Mysteries Galore.com

Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair

Melanie Cooper, and her long time friend Angie DeLaura have opened Fairy Tale Cupcakes thanks to the financial backing of Tate Harper. They have done everything right. The décor is oh so retro with its pretty pink and gray. They’ve come up with a popular array of signature cupcakes such as Tinkerbells and Blonde Bombshells and are even offering classes in making specialty drink flavored cupcakes (think Mojitos). While more customers by the day are finding the cupcakes irresistible, the owner of the other bakery in town is not a happy. In fact, she is nearly stalking the place in her pink van. Unfortunately, that is not the only problem the girls are going to have.

When Tate convinces his fiancé to have cupcakes for their wedding, Mel and Angie have to work with the control freak perfectionist Christie. Christie wants exclusive cupcakes flavors for her wedding-five different kinds, and she wants samples to evaluate by the end of the week. When Mel goes to the meeting with her, she finds Christie dead. Immediately she becomes the number one suspect. Working to clear her name and save her business, Mel soon finds any number of other viable suspects. Despite her reputation as a top designer, Christie was not a popular person. The problem is, the evidence keeps piling up against Mel-or at least against someone connected to Fairy Tale Cupcakes.

Sprinkle with Murder is a laugh out loud fun book to read. At times the antics of Angie and Mel are reminiscent of another well known couple of friends-Ethel and Lucy. While readers might be tempted to roll their eyes once or twice, it’s sure to bring a smile if not a laugh most of the time.

With mystery series set in every imaginable type of shop or featuring every kind of food popping up these days, it’s hard for an author to carve out an audience and find a niche. Hopefully enough readers will visit McKinlay’s Fairy Tale Cupcakes to make this series successful. In the wide open market of food and shop oriented mysteries, Sprinkle with Murder is one of the best.