Book: Murder Takes the Cake
Authoress: Gayle Trent
Genre: Adult Fiction | Mystery | Cozy Mystery | Southern Fiction
My summary: The story begins with Daphne (a recent divorcee) moving back to her small hometown. When we first meet Daphne she has just purchased a home, started her own cake baking business, and is dropping off a cake for her first client when she stumbles upon a dead body.
Gayle Trent has whipped up a funny, frothy, delightful murder mystery full of small town humor and woes.
My say: Reading this novel was like hanging out with a cross between Suzanne Sugarbaker and Nancy Drew. Daphne is one spunky tough cookie that was both easy to relate to and easy to root for. I loved reading the small town gossip and unraveling the interconnected history of her townsfolk. But the most important question in any mystery is this:
My whodunit verdict:
It kept me guessing!
Not till near the very end did I know who was actually behind it all.
My recommendation: Read this when you need something light, sweet, and tasty.
My cautionary note: Have some cookies handy 'cause all the talk of fondant, icing, and buttercream is guaranteed to leave you salivating and/or ready to bake.
My least favorite part: I wanted Daphne and Ben to at least make out. Perhaps it will happen in the next novel featuring Daphne (Dead Pan).
My star rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My kiddie-o-meter: While there is mentions to infidelity (and of course murder) over all this tale is pretty tame. There is no sex, foul language, or social commentary.
My cover thoughts: I love them both. Honestly I am a total sucker for food covers. Which cover do you prefer?
My notes:
My final thoughts: Daphne bakes the most scrumptious cakes in Murder Takes the Cake. Which got me thinking - what is your favorite cake is? Could it be carrot, almond, or red velvet cake? Do tell!
Murder Takes the Cake = Entry 1 in my Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge 2010 hosted by Book Chick City.
42 comments:
This sounds like a really fun read...and the cover makes me hungry! Great review :)
I am not really a cake person. I am an ice cream person. But if I had to have my cake and eat it too, I would choose carrot cake!
I like both covers, but I think I like the cherry on top better, but I couldn't really say why. Thanks for sharing, this book is now on my wishlist.
Ooh, sounds like fun ! Any book featuring cakes grabs my attention...! And I love the cover. And it's great when you don't have the answer until the end, that's a big plus !
My favorite cake... Hum... It has to have chocolate in it, over it, under it, and around it. Melty chocolate cake it is !
woo-hoo!i like nancy drew, and i probably like this one as well..and cake i love most?i think chocolate with cheese..yum2..
This reminds me of the Diane Mott Davidson titles. Sounds good.
My favorite cake? Easy: CHEESEcake! :-)
Dear Juju: After your site came up on my Google Alerts, I had to tell you I love that you compare Daphne to a cross between Suzanne Sugarbaker and Nancy Drew! I love them both! :-) And I'll definitely be following your delightful blog. Thanks for the terrific review. You rock.
Take care,
Gayle
Gayle: Wow! Thank you Gayle for stopping by! I'm so honored :D
I can't wait to read Dean Pan :)
I'm off to add the Quick and the Thread to my TBR list.
Charlotte: You are too funny :)
Erin: I feel you. I think I like the cherry and frosting better too. Happier maybe?
I'm needing cookies just from having read your review!
My favorite cake is a vegan Brooklyn Cheesecake. Specifically the one made by the vegan cake lady in Pennsylvania. MAN, that is good stuff! :-)
You just got a award on my blog:
http://jadorehappyendings.blogspot.com/2010/02/award-time.html
Briz: Vegan cheesecake? I would love to try that!
A few of the books I've read lately were quite predictable. I don't really like predictable stories. the book just go sour on me. So Murder Takes The Cake sounds like a nice break from predictable books I've got... :)
Cherry: I know what you mean. Cozy mysteries in general tend to be "cozy". This was my first one and I loved it. Hope you do too :)
Suzanne Sugarbaker! Ha! Man, that takes me back.
To answer your comment, Juju (because I HAD to!): YES! It is from Love Actually, which is a movie I've seen for only 5 minutes because my parents were uncomfortable watching it with me. So I've yet to watch it, haha.
Misty: LOL I LOVE some Designing Women! ;)
Hi! I have an award for you!
http://my-book-obsession.blogspot.com/2010/02/your-blog-is-sooooooo-kewl.html
Haha, I love your caution! And it's so true: books dealing with food, coffee, etc. always make me ridiculously hungry/thirsty. Sounds like a fun, light read!
Sounds cute. Love the covers.
Sounds like a fun read and I need a book... I may check this one out. I love a who done it.
Thanks for your tip on the drapes, I will try that.
I love, love, love the sound of this book! Personally, I'd vote for the second cover, the one w/ knife at the bottom. Look awfully delicious!
Wow the author herself looks pretty wicked.
sounds good and I love the cover art!
Beach: :) The picture is the actress who played Suzanne Sugarbaker in Designing Women. She's the character I was reminded of when reading this tale :)
Great review, Juju! I haven't read this one but I have "Dead Pan" waiting to be read and based on your review of the first book, looks promising!
I like the cover on the right, with the cherry.
And my favorite cake? My mom's sour cream pound cake. Yum!
Oh Lori! Pound cake! I adore pound cake! Excellent choice!
Great review! This seems like a very light, fun read that'll DEFINITELY have me craving for sweets, lol. I like the second cover better, just because it looks cute (did I say I'm shallow?). :D
Awesome review Juju! I just love your narrative voice! :)
this sounds like a fun one! i'm partial to the strawberries cover.
Loving the title and the cover!
I think I like the cover with the cherry best. I like the writing and the knife. My favorite cake is rum chocolate - so good - just the smell is intoxicating.
You're right, this one does remind me of one of the books that I took out from the library! Maybe I'll have to read this one next.
Emidy
from Une Parole
Cool. I'm always on the lookout for a good mystery. Throw in baking and I think I'm sold. Yum.
Those are both great covers. I like the big cherry, but the face cake cracks me up. Sounds like a great read and excellent review as usual.
Great review! I think you sold me with Suzanne Sugarbaker!! :)
Hi,
Your review has totally made me want to read this novel. Maybe it's not a good idea while I'm on a diet!
I prefer the cover with the cake - what can I say, I love cake and icing.
My all time favourite cake is carrot. Writing this I've realised I've never baked one. I must change that...
This book looks so fun!
While I do love some carrot cake now and then, last week I made a butterscotch spice cake that was delicious and will be made many times more.
This sounds like a fun read!
I actually love both covers, but I'm leaning more towards
the one with the cake!
Your review was great, thank you =)
I've been wanting to read this since I first heard of it. I love foodie books! Especially mysteries :)
I prefer the one with the cherry. It reminds me of a cupcake. I'm a boring vanilla birthday cake kind of girl but I'll try any cupcake once. My fav cupcake is vanilla cake with cheesecake icing covered with white chocolate. Delicious!
This sounds like a fun read - good brain candy. I prefer the cover with the cherry, probably because I love maraschino cherries! Which is why one of my favorite cakes is Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake lol. It's really just an adaptation from the cherry cake my mother used to make for my birthday every year and so simple. Hugs!
I probably read this book because I saw it here, I saw I left a comment earlier. I was a little disappointed in it. very predictable, and I would have liked a little more emotion, the writing was pretty bland.
Kaye: Bummer! I'm so sorry you didn't dig it! :( I feel like I owe you a FAB mystery recommendation now :)
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