Jacklyn Brady

This first in a new mystery series by Jacklyn Brady is delicious from start to finish. And it’s also a real behind-the-scenes look at how those mouth-watering cakes that are featured on so many reality television shows are actually put together.
Struggling pastry chef Rita Lucero, separated from super star New Orleans pastry chef Philippe Renier, wants her divorce to be finalized so she can move on with her life. But she has one problem: she can’t get Philippe to sign the papers. So she show more decides to pay him a surprise visit at his trendy bake shop, Zydeco Cakes, and force the issue.
Unfortunately, Rita’s timing is pretty bad, as she finds Philippe dead with a chef’s knife in his chest. So instead of becoming the ex-wife, Rita finds herself a widow, the heiress to Philippe’s considerable assets (including the cake shop), and a prime suspect in his murder.
Her mother-in-law begs Rita to find out who killed her son, and the cake shop employees don’t know whether to trust her or not. The feeling is mutual, when it becomes clear that one of them must be the real murderer. And Rita’s snooping may land her in bigger trouble than she ever imagined.
A yummy series. I’ll have a second helping, please! And the sooner, the better.

Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author or “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine show less

After a yelling match at the Magnolia Square Business Alliance meeting about whether Destiny should be kicked out, she is found dead two days later. The drugs she OD's on were prescription ones Rita Lucero, cake baker, received when she was rescued from a hit and run by Destiny's husband, Moose. The police consider Rita a prime suspect. Her further investigations get her in more danger. The side stories about Edie's pregnancy and Miss Frankie's wayward cousin are cute. Fun read.

Jacklyn Brady is a new author to the cozy mystery genre, and her first offering, A SHEETCAKE NAMED DESIRE, is truly delectable. Brady’s amateur sleuth, pastry chef Rita Lucero, has made my list of favorites. Rita is fed up with getting the run around from her soon-to-be ex-husband Philippe Renier. After two years of being in divorce limbo, she travels to New Orleans to make him sign the papers and make it final. Not long after she arrives at his upscale bakery, Rita finds Philippe dead show more with a knife in his chest, making her the heir to his fortune. This fact doesn’t bode well with the police or with Philippe’s employees at Zydeco Cakes.

The one person who does have faith in Rita is Miss Frankie, Philippe’s mother. She asks Rita to take over Zydeco, at least temporarily, to scope things out. When Rita starts investigating, she discovers that in addition to murdering Philippe, someone has been sabotaging Zydeco’s business – stealing cake designs, destroying equipment, and ruining the finished cakes. Rita is determined to uncover the guilty party, because as Philippe’s heir, she could be next.

A SHEETCAKE NAMED DESIRE was a well-crafted murder mystery with a cast of colorful characters, from charming to down right detestable. Something that really stood out in this book was the character depth. I’m still fairly new to the cozy mystery genre, but in the ones I’ve read, usually the protagonist does not have an emotional attachment to the murder victim. This was not the case in this book. Though on the verge of divorce, it was clear that Rita still cared for Philippe and his mother, Miss Frankie. That added an extra layer of of emotional depth to the story. (Any cozy that makes me tear up a couple of times gets extra points in my book!)

In addition to the interesting mystery and great characters, I really enjoyed the rich descriptions of the sights and flavors of New Orleans. I could almost taste the jambalaya. I would recommend this book to any cozy mystery fan. Up next in the A Piece of Cake Mystery series: CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF with an expected publication date of 2/7/2012.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

Candy store owner Abby Shaw already has her hands full running the Divinity Candy Shop - trying to make it profitable as well as having the upstairs renovated - so the last thing she needs is trouble with the annual arts festival. But there is plenty of trouble - the mayor has let go Meena Driggs who was running the festival and appointed troublemaker Felicity Asbury in charge. Felicity ruffles plenty of feathers and nobody is terribly surprised when Felicity is found murdered in Divinity's show more parking lot. Unfortunately, the location of Felicity's body makes Abby the number one suspect and she has to find the real killer in order to clear her name and keep the candy shop open.

"Peppermint Twisted" is the nicely done third entry in Sammi Carter's delightful candy shop cozy mystery series. The setting is a good one - not only the candy shop where Carter gives readers a glimpse into how a candy store is operated, but the town of Paradise itself where everybody knows everybody else and nothing stays secret for very long. The mystery itself is well written and plotted, with plenty of suspects, and while I did figure out who the killer was there was still a twist that I didn't see coming. But while the mystery was well done, what really makes the book work so well is the character of Abby and her family dynamics. She is struggling to run the candy shop while avoiding the interference of relatives (which adds some humor to the mystery). It is her complex relationship with her brother Wyatt that makes this book so strong. Both of them are struggling with issues they had as kids and while they both love each other, neither is willing to admit it. Their relationship alone makes this series worth reading.

"Peppermint Twisted" is a nicely done cozy mystery. show less