Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns: Book Review

Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second book in the Baker Street Mystery series by Valerie Burns. Set to be released on June 27 by Kensington Cozies, readers return to New Bison, MI, and Baby Cakes Bakery. A stranger blows into town and brings chaos in his wake. When he’s found dead in the bakery, what else can Maddy do but start investigating?

I want to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Murder is a Piece of Cake. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

With small-town New Bison’s Spring Baking Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late Great Aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwestern Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing one-star reviews.

There’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes’s knife stuck in his back.

Maddy’s whole life just went from #thriving to barely surviving. Now, supported by the crafty Baker Street Irregulars and her new boyfriend, she must find the courage to face off against a killer who could very well get her name trending for the first and last time.

My Opinions

Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second Baker Street Mystery series book. While it is the second book in the series, it doesn’t fall victim to the second-book syndrome. That means Murder is a Piece of Cake is just as enjoyable as Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. The characters continue to grow and change. You are still pulled into the overall mystery that is shrouding New Bison. Even better, just as you think you have it figured out, Burns flips the script and negates that option.

Murder is a Piece of Cake takes place a mere three months after the events of Two Parts Sugar. The bakery is undergoing renovations as a result of a fire. But spring is a time for renewal and growth. And that is precisely what Maddy is trying to do when CJ Davenport arrives in town and shakes things up in a negative way.

An adorable side story is that Baby, Maddy’s 250-pound English Mastiff, has fallen in love. I mean, how is that not adorable?

Be warned; there are several mentions of baked goods throughout the book, especially Miss Octavia’s Soul Cake and thumbprint cookies. The best part is that there are recipes at the book’s end so that you can have a slice of Soul Cake yourself.

Like most cozy mysteries I’ve read, you don’t have to read the first book to understand what’s going on in the book. That said, it does help you better understand the story’s overall arc. You can check out my review of Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder here.

If you enjoy reading food-based cozy mysteries, you will enjoy reading Murder is a Piece of Cake. I, for one, am looking forward to returning to New Bison in the future!

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