Pulling off the perfect wedding is tricky. Pulling off the perfect wedding with the groom in jail? Impossible.
The last thing Anna needs two weeks before her wedding is the groom winding up in jail for murder. Nothing and nobody is going to ruin her perfect July 4th wedding. And no way is she getting married in the jailhouse. Not happening. Instead, she’s off to uncover the actual murderer, … murderer, because there’s no way her fiancé Logan would hurt anyone. He’s a cop. He fights crime. He doesn’t commit it!
Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes solve the mystery before Anna’s wedding is ruined?
Cupcakes not included, although you’ll find recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes.
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What a tasty treat this book is for the reader! The book reads like you are indulging in the guilty pleasure of using your finger to get every last bit of frosting out of the cupcake box. Anna is a firecracker, who may only be five feet tall, but she lives and bakes at about eight feet tall.
When her soon to be hunky hubby is considered a suspect in a murder, there is no one who can stop her from putting down a spatula and picking up the investigation.
Living with the admirable mantra ‘there is no problem a cupcake can’t fix’, she bakes dozens of treats as bribes or first impressions. Anything that can get her and her baker scoobies into a potential suspect’s door, she’s up for.
The pace of the book is fast, and the humor is laugh out loud funny. A fantastic book as a stand-alone and one that is perfect when reading as part of the series. Anna is the best at being more than she can be. Heaven help someone coming between her and her man and their wedding day.
A 5+ star extravaganza I recommend to everyone.
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
The latest and fifth entry in D. E. Haggerty’s Death By Cupcake series, “Fireworks, A Firecracker, & Foul Play,” is a fabulous addition to this already wonderful cozy series! In this newest book, Anna is baking up a storm and getting ready for her July 4th wedding which is only one short week away. Anna, a feisty pixie of a firecracker, getting married on the day of fireworks and firecrackers galore is just too ironically perfect! Before Anna and her police officer groom, Logan, can get to the altar though, a local gang leader is murdered, and Logan becomes the prime suspect. Leave it to Anna and her crime fighting BFFs from Callie’s Cupcakes, Callie and Kristi, to come to the rescue to help catch the real killer before Anna’s perfectly planned wedding is ruined by the groom ending up in jail! There is much to enjoy about this series from the strong friendship and loyalty shared by the trio of cupcake bakers (who are hilarious together!) to the relatable and loving relationship Anna shares with Logan to the mouthwatering recipes that are included for us readers to try at home. This is a quick read with an interesting mystery that kept me engaged until the very end. Although this book could be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend going back to the first book in this series to really get to know the characters a lot more. Can’t wait to see what is coming up next in this series!
I volunteered to read and review an e-copy of this book, and all ideas and opinions written here are my own.
Anna is working on her wedding cupcake cake when Ben – Callie’s cop boyfriend – arrives at the cake shop to tell her Logan – her fiancé – is IN jail, for the alleged murder of a gang member. The gang he was investigating under cover. Doesn’t matter how many people tell her not to, Anna is determined to investigate and figure out who actually did it. After all, she’s supposed to be getting married in fourteen days!
“It’s not like the homicide detectives in this town are always the most competent.”
And that’s when it all goes a little nuts.
Fun characters, an intriguing premise, and a lot of yummy cupcakes, all combined to make this a fun read! Number Five in the series – I haven’t read the others . . . yet – but never fear, this reads well as a stand alone.
[Many thanks to Cozy Mystery Review Crew and the author for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I was not required to write a review. This is my honest review, the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.]
Anna is busy putting the finishing touches on her 4th of July wedding. It’s going to be perfect. She’s baking scrumptious treats. Unfortunately fate throws her a curve ball. Her soon to be husband is the prime suspect in the murder of a gang banger. Is she going to let Logan serve time for a crime he didn’t do? No way! Anna and her friends will find who the real murderer is. Anna is a master baker but there is so much more to this feisty lady. No stone will be left unturned as she investigates. Anna makes me laugh. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Her friends, Callie and Kristie, have her back. Poor Logan! He tries to keep her safe. It’s not easy! He may be an intimidating cop but she has a mind of her own. This is a fast paced cozy that kept me entertained. I enjoy the Death by Cupcake series. The characters and story make me smile while the cupcake recipes wake up my sweet tooth. I can’t wait to see what trouble our baker will get into next.
If you are looking for a mystery series that is a quick read (say over lunch) then check this series out. Not only is their a mystery to be solved, but the quick pace and humor will also keep you entertained. I know I was chuckling throughout the book.
Anna is quite the character. At 5′ nothing and hair that changes color with her moods, she is a force to be reckoned with especially when it comes to her man, Logan. It doesn’t matter that he is a police officer and better equipped to handle finding a killer, Anna isn’t going to let that stop her with the assistance of Callie and Kristie, her work partners in crime.
While the mystery isn’t really one to be solved by the reader (since the killer is never mentioned in the cast) it is fun to watch Anna try and sneak around to solve the case so it doesn’t interfere with her wedding that is just a week away.
I enjoy this series and suggest starting at the beginning to get to know all of the characters and their quirks.
We give this 5 paws up.
Favorite Quotes:
He’s a hot fireman. If I didn’t have Logan, I’d drool all over him. Who am I kidding? I still drool over the man.
My pink hair might have been a dead giveaway. For some reason, gangbangers don’t usually have colorful hair. Their loss.
My Review:
This was a fun and lively read that was shot through with snarky humor and smirk-worthy wit. And clocking in at 110 pages it was a quick and satisfying treat that left me jonesing for sugar and eager to dive into the next installment.
Cupcake baker Anna is so excited about her up and coming 4th of July wedding, that nothing is standing in her way, even if the groom is in jail for murder! Logan, her police detective fiancé, is accused of murdering a local thug and it’s landed him in jail. Anna is determined to prove his innocence and make sure her wedding is going as planned. Between baking cupcakes for the shop and samples for her wedding, Anna and Callie set off to find the real murderer. Who wanted Drake, the local gangbanger, dead? Who was trying to frame Logan?
This was my first read by this author and I found it funny, quirky, and entertaining. The characters are spot-on and it even includes recipes to try at the end. A cute and fun read!!
This is the 5th book in a series, but works fine as a standalone. It’s a quick read and fast-paced. I didn’t connect a lot with the characters, but I think I would more if I read the series from the beginning; I’d be interested in reading more in this series or by this author. The mystery was intriguing and the resolution satisfying. I think that most cozy readers would like this light read. I was provided a copy of this book, but these opinions are my own.
Fireworks, a Firecracker and Foul Play by D.E. Haggerty is a straightforward mystery involving the killing of a criminal, a drug distributor. It is an OK Mystery. What makes it special is the leading lady, the solver of the mystery, the heroine, if you will. Her name is Anna. Her nicknames include Pixie and Pinkie. Pinkie because her hair is often dyed pink…Pixie based on her stature. Quirky seems too simple a word for her personality. It is difficult to write a quirky character and do it well. Janet Evanovich with her Stephanie Plum character is an example of an author that does it well. D.E. Haggerty with Anna is another. It is not forced, it is natural, truly who she is, and it reads well.
Anna’s fiancé, actually only two weeks from the wedding, finds himself in jail; possibly accused of the murder of a person he has been investigating. Anna realizes the moment she hears of it that this will not do. She leaps (almost literally) into to action along with her two friends, Callie and Kristie, who together runs Callie’s Cakes so cupcakes play a major part in daily life, including crime solving. Logan, Anna’s fiancé, is a police officer, as is Ben, Callie’s boyfriend. Both men are aware of Anna’s tendency toward trouble, and the other women’s tendency to help. It makes for comedy and, dare I say it, fun. I recommend this light-hearted cozy mystery to brighten your day.
I received a free ARC of Fireworks, a Firecracker and Foul Play from the Cozy Mystery Review Crew in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.
Fireworks, A Firecracker & Foul Play is the fifth book in D.E. Haggerty’s Death By Cupcake series. This book is a fast-paced wild ride of a story that follows Anna and her two friends along as they race against the clock to prove that Anna’s fiancé Logan isn’t the guilty party in the murder of the gang leader before her big wedding happening on the 4th of July.
Fireworks, A Firecracker & Foul Play is the first book that I have read by D.E. Haggerty, but this book can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. The author hits the ground running with this story and doesn’t let off the gas all the way to the end. Anna is eager for her wedding to take place and claim her man for life, but things aren’t going to go as planned. Anna is a real firecracker! She’s small like a pixie and her bright hair color adds to the effect, but she’s not one to take things lying down. So when her wedding preparations are threatened she goes into full steam ahead mode to solve a murder.
Overall I enjoyed this story and how quickly it moves. It’s fun to read and you get plenty of cupcakes to go with it. I have to admit that I’m amused at how Anna’s friends are so addicted to the cupcakes. Anna basically has to keep an eye on them or have cupcakes set aside so that they don’t eat the ones that she has set aside for “bribes.” LOL! It makes me wonder… just how good are these cupcakes? I mean…I like cake…but I can only deal with so much of it before I’m sick of it. Now cookies on the other hand…LOL!
Now, while this book is a lot of fun I felt that Anna was a bit over the top. As I’ve not read the other books in this series I’m not sure if this is her normal character style or if this is her hyped up because of her upcoming nuptials. There are times in the book when she comes off as more than a little juvenile and I wonder…just how old is this girl? There are moments in the book where she really comes off as a teenager when I’m sure that she has to be in her 20s. My only other complaint is that there is no bad guy tie in. It just happens out of the blue, which I was a bit disappointed by. I’m pleased to say that I did not notice any editorial errors in this book, so that is a definite plus to this story.
All in all, I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. For readers who have read this series to this point then I am sure that you are going to enjoy this book. For new readers, this book can be read as a stand-alone, but I think that I will be going back and checking out the first books and the characters that they focus on and see if this is just how everyone is. Haha! If you like a fun, fast-paced cozy mystery with truly animated characters then I encourage you to pick this book up.
Anna was getting everything ready for her July 4th wedding and baking non-stop. The wedding plans were moving along as scheduled. Until Callie’s fiancé, Logan became the prime suspect in the murder of a local gang leader. Callie was not letting him go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit or let this mess up her wedding! So she and her friends and co-workers from Callie’s Cakes, Callie and Kristie, go off to catch the real killer. These determined women investigated every lead. But even looking for a murderer, they will have you chuckling.
I love this series. The three friends are so much fun and always there for each other. I love all the girls from Callie’s Cakes and Anna is adorable. She is a bold, fun-loving woman. I love how she changes her hair colour with her mood.
I volunteered to read this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I highly recommend it to romantic comedy fans.
This book is about Anna, Callie, and Kristie. Anna herself is a bit of a firecracker. She is very upset to find out that her fiancé Logan (a detective) is mistakenly accused of a crime that he did not commit and is placed in jail just weeks before their 4th of July wedding. Anna, Callie, and Kristie are ready to go and investigate why he was placed in jail for a crime he did not commit (especially since he is a detective). They are committed to solving this crime before it is too late, and Anna’s wedding is destroyed with no groom. This book contained a short mystery story with a bit of firecrackers, and foul play. I loved the spirit of Anna and how she is always dying her hair a different color. Especially the colors she chose for her wedding day as it is not your typical “bridal” color.
Fireworks, a Firecracker and Foul Play is a very quick read book. It has some very funny parts in the book that made me laugh out loud while reading it. This is a great book to read while camping at the fire in the evening or while you are at the beach this summer listening to the waves. I was excited to see that the author included the recipes for the cupcakes that were discussed throughout the book. I plan to make some of these great sounding cupcakes.
I was a bit disappointed at how abruptly the book ended. I felt like the author could have taken the book a bit further and made it a little bit longer. This was the first book by this author that I have read. After reading this book and enjoying it I plan to read the author’s other books as well.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.