Much Ado About Muffin by Victoria Hamilton is the fourth book in the “Merry Muffin” mystery series. Publisher: Penguin Random House, August 2016

In this fresh mystery from the national bestselling author of Death of an English Muffin, baker Merry Wynter comes to the aid of an innocent woman accused of murder.

When muffin baker Merry Wynter sees an innocent woman accused of murder, it’s dough or die. .

Opera singer Roma Toscano may have a crippling case of stage fright, but she certainly is stirring up drama in Autumn Vale, New York, as she prepares for an upcoming performance at Merry’s Wynter Castle. With her flamboyant style and flirtatious personality, Roma attracts fans as well as critics, including the town’s postmistress—and Merry’s bitter foe—Minnie Urqhart.

But Roma and Minnie’s heated rivalry goes cold after Merry discovers Minnie dead at the post office. While every clue seems to be another ingredient in the investigation of Roma, Merry thinks the case is half-baked, and she’s eager to get her mitts on the real killer. .

More character-driven getting to know more of them. A good murder mystery that kept me intrigued in all the possibilities of discovering who murdered Minnie. It should have been easy, but the author kept me on my toes giving hints that lead to a number of persons of interest. I love how the author used the town and the goings on to ferret out the killer with great aplomb. The interactions among the characters were entertaining and I enjoyed the dialogue as well. Merry is a likable heroine and I like how she takes the bull by the horn in her quest to solve this puzzling murder. The author does a great job in supplying me with the visuals to see the town as Merry does and the narrative to how the character’s lives are impacted by the recent events. All the characters presented in this book play a pivotal role and the bonus that Merry is settling in her new home and that ending truly enhanced the telling of this tale. This was an enjoyable read and I had a fun time with the residents of Autumn Vale and I can’t wait to read the next book in this terrific series.