CAKE AND PUNISHMENT BY MAYMEE BELL

Wohoo! This is by far, one of my favorite cozy mysteries this year! It's a southern, culinary cozy with a great cast of characters and delicious recipes to try!

Rating: ★★★★★
​Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Southern Cake Baker Mystery #1
Pages: Around 300
Format: eBook. ARC.

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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Read my Book Review

Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Actual Rating: 5 stars

Wohoo! This book is the PERFECT southern, cozy mystery. And, it's the first in a brand new series- one of which I am very much anticipating for the future (can I have it now, please!?!). Also, this book is a culinary cozy, meaning a lot of it revolves around a murder AND delicious desserts, which is an absolute FAVORITE of mine. If any of this sounds good to you, then this is a must read! Even if you aren't a fan of the genre or are new to it, I would highly recommend starting it with this one. It's delightful, fun, and scrumptious! I can't wait to try some of the recipes from the book. 

Without getting to deep into the plot, I'll give a little summary of what to expect. Sophia Cummings is a pasty chef who lives in NYC. However, after finding her boyfriend in a compromising position with a woman they both work with, she returns home to Rumford, Kentucky for some much needed down time. But this down time that she craves comes to a sudden halt when a murder takes place at the beloved country club! Not wanting to get involved, but having so choice because her instincts are too sharp, Sophia finds herself searching for the killer with a little help from old friends and a new flame. Will she make it back to Manhattan alive? Or will something/someone make her see that being back in her old stomping ground is what she really needs? How about that killer? Will she find out who it is before she's next? You'll have to read to find out!

With a little romance, some sleuthing, delicious desserts, and a TON of charm, Cake and Punishment is going to be a hit with readers! Mystery lovers will be delighted in the sleuthing and those who love to bake are going to want to try these recipes! It's an all around PERFECT cozy, and such a fun book to read. I highly recommend it . 

PS: Did you know that Maymee Bell is bestselling author, Tonya Kappes? I didn't. But because I was so enthralled in this book I went out and immediately purchased some of her older titles. I can't get enough!

★★★★★