Murder at First Slice by Valerie Burns: Book Review

Murder at First Slice is the fifth book in the Baker Street Mystery series by Valerie Burns. Expected to be released on July 28, 2026, it takes readers back to New Bison, Michigan. Maddy and Michael are getting married, and in true Maddy fashion, she’s overwhelmed. A surprise guest appears in town with a small entourage. When the mystery guest is found dead and Miss Hannash is found standing over the body, Maddy needs to find the true murderer before she gets married.

I want to thank Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Murder at First Slice. All opinions presented here are my own.

Synopsis from Goodreads

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

My Opinions

Will Maddy and Michael finally get married? And who would ever think Miss Hannah capable of murder? Murder at First Slice gets readers closer to answering the first question, and makes us ask the second. And yes, both are answered in the book. And no, I won’t tell you the answers!

Dorothy is a victim with plenty of faults. And after meeting her, I can easily see why someone would want to kill her. The list of suspects is relatively short, with maybe four people. And they all had their reasons. I could easily see any of them doing it. But I also wasn’t too surprised when the murderer was revealed. However, their motive is a bit hazy to me. Oh well!

The Baker Street Mystery series has been a fantastic overall read, and I hope there will be more to come. With most cozy mystery series, you don’t have to read them in order. But this one is different, and really should be read in order. The first book in the series, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, was released in August 2022. A book has been released every year since.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.