Christmas Cupcakes & a Caper
(Death by Cupcake, #4)
by D.E. Haggerty
The author sent me an ARC of this book (mobi format) in exchange for an honest review (a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team).
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 stars)
Plot
(by Goodreads)
It’s all candy cane cupcakes and peppermint coffee until you find a dead elf on your doorstep.
Only the elf wasn’t a real elf, because elves don’t actually exist – not even at Christmas time. A college student dressed like an elf decided taking a nap on the stoop of Callie’s Cakes in sub-zero winter temps was a good idea. It wasn’t. Anna, the pink-haired baker extraordinaire, is convinced the student’s death was not an accident. She drags Callie and Kristie along with her as she attempts to discover who killed the elf … um… student.
Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes find the killer before Christmas is ruined?
Cupcakes not included, although you’ll find recipes for all the delicious Christmas cupcakes Anna bakes.
| Genre(s): | > Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Kindle Store) > Cozy Culinary Mystery > Holiday Romance (Kindle Store) |
| Series: | Death by Cupcake, #4 |
| Length: | 113 pages |
| Release date: | 2019-11-01 |
Teaser
“Why are you going? What are you planning?”
“Murderers like to go to the funerals of their victims.” Anna and her love of pop psychology strike again. “Besides, it worked before.”
To my frustration, I can’t contradict her. It did work before. It being finding a murderer at a memorial service. “Totally different situation. I was accused of murdering Dolly. We had no choice but to investigate when it turned out the detectives on the case were incompetent.”
My Opinion
This book focuses on the ‘Callie’s Cakes’ gang trying to find out who murdered the dead student on their doorstep.
With “Christmas Cupcakes & a Caper”, D. E. Haggerty has created an expertly worded and funny suspense story with a romantic touch. The story comprises a broad variety of believable characters with sufficient depth, hilarious moments, and interesting interactions to solve the case of the murdered college student. I had a great time reading “Christmas Cupcakes & a Caper” – it is a very fun read. I was drawn into the story right away, chuckling about the stubborn protagonists, shaking my head – a lot because of Anna; for me, Callie and Kristie are a great counterpoint for Anna.
This is for you if you like female amateur sleuths, stubborn and determined women, hilarious situations as well as a great combination of cosy suspense, humour, and romance.
A funny and suspenseful book to read again.
Recommended.
In brief:
| Cover | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 stars) |
| Writing | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 stars) |
| Plot | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 stars) |
| Characters | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4 stars) |
| Mood | Suspenseful |
| Pace | Steady |
| POV | First person – past tense |
| Language |  (appropriate) |
| Violence | (some mentions) |
| Sexual content | (decent enough) |
About the author
I grew-up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to “Little Women”. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.
Connect with the author:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehaggerty
Amazon: D. E. Haggerty
Buy links: https://books2read.com/u/mgGJLv
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about “Christmas Cupcakes & a Caper”? Or – if you did not yet read “Christmas Cupcakes & a Caper” – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
My train of thoughts on... 