Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the first book in a new series by Valerie Burns. I was able to read an ARC from NetGalley. The story takes place in a small town in Southwestern Michigan right on the shores of Lake Michigan. This is a charming area of the United States and a good place to set a cozy as there are many cute towns that cater to tourists with picturesque little downtowns and many people visit throughout the year. Tourists are always helpful in cozy mysteries when you don't want to kill off all the townspeople.

The star of this series is Baby the Bull Mastiff. Baby is left to Maddy in Aunt Octavia's will along with Aunt Octavia's "BabyCakes Bakery" and Aunt Octavia's gorgeous lakefront house. Maddy is pretty annoying at the beginning of the book, very self-centered, and materialistic. She is very smart though and quickly realizes she is at a crossroads, she can continue to live off her father or she can be her own person. I liked her growth in this book.

I look forward to seeing where things go in book two. There is a setup for more murders and betrayals ahead --and that's putting it mildly!

4 stars
#NetGalley #TwoPartsSugarOnePartMurder

What would you do if you inherited a bakery (and house--I know!!!) but couldn't boil water, literally? Madison's Admiral father gave her everything except every-day survival skills. He treated her like she was flighty and stupid, and she believed him, he was The Admiral! But she always hoped somebody was a little bit wrong about her.

Maddy's lack of skills--other than shopping and social media influencing--were never a problem before... She didn't even notice until there was no one to fetch and carry for her in the tiny coastal town of New Bison. (Yes, bison, like buffalo.) Her estranged Aunt Octavia left a will requiring her to live there. Hoping to help her see what she was missing.

Unfortunately, a criminal storm was brewing in New Bison. One of corruption, conspiracy, and murder. And Madison would need the help of her new friends to survive the cold Lake Michigan winter!

This was a great book! A suspenseful story that kept me reading and predicting what might happen. I enjoyed the humor, and Maddy's growth as she gained confidence. Not perfect, but a very fun read!

5/5

Thanks to Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for the temporary ecopy preview of this book; any review is voluntary and entirely my own opinion.

#TwoPartsSugarOnePartMurder #NetGalley
#ABakerStreetMysteryBook1
#KensingtonBooks #KensingtonCozies
#ValerieBurns #ValerieBurnsAuth
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#CozyCulinaryMysteries

This is the first in a new cozy series from Valerie Burns, who has previously written mysteries under VM Burns. I have mixed feelings about this book, maybe it's because I'm old but the protagonist's obsession with social media and hashtags grated on my last nerve.

Maddy Montgomery is a spoiled princess who, after being left at the altar during her livestream wedding, picks up and moves to New Bison, MI. It's a teeny town on the lake. She learns she has inherited her great aunt's property and her bakery but has to stay for one year before she can sell. She also inherited Baby, a 250 pound English Mastiff, who steals the book.

Maddy is supposed to be 25-ish and I'm used to Burns' older protagonists including the group of "elderly" women in her Mystery Bookshop series. Burns writes the young crowd well but the constant hashtags in the book nearly made me give up more than once. Perhaps that's the gimmick for this cozy.

Hopefully Maddy grows up and stops putting everything online. I would read another in this series with the hopes that might actually happen.

This is considered a "cozy" murder mystery. So cutesy happy ending with a "oh there's a murdered body, let's still bake" vibe. Which just isn't for me. It was also pretty predictable. I'm also SO over the female main characters who take pictures of everything they do and upload to social media with a million hashtags. Do the hashtags really need to be at the end of every chapter? Overall, it was just okay for me.

When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great-aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 250-pound English mastiff named Baby.

Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka the Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .

Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions, too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Maddy Montgomery’s life has been all over social media. She was even going to live stream her wedding but that imploded when the groom failed to show up for the nuptials. Unsure what direction her life may take she receives notification that her great aunt Octavia has died and she has left everything to Maddy. Her home in New Bison, Michigan, her bakery, and her Baby, a 250-pound English mastiff. The only stipulation is that she must live in Octavia’s home for a year. Much to her father’s dismay, Maddy takes off for Michigan to start over. Of course, she doesn’t bake so hopefully that is not a problem. She also knows nothing about caring for a dog as big as a horse.

Thankfully all of Octavia’s friends aka Baker Street Irregulars take Maddie under their wings to help her get her life in New Bison off to a good start. But then the mayor of New Bison is found dead and Maddy’s fingerprints are on the murder weapon. Not the way she intended to be #StartingOver. She soon learns that Octavia thought something strange was going on in New Bison and Maddy believes it too. She needs #catchthekiller before they strike again and Maddy becomes the next victim.

Maddie was a spoiled military brat and her father provided for every need. Her job as a social media influencer kept her busy and flush enough to buy the fancy shoes she loves. Drop the socialite in a small midwestern town on her own where she will either sink or swim. I was so happy with the way Maddy developed over the course of this book. She still spent time on her phone letting her followers know what she was doing but she also used her knowledge to help others. I loved all the #hashtags Maddy used throughout the book and that she stayed upbeat for her fans.

I also enjoyed meeting Leroy Danielson. He works at the bakery and was a great friend to her great aunt. He didn’t let Maddy get away with the “I can’t bake/cook” line. We also meet several more of Octavia’s friends, including Miss Hannah who suffers from dementia but loves to bake and her grandson, Michael, the local vet, Mr. Russell, Octavia, and now Maddy’s lawyer, Tyler Lawrence who owns a shop with the most wonderful knit sweaters and scarves. and Sheriff April Johnson. All these characters felt genuine and diverse and they all loved Octavia and were ready to help Maddy in any way they could, especially after the mayor’s murder.

Baby, the English mastiff is a great character too. He goes almost everywhere with Maddy and tries to protect her just like he did Octavia. You could tell how much he missed the woman that took care of him since he was a pup. Ms. Burns always has dogs in her stories and like those other dogs, Baby grabbed a place in my heart.

The mystery was top-notch too. Octavia was on to something when she died and left clues for Maddy to find. As she delved into her investigation she learned that the people in town had plenty of secrets and that the current deaths may be connected to her great aunt’s death. The closer she got to the truth the pace really picked up. I really enjoyed the scene when that final clue dropped into place for Maddy.

The small-town atmosphere and the way everyone came together several times to help with the bakery or talk about the case really pulled me in. It was surprising that the sheriff was part of the Baker Street Irregulars. It was refreshing to see her wanting help and not just telling everyone to leave the investigation to her.

I have to take a moment to praise all the delicious baking that happens within these pages. Maddy may not have known how to bake but she has a great teacher in Leroy. She also found all her great aunt’s recipes. I am excited to see Baby Cakes Bakery back in action.

Ms. Burns has set this series off to a wonderful start with Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. She has found the perfect recipe for what I hope is a long-running series. I found the story to be very entertaining and difficult to put down.

Maddy is an military brat that inherits her great-aunts bakery. She has a chance to start over in a small town in Michigan with a 200 pound Mastiff named Baby! With the help Of a group of crime solving friends Maddy starts putting the pieces together and realizes there more going on in this small town.

I absolutely loved this debut cozy mystery by Valerie Burns. The characters are very likable the setting is fantastic and the dialogue is witty. I flew through this book and will gladly preorder the next one.
Thank You, NetGalley and Kensington books for this Arc in return for an honest review.

I was so excited for this new cozy mystery and the story, the characters, the setting, the premise it's all really good, but I couldn't get around a few things and I hope that the author has corrected these in publication.

1. The setting is obviously New Buffalo, Michigan which has been disguised as "New Bison." In the beginning of the book the MC is getting ready to board a flight from Chicago to New Bison (or at least to NW Indiana). As a native Hoosier and someone that has lived in Chicago it only takes 90 minutes to drive to New Buffalo, so flying is just weird as the flight could only be 10-15 min long.

2. The author uses a slur for a Native American woman when referring to the uniforms of waitresses at the local casino. I think the slur is unnecessary and should be removed as there are other ways the uniforms could be described, or the uniforms didn't need to be a cultural appropriation at all or not even described. I don't really think the uniforms or the casino are extremely pertinent to the book and really could just be replaced with a regular restaurant, unless the author is trying to set up for additional books in the series. However, I still think the slur needs to be removed and replaced and that the author should apologize to any Native American/Indigenous readers where this might have caused harm.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book, but I can't in good conscious rate this very high due to the use of the slur and misappropriation of the Indigenous culture.

I was really disappointed in this one guys. The premise offered up a sweet cozy mystery and while it delivered in some aspects, it did not do it for me. Firstly, I found Mandy to be quite annoying and repetitive. There were many occurrences where I rolled my eyes at something she said or did. She just came off as naive, bratty, and annoying. The dog, Baby, was by far the best character. The overall mystery also seemed a bit far fetched. There wasn’t enough background information for me to believe the story of the killer and the reasoning's. And the way this just abruptly ended without so much of a second thought as to who (if there was a third partner) the other killer was baffled me. I needed more out of this one. Completely missed the mark for me. One thing that I really did love was the inclusion of recipes at the end of the book. I thought it was a nice touch to go along with the story.

Oof. This book had so much potential! A main character who is extremely sheltered with expensive taste, but is open, friendly and kind. A small midwestern town with interesting and diverse supporting characters. And an adorable canine companion! I even enjoyed Great Aunt Octavia - she may be dead, but her personality still shone on the page.

But this book felt like it was still in the middle of major revisions when shared as an ARC. And I'm not talking about typing errors. There was a lot of awkward repetition of dialogue and times when a character would seem to completely forget the information they were given in the previous chapter. It's as if no one edited the manuscript for continuity.

One of the appeals of a cozy mystery series is that each book presents a new mystery that is resolved by the end. There may be a teaser for the next book, but typically all major questions are answered. Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder ended with some serious loose ends. Who was the third person in the room? Who is the Judas in the group? Did Maddy accept Leroy's explanation about the mysterious phone call? And who pushed Miss Octavia to her death? I could have accepted some of the continuity issues if there were a satisfying ending. Instead, the story completely fell apart.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for sharing this eARC.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute, fun read, using the well-worn fish out of water trope but giving it a fresh new spin by including Baby, a bull mastiff in the mix. Having inherited her previously unknown-to-her great aunt's house and bakery business - with the proviso that she live in small-town Michigan for a year - we see our heroine discover her inheritance (and new skills) step by step. There is also a murder mystery in the mix, plus friendship, baking and humor. This was pretty much the definition of cozy, and while that isn't necessarily my preferred genre, I really enjoyed this book.

Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the début instalment in Valerie Burns's mystery series featuring Maddy Montgomery who graduated with a degree in art history. She has split up with her fiancé, Elliott, who didn't put in an appearance at their planned wedding, and then she learns that her great aunt has left her bakery business and a Georgian-style house to her in her will but the conditions therein are that she will have to live in New Bison in southwest Michigan for a year. So Maddy, who is a social media fanatic takes over at Baby Cakes Bakery. She also inherits great Aunt Octavia's huge English Mastiff called Baby, a stud dog. Maddy has been brought up by her dad, a Navy Admiral; he is sceptical of Maddy and her intention to run Baby Cakes Bakery even for just a short amount of time. Paul Rivers who owns the hardware shop next door and also happens to be the local mayor goes into the bakery and meets Maddy. There is a heated exchange and later, Rivers winds up dead after being stabbed.

A fun and immensely compelling read that ensures I'll be looking out for book two. The characters are interesting, colourful, and well constructed. The members of the Baker Street Irregulars, a book club headed by Octavia, offer Maddy their support. Fortunately, the bakery employees consisting of Leroy Danielson the baker, and Hannah, who works out front are keen to open the bakery again. Garrett Kelley, who owns the local bookshop is also around to help out. It has twists and turns to hold my interest, a good dollop of humour and the storyline moves along swiftly. The star of the show is definitely Baby. I look forward to getting to know Maddy et al. better in the upcoming books.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

After Maddy Montgomery was dumped at the altar, she decides to move to New Bison, Michigan where her Aunt Octavia, to her surprise, left her a house, a bakery business and a 200-pound English Mastiff named Baby. Maddy doesn’t bake, but the locals are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka The Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife!
I absolutely loved this cozy culinary mystery. Maddy was a woman at a crossroads and needed a push in the right direction. Her aunt’s inheritance helped her change out of the spoiled girl of her youth into a woman who cared for others. There were enough red herrings to keep me guessing. The one thing that irked me was that I don’t think the ending was complete. Were all of the murders solved? I don’t like loose ends in my mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I loved this cozy mystery!! At the beginning I was worried I wouldn't like Maddy, but that girl is a real tough cookie. I thought this was exactly as the title stated: two parts sugar, one part murder. I love the bond between a girl and her dog, and her pivoting her life to learn a bunch of new skills as well as investigating a murder.

The writing made the characters very relatable and they all seemed to act their age, which can be an issue with cozy mysteries. I can't wait to read the next one!

A delicious fun book in a new cozy series. Maddy, social influencer, unexpectedly inherits a bakery, house, and large English mastiff (250-pounds) from her great aunt in a small town on Lake Michigan. She's determined to show her admiral father that she can make it on her own (even if she can't bake). With the help of new friends and a lovable dog, she settles in. But when murder shows its head, Maddy wonders if she will be the baked one...

I'm not big into social influencers but while there are hash tags and posting on media sites in the book it doesn't dominate the story. She uses her knowledge of social media to promote the bakery and other businesses in town so it isn't just shallow content. I admire Maddy trying to stand on her own two-feet and make it on her own, particularly in a world so different than the one she is used to.

The other characters are well-developed and add that community touch that is so much a part of a cozy atmosphere. Of course, you can't forget Baby, the 250-pound mastiff who steals a lot of scenes. There's a lot of humor, particularly when Maddy first begins to care for baby and attempts to cook.

The culprit was kind of obvious too me, but there were plenty of twists that kept me interested and some delicious food as well. I would definitely read more of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Maddy Montgomery is a master of social media. But when her livestreamed wedding turned out to be a public humiliation when the groom didn’t show up, she needed something completely different. So when her great-aunt passed away and left Maddy her home and business in Michigan, Maddy jumped at the chance.

Miss Octavia, as her friends had called her, had owned BabyCakes Bakery in New Bison. She was a smart woman who surrounded herself with good friends, but as she warns Maddy in the video she left behind, there are also some people with less pure motives in the town. Miss Octavia believed that there were some underhanded real estate deals going on, as so much of the beautiful lakefront property was getting swallowed up by wealthy out-of-towners instead of staying in the hands of the locals.

But Maddy’s biggest surprise comes in the form of a friendly but gigantic English mastiff named Baby. Baby was Miss Octavia’s companion and protector, but he is also a purebred and could fetch impressive stud fees. And while Maddy never got to meet her mother’s aunt while Miss Octavia was still alive, a tour of her house made Maddy feel like her great-aunt had great taste. A cozy reading room reveals shelves and shelves of mystery novels, including Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christies, some of Maddy’s favorites.

A quick trip to the bakery that night reveals a warm space with lots of room to bake and sell beautiful baked goods. But when she hears something that sets Baby on edge, she grabs a knife and gets ready to defend herself and her store. But when Baby calms down, Maddy thinks that there was no one in there after all and sets the knife down and heads back to the house.

Early the next morning, Leroy shows up at the house to find her. He works at BabyCakes and wanted to let her know that they were open and could use more help. Maddy puts some comfortable clothes on (does Jimmy Choo make sneakers?) and goes with Leroy. She meets Hannah, her great-aunt’s best friend who helps out at the bakery, and Miss Octavia’s gentleman friend, Garrett, who owns the bookstore across the street. Maddy learns to work the register and helps customers until the bakery cases are almost empty. Leroy offers to bake some more, and Maddy finally admits her dirty little secret—she can’t bake.

In her first couple of days in New Bison, Maddy meets a mastiff breeder who wants to buy Baby from her and a real estate developer who wants to buy her house. The mayor, who owns the hardware store next to BabyCakes, wants to buy her store so he can expand his business. And Hannah, who suffers from some dementia, tells her that Miss Octavia was murdered. Maddy refuses to part with Baby, and Miss Octavia has written into the will that Maddy had to stay in the house and run the bakery for a year before she could sell anything. Maddy digs her heels in, wanting to stay and create a future for herself in Michigan, even though her military father wants her to come home.

But when the mayor is murdered in the bakery, and then the store set on fire, Maddy is called into the police station to answer for the fact that the knife he had been stabbed with was one from BabyCakes. And it has Maddy’s fingerprints on it. But when Maddy finds out that Miss Octavia’s friends had banded together as The Baker Street Irregulars, solving crimes and building friendships, she is determined to find out what really happened to the mayor and to prove her innocence and her competence.

But as the Irregulars figure out that the killer must have taken the knife from BabyCakes that first night that Maddy thought she heard someone there, they realize that the killer must be someone that Baby thought of as a friend. Can Maddy crack the case and find a killer if Baby won’t protect her?

Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the first in a new mystery series from veteran cozy writer Valerie Burns, and her past experience shines through. This book is well plotted, with characters you immediately wat to be friends with and a scene-stealing dog. It’s smart, with a little snark, and funny, with lots of delectable goodies. And at the end of the book are a few recipes to try out at home—Lemon Zucchini Bread, Apple Turnovers, and Thumbprint Cookies. So actually, you might want to start at the end, because you get hungry listening to everyone talk about how good the pastries are throughout the book.

I have read a decent number of mysteries, but I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything by Burns before. Actually, I probably haven’t if this is typical of her writing. I would remember, because her writing here is absolutely divine. Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder reads like butter. I tend to get distracted a lot (squirrel!), but I didn’t have a lot of trouble sitting down with this and getting lost in the story. I love these characters, and I can’t wait for more adventures from The Baker Street Irregulars.

Egalleys for Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder were provided b Kensington Books through NetGalley, but I was lucky enough to also receive a physical copy from the publisher, with many thanks.

Valerie Burns always exceeds my expectations, and she has kept up that record with Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, the first book in her new A Baker Street Mystery series. This wonderful novel brings together all of the elements that makes V.M. (Valerie) Burns one of my favorite authors. Her characters are delightful and move into my heart quickly, although when we first met Maddie Montgomery, I wondered for just a bit if the Louboutin-wearing blogger was going to be a letdown. Nope, Maddie is as strong and kind a protagonist as the main characters in the earlier series, but she sure has her own style. It wasn't long before I fell in love with Maddie and the people who befriended her. Burns revealed the awesome aunt from whom Maddie inherited a house, a bakery and an English Mastiff, and I fell for the late Aunt Octavia, whom our protagonist barely knew, right along with the Maddie. With the first murder, I was more concerned about that bakery than I was for the deceased! Watching the new group of friends step up and work together truly touched my hearts. Watching several people in that group come to realize that they had more to offer than they realized was even more heartwarming. Not all of the characters were great guys by any means, so I was pleased to see that the young newcomers weren't fooled for long by anyone.
Action began almost from the first page and flowed from beginning to end. Some of it had me holding my breath; some of it had me laughing out loud. I like that balance in a story. The adorable but realistic 250-pound Baby could have carried the book by himself, but I appreciate that he allowed the strong ensemble to share the tale with him.
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for accepting my request to read an ARC of Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by the amazing Valerie Burns. My review is my own thoughts. I loved this book!
#NetGalley #CrookedLane #ValerieBurns #VMBurns #TwoPartsSugarOnePartMurder

This cozy mystery was engaging until the very end. Maddy definitely had a huge character arc and it was great to read.

Baby 😭

I had two guesses for the killer and the reason. I was right but my first guess was wrong that's how good it was. I hope this book is the beginning of a series and we get more great aunt Octavia cameos.

Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the first book by Valerie Burns in the Baker Street Mystery series. I love the author’s other series, and I love this new one as well.

Madison(Maddy) Montgomery has led a pampered life following her Navy Admiral father on his naval assignments. She loves high fashion and has a beautiful personality. Events have her feeling sad as her husband-to-be left her standing at the altar. And to make matters worse for her, the wedding was being streamed live on her social media.

But life is to change for the better, she hopes, as she learns that her Great-Aunt Octavia has passed and has left Maddy her lake-front home and bakery business. After arriving in New Bison and speaking to Octavia’s lawyer, she must live in the house, keep the bakery running, and take care of her dog, Baby, an English Mastiff. Maddy has never baked in her life, but she is determined to her dad that she can make something of herself and live up to her aunt's belief in her.

The first night in her new home, the members of the Baker Street Irregulars, a book club headed by Octavia, came over to meet Maddy and give her their support. Fortunately for Maddy, the bakery staff consisting of Leroy, the baker, and Hannah, who works the front, are anxious to open the bakery again. It doesn’t take long after arriving in New Bison that she is getting offers to sell her home and bakery. She also receives a very generous offer to sell Baby. All of which she will turn down. One of the offers extended to Maddy was from Mayor Rivers, who suggested that the bakery’s wiring may not be up to code and the bakery was a disaster waiting to happen. The following day Mayor Rivers is found dead in the bakery, having been stabbed with a knife. When the knife is found to have come from the bakery, and Maddy’s fingerprints are on it, Maddy will become a person of interest. Also, Maddy has found some notes her aunt had written that suggested that her death might have been murder. So, Maddy and her newfound friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, will begin investigating the death of Mayor Rivers.

This book is a fantastic start for a new series. The story is well-written, plotted, and descriptively told. The cast of characters are well-written and developed, and believable. I particularly enjoyed how Maddy could put the past behind her, embrace her future of running a successful business, and possibly find romance again. It was also endearing to see how well the Irregulars adopted Maddy from the beginning and how they always have each other's backs. The book also has a good mixture of humor throughout the book. That adorable pup, Baby, was a highlight. There were enough twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end as to the identity of the killer.

Recipes are also included.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this exciting new series.

This was the perfect cosy mystery! It was such an easy read, I flew through the chapters within a day. I love that one of the main characters was an English Mastiff named Baby. I did find the ending quite rushed and abrupt, but I understand that this is book #1 of a series? This is a great recommendation for someone looking for a quick and easy read.

What a delightful start to a new series! I was a little worried when I started reading and she was a bit of a pampered princess, but I was glad to see that she immediately had a great support system and that she bucked up. This was fun and frothy, but also had a great mystery. Was it pretty easy to guess everything? Yes. But was it a fun read? Yes!