Batter Off Dead is a cozy bakery mystery with the right dose of lightness and a great whodunit. The book is peppered with the great turn of phrase that can only be found in the south. As a Kentucky girl, the characters came to live for me in a very realistic and lyrical way, as the words were steeped in dialect I could go down the road and hear among my neighbors. Sophie, small town baker and town snoop, has a gift for stumbling on bodies and sniffing out the truth all the while staying one step in front of her boyfriend the town's sheriff. Knowing Ray had help kicking the bucket, Sophie finds the suspect pool growing by the minute and the danger along with it. The characters seem like they could be your best friends and the mystery keeps you guessing until the end for a delightful, airy cozy complete with recipes. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Batter Off Dead is Book 2 in the Southern Cake Baker Mystery Series.
Be sure not to miss some of the fantastic recipe that the author shares at the end of the book.

In this second installment, bakery owner Sophia Cummings lives in a quaint southern town in Kentucky where she operates her bakery business creating all kinds of delectable treats at For Goodness Cakes. Sophia is catering a funderaiser for the library when one of the well-off patrons withdraws his rather large (HALF MILLION DOLLARS) contribution at the last minute.
Next thing you know, Sophia stumbles over his dead body and the suspects are many but her best friend Madison is the top suspect.

This book is so good I never wanted it to END! Sophia is a fantastic protagonist and she was always baking up a treat that had my mouth watering. I really enjoyed this book and when the killer was revealed my jaw dropped, literally! Such a great mix of well developed characters, strong plot and a setting that will leave you hungry for more.

I somehow missed the first book in the series, but I will rectify that!
This was an enjoyable cozy with the author's usual talent for writing engaging characters, humor and a good whodunit mystery.
I look forward to reading the first one, and to read further books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Batter Off Dead is the second in the series. Sophie has returned to her small Kentucky home town to open a bakery. She quickly stumbles upon a dead body of a local wealthy businessman, whom many people had reason to want dead. Sophia stirs up more trouble than she does pastry batter as she runs around trying to solve the murder. Two things bothered me about the mystery: after making such a big deal about not being paid for an event, the issue is just dropped without resolution. Secondly, the contents of the will that conveniently save the day are just a bit contrived. Overall, it's a decent read, it the main character is a bit overbearing at times

This was an enjoyable sophomore effort but the mystery of it all was a bit of a letdown. There was great build up and suspense but the resolution fell flat. A disappointing end to a good book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

BATTER OFF DEAD will have you craving something sweet and wanting to bake one of several recipes shared by the author after the story ends. Bakery owner, Sophia Cummings has found her niche in a charming southern Kentucky town where she bakes pastries to her hearts content at For Goodness Cakes. While catering a fundraiser for a new addition to the local library, Sophia is as shocked as everyone else when a wealthy patron withdraws his half-a-million dollar pledge at the last minute. She’s even more shocked when she stumbles over a body shortly thereafter! The victim managed to aggravate a lot of people making the suspect list plentiful; however, one of Sophie’s closest friends, Madison, a realtor, seems to be at the top of the list.

Sophia’s boyfriend, Sheriff Carter Kincaid, asks her to stay out of the investigation when her shop and home are invaded. Stubborn and determined to clear her friend’s name, Sophie continues sleuthing until the killer confronts her face-to-face with the intent to silence her forever.

This delightful cozy is a treat to read! It flows fast and smooth. Sophie is a wonderful protagonist. The supporting cast is easy to like and there’s almost always something baking. Mmmm. The killer was right before my very eyes and I didn’t even realize who it was until the author reveal. I really enjoyed this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane. Thank you.

Sophia Cummings, the owner of For Goodness Cakes, is catering for a charity fundraiser at Grape Valley Winery and must make it a successful event to win more catering jobs and pay the bills. Ray Peel, the Winery's landlord, has pledged to pay off a library loan in her hometown of Rumford, however, the event turns sour and Ray is murdered before the loan and Sophia can be paid. Can she figure out who the murderer is before the bakery collapses?

I have never read any of Maymee Bell's novels before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I particularly liked the author's descriptive style, especially the many references to the cakes sold at the bakery which were described so well that you could almost smell them baking in the oven! The portrayal of Sophia's relationships, especially Madison, her best friend, and Bitsy, her mother were also very good, although I think that there could have been a little more spark between Sophia and Carter Kincaid, her sheriff boyfriend. You were introduced to many characters very quickly at the start of the book which was a little confusing at first, however, I like that I was kept guessing all the way through as to the identity of the murderer. The ending to the book was finished off very nicely and I will be reading more Maymee Bell novels in the future.

A cozy mystery that will keep you turning the pages until the end. Interesting characters that love bakery goodies. You'll love how they interact. Sophia can't help herself when her friends need help.

A fairly standard cozy mystery, written by a pro. Good story and very good characters, and there's a surprise at the end.
Warning: Prepare to get cravings for donuts etc.

Sweet delicious and quite delectable, this cozy murder mystery was filled with twists and turns that was very puzzling indeed. Sophia and Sheriff Carter seem to have a hot thing going but her curiosity and sleuthing put her at harm's way which was very unsettling to him. What was the poor man to do, she was still going to do her investigation to help her friends and family and most of all help in capturing the real murderer. A juicy and enjoyable cozy read, I like it.

Sophia has a catering event for the towns Library at a local winery and is looking forward to the evenings much anticipated donation from a local business man. You see the library is putting in a new addition and without this mans money they won't be able to move ahead. When Sophia decides to step out for some fresh air and trips over the body of Ray Peel, the man with the money, she is shocked. Who would want to murder him and why, because it was indeed murder? When the police start looking at one of her best friends she knows she must do her own investigation to help find the killer and clear her friends name. Along the way she learns that Ray wasn't the nice man he made himself out to be, not only did he decided not to give the Library the money he was also going to sell the land that the winery leaving the owners without a business. He also made an enemy of his ex-wife and an ex-girlfriend, could they have been mad enough to do him in? When someone breaks into her house and throws a brick through her window Sophia wonders who she has upset and if she is getting close to the killer. Follow along as she looks for clues, questions people and brings her sweet treats to soften them up. This is such a fun series with great characters, a wonderful setting, and story line that leaves you wanting more.

Sophia has agreed to cater the library fundraiser at the local winery. Things seem to be going smoothly until she overhears a few disagreements with Ray Peel, one of Rumford’s wealthiest men. From what Sophia hears of these disagreements Ray is not going to keep his end of some promises, including one promise that will affect the fundraiser. When Sophie is headed to collect her paycheck she literally falls over the body of Ray. Then when one of her best friends is one of the suspects, Sophie has to get involved in the investigation to clear her name.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the second book in a series, but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The characters are strong, confident, quirky and fun. The setting of Rumford, KY gives you small-town southern charm. The mystery has a great pace with several twists and turns along the way. Every time I thought I had the killer figured out I would have a new suspect. I was completely surprised at the end of who really was the killer. For food lovers, there is the added bonus of authentic Southern recipes included in the book.

I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries, food, southern charm, and female protagonist. I was given an ARC of this book in hopes I would supply a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have in no way been influenced.