Maddy has transformed Baby Cakes Bakery—named after her 250-pound English Mastiff, Baby—into a thriving business. She's also preparing to marry the love of her life, local veterinarian Michael Portman. Excitement is in the air as the nation's largest bridal expo arrives in New Bison, Michigan, and Maddy has secured a coveted spot for Baby Cakes to showcase their signature wedding cakes.
Eager to make the most of the opportunity, Maddy enters a contest for an all-expenses-paid dream wedding, hosted by the world-renowned wedding planner Serafina. However, Serafina proves to be notoriously difficult, with a reputation that precedes her. Tensions rise—until she’s found murdered, impaled by one of the decorative skewers used in Baby Cakes' wedding cakes. Another great adventure with the Baby Cakes crew.
#IcingontheMurder #NetGalley

I did not love this cozy mystery. It may be because I read so many of these that this felt full of the usual tropes. I haven't read the rest of the series and did not find the characters compelling. I thought that there were some unrealistic aspects of the plot (law enforcement freely sharing with civilians). I appreciated the diverse cast of characters. Would recommend to avid readers of cozy mysteries with reservations.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I would recommend this book. It even has good recipes included. I like the series a if you like humor with your cozy you will enjoy this book. Of course there's a murder mystery for Maddy and her dog Baby to solve.

I am a complete Valeries Burns fan and love all of her books, but the Baker Street Mystery series is my favorite. That might be because they are the ones I have read most recently, but the books ARE excellent. The 4th and newest book in the series, Icing on the Murder, brings of a marvelous array of characters and once again puts a real mystery right in the laps of their amateur detective plus one group. The group joins Maddy as she attends a Bridal Fair as an exhibit and a bride which pulls in lots of directs. The situation gets even tighter when a bridal consultant who makes the worst bridezilla look calm gets put in her place. Icing on the Murder is a fun read as well as a complex mystery.
Thanks, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read and review this great cozy mystery.

#NetGalley #Kensinton #ValerieBurns #ABakerStreetMystery #Icing on the Murder.

Icing on the Murder is the perfect confection of cozy mystery goodness—frosted with humor, layered with suspense, and topped with just the right amount of bridal mayhem. Whether you’re here for the murder, the mayhem, or the mouthwatering cake descriptions, this book serves it all on a silver platter and leaves you craving more.

What makes this book truly shine is its balance of heart and humor. Maddy is a heroine you cheer for sharp, passionate, and grounded, even when the fondant hits the fan. The cast is vibrant and richly drawn, from snarky suspects to sweet town locals, and every one of them adds flavor to the plot.

The bridal expo setting is a brilliant backdrop—glamorous, chaotic, and brimming with egos, secrets, and potential motives. The mystery itself is delightfully twisty, packed with red herrings and satisfying reveals that will keep you guessing (and grinning) until the very end. And let’s be honest, any mystery that involves cake, a drooling mastiff sidekick, and a bridezilla-turned-corpse is already a winner.

Icing on the Murder is a feel-good, frosted-with-fun mystery perfect for fans of culinary cozies, strong female sleuths, and stories that blend warmth with wit. Don’t be surprised if you finish this one and immediately go looking for more from Maddy and the Baby Cakes crew. Highly recommended!

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of ICING ON THE MURDER (Book 4 of the Baker Street mystery series) by Valerie Burns in exchange for an honest review. Influencer and bakery owner, Maddy Montgomery is balancing time with her friends, promoting her bakery, running her bakery, with planning her wedding. In an effort to both advertise her bakery and plan her wedding, Maddy has secured a booth at the country’s biggest bridal expo and a slot in a competition at the expo for the services of a famous wedding planner. The Baby Cakes Bakery is a success at the expo, and they sell out. However, the wedding planner is a horror and meets a suitably horrendous ending during the competition. Maddy calls in the troops; everyone must work on solving the murder since they only have until the end of the day to identify the killer. During the investigation, Maddy must confront her fear of decision-making and resolve her differences with her fiancé over the wedding details.

I liked the book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring new beginnings, personal growth, ginormous dogs named “Baby,” and so much food.

#IcingontheMurder #NetGalley

Icing on the Murder takes us back to New Bison and the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of friends who love to solve mysteries. While planning her own wedding, Maddy, owner of Baby Cakes Bakery, is excited to attend a Bridal Expo hoping to win the grand prize, the expertise of the headliner wedding planner. When a murder occurs at the Expo, the Baker Street Irregulars are on the job working to solve the mystery. I thoroughly enjoy these books and the antics involved with Maddy, her amateur sleuth friends, and her lovable 250 pound mastiff, Baby.

This 4th book in the Baker Street Mystery series is a fun read, complete with plenty of potential suspects, a cast of delightful amateur sleuths, and a lovable mastiff. What starts as a visit to a wedding fair and a contest to win the services of a wedding planner ends with murder and more questions than answers. This is an entertaining, quick read and I enjoyed it immensely.

Influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery is getting married to her prince charming (veterinarian/former soldier) Michael Portman. Her first non-wedding cost a fortune but Michael just wants something very simple. But Maddy enters a contest hoping to win a consult with a famous wedding planner who turns out to be VERY unpleasant. Then very DEAD. Let the investigating begin, but NOT with Trooper Bob! Great fun!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Available Jul 29 2025
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I absolutely loved this book! The perfect mix of romance and mystery kept me hooked. Maddy is such a strong, determined character (although it's taking her some time to realize it), and I couldn’t help but root for her as she juggled wedding plans and a shocking murder.
The characters truly shine, especially the witty and Hannah, who I absolutely adore. The rest of the Baker Street Irregulars and Baby also bring charm and humor to the investigation.
Through it all, Maddy and Michael’s love story remained the heart of the book, making me even more excited for their upcoming wedding. Aunt Octavia would be so proud!
I can't wait to see what happens next in Maddy’s journey. This book is a delightful treat for fans of cozy mysteries with a dash of romance!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Maddie Montgomery's big day is coming soon! She's excited to marry her army vet, Michael Portman. All she needs is the perfect wedding planner, who she is hoping to snag at an upcoming bridal fair. However, not all goes to plan when wedding planner extraordinare, Serafina, is found dead and instead of planning her wedding Maddie is hunting down a killer.

I love this series so much!!!! It is easily in my Top 5 favourite cozies. I've enjoyed watching Maddie go from embarrassed, jilted bride and slightly spoiled to the business woman of Baby Cakes Bakery, fur-mom to Baby, her English Mastiff, and loving life in New Bison. Every adventure she throws herself into, and every book is just fantastic.

This one was especially good! Serafina wasn't a nice person when she was alive and Maddie and the Baker Street Gang are going to have a difficult time finding a killer!!

My favourite part of Icing on the Murder is the inclusion of figuring out which policing jurisdiction is responsible for solving the crime, which takes place at a casino, which is on Tribal land. Valerie Burns always includes a wide variety of inclusion in her books, and I just loved this. I found it really realistic that it might not be as easy as the local police finding a killer, and it's just another reason that I love her books.

I absolutely never hesitate to recommend this series. It's a perfect series to show what we all love about cozy mysteries, and if you haven't read a cozy before this is a great start. I can't wait for the next one.

Valerie Burns has to be my fave cozy mystery writer, and this series is my fave. I loved this installment. I kinda figured out the suspect early on but that's just me, no reflection of the writing overall.

Another sweet addition to the Baker Street series! Maddy and Baby are back and better than ever! I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Maddy go from spoiled to independent! But luckily, with that independence she's also gained the kind of friends and family that she can always depend on.

When Maddy first showed up in this series, she was a shallow, entitled social media influencer running from public embarrassment to a mysterious legacy in a small town. In order to accept her legacy, she had to take on responsibilities, including a business and an enormous mastiff. By this title, she has matured into an influential member of the community, supporting friends and family and learning a lot along the way.

She's still fun and great at the hashtags, but the more mature Maddy is a lot more loveable.

In this novel, she's repping her bakery at a bridal show and hoping to win a contest for time with an Insta-famous wedding planner. When a murder takes place, Maddy and her posse have no choice but to snoop, at least until the various law enforcement agencies figure out the jurisdiction issues. The story is lively and fun, with lots of great wedding details and plenty of love.

#IcingontheMurder #NetGalley is a fantastic addition to this series.
I've grown to love the characters in this story, and joining Maddy on her wedding planning is quite the adventure.
Serafina, the wedding planner everyone is talking about, isn't who she pretends to be, and her actions cause quite the commotion at the bridal expo.
While her death is not surprising, the investigation reveals secrets and lies, leading up to the identity of the killer.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.