
I want to give a honorable mention to one character: Captain Jack, a la the kitty on the front cover. Oh Jenn McKinlay how did you know that aside from fantastic food, I just love kitties in mysteries? While Captain Jack didn't play a big role in this book, I know he will have many more appearances and I can't wait to see what kitty mischief he comes up with!
All in all this was a super, fantastic, wonderful read. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads and I would've gladly given it more if I could. Now I'm eagerly awaiting for RED VELVET REVENGE, book 4 in the series.
DEATH BY THE DOZEN sees Angie and Melanie entering the Challenge to the Chef competition, with Melanie's mentor, Vic Mazzotta, as one of the judges. Of course Melanie and Angie find themselves in the middle of a murder, soon enough, and are caught trying to find out who killed Vic, before the killer strikes again.
I enjoyed DEATH BY THE DOZEN so much. Everything about it was pretty much perfect. The plot kept me very interested, as I tried to figure out the killer (and failed!). More than just the murder it is the little sub-plots, like the rivalry between Fairy Tale Cupcakes and Confections, and the romance between Melanie and Joe, that kept me glued to the pages.
Jenn McKinlay writes so smoothly. Each scene flows into the next like a perfect jigsaw puzzle, and as I read on I kept turning the pages faster and faster wanting to find out how everything ended.
I want to give a honorable mention to one character: Captain Jack, a la the kitty on the front cover. Oh Jenn McKinlay how did you know that aside from fantastic food, I just love kitties in mysteries? While Captain Jack didn't play a big role in this book, I know he will have many more appearances and I can't wait to see what kitty mischief he comes up with!
All in all this was a super, fantastic, wonderful read. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads and I would've gladly given it more if I could. Now I'm eagerly awaiting for RED VELVET REVENGE, book 4 in the series.
amalies's review against another edition
3.0
Personally this book has been my least favorite in this series. Not entirely sure why. I figured out the murderer pretty quick, but that doesn't often deter me from enjoying a book. The cupcake competition that they are trying to win is fun. The rivalry between Mel and Angie the main characters of this series and their competitor is fun. However, I think it just dragged out for me over the period of several days that they are in the competition. I feel like the competition was dragged out so that the murder wasn't resolved too quickly. However, that being said, it was still a fun book full of great character development of the main characters.
librarianlinda82's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely wonderful! The series has been so enjoyable.