Author: Kim Davis
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9780999068878
Cinnamon & Sugar Press
328 Pages
$9.99; $2.99 Amazon
June 19, 2021
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Framed and Frosted, the third book in the Cupcake Catering Mystery Series, finds cupcake caterer, Emory Martinez, working at a Laguna Beach society Fourth of July soiree, with her sister and their new employee, Sal. With a host who seems intent on accosting both catering employees and guests alike, things go from bad to worse when he accuses Sal of murdering his long-dead son.
As the crescendo of exploding fireworks overhead becomes the backdrop for cupcakes and champagne, a deadly murder occurs. Can Sal and Emory explain why the cupcake host ate, after shoving a trayful of buttercream-frosted cupcakes onto Sal, resulted in his death? Or will the guests and the detective alike believe that Sal is a murderer? Emory and her octogenarian employer, Tillie, whip into action to find out who framed Sal after he was frosted by the victim.
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Emory Martinez bakes cupcakes for her sister Carrie's catering company. While catering a strange dinner for a nasty hostess, Carrie's employee Sal is harassed by the host. Then the man accosts Emory and pulls her down on his lap. Determined to finish the job for her sister, she doesn't want anything to do with Mr. Jorgenson again. But later, while the fireworks are exploding, the drunken host accosts Sal and threatens him; throws cupcakes at him, then dies after eating one. Naturally the police suspect Sal of being the murder, but both sisters refuse to believe it.
In her second job as accountant to her octogenarian employer Tillie's son David, she discovers some strange goings-on at David's home. She reports these to Tillie, and it opens another can of worms for Tillie's family. Meanwhile Tillie is still trying to set up her grandson Brian with Emory, and for Emory's part, she has unfinished business with her boyfriend Randall. With three things on her mind, she knows solving the murder is first and foremost. But neither the police nor the killer see it that way, and Emory is being stalked and targeted...and if she doesn't figure out who's behind it, she might just be the next victim who's permanently baked...
I have read all of the books in this series, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and Emory is an interesting person. However, I do have issues with how she constantly describes herself -- as having red 'clown' hair, for one; (there are products out there that handle frizz, and using them would tackle this perfectly) and being chubby. Nothing wrong with that; but she has low self-esteem, and perhaps more than one walk a day with her dog would take care of some of this. I really hate it when protagonists describe themselves as lesser to their siblings. I have four and we are all shapes and sizes, but I never compare myself to them and hope they do the same. People can be beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Emory needs to stop denigrating herself.
When Emory starts investigating, a man named Will Trenton, an attorney, offers to help her free Sal. Touched by his kindness, she agrees. But Will has secrets of his own, and though he is a good man, she can't help but notice his pallor and wonder why. Still, they come to help each other in different ways, along with Tillie, and they discover clues to the murder.
When the murder is closing in, Emory's clues are leading her to one person. But more than that, her life is shaping up to be different from what she expected, and all the clues tie more than one mystery together, leaving Emory with decisions to make that will change her life.
All in all, the murderer wasn't so much a surprise as it could be, nor the motive for the killing, but I did like this tale because of twists that brought everything together. The ending left us something to look forward to in the next book, and I will be reading it soon. There are also quite a few recipes in the back of the book also. Recommended.
More on Kim Davis's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Davis/e/B093NRS3F2/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk
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