In this fresh mystery from the national bestselling author of Death of an English Muffin, baker Merry Wynter comes to the aid of an innocent woman accused of murder. When muffin baker Merry Wynter sees an innocent woman accused of murder, it’s dough or die… Opera singer Roma Toscano may have a crippling case of stage fright, but she certainly is stirring up drama in Autumn Vale, New York, … is stirring up drama in Autumn Vale, New York, as she prepares for an upcoming performance at Merry’s Wynter Castle. With her flamboyant style and flirtatious personality, Roma attracts fans as well as critics, including the town’s postmistress—and Merry’s bitter foe—Minnie Urqhart.
But Roma and Minnie’s heated rivalry goes cold after Merry discovers Minnie dead at the post office. While every clue seems to be another ingredient in the investigation of Roma, Merry thinks the case is half-baked, and she’s eager to get her mitts on the real killer…
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Autumn Vale in upstate New York is the place [not] to be. I say that only because it seems you’ll be murdered if you visit too often. In Much Ado About Muffin, the fourth book in the Merry Muffin Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton, Minnie, the post office supervisor, is killed! We surely didn’t like her in the first few books because she was mean to Merry. ‘She deserved to die’ some might say, but there was the briefest moment in the beginning of this book where she was somewhat kind. Rest assured, then she was back at the nastiness, so we don’t feel all that guilty, right?
Hamilton’s created a wonderful town full of lovable characters. I am getting more and more connected to this cast of kooky inhabitants. Some are just plain old weird. Others are insufferable. Many are adorable. But no one will be spared, I suspect, except perhaps Merry. When she’s away visiting her late husband’s brother, the town is running amok. That is, its citizens are. Merry gets a marriage proposal while in Europe. Will she take it? Upon her return, Roma, a diva with a waning voice, is trying to recover in Merry’s castle simply until she can go back onstage in NYC. Unfortunately, Roma’s pissed off a lot of people, including Minnie. Did she then kill Minnie in revenge? Or is it one of her boarders who don’t seem to like Minnie other than she’s agreed to leave them her house if she dies. Then she dies! Ah, who would of guessed?
Hamilton’s writing continues to please. Her style and tone are always great. This is a wonderful series and I will keep reading the books. I’ve held back the full 5 stars because I think she’s capable of more. Merry has lots of connections about town. Build up the families. Add in some additional friends. Give her a stronger job. Make her truly ready to takeover the town. Then I’ll be so enamored with this series, I will re-read it many times!
Much Ado About Muffin is the 4th book in the Merry Muffin Mystery Series by Victoria Hamilton. In this book Merry has gone to Spain to make peace with her mother-in-law who is on her deathbed. Merry takes her time in Spain enjoying being pampered and taken care of until her late husband’s brother proposes to her. This proposal makes Merry really look at her life and she quickly decides she needs to go home to Wynter Castle and resume her life there. Once home Merry finds a lot has changed in her two month absence. One morning she and a friend are going shopping but first they decide to stop at the post office to see if Merry’s luggage has arrived from Spain yet. Finding the front door locked the two friends decide to go around back to see if they can Minnie the postmaster. What they find is a dead Minnie. Will Merry be able to adjust to all the changes? Can Merry help solve the murder before something else bad happens? Is the murderer someone that is close to Merry or someone new to Autumn Vale?
I really enjoy this series. What I liked about this book is there Merry has decided to put her past behind her, not to forget about her late husband but to finally stop mourning the loss of a husband and allow herself to live and love again. Merry has to smooth a lot of hurt feelings because she didn’t keep in touch with her friends during her two month absence. She finds out that she has a lot of people who love and care for her and consider her family. This book really promotes that family comes in all forms and you should always try to keep family close to you even when you’re not. It also shows that family and true friends will always forgive you when you have hurt them and will always have your back when you need them.
This is a great cozy mystery (no bad language, graphic violence or sex) with a touch of romance. Great storyline and strong realistic characters. There is also a bonus of some recipes for any Muffin Lovers out there. I would definitely recommend not only this book but the series.