Frosted Yuletide Murder (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series Book 4)

Author:    Kim Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780999068892

Cinnamon & Sugar Press

302 Pages

$2.99; $9.99 Amazon

December 13, 2021

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Set against the holiday cheer of twinkling lights, costumed carolers, and a festive line of extravagantly decorated boats participating in the annual Christmas boat parade in Newport Beach, California, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez finds that the grinch has crashed the party.  Together with her sister Carrie, Emory is catering a delectable feast of holiday cupcakes and cookies aboard a luxury yacht for the new Mrs. Blair Villman and her guests.

Sparks fly when Carrie comes face-to-face with the hostess, who just happens to be Carrie's high school frenemy, and old grievances are dredged up.  Adding fuel to the fire, Blair's stepson brings his mother, former Mrs. Villman, to the party.  Instead of celebrating holiday cheer, someone seems intent on channeling the Burgermesiter Meisterburger and shutting down Blair's party permanently.  When Emory finds a body aboard the yacht, she needs to discover who iced the victim before the Scrooge ruins not only her livelihood but her freedom as well.

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Emory Martinez makes the desserts -- especially indulgent cupcakes -- for her sister Carrie's catering company, and also for Oceana, her boyfriend Brian's upscale restaurant.  When catering an unknown client's Christmas party aboard a yacht, it's soon discovered that the client, Blair Villman, is an old high school enemy of Carrie's.  While Carrie wouldn't have accepted the job if she'd known, they are already in process and determined to do a good job.  But it's difficult when Blair finds out who the caterer is, and begins vilifying both Carrie and her food to anyone who will listen, making Emory angry.  It doesn't help when the chief steward, Martha Chao, is harassing them at every turn.

Then there's a public fight between Blair and her elderly husband's son, Johnathan Jr., and it's becoming apparent that no one really cares for Blair.  On top of this, Emory and Carrier are going to meet their long-lost half-sister, Vanessa, which has them both excited and anxious.  But before they can do so, Emory finds a body in the freezer on the yacht, and once again she's drawn into a murder investigation...one that makes her a top suspect.  Now she has to clear her name before she can enjoy her holiday -- if she can stay out of prison for murder...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  It was a truly enjoyable read, and very entertaining.  While not a lot was centered on Christmas, there was enough throughout to make one aware of the holiday.  It was more or less centered on the murder, which it should be.  The clues were scattered, but I more or less figured out the murderer early on; no big feat as I read a lot of mysteries and it's really never difficult for me anyway.

I liked the way the mystery was played out, and also that we get a glimpse once again into the life of Emory, but not so much as it overpowered the mystery.  The story was written well, and the ending was worth waiting for.  I hope to see that there is another book in this series coming soon, and I do like them quite a bit.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Frosted-Yuletide-Cupcake-Catering-Mystery/dp/099906889X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4537600364

More on Kim Davis's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Davis/e/B093NRS3F2/ref

Framed and Frosted (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series Book 3)

Author:    Kim Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780999068878

Cinnamon & Sugar Press

328 Pages

$9.99; $2.99 Amazon

June 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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.

https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Frosted-Cupcake-Catering-Mystery/dp/0999068873/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4530911842

More on Kim Davis's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Kim-Davis/e/B093NRS3F2/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk