My name’s Madison Montgomery, but everyone calls me Maddy. I’m the new owner of Baby Cakes Bakery, and my day starts pretty early. People from my old life as a fasthionista and social media influencer might think getting up at the break of day would be hard for me. But, as the daughter of a navy admiral, I’m accustomed to early starts. Getting up early isn’t hard. What’s hard? Baking. Prior to inheriting a bakery, I’d never baked anything. Moving from a busy, bustling city like Los Angeles to a small town like New Bison, Michigan that doesn’t even have a high-end coffee shop is also hard. Most days, I’d kill for a good cortado or a red-eye with two shots of espresso. Most people in New Bison don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, but fortunately, that’s about to change. Commerce is growing in New Bison and new businesses are opening all over town. In fact, Candy Hurston Rivers, the late mayor’s wife is converting his hardware store into a coffee shop, which will make starting my day a lot easier.
Unfortunately, a coffee shop isn’t the only new business coming to town. Wealthy businessman, C.J. Davenport, blows into town and announces his intention of opening a new bakery right across the street from Baby Cakes. You don’t have to be a financial genius to know that two bakeries in one small town isn’t a good business decision, but Davenport’s motive isn’t money. He’s intent on revenge against his wife, Sheriff April Johnson, for walking out on him. Taking me down would just be icing on the cupcake. Goaded into a winner take all wager, I stake everything on winning the New Bison Festival’s Baking Contest. Did I mention I can’t bake? Or, that Davenport is flying in a master chocolatier and pâtissier from Belgium? Winning won’t just be hard, it’ll be #impossible. But, winning is critical. Win, and April and my problems are solved. Lose, and I’ll be in hot water up to my Pyre Moss Sculpt sneakers. When Davenport is found with a Baby Cakes knife in his back, April and I shoot to the top of the suspect list. Now, it’s up to me and the Baker Street Irregulars to figure out #Whodunit before I’m ground, roasted, and left out to drip.
Giveaway: Coffee is Maddy Montgomery’s go to beverage. What about you? Coffee or Tea? Decaf or High Octane? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a Kindle or print copy of Murder Is A Piece Of Cake, U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends June 30, 2023. Good luck everyone!
Murder is a Piece of Cake, A Baker Street Mystery Book #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: June 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Acclaimed author Valerie Burns returns to her fresh, new culinary cozy series set in a charming small-town and featuring Madison Montgomery, a social media expert turned bakery owner and sleuth. This light, fast-paced mystery will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke, Laura Childs, Ellery Adams, and Ellie Alexander.
With small town New Bison’s Spring 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 Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing 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 . . .
About the author
Valerie (V.M.) Burns is an Agatha Anthony, and Edgar Award-nominated author. In addition to the Baker Street Mystery, she is also the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and the upcoming, Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series writing as Kallie E. Benjamin. Valerie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and Dog Writers of America. She is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub) and her website at vmburns.com.
All comments are welcomed.
I like to start my day with a cup of coffee, preferably fresh-ground dark roast with milk or half and half, no sugar. I also like tea, but more often on a rainy afternoon.
I love tea in the afternoon, but coffee in the morning. Fresh-ground is perfect. Thank you for commenting. Good luck!
I love coffee in the morning and tea later with a special treat mid-afternoon – a cup of Lapsang Souchong.
I’m the same. Coffee in the morning and tea later in the day. I haven’t tried Lapsang Souchong. It’s a black tea, so I may give it a try. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
I love my coffee strong and black, but that doesn`t mean I don`t like some of the fancy drinks as long as they start with the strong coffee.
Amy, your statement made me giggle. I used to have a coworker that liked strong black coffee. Before we had a Keurig, we used to make 2 pots. One pot had a post-it, “Chuck’s Coffee.” The other was labeled, “Everyone Else.” Good luck!
I’m not much for coffee or tea. I’ll have orange juice sometimes, or hot chocolate in the winter.
Congrats on the newest book!
Alicia, thank you so much. I didn’t drink coffee for many years, but now I need the caffeine. Good luck!
Believe it or not, it seems I am one of the only people in the world who do not like coffee or tea. I think there are about three of us.
Coffee is an acquired taste (I think). When I first started drinking coffee, I added a LOT of cream and sugar. Now, I still need cream and some type of sweetener, but you aren’t alone. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
I absolutely look forward to my first (and usually only) mug of caffeinated coffee in the morning. Thanks to a diagnosed heart issue last summer I follow my electrophysiologist’s instruction of no more than two servings of the good stuff daily before switching to decaf. When I first started drinking coffee 50 years ago I used cream and sugar, cut out the sugar about 20 years ago and finally eliminated creamer 5-6 years ago. Simple and uncomplicated, especially when ordering out. And what goes better with black coffee than some tasty sugary sweet or pastry??!! LOL, kind of defeats the purpose of eliminating sugar in my coffee!
Cheryl, I’m impressed. I don’t love decaf and can’t drink black coffee. I completely agree that coffee with a pastry is a great combination. Thanks for commenting and good luck!
I really don’t drink much coffee or tea. I prefer tea, but only once in awhile. I rely upon water and juice to get me through the morning. Congrats on the new book!!
Lori, Thank you so much. I know quite a few folks who go for Coke or Dr. Pepper in the morning instead of coffee or tea. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
I’m not a coffee drinker. I prefer tea. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Diana, thank you. I know lots of tea drinkers. Good luck!
I start my day with an iced coffee. No decaf in the morning. I need the caffeine as I am not a morning person. Later in the day I like iced tea. If it is cool in the evening, I might have hot tea, usually decaf, so it doesn’t affect my sleep.
Cherie, I need caffeine in the morning, too. I usually cut myself off coffee by noon so I can sleep. Thanks for sharing. Good Luck!
Strong, black coffee in the mornings! French roast or sometimes a coffee/chicory blend. Warm afternoons call for ice tea. All loaded with caffeine!
Pat, you are serious when you say strong. I’m thoroughly impressed. My protagonist, Maddy Montgomery would approve. Thanks for sharing. Good luck in the giveaway!
Coffee for sure, a great way to start the day! In the winter, I sometimes switch to tea in the evenings, a bit less caffeine but still war and cozy.
I agree that coffee is a great way to start the day. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
Cutest cover ever. Coffee for me. I go with leaded until late morning then I switch to decaf.
Thanks, Vera. I have loved these covers so much. I’m all about the leaded coffee. I haven’t been able to do unleaded, so I just stop by noon. Maybe I’ll give decaf another try. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
I start out with coffee in the morning and switch to iced tea for the rest of the day. Looking forward to reading “Murder Is A Piece Of Cake”.
**** WINNER ****
Murder is a Piece of Cake is Amy Gill
Congratulations!