Book 3 in the Death by Cupcake series. Can be read as a standalone.Kristie is kind with a capital K, so it’s quite the surprise when she wakes up next to a dead man with no recollection of the previous night. Even worse? She’s naked. Kristie may be a sweetheart out to save the world, but sticking her nose into an investigation of rapes across campus makes her the target of a murderer. Before she … Before she knows it, Kristie is smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation with her colleagues Callie and Anna. If that’s not enough to drive a sane person up the wall, a friend has decided he’s going to keep her safe whether she wants him to or not. And, oh yeah, he’s her man and that’s that.
Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu. You are most welcome, but you may need to serve yourself as our barista Kristie is busy trying to save the world.
Warning: Although there are plenty of moments that will make you shake your head and laugh at the antics of the ladies of Callie’s Cakes, the subject matter – rape on college campuses – is very real and somewhat darker than your usual cozy mystery.
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Favorite Quotes:
Not only is there a man in my bed I don’t know, but he’s passed out. And he’s naked. I’ve never even seen a naked man before. Well, not up close and personal. And he’s lying on his back with his junk hanging out. Not that I’m looking. Okay, I’m looking. Is that what a man’s junk looks like? That’s not attractive at all. It’s wrinkly and small. Way smaller than I expected. I shake my head and look away.
That’s completely cowardly lion territory. I am not a cowardly lion. I am the fierce lioness. I can do this.
Anna’s voice is now all business. These ladies sure take their crime solving seriously.
Not another one! How does this happen? We’re strong independent women. How do we keep ending up with these alpha men?
My Review:
Kristie is a twenty-three-year-old virgin, good girl, and social work major who awakens with no memory of the previous evening to a naked man in her bed, oh, and he also appears to be dead. Not at all how she expected her first time ogling a naked man was going to go. Yikes. So it’s a good thing she knows a super smart random fact spouting nerd and a pink haired baking pixie with law enforcement connections. I had no idea that a bakery was such a tough and cutthroat industry as everyone connected to this shop seems to be a magnet for murder and odd corpses. It appears that running a bakery is far more difficult that I ever imagined. Written from a first person POV, this cozy mystery was amusing, easy to follow, and pleasantly entertaining, as were all of Ms. Haggerty’s previous works. I don’t think I could ever tire of them.
This book grabbed me from the beginning! Kristie woke up with no memory of the night before. She didn’t have a clue why she was naked and had a dead man in her bed. Of course, I wanted answers so I kept reading. Kristie works at Callie’s Cakes part-time and goes to college. There had been several rapes on campus so Kristie went to a bar frequented by students to investigate. That didn’t work for her. She got roofied and the next thing she knew she was home in bed – not alone (remember the dead guy). That explained the memory loss but not the dead man.
I loved this story with Kristie and her colleagues from Callie’s Cakes, Callie and Anna, trying to find the murderer. How can investigating a murder be funny? With these three “working the case” that’s how. Kristie calling her friends the troublesome twosome gives you an idea of how bad they are. These women are so much fun, each having quirks, but likable. In this book we got to know more about Kristie who is sweet and kind. It’s obvious she would never murder anyone so how did the man get in her bed – dead?
This is a great book – great series! – so when I was offered a complementary copy, I jumped at the chance to read it. Please note that I am reviewing this book on my own as I do with everything I read and not because I was asked to.
The third installment in the Death By Cupcake series features bakery assistant and college student Kristie. She becomes unwittingly involved in a murder mystery after waking up next to the victim, with no recollection of who he is or how he got into her bed. And, you can imagine if you’ve read the previous 2 books in the series, this is where the fun begins!
Although this has the trademark humor I’ve come to expect in these books, the subject matter is a little heavier…it’s something that sadly probably happens on many college campuses. But D.E. Haggerty handles it in such a way that your focus is more on the antics of Kristie, Abbie, and Callie, without taking away from the seriousness of the subject. With the 3 of them involved you know there will be laughs and head shakes, and a few eye rolls, as they try to bumble their way into solving another case that the authorities have kind of pushed to the side.
Kristie was mostly an unknown quantity in the first 2 books, we never got to really know her- who she was, what made her tick, what her story was. That all changes here! And what a surprise you are in for- this girl has a lot more going on than I could have ever imagined! She’s got secrets and depths that were unexpected, and it was great to finally get inside her head.
If this is really the end to the series I’ll be sad to say good-bye! I’ve really enjoyed the characters, they are such a fun group!