Author and baker Teddie St. John is back on the case. Well, she'd rather be focused on the various confections she's making for a local contest in her small Wisconsin town. However, when a judge is found with his face buried in a coconut cream pie and her blood-covered rolling pin nearby, Teddie must clear her name ... and maybe whip up a new prize-winning dessert.

Aside from the murder, it's a pure joy returning to Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin, and that's primarily because of Teddie St. John herself. One of the most likable sleuths in modern cozies, Teddie exudes charm, humor, and confidence. Of course, this is really all thanks to author Laura Jensen Walker. She innately understands how to craft characters and, while Teddie might be front and center on this case, Walker serves up an equally compelling and believable cast of secondary characters to flesh out the mystery. From mother drama to yarn shop customers doling out clues, Walker has packed her world with personality.

It helps that they're supported by a compelling mystery. Who could possibly want to murder one of the most unlikable men in town? There's no shortage of suspects, and Walker weaves in enough possible solutions based on thorough and often comical sleuthing that the final reveal is more satisfying than a bite of Teddie's fattigman bakkels.

Twistier than a Danish in knots with a mystery more layered than a stack of filo, Deadly Delights is a perfect treat.

I’ve read both of the books in the Bookish Baker series and have enjoyed them. The characters are well developed and delightful. Teddie, the primary character, is a breast cancer survivor and I love how the author deals with that sensitive issue. There are lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. This is a quick and fun read and I look forward to seeing some of the relationships develop and shenanigans in which Teddie and her friends find themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I was disappointed by the way the main character spoke about another woman, both because it was just bad but also because it made the ending obvious extremely early on in the book.

I loved this book cozy mystery loved the premises of the book. Love that it's a easy read didn't want to put this book down.

Deadly Delights

by Laura Jensen Walker

I expected a bookish mystery since Deadly Delights is part of the Bookish Baker Mystery Series. In all fairness, the main character Teddie is an author, but she is taking a break from writing. Her good friend owns a bookshop, and her boyfriend, currently via Skype, is a famous British suspense author. So, on the surface it is bookish, but the book is really more about baking, another of Teddie’s talents, as the focus is on a baking contest at which there is a murder.

One of my main problems with this cozy mystery is the large number of characters. I actually reread the first chapter and took notes on the characters and added more as the story progressed. The author did a good job in the first chapter of introducing characters that were in the first book in the series, but there were just too many for my taste. Most of them were important to the story; there were a number that were mentioned in passing, but the reader would not know that.

On a positive note, the plot was very complex with a lot going on. As you might expect, there were a lot of suspects, and the murderer and motivation were a surprise. As underlying stories, there were wild accusations, gossip, embezzlement, mother-daughter conflicts, and even a little romance.

A theme that appealed to me was that of characters reinventing themselves at critical times in their lives. I also liked the honesty in discussing Teddie’s battle with cancer and how it affected her decisions going forward. The friendship of The Three Musketeers (Teddie and her two best friends since third grade) and their support of each other was another positive theme.

In spite of laboring through the first part, I did enjoy the book. My memory is not bad, but perhaps it would be an easier read for those with better retention of details. The conclusion focuses on a relationship, and you will end the book with a smile.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #2 in the Bookish Baker Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. Includes 9 recipes, all related to items baked by characters in the book.

Publication: June 8, 2021—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

Perfect is overrated. My small kitchen is colorful and kitschy. Like me.

I’d noticed Colleen Murphy arrive and open up Colleen’s Twisted Yarns. Time to pay a visit to the knitting lady and see what kind of a twisted yarn she might spin.

…the writing is sublime in literary fiction. I marvel over the gorgeousness of the language the authors use and find myself highlighting entire sections…When I come upon a perfect sentence, I stop and revel in the beauty of the author’s words.

A Bookish Baker Mystery Series book #2

Teddie, a cozy mystery writer, and known baker compete in the annual Best Baker of Lake Potawatomi competition. On the second day of the competition, the lead judge is found face down in a coconut cream pie. Teddie is the first one to find him and becomes a suspect. With the help of her friends, she clears her name and discovers the true killer.
.
I loved this fun and funny cozy mystery! I laughed out loud when Char showed up at Teddie’s house with a baseball bat because she thought Teddie was in trouble! I really connected with Teddie because of her love for all mysteries (especially the Trixie Belden Series😀), her definition of good storytelling, and the reason she enjoys reading because I share those views as well! I appreciated that all the sleuths took on a persona of a mystery-leading lady. Another bonus of this book is all the recipes at the end of the book. If you enjoy reading cozy mysteries, you will love this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a great mystery that kept me guessing until the end, I can't wait to read more.

I enjoyed this one! It’s what I Look for in a cozy. It was a quick, light, fun read. I would recommend it to others. I liked the writing style and the characters.

Loved reading this book and series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so. Read in order

Teddie, cozy mystery writer, enters a baking contest. She does not hold out much hope of winning with Lester the Molester as a judge especially after she put him in his place. When he is found dead face down in a friends pie and apparently killed with Teddie's rolling pin, both she and friend Sophie are in the police's line of sight. It does not help matters that Les' wife and the town gossip are both proclaiming Teddie's and Sophie's guilt. This is the first book I have read in the series and I had no problems following along. My only issue is that readers are constantly reminded that Teddie had both breasts removed due to cancer and refused reconstructive surgery. A couple of mentions would have sufficed. I do look forward to the next book.

Deadly Delights is the second in the Bookish Baker Mystery series by Laura Jensen Walker and it does not disappoint. The bake-off adds an interesting twist and fresh setting to this mystery. The murder of a lecherous judge is no great loss but when suspicion falls on Teddie because her rolling pin was the weapon, she jumps into investigation mode.

There are so many things to like about this series but one of the things that I like most is the friendships and the depth of character development. With one red herring after another, it was easy to suspect so many of the characters but hard to narrow it down to one guilty party. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) I enjoy reading this series and look forward to the next installment

Good cozy mystery with a good amount of characters and mystery. Twists and turns that keep you guessing. Although this is the 2nd book in the serious and I hadn’t read the first I didn’t feel lost. Will definitely go back and read the first. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Deadly Delights by Laura Jensen Walker is a Cozy mystery about Teddie St. John, resident baker and author of Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin. Teddie is entering the annual bake-off contest that happens every August, when Lester, the town leach, is murdered in her neighbor's tent with Teddie's antique rolling pin!

Besides being a baker and author, Teddie is also the town sleuth and is determined to find the murderer and clear her name and her friend Sonya's name. I am one who did not like this character very much, but honestly; I have not read many cozy mysteries. I thought she was bold and unique, but something about her attitude and getting in all business was a turnoff for this reader. I also thought there were some heavy themes in this book that maybe did not belong in a cozy mystery about baking. I was also quite confused about her attitude regarding her Mom dating. Was she happy? Mad? Why did she need to confront her about it?

This is a fun book, with heavy themes. The ending was definitely surprising and I would read another book by this author.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Deadly Delights: A Bookish Baker Mystery
By Laura Jensen Walker
Crooked Lane
June 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s August, that time of the year for the cooking competition that determines Wisconsin’s Best Baker of Lake Potawatomi. Despite the fact that Patsy Morris – the wife of Head Judge and chamber of commerce president Lester Morris – has won the title for the past nine years, Teddie St. John is optimistic about her chances of winning at least a prized ribbon. After surviving breast cancer, a double mastectomy, and leaving a safe government job to pursue her love of writing mysteries, Teddie is not averse to challenges or new adventures. The skills that led her to becoming a bestselling mystery author will be helpful when she discovers Lester’s body, face down in a coconut pie with his head bashed in by Teddie’s grandmother’s rolling pin.

With her beloved rolling pin and young Sophie Miller’s pie at the scene of the crime, it doesn’t take only Patsy’s hysterical accusations to have them both placed high on the suspect list. Lester’s groping hands and attitude earned him the name Lester-the-Molester and made ripe for the #MeToo movement, and both Teddie and Sophie experienced “first hand” his demands for favorable judgement. Fortunately for both there is a growing list of those also with motives from wanting the CPA dead, so Teddie eagerly takes up the mantle as an aspiring Jane Tennison with neighbor Astrid Nilsen the Jessica Fletcher at her side. Along with Teddie’s best friends who make up their since-gradeschool Three Musketeers, the women track down financial shenanigans, illicit affairs, and even hilariously go undercover in a strip bar.

This second in the series focuses more on Teddie’s baking skills than on her background as a bestselling cozy mystery writer, placing it firmly in that comfort reading genre. Hopefully future installments will examine more of her life as a relatively new author, especially in light of the competitive publishing market. That’s not to say that the baking completion details aren’t a “delight,” as especially since they include recipes and detailed descriptions of her baking process. Teddie’s romantic life with British suspense author Tavish Bentley is ongoing mostly through Skype until he can return for a visit, and she could use his advice when she suspects that her widowed mother may be keeping secrets. Teddie stands out as a unique and fascinating character, one who has survived so much and created an entirely new life. Details of how she wears scarves to hide her chest not for her own embarrassment but to save that of others highlights her compassion as well as her strength. A touching note from the author Laura Jensen Walker shares the struggles of writing during the terrifying times of the pandemic, yet one never senses that in the witty exchanges and lighthearted tone of the novel. The heartwarming conclusion and happy resolutions is a soothing balm for readers looking for a mouthwatering mystery that combines baking competitions, false confessions, and strippers.

Each cozy main character is unique and original and Theodora (Teddie) St. John is no exception. She describes herself as an Amazon because of her height while her dishy British boyfriend refers to her as Wonder Woman. I would have to agree with the Brit, especially after reading about her fight with breast cancer and personal choice regarding reconstructive surgery. There is also the fact that she is a cozy author and an amateur sleuth. We learn that she was accused of murder in the debut novel and now it seems that someone is trying to point a finger at her again when the local lothario gets a fatal knock on the noggin with Teddy’s own vintage rolling pin and his face shoved into a cream pie. Some say he had it coming, his oblivious wife and the local gossip are both giving Teddie the stink eye. As with any good cozy, Teddy has a posse to help clear her name, a regular three Musketeers set-up. Because after all, if a girl doesn’t have her Dad to fall back on and she and Mom just don’t see eye to eye, you need your girls to have your back. Plenty of red herrings and multiple things are just not what they seem, or is it people? Either way you are in for a great read! Truly yummy sounds recipes at the back of the book, I can feel the pounds threatening just from reading the ingredient lists, not that I will let that stop me. I also feel inspired to make a kringle, most likely a cherry or a pecan one and yes I imagine it will take three days to get all those layers good and proper.

I had a problem with the format of this book and I will come back to it once I have a hard copy of the book

This is a delightful cozy. The main protagonist is a likable, relatable, and a survivor (Breast Cancer). There is a good bit of humor woven into the storyline with the quirky fun cast of characters. The mystery is full of twists and turns up until the surprise ending.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Another fun entry in the Bookish Baker series!
When baking contest judge Lester is found murdered, immediate suspicion falls upon contestants Teddie and Sophia. Between Lester's indecent comments to young Sophia and Teddie's dressing down of the local letch, they're easy targets for his heartbroken widow and the local rumor mill. Now it's up to Teddie and her friends to sort through a suspect list that may contain nearly every woman in town and find out who put a permanent stop to Lester's wandering eyes and hands!
The main characters of this series are, for the most part, a fun, likeable bunch of characters. There are a couple exceptions, but by the end of book 2, even one of those seems to be coming around. The mystery itself was enjoyable. I appreciated the twists and turns that kept on coming, even after I thought the mystery was solved. And of course, recipes at the end of the book are always a bonus!

Deadly Delights by Laura Jensen Walker has readers returning to Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin in August where it is time for the annual baking competition. Teddie St. John finds herself a murder suspect when her grandmother’s rolling pin is used to murder Les Morris. With help from her friends, Teddie works to prove her innocence. Deadly Delights is the 2nd book in A Bookish Baker Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged in Murder Most Sweet. It contains good writing with varied pacing. There are some slow sections due to lack of action. Most of the activity takes place near the end of the book (the last fifty pages or so). Teddie St. John is a developed character. Teddie is a cozy mystery writer and baker who has had a double mastectomy. She chose not to have reconstruction surgery and makes light of her figure. It is great that Teddie is comfortable in her own skin. I like that the author is addressing the issue of breast cancer (in a compassionate way) and how a woman deals with the aftermath. Each woman must choose her own path. I wish the secondary characters were as fleshed out as our main one. There are mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods (some of the recipes are at the end of the book including one for Peanut Butter Blossoms). The mystery starts off on a humorous note with Les Morris being found face down in a contestant’s pie. There are several good suspects along with misdirection. I like how Teddie’s friends help to clear her name. They get themselves into some noteworthy situations that will have readers laughing. The author decided to add in what Teddie’s dog was thinking which I found odd since this is not a paranormal novel (it just did not go with the book). I enjoyed the sweet and touching ending that will have readers smiling. Deadly Delights is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a lecherous Les, sweet treats, caring chums, a ruined rolling pin, and a chocolate cake conundrum.