Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker is the first book in the NEW “Bookish Baker” cozy mystery series, coming September 8, 2020.

Baker Teddie St. John spends her time away from the oven writing murder mysteries. But is she herself a murderer?

Everyone in Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin, knows Teddie St. John. Tall, curly-haired Teddie is a superb baker, a bohemian bon vivant, and a mystery writer. Teddie is walking her American Eskimo dog, Gracie, when her four-legged friend finds Teddie’s missing silk scarf. Only problem: the scarf is tied tightly around the neck of a beautiful blond woman, the fiancée of a touring British author.

Before you can say “Wisconsin kringle,” Teddie becomes a murder suspect. Everyone in town knows all too well that the distinctive scarf was hers. But there are more layers to this case than there would have been on poor Kristi’s wedding cake. Tavish Bentley should be bereaved after his sweetheart’s strangling. Instead, the dashing Brit takes a shine to Teddie’s witty wisecracks and to-die-for cookies, and soon he’s mooning over her instead of mourning his bride. That is, when he’s not dodging the attentions of Annabelle, an obsessive fan who’s taken to stalking him.

And when a second murder shocks the community, the plot thickens to the consistency of fondant as Teddie stands accused of not one, but two, murders. With the help of her friends Sharon and Char, can Teddie clear her name and deliver a killer’s just desserts?

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Dru’s Musing:
What a fun and enjoyable debut coming from Ms. Walker. We are introduced to a variety of characters who are all pivotal in this light and fresh whodunit. A baker. A writer. A book signing. And murder. All factors in a tale that had me immediately immersed in the drama, quickly becoming a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. I liked the comfortable tone and the pacing that made it easy to follow along with what the author intended. The author did a great job in setting this up with a well-baked mystery and clues that sweetened the plot to keep me glued throughout. Along the way, there were a few red herrings that kept me in the guessing game. The narrative was visually descriptive with engaging dialogue and the meals. . .oh so delightfully appetizing. I liked how the author gave us a snippet into each character’s backstory, whether they had major or minor role in the telling of this tale. This was a terrific start to this debut series, and I look forward to more adventures with Teddie and her friends.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.