I read this book in one sitting. While I realize it is not a weighty tome, I wanted to find out what happened. It felt a little like a locked room murder since the book takes place over a few hours instead of days or weeks like prior books in the series.

Maddy Montgomery is gearing up for the New Bison Wedding Expo, both to showcase her bakery, Baby Cakes and hopefully to win a wedding planned by the infamous Serafina (no last name) because she is afraid she won't be able to make decisions for the perfect wedding. Serafina comes to Baby Cakes prior to the event, only to get bowled over by Maddy's mastiff, Baby, and humiliated during a livestream.

Maddy surges forward determined to win the contest, despite the protests of her fiancé who just keeps telling her as long as they get married, things are perfect. Serafina winds up murdered at the Expo and the list of suspects is rather long. Since she is murdered by something from Maddy's bakery and the state trooper in the investigation wants to pin it on Maddy, she has til the end of the expo to solve the murder.

Baby is the big star of this book, which is one of the reasons I love this series. Maddy gets more endearing with the story progression. I really engaged with her character and the group she refers to as her own Baker's Street Irregulars. Ms. Burns knows how to create colorful, fun characters that make you want to put your life aside and hang out with them for a while.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

My thanks to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maddy Montgomery, a spoiled daughter of a navy Admiral, is a social media influencer and now the owner of her late aunt’s bakery, Baby Cakes. She’s getting married to her hunky boyfriend, Michael, an Army vet and veterinarian. To be more independent from her father, Maddy and Michael are refusing to let him pay for their wedding. Determined to save money, Maddy decides to enter a contest at the Wedding Expo, where her bakery has a booth. The contest is being run by Seraphina, the country’s premier wedding planner, who turns out to be a monster and is eventually murdered. Now, Maddy and her Baker Street investigators must solve the mystery before the police arrest the wrong person. This delightful addition to the cozy mystery series showcases the author’s skill in setting up the murder and introducing a variety of potential suspects. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and Valerie Burns for the E ARC of this book.
This is book 4 of the A Baker Street Bakery. Maddie and Michael as trying to sort out all the details for their wedding. It so happens that a big wedding expo is coming to New Bison and not only has Maddie secured a stall for her Bakery but she has also entered herself and Michael in a competition to win an all expenses paid wedding extravaganza by a famous wedding planner Serafina.
Serafina is not all gentle and nice as her name may suggest, she is ruthless, rude and will bully anyone she can. When she ends up dead with two cake skewers from Maddie’s bakery impaled in her neck, Maddie and her friends have only hours to solve the murder.
The dynamics of the characters and the way they worked together was well written. I loved that Maddie gave them all tasks to do and then they congregated to discuss their findings. The way they all worked together with so little time and came up with the answer was well developed and the plot moved well.
I enjoyed seeing Maddie develop even further in this book and really work out what was important to her and to Michael. Her growth through all 4 books has been good to see. I love all the supporting characters and what they bring to the plot and overall enjoyment of the book.
Would recommend this series.

Maddie is planning her wedding to Michael, but she's having trouble making decisions. She hopes to win the services of the famed wedding planner, Serafina. But the wedding expo devolves into murder. With only a few hours and help from her friends and Baby, Maddie is on the search for the killer of the wedding planner. A fun read and a great addition to the series. Love these characters and their strong bonds of family and friendship.

Interesting characters with several twists along the way. Would recommend.

Thank you to Valerie Burns, Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the arc of this book

"Icing on the Murder" is the fourth book in the Baker Street mystery series. An interesting addition to the series. Maddy Montgomery is marrying veterinarian boyfriend, Michael. She has entered a bridal reality competition. But when the expert dies Mandy's maid of honor, Sheriff April Johnson gets the suspects rounded up along with Mandy to reveal the killer. The characters are superb and the mystery is one that keeps the reader guessing. Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Icing on the Murder is the fourth book in the Baker Street mystery series by Valerie Burns. Social media influencer turned bakery owner Maddy Montgomery is still in New Bison, Michigan, with her inherited 250-pound English mastiff, Baby. She's also marrying the handsome veterinarian named Michael. Perfect timing since the country's biggest bridal expo has come to town.

Maddy secured a spot to showcase wedding cakes and entered a bridal reality competition with the world-renowned wedding planner Serafina. This opportunity would be great for social media content, bakery business and her #DreamWedding. Until Serafina is impaled by one of Baby Cakes' skewers. EEK! Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo along with Maddy and her great-aunt's friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, to unveil the killer.

Icing on the Murder has all the fun elements of a cozy mystery: recipes for the foodies, characters of color, smallish town and a big 'ole adorable dog. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend starting from the beginning of the series to get a gist of all the characters.

When I think cozy mystery, I think Valerie Burns. Just like A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death, this story had me guessing on the right track. Easy mystery but fun to read. Recommended for Bookhearts looking for a quick, light as a murder can be story this summer. Nibble on baked goods, cuddle with your pet in the sunshine and settle in for a good read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Valerie Burns! Icing on the Murder will be available on July 29.

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

Maddy and friends are ready for another adventure, and this one is centered around planning for Michael and Maddy's wedding. With a wedding expo in town, Maddy and her team from Baby Cakes Bakery have a booth set up, but maybe even more importantly, Maddy is determined to win a wedding planned by the social media darling, wedding planner Serafina. After Maddy and Michael agreed to a smaller wedding they would pay for, not the Admiral, Maddy is determined to get help to make everything perfect. Maddy and Michael end up in the running to win the grand prize but in the meantime discover that Serafina is a horrible person who looks to humiliate people and bully her staff. When she is stabbed backstage at the event, no one is surprised, and the possible suspect list is large! What follows is a romp through a wedding expo with all our regular favorite Baker Street Irregulars. One of the things I love about this series is the humor, and we get that here, but my favorite part of this book is Maddy finding some serious pieces of her personal history! It was incredibly moving, tied into her wedding, and also helped her discover more of who she really is and what matters most to her! A great mystery, a lesson in history and heart, everything and more you could ask for from a book! Many thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for the opportunity to read. #IcingonaMurder #BakerStreetMysteries #ValerieBurns #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Valerie Burn's newest book, Icing on the Murder, is a treat for the reading palate. The fourth in her Baker Street Mystery series has it all---an entertaining plot, wonderful characters, not one, but two mastiffs, and a twisted mystery. I loved it!

Maddy, owner of Baby Cakes Bakery, is determined to win the big prize at the Wedding Expo---a designer-style dream wedding. Michael is not completely on board, but Maddy plunges ahead. In all the excitement the "dream wedding" planner/designer is murdered. All signs seem to point at Maddy---and the race is on to find the killer.

I always enjoy my visits to New Bison with Maddie, Nana Jo, and the gang. I am as attracted to the humor and the twisty plots as much as the wonderful characters. Cozy mystery readers and those who enjoy humorous mysteries are sure to enjoy this book and the series.

Thank you for the ARC that I requested to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#IcingOnTheMurder #NetGalley #KensingtonPublishing #KensingtonCozies #ValerieBurns #TheBakerStreetMysteries

The author is very good at storytelling, pulling me in the middle of the fast-paced and non-stop action from beginning to end. With crisp writing and a comfortable tone, Ms. Burns makes it easy to follow the path in this well-executed whodunit.

After witnessing the wedding planner’s bad behavior towards her staff, it’s no wonder she winds up dead. With a sizable suspect pool, all of whom have strong motives, it’s up to the team to dissect the information that is culled. I love that everyone had a pivotal role in how this drama played out, and you felt the camaraderie amongst them as they team up to protect one another and find a killer hiding in plain sight. Overall, this was a fun book that was both engaging and entertaining, and one of the best books in the series, and I can’t wait for the next one, which I hope is the wedding book. I love this series!

Valerie Burns brings Madison Montgomery and her Baker Street Irregulars back for another case. Fans of cozy mystery series will enjoy this entertaining read.

I have been following Maddy Montgomery since the first book in the series, and I loved this one, the fourth. Maddy is a truly lovable relatable heroine, and the cast of supporting characters are fun and interesting. In this adventure, Maddy is getting married to her long time boyfriend, the town veterinarian, She has to watch her budget, so she's hoping to win a free wedding from the world-renowned, famous wedding planner, Serafina, who happens to be visiting a wedding expo in New Bison. Maddy is going to display her wedding cake creations at the expo, and is scheming to meet Serafina. As luck would have it, there is a murder at the expo, and all clues immediately point to Maddy and her friends, who must set out to find the REAL killer. Great fun, and I look forward to recommending this title to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.

"Icing on the Murder (Baker Street Mystery #4)" by Valerie Burns has a slightly different story than the past books now that the book bridging mystery of the past three books is solved. Now it's just the current mystery plus Maddy's wedding planning and a bridal expo to represent at and attend as a guest.

Maddy is really hoping to win the wedding planning service of a famous wedding. Not only would it be good content for her influencer pages but it would also let her enable her fear of making tough choices. Despite Michael not wanting a public spectacle of their wedding. Seriously, did he forget who he was marrying. She's very lucky that he kind of seems to realize this too.

Well, without going into spoilers territory, someone ends up dead at the expo. There a several secrets revealed and the culprit ends up being one of my top picks as the investigation seemed to just blow past me. Next thing I knew the culprit was being revealed. I honestly don't know how they thought they were going to keep money that had to be reimbursed back to the original source. Boils down to a lot of selfish people pushing each other over the edge in the end.

Except Maddy figures out she can make choices about her wedding after all. Glad she worked that all out of her system before getting too far into things.

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.