For Batter or Worse is book number 13 (baker’s dozen!) in Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. This is one series I’ve been reading for a long time as I’m a huge fan of McKinlay’s books – two of her other series are also on my favourites list – the Library Lover’s Mysteries and the Hat Shop Mysteries.
Title: For Batter or Worse
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery #13
First Published: May 4, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley
*** Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
Life is sweet and business is booming at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery–and the fact that Mel and Joe are getting married is the icing on the cake. Their reception will be held at the swanky resort where Oz works as the pastry chef. The wedding planning is all fun-fetti and games until Mel and Joe meet the head chef at the resort who has been making Oz’s life miserable. When the eccentric chef insults Mel’s bakery, Oz gets into a blowout argument with the culinary prima donna.
Things turn extra sour when the chef is murdered, and Oz is the police’s main suspect. As the countdown to the wedding day begins, Mel, Joe, and the rest of the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must sift through clues to catch the real killer and clear Oz’s name before their wedding plans are totally battered and baked.
A wedding – finally!… and a murder – of course
Well, it only took 13 books, but our main character, Mel, is finally marrying the man of her dreams – Joe DeLaura. Of course, true love never runs smoothly for our cozy mystery sleuths and Mel is no exception. While Mel and Joe try to make it down the aisle, they have to deal with clearing Oz’s name and the antics of Joe’s many brothers, as well as keep an eye on a very pregnant Angie, Joe’s sister and Mel’s matron of honour. Whew! Talk about busy brides!
At the end of the last book ***spoiler alert***, Mel’s talented employee Oz left Fairy Tale Cupcakes to grow his career. I had really loved seeing Oz develop as a character during the series so I was a bit worried that he would be gone for good but that definitely wasn’t the case. Oz takes a job at a swanky resort but he doesn’t get along with the head chef, who seems to be quite the bully. In fact, there many employees at the resort who didn’t get along with the head chef.
So it’s no surprise when the head chef is the murder victim. To make things interesting, Oz is the main suspect. And while I was 99% sure Oz didn’t commit the crime (hey, you never know, right?) it was really fun to try and figure out who had actually killed the chef. Part of me was enjoying the story so much that I wasn’t trying to figure out whodunnit.
The mystery moves along at a nice pace and there are quite a few twists and red herrings to keep you guessing until nearly the end. I don’t think I had guessed the killer correctly until near the very end.
I love these characters
There have been many cozy mystery series that I have lost interest in as the series continued. It’s often quite hard to keep things fresh and interesting, but the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series is definitely one of those long-running series that never seems to get old. Part of the reason is the characters – they are so well written and their friendships keep me coming back for more.
And while I love Mel and Joe together – they make a great couple – it’s Mel, Angie and Nate’s friendship that had me hooked from the start. The trio of besties are stronger than ever (especially now that they’re all about to become in-laws) and their movie-quote game is a favourite feature of the series for me. Even some of the other characters take part in the game. Without giving anything away – during a crucial scene, Joe says something and Marty identifies it as a quote from The Princess Bride – I howled with laughter.
McKinlay has also managed to add a lot of recurring side characters that keep the series interesting, including Oz and Marty (their other employee) and the DeLaura brothers, who all have very distinct personalities of their own. Put together, this small cast of characters are charming and engaging. I also love that they have really grown and changed during the series – there is a reality to them that makes you want to see how they develop next.
Of course, part of the appeal to me are the cupcakes (one of the things I love to bake the most) and again, the book doesn’t disappointed. Aside from the drool-worthy treats described in the book, there are a bunch of recipes included in the back that I’m definitely going to try myself.
For Batter or Worse can be read as a standalone – there is enough background given that a new reader won’t be lost, but I highly recommend starting from the beginning of the series. Watching these characters grow up and become family, watching their friendships and relationships develop is a lot of fun and worth going back for.
Read For Batter or Worse for yourself
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