by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Custom Baked Murder: A Pawsitively Organic Mystery. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.

Kristan “Stan” Connor would like nothing more than to barricade herself inside her kitchen and test bake organic dog and cat pet treats. Now that she is being financially backed by her boyfriend Jake McGee and her mother Patricia, Stan has the opportunity to finally open Pawsitively Organic Pet Patisserie and Café. Jake is the perfect boyfriend, providing not just emotional support but enough monetary backing to push his investment over that of Patricia’s, keeping Stan’s mother a minority investor. In no way will Patricia ever be a “silent” partner, and Stan can look forward to her mother meddling in Stan’s professional life as much as her personal one.

The unexpected arrival of Stan’s sister and niece heralds the beginning of the surprises yet to come, and while Stan was hoping for some private time with Jake, having Caitlyn and Eva in town turns out to be the least upsetting situation. Stan was dreading the party to celebrate her mother’s engagement to the new mayor even before encountering the woman who took over Stan’s job, another woman who broke up Stan’s relationship, and the cheating ex-boyfriend himself. It seems that Mayor Tony Falco hired the unpleasant Eleanor Chang to be his “executive coach” media consultant, and for some reason her co-workers Richard Ruse and Michelle Mansfield came along for the ride. When Stan once again has the misfortune of discovering a murdered corpse—this time Eleanor’s —the biggest shock is not that someone finally strangled her, but that Richard is the one under arrest.

Stan may detest her ex, but she refuses to believe that she could ever have dated a murderer. Although Jake’s sister, Connecticut State Trooper Jessie Pasquale, normally would never approve of Stan’s involvement, some very shady political maneuvering has Jessie shut out of the investigation. Stan’s not the only one in the family with an unwanted ex on scene, as the man who shattered both her sister’s marriage and her heart has arrived in Frog Ledge determined to win back Caitlyn’s love. What with the mayor avoiding both Stan and her mother, Caitlyn attempting to have her ex arrested for unwanted musical serenades, and her mother’s micromanagement of the new bakery, Stan will be relying on the comfort of her four-legged companions and the ever-supportive Jake.

This fifth in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery series balances the welcome descriptions of healthy, human-quality, pet treats with a mystery that focuses on bureaucratic manipulations and small-town politics. Now that her mother is becoming a part of her business, Stan also must figure out a way to relate in a way that doesn’t have them regressing to their normal, button-pushing combative state. Going undercover as Tony’s new coach will go some distance in mending their relationship, even as it allows Stan to discover just what secrets he may be hiding. The extremely funny and sympathetic characters are the reason readers will return to this series, with the added lure being irresistible pet food recipes and concern for beloved companions.

To enter to win a copy of Custom Baked Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “baked,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 21, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Click on this link to purchase this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & an indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Custom Baked Murder

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.