Murder Most Sweet: A Bookish Baker Mystery

by Laura Jensen Walker

Overview

In this series debut for fans of Jenn McKinlay, baker Teddie St. John spends her time away from the oven writing murder mysteries. But is she herself a murderer?

Everyone in Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin, knows Teddie St. John. Tall, curly-haired Teddie is a superb baker, a bohemian bon vivant, and a mystery writer. Teddie is walking her American Eskimo dog, Gracie, when her four-legged friend finds Teddie's missing silk scarf. Only problem: the scarf is tied tightly around the neck of a beautiful blond woman, the fiancée of a touring British author.

Before you can say "Wisconsin kringle," Teddie becomes a murder suspect. Everyone in town knows all too well that the distinctive scarf was hers. But there are more layers to this case than there would have been on poor Kristi's wedding cake. Tavish Bentley should be bereaved after his sweetheart's strangling. Instead, the dashing Brit takes a shine to Teddie's witty wisecracks and to-die-for cookies, and soon he's mooning over her instead of mourning his bride. That is, when he's not dodging the attentions of Annabelle, an obsessive fan who's taken to stalking him.

And when a second murder shocks the community, the plot thickens to the consistency of fondant as Teddie stands accused of not one, but two, murders. With the help of her friends Sharon and Char, can Teddie clear her name and deliver a killer's just desserts?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643855028
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Series:	A Bookish Baker Mystery , #1
Pages:	289
Sales rank:	681,930
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Laura Jensen Walker has loved mysteries ever since she read Trixie Belden in the fourth grade in her Danish-founded hometown of Racine, Wisconsin—America's kringle capital. A former journalist and the author of several novels and humorous non-fiction books, including Thanks for the Mammogram! Laura, like her main character, chose to go flat after her second mastectomy and is grateful to be a longtime breast cancer survivor. She lives in California with her Renaissance-man husband and their canine-daughter Mellie.

Editorial Reviews

06/22/2020

Set in Lake Potawatomi, Wis., this light and sassy series launch from Walker (Reconstructing Natalie) introduces 43-year-old Theodora “Teddie” St. John, breast cancer survivor, cozy mystery author, and master cake and cookie baker. The town is all agog at the prospect of meeting Tavish Bentley, “a rich-and-famous New York Times best-selling author,” who’s doing a signing at the local bookstore, where Teddie will be providing refreshments. At the event is Tavish’s ex-fiancée, Kristi Black, who’s seeking to win him back. During a visit to the bookstore ladies’ room, Teddie loses her scarf, which was apparently taken by one of the two women, one of whom may have been Kristi, she overheard arguing over Tavish while she was in a stall. Later that day, Teddie goes for a walk and discovers Kristi dead in a dumpster, with the missing scarf around her neck. Someone has obviously tried to frame Teddie, who sets out with aplomb to find the real killer. The plot lopes along at a decent clip, and appealing characters and snappy dialogue bode well for the sequel. This series is off to a solid start. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Murder Most Sweet:
"Appealing characters and snappy dialogue bode well for the sequel. This series is off to a solid start."
—Publishers Weekly

“A wryly amusing cozy debut lent credence by the author’s own experience as a cancer survivor.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Fascinating characters, distinctive development, and Machiavellian plot twisters abound in this most intriguing of cozy mystery series.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Teddie is a refreshing protagonist...leading an engaging and suspenseful mystery that weaves in a dose of cancer awareness.”
—Portland Book Review

“What a fun beginning to a new cozy series. I liked Teddie right away and look forward to reading more about her.”
—MyShelf

“An enjoyable ride with some very funny scenes and a good resolution.”
—Fresh Fiction

"Laura Jensen Walker has mastered the recipe for a fun read, serving up a delicious mystery swirled with humor and sprinkled with romance. And no calories!"
—Cynthia Baxter, author of the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe mysteries

"A delicious cozy mystery debut replete with southeast Wisconsin’s famous Danish kringle pastry, romance, a puzzling death, and well-written prose...A highly recommended new series!"
—Christine DeSmet, author of the Fudge Shop mysteries and Mischief in Moonstone mysteries

“Optimistic and cheerful mystery author Teddie St. John is as tenacious at solving a real murder as she is at coping with libelous threats, a hilariously interfering mother, a handsome stranger, life after breast cancer, deadlines, delicious cookies, an adorable dog, and a small town bursting with friends—and enemies.”
—Ginger Bolton, author of the Deputy Donut mysteries

“Murder Most Sweet serves up all the hallmarks of a satisfying cozy mystery—books, desserts, dogs, and a bit of romance—along with straight talk about surviving cancer from a nontraditional heroine.”
—Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author of Death on the Menu

"Fearlessly funny about the the life of breast-cancer survivor Teddie St. John...Murder Most Sweet had me at page one and left me longing for book two." 
—Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning and national best-selling author of Scot and Soda

"Murder Most Sweet is a delicious confection of a cozy—full of heart and likeable characters. Jensen Walker nicely captures the feeling of small-town Wisconsin, and Teddie St. John’s enticing desserts will send your sweet tooth to the kitchen."
—Erica Ruth Neubauer, author of Murder at the Mena House

“Walker weaves an intriguing mystery that takes enjoyable turns and devious twists that keep you turning the pages, trying to guess what the colorful cast of characters might try next, and wanting the next book as much as you want a scrumptious bakery treat.”
—L. A. Chandlar, award-winning author of the Art Deco Mystery series

From the Publisher

2020-07-01
A Wisconsin mystery author is suspected of a real-life murder.

Teddie St. John is a breast cancer survivor who chose to get a double mastectomy, much to her mother’s dismay. She’s also a fantastic baker, a caring friend, a super mom to her American Eskimo rescue, Gracie, and a published mystery writer. When bestselling author Tavish Bentley comes to Lake Potawatomi for a book signing, Teddie joins the crowd and finds herself immediately attracted to the charming Englishman. Although her scarf is stolen and used to strangle Bentley’s recently dumped fiancee, Teddie’s not a serious suspect for Sheriff Brady Wells, who’s known Teddie forever but still has to question her. It turns out that Tavish has a stalker problem in Annabelle Cooke, a determined woman who creates a nasty scene while Tavish and Teddie are dining at a local restaurant. She’s removed from the suspect list when she too is found strangled with one of Teddie’s many scarves. The town rumor mill has Teddie pegged as a serial killer, and her neighbors post their ideas all over social media, but it worries her more that her publishers are nervous about the publicity. Using their varied skills, Teddie and her two best friends start sleuthing on their own as she pursues her relationship with Tavish, who seems a perfect fit for her. Tavish’s own problems, including an ex-wife, give them plenty of suspects to investigate.

A wryly amusing cozy debut lent credence by the author’s own experience as a cancer survivor.

Kirkus Reviews