Maddy is more than a little unhappy to learn that Brandy Denton, the woman who stole Maddy’s fiancé, has found her way to New Bison... and Maddy can’t figure out why the woman has come to town. A loud argument between the two has gone viral, so Maddy is at the top of the suspect list when Brandy’s body is found – in Baby Cakes Bakery. When another body turns up days later, Maddy and the Baker Street Irregulars set out to find out what’s really going on.

The more I read from this series, the more I enjoy it. Maddy has changed so much since the beginning of the first book, she’s almost unrecognizable. She has a great group of people around her for help and support when needed, and as evidenced by one part of this story, has won over most of the town of New Bison. I love that the Admiral was such a significant part of this book, and the way he didn’t try to hijack the Irregulars’ investigation but worked with them instead. However, I think Baby is still my favorite character, although I’m not sure I would want to live with a 250-pound dog :)

The murder victim, Brandy, was a real piece of work, so looking into her life resulted in adding the names of several people to the suspect list. My list kept changing as the story progressed, and one character seemed suspicious to me relatively early in the story, although I couldn’t figure out their motive. My suspicion turned out to be correct, and the motive was something I should have figured out. The confrontation scene made me angry, but it all worked out in the end.

I hope there will be more books in this series, as I can’t wait to read about more adventures with Maddy, Baby, April, Michael – yes, and even Trooper Bob – and the rest.

4.75 stars

Book 3 in the Baker Street Mysteries is as fun and silly as the first two (aside from the murder part).

This book is all about Maddy's past barging in on her current life. The woman who stole Maddy's fiancee shows up in town, and it looks like Maddy is the number one suspect when the woman is murdered. Can the crew come together to solve the crime before Maddy gets put away for a crime she didn't commit?

I love that this book keeps the lightheartedness from the previous two while also showing some regression in Maddy's progress when people from her past show up. I enjoyed the mystery and am glad the overarching plot from the first two books finally got a resolution. Overall, the ending felt a little rushed, and I'm still left with some questions. The villain monologue when it was 4 on 1? Disappointing.
Still, I hope this isn't the end of Mandy's adventures and would love to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Valerie Burns for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death coming out July 23, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love this author’s Mystery Bookshop series, so I was excited to check out this book. I haven’t read the first two books, but I was interested in the bakery aspect. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries. I think Maddy is a strong, fun character. I love that she solves mysteries with her dog. There was definitely some crazy drama with her nemesis. I loved it though. It had the sweet, small town vibes. The ending was amazing and I’m excited to see what happens next. I definitely want to check out other books in this series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy baking mysteries!

This one was a great cozy culinary mystery. It's nice to see that culinary cozies are becoming popular again. Though I didn't love it I would read more in this series.

Highly recommended. Very entertaining and I got to solve the mystery right along with Maddie and friends. This read like the end of the series. I loved these characters and now I'm craving blondies.

Maddy is up to her elbows in being a suspect in the murder of her old nemesis Brandy when yet another body is found. Valerie Burns is highly skilled at putting together a most delightful cozy filled with excellent characters and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Love the mastiff!! Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

My favorite reads revolve around small towns and closely knit friend groups, so I was delighted to read A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death, by VM Burns. Maddy Montgomery is doing well with the bakery and she has found her groove with small town life. All seems perfect when her nemesis breezes into town and life starts to go sideways. When a body shows up in the bakery freezer the mystery takes off with a bang. Readers of the series will also see progress in the thread that started in book one.

The Lake Michigan setting descriptions are so beautiful, and have the added allure of past history. Maddy and her Aunt's friends are people with heart, caring and supporting each other---the type of people you'd like in real friends. V M Burns has a gift of mixing humor in her stories that lighten the serious and leaves me with feel-good vibes.

Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing | #KensingtonCozies #VMBurns for sending me an e-ARC in consideration of review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I review books I enjoy for friends and followers.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I loved this whole series, absolutely devoured it in days! Not sure what I’m going to do now that they’re over, so sad. Will definitely check out more from this author!

I just KNEW it was going to be that dick-bag lawyer and I was right! Valrie Burns hits it out of the park again with this latest installment! I love the relationships in this book and watching Maddy grow into her own woman. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

#ACupofFlourAPinchofDeath
#NetGalley

This book was FUN! Loved another installment of Maddy and her friends, especially getting to know The Admiral. The book wrapped up both the latest case as well as an overarching theme. The series could be satisfactorily ended here, but I really hope Ms. Burns continues it!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

When several people from Maddy’s old life show up in town, she knows things are not going to end well. But she never expected her nemesis to be murdered and left in her bakery! Whomever did it is also doing a great job of setting Maddy up to take the fall.

Can Maddy and the Banker Street Irregulars solve the case before Maddy ends up spending her life in prison for a murder she didn’t commit? Only if they can follow the clues the killer didn’t intend to leave.

This is we smart and well written series. Maddy is relatable as she was an influencer, but now is a regular person and actually teaches readers how to tag their posts for the maximum effect. All while solving a murder, running a baker and raising her “Baby”. I love it!

I have enjoyed many hours reading a cozy mystery by author Valerie Burns and A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death was another delightful read. Ms. Burns always crafts characters that resonate with her readers. They are likeable and readers can relate to at least one character in the book. This installment of the series had a great pace that kept me turning pages to find out how the story would end. Although this is the third installment of the series, if you missed the first two don't hesitate to pick up this one. It can be read as a stand alone and Ms. Burns does a nice job of recapping so that new readers are not lost and returning readers have a refresher on what has already happened.

A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death is the third book in the Baker Street mystery series by Valerie Burns. Social media influencer Maddy Montgomery is adjusting to her new life in Downtown New Bison located on the Lake Michigan coastline, taking care of an inherited English mastiff and running Baby Cakes Bakery. The business is getting so much good publicity that it draws the attention of former nemesis/fiancé stealing Brandy Denton. But when an argument goes viral and Brandy's body is found at Baby Cakes, Maddy is the prime suspect.

A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death can be read as a standalone. The author, Valerie Burns, does a great job with introductions and providing enough background so readers new to the series are not clueless. It is also a refresher for current fans. There is nothing to dislike about this cast of characters in the Baker Street mystery series. The camaraderie among Maddy, her great-aunt's friends, her veterinarian boyfriend, the sheriff and her father "The Admiral" are baker's kiss.

Like most cozy mysteries, it is unbelievable that murders just happen to happen around the same amateur sleuth at the same place of business in a quaint town. But it doesn't take any joy away from reading the story. The mystery itself will have you guessing on the right track with treats along the way. What sets this series apart from other foodie cozy mysteries? Characters of color, a lovable pet and real recipes! Need I say more?

Happy Early Pub Day, Valerie Burns! A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death will be available on July 23.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Thanks to #Netgalley I was able to read this early instead of waiting!

Maddy, Baby, Michael and the gang meet the Admiral! Not the main plot of the story, but I was very glad to see his character get fleshed out. Maddy is settling into her new life as a business owner with a flair for social media marketing very well. So of course, here nemesis(plural) show up in New Bison. Valerie Burns has crafted an ending to this arc which is twisty and satisfying. I actually had the villain in my sights from the second book, but there were many twists to the story. The action moves along at a brisk pace and side stories get pulled into the overall arc. I would like to see Maddy do less crying in the future, but she was under a lot of stress in this novel.

Why should you read this? Well there are very good side characters which are getting more backstory with each book. Maddy is growing with each story and so are her friends. Baby gets a girlfriend. Food, coffee and dogs! What more do you need? I am hooked on the Baker Street Mystery series and hope Ms. Burns keeps them coming.

#ACupofFlourAPinchofDeath #NetGalley

I DNF'd this book. I was more interested in the secondary character's than I was the heroine. She owned a bakery and couldn't even boil eggs...ummm ok. I get that she inherited the place, but the author makes it sound like she knows how to bake. And then she gets scared over every little noise. Again, I get that in the previous books, people got killed, but come on.

I get that her fiancée left her at the alter, but she's questioning her current boyfriend at every step. It's kinda frustrating.. Again I get it, it's real life, but we don't want to read about REAL real life, we want to escape it.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that the heroine is not very independent. And I was very sad that the dog; who I was very much reading about....since the dogs in all the books I have read are absolutely hysterical, the dog named Baby was not.

This third cozy mystery featuring Maddy, her mastiff Baby, Michael, and all her friends is a delightful and fast-paced whodunit. I love the characters and know I’m in for a fun read when returning to Maddy’s bakery and her propensity to find trouble. And there are fun recipes at the end of the book.

So much fun! Maddy, in this third title in the series, is finally getting the hang of running her bakery and getting to know all the characters in the tiny Lake Michigan beach town she has settled into after expecting a more glamorous life in Los Angeles. In this episode, we finally meet Brandy, the woman who stole Maddy's fiance, and that's where all the excitement begins. Great story, great characters, and a fun, cozy lakeside setting.

This lovely cozy mystery novel reminds me of the ones I used to read when I first got into reading books as a hobby. I adore the big pup, the entertaining side characters and small town vibes. This was a heart warming, smile inducing and fun, quick read. It’s always a nice touch when the recipes are added to the book too. Definitely recommend this whole series!

This book 3 in the A Baker Street Mystery Series, and I give it a 4.5 (but h=5 here fr the rating)

This book was a struggle for me at the beginning and middle.

Mandy had so much personal growth the first 2 books, but she slides backwards some here as far as then men in her life go, and how she handles herself.

She does right herself by the end and is the Maddy we can get on board with.

The Admiral is a solid fixture in this book, with (what I am hoping) will be a love interest.

Baby also gets a love interest, Daisy.

We meet Maddy’s Ex Fiance, the woman he left her for, and a few others from her past.

And, the “traitor” is revealed.
At times, we are led to believe it is Miss Hannah. Now, I’m not one to post spoilers, so I won't. 😉 But you should look towards the male characters 😅

The book does have solid ending and I look forward to book 4.

Thank you for the ARC

A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death is a fun, cozy mystery with lots of humor, great characters, and an adorable 250 lb English mastiff named Baby. This is the third book in Valerie Burns’ Baker Street Mystery series. Mandy enlists her friends in solving yet another murder. Although a relative newcomer to New Bison, Mandy discovers that this small town takes care of their own. I love Ms. Burns’ sense of humor and easy writing style. I highly recommend this book and the first two in the series. I look forward to reading more of her books.