Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She¿s not there a minute before she¿s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte¿s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile¿s body is discovered, … sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by.
With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it¿s not Emile¿s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile¿s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him?
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Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell is the first tale in A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. Sophia Cummings, a pastry chef, has returned home for a visit to Rumford, Kentucky after finding her boyfriend, Noah in a compromising position with the maître d’ where they work. At the Rumford Country Club (RCC) she encounters her friend, Charlotte Harrington who is getting married in a few days. Charlotte’s cake baker has quit, and Sophia offers to make her a beautiful wedding cake. The next day they head to the RCC kitchen and find Chef Emile dead on the floor with a new cast iron skillet nearby. When Evelyn Moss, the RCC manager, becomes the primary suspect, Sophia sets out to prove her innocence (plus she is plain curious). To help out Evelyn and for a chance to snoop, Sophia agrees to be Emile’s replacement until a new chef can be hired (oh dear—can you see where this is heading). Emile may have been a good chef, but he was lacking in the personality department. Sheriff Carter Kincaid may wish Sophia would keep her nose out of his investigation, but he does enjoy spending time with her and Sophia does uncover some helpful information. Which one of the people Chef Emile antagonized whacked him with an iron skillet? Sophia needs to work quickly, or she will find herself the latest resident of the Rumford cemetery!
Cake and Punishment is a humorous new Southern cozy mystery written by Tonya Kappes using the non de plume of Maymee Bell. It is a light-hearted story full of quirky characters and small-town charm. Gossip spreads faster than a forest fire during a dry spell in Rumford, Kentucky. Sophia’s mother, Bitsy is a force to be reckoned with. When she sets her mind upon a task, people need to watch out (especially Sophia). Sophia is a pastry chef who loves to bake and goes around with baked goods in her bag (which makes her a very popular person). It was entertaining to see her get pulled back into her hometown and the subtle hints from friends about how they would like her to stay. I thought Cake and Punishment contained good writing and a steady pace. I would like for better character development. We get to know very little about Sophia’s past and we are not given the last names of many characters. The mystery had misdirection and a few suspects. Avid mystery readers will have no problem pinning down the killer’s identity. There is flirtation and attraction between Sophia and Carter which is helped along by Bitsy Cummings. There are delectable baked good descriptions included in the book with recipes at the end. I appreciated the addition of little libraries in the story. They are a great way to get people of all ages to read. We have several in my community with one being just down in the street in my local park (I am a frequent visitor). Cake and Punishment is an entertaining story that will have you chuckling frequently.
Witty, charming, fun. We meet master baker Sophia Cummings, home for ‘a visit’ after suffering a crushing heartbreak. While discussing wedding cake design with a childhood friend, they discover a dead body! Rather than let this horrible event ruin her friend’s happy day, she rolls up her sleeves and offers to help whip up her friend’s fairy tale menu. If she helps solve the murder in the process, so much the better.
Caution: Recipes at the back of the book. Just like the book, you won’t be able to put the delicious confections down. May cause significant weight gain.
Sophia Cummings returns home to the small town of Rumford, KY, after living in NYC for several years. Sophia is visiting her family while she is mending her broken heart after her boyfriend betrayed her. While in town she runs into high school friends, Charlotte and Madison. Charlotte’s is getting married and needs someone to make her wedding cake. Sophia being a pastry chef agrees to help her friend out. While visiting the wedding venue, Rumford Country Club aka RCC, Sophia and Caroline happen upon the scene of the dead body the country club’s chef. The manager of RCC, Evelyn, quickly becomes the prime suspect. Charlotte’s wedding is in danger of being canceled due to the chef’s death and Evelyn being a suspect. Sophia is determined to save Charlotte’s wedding and clear Evelyn. Sophia and Sheriff Carter but heads along the way over the investigation. Can Sheriff Carter accept Sophia’s help? Can Sophia find the killer without getting herself hurt? Will she stay in Rumford or go back to NYC?
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great start to a new series. The book is full of southern charm, humor, and intrigue with a touch of romance. The story is well paced and easy to read. The red herrings throughout the book give the reader several suspects to consider as he or she tries to solve the murder along with Sophia and her friends. The characters are well developed, I loved the relationship between Sophia and her bossy mom. I also love how Sophia and her high school friends just pick up their relationships as if no time has passed. I can relate because this is exactly how my friends and I are when we get together for reunions. Sophia is my favorite character. During the story you see Sophia growing, her heart healing, finding her inner peace and discovering where she truly belongs. A bonus to an already great book, recipes for several of Sophia’s desserts are included.
I recommend this book to southern, culinary, cozy mystery fans. I was provided with an ARC of this book in hopes I would submit a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In Cake and Punishment, the first in the Southern Cake Baker series by Maymee Bell, you meet Sophia. She’s a pastry chef who has recently returned home from NYC to Rumford, Ky to nurse her broken heart. Since she is in town, she is talked into making her best friend from high schools wedding cake. While checking out the kitchen at the country club/venue’s kitchen she finds the body of Chef Emile. Sophia finds herself caught up in making a wedding cake, her mother’s match making, and trying to figure out who the murderer is. The story flows, has a great cast of characters, and keeps you guessing until the end. There is mystery, a little romance, and decisions to be made. Cake and Punishment is an easy read and a great cozy mystery.
There are recipes included for delicious sounding desserts.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
I was given a ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review.