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Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns

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allhaildemi_'s review

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

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3.0

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 learning to bake and, naturally, makes mistakes. Of course, most people’s mistakes are not online for all 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.