She’s the guest of honor… and she’s on her way to jail!
It’s opening day of the convention for Betty Snickerdoodle’s superfans. As fans arrive in droves, the woman behind Betty, Bea Sickles, drives away—in the back of a cruiser!
She’s accused of tampering with a crime scene—and possibly even murder! It’s true, Bea couldn’t resist nosing around a dead body. She’s convinced, though, that the … body. She’s convinced, though, that the “victim’s” death was an accident. So while she’s under lock and key, her best pals must prove there was no murder—and get Bea out of jail.
Top of the list is Angela, who runs their Betty Snickerdoodle, Inc. enterprise. With the convention underway, though, Angela’s juggling a lot—including a big baking competition, a high-maintenance chef, and the expectations of Betty’s devoted fans. Luckily, Angela’s got help from handsome tech whiz Aseem and Bea’s private detective friend, Pat.
Did the corpse Bea fiddled with die in an accident… or was it murder? And if it was murder, who was the killer? If they don’t find out fast, Bea might pay a steep price for a single moment of curiosity….
Bake It Like Betty is book three of the Betty Snickerdoodle cozy mystery series, which blends mystery, humor, and adventure.
PEPPER FROST traded the snowy New England winters of her youth for the City by the Bay years ago. But through the magic of imagination, she travels home every Christmas.
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Bake It Like Betty- A Betty Snickerdoodle Mystery -Book 3” by Pepper Frost is a tale of Bea Sickles and her Betty Snickerdoodle’s Christmas Inn & Ranch’s first-ever BettyCon….complete with a Bake It Like Betty baking competition with Chef Ming ….and everyone at Betty Snickerdoodle, Inc tickled red & green for BettyCon to begin..especially Angela Garcia…Aseem ..Chef Ming….and Bea herself. Of course .. not everyone IN Wine Country is thrilled…
Barbara Devereaux is highly upset about the launch of BettyCon…and is actively being a Scrooge in more ways than one….plus her current & past employees aren’t thrilled either … particularity with her..as they all have axes to grind. Bea …naturally is in fine form …holding her cards close to her chest…planning her strategies….
outmaneuvering her opponents…all with cackling…knee-slapping …poker-faced glee. Romance still swirls ‘round Angela & Aseem…as the malfeasance escalates… body counts rise… and tempers flare…and festive cookies bake! So get in the holiday spirit …attend BettyCon Yourself and read and see….what transpires in this latest installment of Treacle Town Fun! Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
It’s finally time for the first BettyCon, the fan convention that brings together readers of Bea Sickles’ alter ego, Betty Snickerdoodle, to celebrate her Christmas-themed Treacle Town series. Despite the fact that it’s January, the Christmas Inn and Ranch is decorated like a Christmas wonderland, with pine garlands, seasonally-decorated rooms, and events centered around the holiday books to occupy Betty’s many fans. The original Betty Bro, hired car driver Oliver, is even transporting fans from the San Francisco airport in a Betty-themed bus that plays Christmas music from speakers on the roof.
The only hitch, however, is the inn’s disagreeable neighbor, Domaine Devereaux, the vineyard and winery run by the domineering Barbara Devereaux. She feels the Christmas Inn and its convention are a “Christmas Disneyland” ruining the rustic charm of the neighborhood and tries to intimidate Bea with a series of cease & desist letters. The irrepressible gnome, however, is tickled by her neighbor’s anger and avoided answering any of the two dozen certified letters by cramming them into a desk drawer.
However, when Devereaux drives onto the property in her souped-up golf cart, Angela attempts to smooth her feathers by inviting her to the opening reception, although the woman behaves in her typical shrewish manner, especially when she finds her tasting room manager, Maeve, working as waitstaff at the reception. Even bossy Chef Ming, who has overruled safety experts to install a huge professional gas range in the baking tent, hides from the nasty woman, as he’s an ex-employee who parted on less-than-friendly terms.
After making an uncharacteristically generous offer for guests to use the utility easement that runs between the properties as a shortcut to visit the winery, Devereaux departs behind the wheel of her super cart, although Angela and Aseem find it overturned on the trail the next morning, with Barbara’s crumpled body thrown from the vehicle. Bea examines the site as research for her first murder mystery, which she and Pat are eagerly planning, when Sergeant McGregor overhears her noting damage to the cart and arrests her as the primary suspect. A few hours later, Ming is found dead in the baking tent, overcome by leaks from the gas range he demanded despite safety warnings, and Angela’s tension ratchets to unbearable levels.
After finding Barbara’s body, Aseem and Pat investigate all matters Devereaux, which are kindly described as ugly. Aseem finds a high-tech notebook in the wrecked cart that holds hidden clues to Barbara’s murder, and Pat tracks a Domaine Devereaux employee who’s all too pleased to profit from the boss’s death. With the help of Bea’s agent, Charlie, everyone is not only determined to spring Bea from jail, but flush out the guilty parties … and launch a long-delayed romance.
Irrepressible Bea Sickels is once again in her element as, attired as a high-spirited elf, she outwits the Napa police and hosts an impressive first BettyCon. It’s always sweet to share her adventures, and Bake it like Betty is a delightful confection straight from the BettyCon baking tent.
It’s the grand opening of BettyCon for Betty’s fans. Fans attending the first annual BettyCon was promised a first look at Betty’s new book while enjoying vendors, a baking competition for amateur bakers with a high-maintenance chef giving demonstrations and having a good time by all.
Not giving away the spoilers, while the convention is underway things go terribly wrong. Someone is murdered and, at first, Bea believes it is an accident. While she is examining the scene, the police catch her and arrest her as the prime suspect. Then another murder take places. There are a lot of twists and turns as they investigate the murders. The characters are wonderful, interesting and fun. This was an enjoyable read. Betty/Bea is a hoot as usual. Highly recommend this series if you haven’t read any of the books. This was an enjoyable read. Betty/Bea is a hoot as usual. Highly recommend this series if you haven’t read any of the books.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This series just keeps getting better and better!
It is Angela’s turn to shine. No spoilers: but shine she does in this story! That girl has it all together. I love the way her character is developing. Bea/Betty is as zany and entertaining as ever. Is there absolutely nothing the woman won’t say or do? She is such a hoot! Many of the characters from books 1 and 2 return in this third book of the series. It just wouldn’t be the same without them now would it? BettyCon has finally arrived with death and drama in spades and a hefty dose of romance sprinkled all around. There are more twists and turns in this story than five miles of country roads. If you enjoy a great little cozy mystery with an awesome cast of loveable characters, then this is a book you must pick up for yourself. It is a clean, well-written, fun, and easy read. I am anxiously awaiting the next story.
I received an advance reader copy of “Bake It Like Betty” from the author. This gift did not affect my review of the book. This review is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Another fun adventure with Bea and gang. Love the Inn setting. So many mystery possibilities and Bea is thinking about writing a murder mystery so she’s gathering all the information she can. And then there’s the body of the woman she was planning to base her victim on in her new book. This all happens during the 1st BettyCon so Angela is frantic. Love how Bea has so many friends who come together to help solve the mysteries. Hilarious and I did not see all the angles to this mystery. Good twist.