by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

After her humiliation of being left at the altar was live-streamed and went viral, social media influencer Maddy Montgomery took advantage of an unexpected inheritance to flee L.A. and move to New Bison, Michigan to take over her late Great-aunt Octavia’s bakery. Along with Baby Cakes Bakery came the unexpected gift of Aunt Octavia’s 250-pound Champion English Mastiff, Baby, a Georgian-style home, and the four close friends who make up the Baker Street Irregulars. After deciding that the mandatory residence was a gift she’d like to continue past the one-year requirement, Maddy is shocked when her old life arrives in the form of mean girl Brandy Denton. She was the woman Maddy’s ex-fiancé Elliot Lawson ran away with on the day of his supposed wedding, and Brandy seems intent on continuing her reign of torment with insults posted on social media. Their latest confrontation has Maddy wishing Brandy dead, which also has the unfortunate result of making the baker owner the prime suspect when Brandy is found dead in Baby Cakes Bakery.

Maddy had previously been focused on learning how to boil five dozen eggs for the police
Easter egg hunt without them exploding in her kitchen, but now she must do everything she can to keep herself out of prison. Brandy had been the first (with malicious delight) to show Maddy pictures of her boyfriend Michael with another woman, and unfortunately it was not photoshopped. Dr. Michael Portman has just brought in his gorgeous ex-girlfriend to be a partner in his veterinary practice, and while he is emphatic that they are now just friends, Maddy was too recently burned by her own ex to accept it. Perhaps it’s not the best time for her Navy veteran father, aka the Admiral, to arrive for a visit to support his stressed-out daughter, but Maddy will need all the help she can get when she seems to be stalked by a mysterious blue-eyed man. Maddy does what she can to combat the negative postings by Brandy’s assistant by hashtagging Baby Cakes Bakery treats, but she will also be forced to face her ex-fiancé and his new girlfriend, both of whom have arrived in town and are staying in the same inn now being run by a famous milliner fashionista. Complicating matters further is the discovery that Aunt Octavia has left yet another message for her grand-niece, one that warns of danger and fears that not everyone in New Bison can be trusted. A possible traitor in their midst, an art forgery scheme, and dealing with a bout of jealousy have Maddy stressed out and relying more than ever on Baby, Michael, and her strict but loving father.

This third in the series ingeniously incorporates a mystery that began in the first while also compellingly introducing the newest murder of Brandy Denton. Many loose ends will be tied up by the conclusion, and Maddy discovers a new connection with her father as she learns more about her parents’ relationship. While the influencer saw the dark side of social media as comments caused her to flee her former life, the support from her neighbors and customers in New Bison reveals just how caring real people can be. Fans will be delighted and satisfied by Maddy’s growth and the very rewarding conclusion of this funny, social-media-savvy mystery.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “flour” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 14, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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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.