Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell is the first book in the NEW “Southern Baker” mystery series. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, coming May 8, 2018

In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder.

Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not there a minute before she’s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte’s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile’s body is discovered, sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by.

With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it’s not Emile’s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile’s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him?

Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and JoAnna Carl, Cake and Punishment—with authentic Southern recipes!—will satisfy your sweet tooth.

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I like the different approach in how this story was being told. Most cozies start out with the amateur sleuth trying to clear a friend’s name, while this premise was trying to save a friend’s wedding and it worked, as this multi-plot tale oozed with southern charm, from the dialogue to the varied settings that highlighted every aspect in a book that I could not put down until everything was said and done. I love the pacing of the story and the comfortable tone that made it easy to follow all that was happening on the page. The mystery was nicely done and I had a good time trying to figure it out along with Sophia. The narrative was visually descriptive giving me enough to place myself in the middle of all the action and I was rooting that Sophia stays back home with her friends and family. The author did a great job in staging this drama giving up enough clues that pinpointed to the killer once the reveal took place. Bonus is the delectably appetizing baked goods that were interspersed throughout this story. Yum, yum. Boasting a quirky cast of characters, engaging conversation and a feel-good atmosphere, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next adventures with Sophia and her friends.

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