Maddy Montgomery continues coming into her own as a baker and an investigator in the second book in this entertaining series. Maddy has to deal with not one but two murders and also has to avoid being arrested for murder. The supporting cast is back, including Baby of course. I look forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this second book in the Baker Street murder mystery series by Valerie Burns. I am already looking forward to the third book in the series which comes out this summer! This was a super fun, easy/cozy murder mystery and it definitely helped to carry some ideas from book one that I thought had been left unanswered. There are still more questions and theories I have circling these characters which make it easy to want to continue on with the series.

To keep a younger reader engaged the way Maddy uses her social media accounts as an influencer with hashtags is really fun and a unique style to the writing of this book that I haven't read yet by another author. Solid 4 star read for me and the definition of "cozy mystery".

Read this if you like dogs as side-kick characters; if you like baked goods (I personally LOVE all the sweet treats!); if you like the found family trope and if you enjoyed the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich you will most certainly enjoy these too!

Thank you Kensington Cozies for a copy of Murder is a Piece of Cake!

"Can young entrepreneur and social media influencer Maddy Montgomery run a bakery, care for a gigantic English mastiff, and cultivate a picture-perfect relationship—all while exposing a murderer?"

Murder is a Piece of Cake (Baker Street Series) is for anyone looking for…
• Cozy mysteries with big personalities
• An adorable, giant dog
• Budding, wholesome romance
• A bakery setting

I read the Baker Street Series earlier this year and what a fun way to start 2024! Maddy is such an endearing character and her big personality makes readers want to root for her. The mystery in the book wasn't simple and there's enough complications in the story to keep readers on hook and left guessing. Overall, the Baker Street Series is easy and enjoyable and left me wanting to try some of Baby Cakes Bakery's cakes and croissants!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I was super excited to read the follow-up to the first book. I was happy to see the character development and the climatic ending. This was a nice cozy mystery. I hope there will be more books to come!

Valerie Burns showcases her storytelling finesse in "Murder is a Piece of Cake," the second installment in the Baker Street Mystery series. Madison Montgomery, a social media expert turned bakery owner, faces the challenge of a rival bakery and a murder that turns her once #thriving life into a battle for survival. Burns navigates the cozy mystery genre adeptly, offering familiar elements—amateur sleuths, an unsympathetic victim, and a fast-paced narrative that caters to fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.

Set against the backdrop of New Bison's Spring Festival, Maddy's quest to uphold her late great-aunt Octavia's legacy adds a layer of pressure. The arrival of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a dubious reputation, sets the stage for a gripping plot twist when he ends up dead with a knife from Baby Cakes, Maddy's bakery, in his back.
Supported by the crafty Baker Street Irregulars and her charming veterinarian boyfriend, Maddy embarks on a journey to unveil the truth behind the murder. Burns skillfully weaves likable characters, witty banter, and a dash of romance, elevating the story beyond typical cozy mystery fare. The plot's quick pace and engaging narrative align seamlessly with the genre's expectations, making it a delightful read for mystery enthusiasts.

Among the strengths of "Murder is a Piece of Cake" is its ability to hold its own against other cozy mysteries. The characters' charm and the clever incorporation of a mastiff named Baby contribute to the overall appeal. In the realm of cozy murder mysteries, this book stands out with a solid 4/5 stars, offering an enjoyable and well-crafted addition to the genre.

The book is worth the price just to get the recipes. Great-Aunt Octavia’s Chocolate Soul Cake and Maddy’s Peanut Butter Dream Cake are going straight into my recipe box!

I tried! I tried to branch out of my romance era, but this one was a rough one to get into. I think the biggest piece of it is that this was a continuation of book 1 and that’s important to know before getting into it. A majority of the framework has been laid down, but this is a secondary murder in the series and it was hard to follow. I do think the main character is what we’d classify as Gen Z with all. the. hashtags. But it just wasn’t executed with all the greatness that it could have been - the plot was meh, the solving of the crime was also meh, and nothing really intrigued me. Overall, wouldn’t recommend to my reader friends, but it wasn’t awful! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second installment of the Baker Street Mystery series that contained delicious baked goods, strategic red herrings and an MC that while initially was a self-absorbed and materialistic daddy’s girl, who you can see is transforming into a kind hearted, and thoughtful person. Don’t get me wrong, she still inhabits her old tendencies but I’m enjoying her character arc! Her inherited huge English mastiff was super adorable and I love the connecting part he plays in tandem with an underlying sub mystery tied from the first book in the series. I also enjoyed the bit of romance in the story that also provided a nice sweetness to a dire situation of someone being murdered.

Overall, the mystery had me guessing the entire time and there is a feeling there is more to the underlying mystery that has a reader wanting to read the next book.

Murder is a Piece of Cake is part two of the Baker Street Mysteries, and it was just as cute as the first one. After Maddy helps solves the first murder, she thinks things will get better, until another murder happens, and this time, Its a rival baker that she was seen having an argument with the day before. Armed with her late great aunt's crew, the team is determined to make sure the right person is charged for the crime.

I am truly enjoying this series, from the support characters and the dog (and I'm not really a dog person, but I like the one in this series. ) I enjoyed the flow of the story as well as how the characters grew in the story. I hope this continues on as a series and I hope we get more books. I am really enjoying it.

Murder is a Piece of Cake, the second book in Valerie Burns’s Baker Street mysteries, is another gem in this terrific series. It has all of the charm of the first book, and then some.

Maddy Montgomery is hard at work, prepping Baby Cakes Bakery for the upcoming contest at New Bison’s Spring Festival. As luck would have it, a new bakery opening across the street is poised to offer some stiff competition. However, when the would-be competitor, CJ Davenport, is discovered murdered with one of Maddy’s knives, suspicion falls on Maddy, and she must work together with Sheriff April – who has a few secrets of her own -- to solve the crime.

This story is intriguing on so many levels. The mystery, itself, is quite entertaining, with suspects and motives galore and a good many complications along the way. Maddy is fresh and fabulous once again, and I really like how the use of social media is played out. We learn ever more about April in this book as well as Leroy. Maddy’s relationship with local veterinarian Michael Portman takes a step forward. Her big Mastiff, Baby, is heartwarmingly adorable.

If you like cozy mysteries with intriguingly complex plots, a savvy sleuth, charming characters, and dogs with big personalities, this series is for you. Murder is a Piece of Cake lives up to the promise of the first book. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Note: I received an ARC of Murder is a Piece of Cake from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

An entertaining bakery mystery with humor and romance thrown in. I love this series.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was great! I always enjoy a good cozy mystery and this series is exactly what you need for a good palette cleanser. I enjoyed that you did not have to read the first book to understand what is going on. The plot was easy to follow and not so predictable. The characters are lovable and hilarious.

In the second installment of Burns' Baker Street Mystery series, we see Maddy thriving in her aunt's bakery and with her dog, despite her reluctance to stick around at first. At least, that is, until CJ Davenport arrives in town determined to make trouble. He makes an enemy out of everyone before he winds up dead. But even with a town full of ticked off people, Maddy and her friends are at the top of the suspect list. Determined to clear their names and get to the bottom of the strange occurrences, they begin investigating.

I love, love, love VM Burns' other cozy mystery series. But, sadly, I am struggling to get into this one. Even with the growth and redemption arc she's been given, Maddy is just not a heroine you want to root for. She talks a big game about being smarter than she looks and then tells the police extremely incriminating information against the advice of her attorney??? Make it make sense?? I want to like her, but she just makes it so difficult.

In this book, in particular, I was also thrown off but what seemed like a number of loose ends that were left unresolved. Perhaps they were supposed to be red herrings, but it instead left me feeling uneasy about everyone in town and assuming that it was a set-up for a subsequent book. I would have rather had the issues tied up.

Thanks to Kensington for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

This series is a little different from the others of its ilk that I have read. The central protagonist is not someone who changes during the first book. Inherently, Maddy has stayed the same. She works a little more than she has before, but her thinking patterns remain the same.
I liked the second book in the series, but it almost feels like a continuation of the previous tale (which it sort of is).
Maddy inherited her great-aunt's bakery, and after a murder and investigation in the previous installment, she is not all set to reopen with some new bells and whistles.
Maddy is in a new relationship, feeling good about the effort she is putting into life when a new competitor springs up out of nowhere. This competitor ruffles multiple feathers and is found dead soon after. There are several townspeople who are within finger-pointing range, and this does not sit well with our protagonist. In the midst of trying to cheer up her huge dog, Maddy decides to investigate and ends up figuring things out just a little later than she should have.
It was a quick read, and the people are all eclectic and add to the ambience of organized chaos. I am not sure I will be continuing with the series, but with Maddy's absentee father threatening to make an appearance the next time around, it is a tempting prospect.
I would recommend this to the more ardent fans of these kinds of cozy mysteries with tasty food included.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Murder Is A Piece Of Cake
A Baker Street Mystery, Book #2
Valerie Burns
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Perfect for readers craving the cozies of Joanne Fluke and Ellery Adams, the acclaimed Agatha award-nominated author returns to her charming small-town culinary cozy series featuring a social media expert turned bakery owner and sleuth.

“Snappy dialogue, a well-drawn supporting cast and an irresistible canine companion all add delicious flavor. Gulp this book down or savor it, but consuming it will guarantee a sustained sugar high.” —New York Times Book Review on Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder

With small town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews.

There’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes’s knife stuck in his back.

Maddy’s whole life just went from #thriving to barely surviving. Now, supported by the crafty Baker Street Irregulars and her new boyfriend, she must find the courage to face off against a killer who could very well get her name trending for the first and last time . . .

Praise for Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder

“Snappy dialogue, a well-drawn supporting cast and an irresistible canine companion all add delicious flavor. Gulp this book down or savor it, but consuming it will guarantee a sustained sugar high.” —New York Times Book Review


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Maddy is preparing for the Spring Festival. But when she finds out a new business is opening up to compete against Baby Cake bakery, she is not happy. And when the investor is found dead with a Baby Cake’s knife stuck in his back, Maddy has to find the culprit before she is blamed.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. You will need to put on your thinking caps to solve this one.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is a great series and I cannot wait to read the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Murder is a Piece of Cake is a terrific follow-up to Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. A multi-layered mystery, with captivating characters set in the unique small town of New Bison, Michigan. A great big dose of humor and just the right amount of romance add to this very entertaining read.

Thank you to Kensington for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This may be my new favorite cozy mystery series. The vibes are perfect, but NOT boring.

🍰baking vibes
🍰small town
🍰 English Mastiff
🍰murder mystery


If there will be fall and Christmas books, I will die happy.

I loved this book. While I haven't read the first in the series, like all good cozies, I was never left in the dark. The style of this book was engaging and well written. This was a lovely, entertaining, twisty cozy mystery and I look forward to reading the others in this series.

This was a NetGalley review.

I have read other books and series by Valerie Burns under VM Burns, so was anticipating another great story. There was a fire in the bakery in the first book (I plan to listen to it next to find out what happened) so they are baking in Maddy's kitchen and selling from the garage on her property that had been fitted as a roadside stand. I found that interesting as they explained the rules in Michigan about selling from your homes. Maddy is a great protagonist. Her army brat days often come into play when figuring things out which I loved. She is an instagram influencer who still does a lot of posting, but that is not her job anymore. She has a boyfriend, Michael, who is the veterinarian and is just at the beginning of their relationship. The Baker Street Irregulars are a group of friends that were brought together my Aunt Octavia before her death and are really good at solving mysteries. They are also a wonderful group of characters, some smart, some quirky, some fun, some old, some young, so it is quite an eclectic group with different sources and abilities. Of course the best character in the story is Baby, Maddy's huge mastiff who will protect her and her friends from just about anyone. There are a lot of suspects in this book, and Maddy knows something sneaky is going on, but she isn't sure what. With lots of clues, red herrings, suspects and twists, this was an interesting mystery and I was in the dark until the end. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for Maddy and all her friends, and of course, Baby.

When I first requested this from Netgalley, the description said it was the first in a series so I was VERY confused when I started reading it. Luckily I was able to get the first book from my local library and power through it before I jumped into this one. Maddy is left her great aunt's bakery, house, and dog IF she lives there and operates it for a year. These books are SUPER social media heavy, and the hashtags drove me NUTS. And I say that as a communications professional.. Valerie Burns has a lot of experience as a writer, but I wouldn't necessarily say the work is super polished. Then again, I'm not sure what resources she has for polishing, and I'm certainly not going to hold that against her. These are just fast, a lot of fun, and food related!! Win win win!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a free ecopy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns is the second instalment in the Baker Street Mystery series. This novel continues on three months after the first book. We follow Maddy, the daughter of a Navy Admiral. After the death of her great aunt Octavia and the end of her relationship she decides to move to New Bison, a small quaint town in Michigan that gives serious Stars Hollows vibes. There she has to live for 1 year in her great aunts old house and run the bakery before she has access to her inheritance, But nothing is quite as it seems. Who can Maddy trust? Are there more nefarious things going on in this town?

Beware of mild spoilers ahead :

The first book in this series ended up on my favorites of 2022, so I was so excited when I received a copy for review. I loved to be back with all the characters. I loved the found family aspect that these books have. I love me a bit of amateur sleuthing. Unfortunately I didn't like this book as much as the first. There were some problems the first book had that I really hoped this one wouldn't but alas. The pacing of both the first book and this book had some issues. It takes ages before we get the final reveal (at the 90% mark), and when we do finally get our answers, we are left with so many questions because the bad guy gets killed within 0.1 seconds. It leaves me with a feeling of whiplash.

The quick endings I can overlook. I still have a good enough time with these characters that I will be coming back for more, regardless of how rushed the endings are. There was unfortunately a really big problem at around 30%. This is when I will be getting into spoilers.

Maddy is called from her house by the police to come to the crime scene. Someone has been murdered at her bakery, so naturally the cops have questions. She arrives together with her English Mastiff, Baby. The lead investigator asks her to please keep the dog in her car, he doesn't want the dog to come inside and contaminate the crime scene. Personally I find this a very reasonable request. Maddy's friend April, who also happens to be the sheriff of the town, says something along the lines that Trooper Bob cannot make this request of Maddy because Baby is a trained service animal, and under the Americans with Disabilities Act he cannot refuse the dog entrance and he is also not requered to wear a vest. The facts are correct, except that Baby isn't a service dog at all.....

I'm very disapointed that the author would include something like this in the book. It is a fact that a lot of people put a vest purchased from Amazon on their dog and pretend that they are service dogs, simply because they want to be able to take their dogs everywhere. The amount of fully trained service animals that have been hurt, bitten and traumatized by pets is alarming. Service dogs can help people with a number of different disabilities. You have dogs that are trained to lead the blind, but also dogs that are trained to detect problematic heart rythms, fainting spells, high blood sugar etc. Distracting or even causing hurt to a service dog can lead to them missing a cue and their owner getting hurt. When they are traumatized by events like this, the dog is usually unable to do his job and has to retire. A service dog costs between 15.000 and 30.ooo dollars. It is a huge investment the disabled person has to make, and they can lose it all in the blink of an eye if their dog gets attacked by a pet. I simply don't understand why anyone would include this in a novel and pretend like this is an OK thing to do. It is not okay. The people who actually bring their pets with them and pretend that they are service dogs are despicable to me. I would greatly appreciate if people would just leave their dog at home, or with someone who can look after them if you're going to be gone for a while.

So what next? Will I continue to read on with the series? Probably. I just hope that someone will actually read this review and will learn from this. Dog owners, aspiring writers and the team behind this book alike.