Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns
I’ve had Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns on my TBR list for a while. I’m so happy that I got to read this cozy mystery this week. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to tell you more about it!
About the Book
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. (from Amazon.com)
My Thoughts
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder is the charming first book in a new cozy mystery series by Valerie Burns.
Social Media Star Maddy Montgomery inherits her great Aunt Octavia’s home, bakery, and dog when Octavia unexpectedly passes. Ordinarily, Maddy wouldn’t be interested in this offer. But she’s recently been left at the alter and could us a big life change to distract her and help her move on.
An important part of any cozy mystery is the side characters and we’re introduced to some pretty great ones right off the bat. I loved the friends that Maddy met at the bakery and it made me happy how through the story they helped her feel at home.
Although this book was a fun mystery, I found myself really enjoying the small town and some of the conversations between the characters really made me laugh. I loved how feisty Hannah could be. I loved how Leroy quickly befriended Maddy in an attempt to save the bakery. And of course there’s baby, the lovable canine companion in this book.
I love a dog in a cozy mystery and Baby, Octavia’s english mastiff, was very funny. You could tell that Baby was very pampered while he was under Octavia’s care, and it made me happy how quickly Maddy adapted to being a dog owner. I love to read cozy mysteries with my dog by my side and it makes me happy when there are pets in the mysteries that I am reading!
I hope that there will be more books in this series because Valerie Burns has created a great town with a warm cast of characters that I definitely want to hear more from. The mystery in the first book was a bit intense so I look forward to seeing what other mysteries Maddy can help solve, all while learning how to bake as well as manage a small business!
xo Marian
