In the twelfth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew follows the clever crumb trail of a killer who’s anything but cookie-cutter.Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers–Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is … life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.
Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery’s signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it’s up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good.
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Every book in Jenn McKinlay’s cupcake bakery mystery series is a sweet treat. I loved Pumpkin Spice Peril and I’m already eagerly waiting for the next title in the series.
Over the years that best friends Mel Cooper and Angie Harper have run Fairytale Cupcakes, they have made friends with some of their customers. Near the top of that list are husband and wife artists Peter and Rene. Every Friday, Peter comes in to pick up cupcakes for Rene, who is currently putting the finishing touches on a major art installation to be unveiled in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mel and Angie are providing the cupcakes for the opening night party. However, the night before the big event, someone dies under suspicious circumstances. Has Mel been pulled into another murder?
While the murder happens a little late in the book, the time is well used to introduce us to characters and provide plenty of conflict. I was never bored, and that only increased once the murdered happened and Mel started uncovering secrets. The series regulars all sparkle as always, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with them. The new characters are just as strong. The book has a more somber tone than some of the others in the series, but it fits the events of the plot. Don’t worry, there are still some good laughs along the way. We get four new cupcake recipes at the end that sound delicious. I raced through this book like always. This is another fun entry in one of my favorite series.
Pumpkin Spice Peril is the 12th A Cupcake Bakery Mystery. Each book can be read on its own, but you will be missing out on some delightful stories. I thought Pumpkin Spice Peril was well-written with developed characters. Angie Harper and Melanie Cooper have come a long way since Sprinkle with Murder. Angie is married to Tate and they are trying to conceive. Joe DeLaura and Melanie are engaged, and they are looking forward to their nuptials. Marty enjoys his job at the bakery and is dating the bakeries rival, Olivia. Oz has perfected his baking prowess and is a valuable member of their team. I enjoy the descriptions of Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona and the creative people who work in the area. The book is filled with activity. Angie learns some surprising news which has her protective brothers (seven of them) rushing to the bakery. It also has Melanie on her own in this investigation. The local police chief wonders how Melanie keeps stumbling over dead bodies. He intends to have a formal investigation launched into all the past cases that Melanie was involved in. Uncle Stan can only do so much to protect Melanie. One of the DeLaura brother’s is dating and he is keeping the ladies name to himself. You know the family is going to find out. We also get to learn more about the most secretive DeLaura brother. Oz gets a new haircut, has mysterious appointments and is wearing a suit. Melanie gives Oz his privacy, but she has an idea what is behind the sudden changes. The mystery of who poisoned Rene has several suspects including her husband and a rival glass artist. One clue will give you the answer if you pay close attention to the details. I love the movie quotes that the group use. I like the quirkiness it adds to the story. I enjoyed the word imagery of the beautiful glass sculpture. It sounded amazing. Plenty of cupcakes are consumed in this tale. Melanie needs to keep up her strength and deal with all the drama. One situation calls for a cupcake in each hand. There are recipes at the end for the yummy creations. Pumpkin Spice Peril is an engaging cozy mystery with tempting treats, a glorious glass creation, a perilous poison, a remarkable remake, busy brothers, and an amazing announcement.
I am a big fan of this series (and author) and devour each new book. This is the 12th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series and it is a delightful addition to a series that just hits all the right notes for me when looking for a cozy mystery series. These characters are well rounded, developed with depth and personality, and there is still room for them to continue to grow and relationships to change along with that growth. Mel and Angie have the kind of friendship that just makes me smile. Their lives are changing but the two of them are learning to roll with those changes. The one thing that doesn’t change is Mel’s penchant for discovering dead bodies or being in the wrong place when one is discovered. Unfortunately, this time the death is Mel’s friend and a renowned glass artist. The last time Mel sees her friend alive the visit is fraught with an argument. As a result, she feels like she has to see that justice is done. She does this with the help of Angie, Joe and the rest of the secondary cast of characters. There are some changes with the Cupcake Fairy family, one that made me happy and one tinged with a bit of sadness.
The mystery was well done. While the identity of the killer was not a complete surprise, Ms. McKinlay does a good job of laying out clues that could fit a number of suspects and then leaving it to her readers to piece them together to see if they can determine the killer’s identity.
This is a highly entertaining series and I will always be back for more. I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Berkley, through Edelweiss Books.
Life is good for Mel and the Fairy Tale Cupcakes gang. Then a friend and Cupcake lover is found dead right before her large, glass art exhibit opens. Mel soon learns that the woman had been having health issues and that things weren’t as good in the women’s life as Mel had thought. But why was she killed? Mel plana to find out.
I’ve enjoyed this series and this book is a prime example of why. Well-written with wonderful characters, this book will pull you in from the beginning and keep you hooked throughout. I read it in one sitting. I love how the author handles the family and friendship aspects making you feel like you’re visiting them with each book. I’m really looking forward to the next one. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order for the most benefit and enjoyment from it.
Read 4.6.2021
This was not my favorite of the series. In a time where we all seem to be fighting each other, reading a book where women are catty and fighting each other and not supporting each other or their craft [and I am not just talking about the obnoxious Olivia Puckett either – I do wish she’d move out of town. I DESPISE that character, though she is barely present in this book and for that, with all the other stuff that is happening, I am very grateful], was just off-putting. It got three stars because I didn’t know who the killer was and for something that happens early on that I cannot talk about. It almost got stars taken away because of how the police chief acts [talk about a freaking chip on one’s shoulder], but what saved that was Uncle Stan defending Mel. He is a good one. There was just so much tearing down and also and with all that is going on in the world today, it felt very unnecessary and overwhelming.
In all of Jenn McKinlay’s books, her marvelous characters create a delightful & intriguing read, full of humor & suspense!
PUMPKIN SPICE PERIL, book 12 of Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery, is a fun book to read. The crew of the Fairy Tale Cupcake are warm, quirky, and likable characters, especially Melanie Cooper who has a knack to be at the wrong place and at the wrong time upon a murder scene. Jenn McKinlay is a crafty writer with a delicious sense of humor who wickedly mixes ingredients of suspects, cupcakes, and murder. Pumpkin Spice Peril will tickle your funny bone and at the same time keeps you glue to the pages to find out who the murderer is.
About the book:
Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers–Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.
Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery’s signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it’s up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good.
I absolutely loved this story the characters were great! The setting was brilliant! I loved the Suspense part of the book. I love how this all turn out. I’m looking forward to the next in this series. I highly recommend reading this series.
I liked Pumpkin Spice since I’m a fan of the series, but there were issues. This story is very Mel centric, as I think most of them are now. Sorry Angie isn’t included more. She might as well have been on vacation in this one.
Almost everything was unbelievable in this story. To avoid spoilers, I’ll be brief and not give details:
The whole story around Rene.
The role of the police chief and what she wants to do.
The Oz situation.
So, if you’re a fan of the series and willing to suspend belief in a number of areas, I think you’ll still enjoy the quick read. Would not recommend to readers not invested cause you’ll just pick it to death and be unsatisfied.
I got my copy from the public library.
One of my absolute favorite series and one I could read over and over again. The characters are like one big family and in this latest book, some changes are coming for them. Mel and Angie’s friend, Rene, is preparing for a big art installation and has not been acting herself. The day before the opening, Rene is found dead at her studio. The police chief has her eye on Mel and is planning to investigate her, thinking she is somehow involved after finding so many dead bodies over the years. A reporter friend of Angie and Joe’s brother, Tony, offers to help Mel clear her name. A wonderful book with changes coming for the gang and lots of secrets with the suspects. This is truly an enjoyable series and the cupcakes always sound so amazing. Can’t wait to see Mel and Joe get married and see what’s in store for Tate and Angie!!
Pumpkin Spice Peril is the 12th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Fairy Tail Cupcakes is bustling with customers, Melanie and her fiance Joe are planning their wedding and Angie and her husband Tate are enjoying life as newlyweds. When a local glass artist who loves the bakery’s Pumpkin Spice cupcakes dies and it is determined that was was poisoned accusations abound. Did the husband do it? If not who did and why? As each person under suspicion is cleared questions still go unanswered. Since the cupcakes were the last thing she ate the bakery, and Melanie and Angie, come under suspicion. As business starts to drop off Melanie decided to investigate on her own. I love all the characters and this mystery is very well written and will keep you guessing. This is happiness in this story though I won’t tell you what it is. You’ll need to read the book to find out! An additional bonus are the delicious cupcake recipes in the back of the book. I definitely recommend this book!
This book was probably the best in the Cupcake Bakery series. You get all the feels from this book. I cried and I laughed, and it left me wanting more!
There are some big changes happening with the bakery family. Oz growing up, and Tate and Angie getting a surprise! The only thing missing was Mel and Joe’s wedding.
The murder of Mel and Angie’s artist friend puts Mel in the sights of the police chief who thinks Mel is guilty in some way with all the bodies and killers she has come across. But in a surprising twist the police chief asks for Mel’s help to find the truth in what happened.
The murder was tragic as it happens around the biggest accomplishment of her life. But they used the showing as a memorial to Rene and her life’s work. I think that the cupcakes made for the unveiling were a perfect match for the ‘Seasons’ glasswork on display. I know it’s something that I would love to see.
If I could I would give this book more than 5*s. I finished it in less than a day. Once you start reading you will not want to stop until you finish it. But it will make you want more in the series quickly!
3.5 hours after starting I am satiated with Pumpkin Spice and marveling at Jenn’s way with words, her characters and her devious mind. Mel, Joe and company are in fine form as murder with twists and turns, old and new relationships and promises of changes to come make this a welcomed addition to the Cupcake series. Thanks, Jenn!
Also love the dedication- congrats Risa and Kelly.
This is one of my favorite food specialty cozy mystery series. I especially enjoyed this one, partly because of my love of all things pumpkin spice! One thing that attracts me to this series is the setting of Scottsdale, Arizona, where I worked in various offices in a past career. Being familiar with some of the area has been a treat, almost as much fun as imagining what these delectable cupcakes taste like! The characters are so well-defined that I would almost expect to bump into a couple of them, or even see the elegant new glass artistry. Scottsdale developments enhance their appeal with fabulous works of art for public display that show the charm of the old West with bold, modern lines and mediums.
Mel and Angie, with Angie’s husband Tate, are partners in Fairy Tale Cupcakes, a wonderful shop of unique, adorable, mouth-watering cupcake combinations. I wanted to find a cupcake bakery just reading about them! Mel is engaged to Angie’s brother, Joe. One of Angie and Mel’s friends in Old Town Scottsdale is Rene, a gifted glass artist. Rene made the cake topper for their upcoming wedding. Rene and her husband Peter have always seemed like the ideal married couple, completely in love with each other. They knew Rene and Peter from their earliest days in Old Town, when Rene was new to her studio at Desert Winds Gallery.
Rene is at the peak of her career, with the most incredible new installation for which the opening is a week away at a prominent Scottsdale location. Peter expresses his concern about Rene’s health to Mel, and Mel tries to hide her horror at seeing the changes. Not only does Rene look sick, but her mental health is deteriorating, as evidenced by a wild accusation that Mel was having an affair with Peter. Rene finally calmed down, and Mel’s staff will be serving at the opening of her new work the following week. Except that Rene never got to see the grand unveiling of her beautiful artistry. She died the day before, at first thought to be of a heart attack.
Mel was quickly accused of murder, as Rene had been poisoned. An anonymous tip cited that Rene had Mel’s cupcakes every week and Mel had delivered some when visiting her studio and learning she was dead. The tipster also claimed to have heard Mel and Rene arguing about her supposed affair with Peter the week before. Now the police chief of Scottsdale has Mel in her sites and isn’t letting go. It’s time for Mel and her friends to start asking questions and find out not only who has set her up, but who killed her friend, as Peter is the only other suspect.
I love how well the characters get along, and how Mel’s fiancé always has her back. Each person is well-defined by their actions and conversations. Changes are coming to Fairy Tale Cupcakes, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all works out (no hints!).
There were definitely a few good suspects, yet I struggled to figure out the “why” to the “who”. It is a grieving crowd who gather to see the opening of Rene’s final, greatest work, showing at least a couple possible suspects. Mel begins to learn things about Peter that she wished she never heard. This fast-paced mystery is as exciting as it gets, and I couldn’t wait to find out really whodunit and why. I highly recommend this mystery to anyone who likes well-written cozy mysteries with lovable characters, a beautiful Southwest setting, humor, and of course, the best cupcakes (and recipes!).