Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second Baker Street Mystery series book. While it is the second book in the series, it doesn't fall victim to the second-book syndrome. That means Murder is a Piece of Cake is just as enjoyable as Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. The characters continue to grow and change. You are still pulled into the overall mystery that is shrouding New Bison. Even better, just as you think you have it figured out, Burns flips the script and negates that option.

Murder is a Piece of Cake takes place a mere three months after the events of Two Parts Sugar. The bakery is undergoing renovations as a result of a fire. But spring is a time for renewal and growth. And that is precisely what Maddy is trying to do when CJ Davenport arrives in town and shakes things up in a negative way.

An adorable side story is that Baby, Maddy's 250-pound English Mastiff, has fallen in love. I mean, how is that not adorable?

Be warned; there are several mentions of baked goods throughout the book, especially Miss Octavia's Soul Cake and thumbprint cookies. The best part is that there are recipes at the book's end so that you can have a slice of Soul Cake yourself.

Like most cozy mysteries I've read, you don't have to read the first book to understand what's going on in the book. That said, it does help you better understand the story's overall arc.

If you enjoy reading food-based cozy mysteries, you will enjoy reading Murder is a Piece of Cake. I, for one, am looking forward to returning to New Bison in the future!

This is one of my favorite cozy series for its great charcters, humor and the wonderful bakery . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second in the Baker Street mysteries by Valerie Burns. Maddy is a fun protagnist and this series has no end to laughs and humor throughout. She has a adorable bumbling Mastiff dog Baby who adds fun and antics to the series. Maddy is working to make a success of her new bakery using her social media skills after a devasting fire. A Spring Festival isproving to be troublsome with her competition from a bakery run by a neferious type of developer. When a murder occurs Maddy and her best friend are the primary suspects and must find the true suspect to save themselves and their new business.

This is a not to be missed fun series . I look forward to the next in series.

Pacing was a bit wonky but with likable characters and a interesting story plot, MIAPOC makes for an enjoyable read. First cozy mystery I’ve read in a while and glad I decided to give it a try.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

5 Stars!

I love this series! I had read the first book, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder when it released. All the characters from the first book are back, with more of their charm and antics. This series is wonderful and Valerie Burns does an awesome job with this book.

While you can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the first book as well. You can help but root for the protagonist.

My thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review!

Murder is a Piece of Cake is the second in the Baker Street mysteries by Valerie Burns. Social influencer, turned baker, Maddy Montgomery, her mastiff, Baby, her bakery staff Hannah and LeRoy and friends April, New Bison's sheriff, and Michael, her boyfriend and vet are trying to keep the Baby Cakes Bakery going during the post fire renovation. They are also getting ready for the Spring Festival and facing competition from a second bakery being run by ruthless developer, C.J. Davenport. C.J. is April's estranged husband and when he is stabbed to death with a Baby Cakes knife, Maddy and April are suspects. Learning to cook (with her failures and successes posted online), dealing with a lovesick Baby and another murder keep Maddy and her friends busy. A fun read that moves quickly. Characters are likeable and hopefully there is a book three to extend their stories. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The first half was lots of setup, the middle things started to fall in place and then the reveal. What I will say is that the ending makes me think the bigger storyline of New Bison's secrets are not over. But can another murder happen and Maddy be in the middle?

A top rate cozy from one of my all time favourite authors.
Great characters and a top notch whodunit. You will not be disappointed?
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Burns' second entry in the Baker Street Mystery series is not to be missed. Burns' characters are incredibly likable and diverse in not only race but age; and I love Baby, the Mastiff, he's a great big galumph of a dog, slobber and all. You will not be disappointed with the perfectly balanced plot that offers plenty of the suspects, clues and red herrings that will keep you guessing the whodunit until the last page. Plus there's a bit of an macro plot going on so far and I love the clues being dropped, can't wait to see how that gets solved. Burns' includes the recipes for some deliciously yummy goodies, be ready to be hungry! There are CWs, so take care and check them out. To read Maddy's investigative adventures from the beginning be sure to pick up Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, book one.


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

They might have found a Baby Cakes knife in CJ Davenport's back but Maddy did not kill the slimy investor who was bringing another bakery to town to compete with her. She didn't intend to live in New Bison, she didn't intend to run a bakery and she certainly never expected to own a mastiff named Baby but Maddy is living the terms of her Aunt Octavia's will. And she's happy. She's got a new love interest in Michael, a vet, and she's learning every day. And she's got friends who will help her find the real villain. This is classic cozy territory and it's fun. Burns has rounded her characters out in this second installment (don't worry if you missed the first one). Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc. A good read.

This is a fast-paced, compelling, and delightful mystery. I love the characters, the interactions between them, and the irresistible canine! The mystery is good, there are twists to keep the reader guessing, and I found it hard to put down. This is the second book in the series and I am hoping for many more visits to New Bison!

What a fun, cozy mystery series that hits all the great features for an entertaining read. I love the character development, the Baker Street Irregulars, the sense of family, and especially Baby, Maddy’s 250 pound English Mastiff. With an underlying mystery or two yet to be solved, I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Burns' pacing! I was just as hooked on Murder is a Piece of Cake as I was in Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. Maddy has definitely grown on me, and the Baker Street Irregulars are probably my favorite part of this series! This is for sure a millennial/Gen z cozy mystery, but I think fans of all ages will fall in love with New Bison.

I can't wait for Book 3!

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (Please note I don't normally rate books I do not finish but NG requires one so please disregard the star rating).

This is my first time trying a novel by Valerie Burns. I am sad to report that her writing style did not work for me. I read to page 100 (46% on my kobo) of this book and found myself uninvested in the characters and in the mystery. The intrigue unfortunately did not hook me. I stuck around in the hopes that the relationships between the cast of characters would grow on me but they didn't. I found myself not all that motivated to pick up the book and reading rather passively. The sense of humour is not to my taste and I did not relate to the MC. These are things which matter quite a bit for my enjoyment of a lighthearted, cozy mystery.

I'm sad about this but it's all good, I'm glad I got the opportunity to try a Burns mystery and I may try again some time in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

I’m loving this cozy series. It’s hitting all my favorite beats and the characters are great. It also great that while murders are being solved, we still have some background mysteries going on as well. I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

4/5

Oh boy, Murder is a Piece of Cake is an absolutely adorable cozy mystery that takes the cake….ahem… It is a follow up in the Baker Street mystery series. The author, Valerie Burns, is showing us she knows exactly what she is doing and is really good at it. Everything you could want is included, mystery, murder, and sleuthing. Just like flour chocolate and eggs these are a must for making a great concoction. Maddie is back at it and enters a baking contest, though she does not know it yet but it will not turn out the way she planned. With terrible reviews and worse…..pictures to prove how bad it was, Maddie must now face some humiliation. Worse yet, another bakery is opening and the proprietor will do whatever it takes to sabotage her business. That is until he turns up dead. Maddie and her mastiff must find out what happened before all eyes are on the wrong person. Can she find the killer? Will her bakery survive?

5 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

It was good to be back with Maddy and all her friends in New Bison. The town is gearing up for its Spring Festival and the pressure is on Maddy to not only keep gaining a following for her aunt’s bakery Baby Cakes but to win the baking competition at the festival – unfortunately Maddy is not that talented in the kitchen yet.
There is an added pressure when a premier investor arrives in town and plans to start another bakery just across the road. The investor is not only wanting to put Maddy out of business but others in the town as well, why? Before many answers are available, he is found dead in the kitchen of Baby Cakes. Maddy and her friends must work hard to get to the bottom of this killing to save not just the bakery and themselves but the town.
A really enjoyable read with great characters. This was a great sequel and I look forward to the next book in this series. Would highly recommend this book and the series so far.

MURDER IS A PIECE OF CAKE is the second book in the Baker Street Mystery series by Valerie Burns. Take a newbie baker trying to run Baby Cakes, an inherited bakery, a 250-pound English Mastiff named Baby—also inherited—combined with a competitor murdered with the bakery’s knife, and you get a page turning, laugh-out-loud cozy mystery. The author sets the pace from the very first page with her breezy writing style. It perfectly captures the voice and attitude of the protagonist, Maddy Montgomery. Maddy, after inheriting her great-aunt’s bakery and massive dog, is settling into small-town life, trying to learn to bake. Oh, the mishaps she has! They add to the humor of the story yet never detracts from the plot. I also enjoy the supporting characters like the Baker Street Irregulars (her great-aunt’s close friends who are keeping a close watch on Maddy). And her veterinarian boyfriend, Michael, is just as sweet as can be. The repartee of the core characters adds appeal and charisma to the story.

But back to that murder… Ms. Burns writes a tightly plotted mystery and there are plenty of suspects who might have wanted the despicable man dead. Woven in from the first story, is a mysterious subplot that just might have something to do with the untimely death of Maddy’s great-aunt. And while the main murder mystery is solved (making this book easily read as a standalone), the subplot is left open, tantalizing my curiosity. I love how Maddy’s close friends all pull together to help clear her name and come up with solutions to keep her bakery viable. It makes the story all the sweeter besides all the tempting goodies offered by Baby Cakes.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

With small town New Bison’s Spring Baking 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 Southwestern Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing one-star 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.

The book was so cute, the storyline was fun to read, and I felt like it kept you guessing. It's a great new-age murder mystery with humor AND a dog! I'm not sure it can get better than that.

After a good debut with a series, authors often struggle with the sophomore effort to try to keep the timeline moving and the characters. Interesting. The smart move is adding new characters. Continuing a previous timeline and creating a different situation that expands your characters strengths, for the reader. And that's exactly what has been done with this book. Even though Maddy's life seems to have regulated itself. Nothing is always as it seems. By letting her upbringing influence her take on solving the current mystery at hand, it also allows us a better look into the character. If you like cooking mixed with your cozies this may be the book series for you!

Thank you for letting me read this book pre release. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the second in the series, I had previously read the first which helped give a bit of the back story but think it could be read and enjoyed without reading the first. The main characters are all likeable and you want to keep reading to see what happens to unfold in their lives as well as the murders! An easy page turner to read! Let’s hope a third in the series will follow.