Sunnyside is a town filled with witches and other paranormal beings. Sure, normal folk come through, but most of the residents are dyed in the wool supernatural. Sophie owns the Sugar Skulls Bakery right downtown Sunnyside, in the heart of the madness. She and her family have been running it (sort of) successfully for two generations, but times are getting tough and Sophie finds herself thinking … herself thinking outside the box to keep the doors open.
Just in time for Halloween, she starts creating Dead Cakes, which are nothing fancy. Just a little fun and spice and all things (magically) nice.
But when her customers start falling down dead, Sophie has to scramble to figure out just what exactly is going on because she’s the prime suspect. And since she’s not really great at magic, even Sophie isn’t sure if she’s to blame.
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With this book, Paula Lester starts integrating her readers into life in Sunny Side town. We’ve met the residents at the old age home in the last few books and have spent a lot of time falling in love with Zoey and her group of attendants, caretakers and charges.
Now it’s time for us to meet more members of the town we’ve already starting to fall in love.
As engaging as the other Sunny Side books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love reading the first book in a series. I was even more excited to see that the characters that I’ve already been introduced to in the Sunnyside Retirement Series were included in this series. As always, this series is led by a strong character that will not allow for her or a loved one to go down for something that they did not do. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a wonderful addition to the Sunnyside world! I loved how everything crossed over, so we had familiar characters along with new ones. And the new ones are great! I really like Max and how she became so much stronger as the story evolved. I see many more great stories!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sugar Skulls and Suspects by Paula Lester is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I have fallen in love with. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about cozy mysteries.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This spin off of the Sunnyside Retired Witches series is just as fun to read. We get to see some new characters and life in Sunnyside from a different angle. As always a mystery combined with lots of fun a bit of snark . It will hook you and keep you wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sugar Skulls and Suspects – Sunnyside Magical Bakery, Volume 1” was a great story. Sunnyside is a mystical town with supernaturals. Plenty of majic, mystery and mayhem. This was a fast read and I am looking forward to additonal books in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Maxine Aspen is trying to up her business. It is, after all, Halloween and Day of the Dead cookies should do the trick right? Maxine makes her cookies with some magic, that she isn’t very good at, and now her customers are dying off! Is she the reason? Even Maxine is doubting herself, but is she a murderer? You will need to read the book to find out. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.
This is a spin-off from the Sunnyside Retired Witches Community series with many of the side characters showing up in this book. We are introduced to the world of Max, the bakery owner of Sugar Skulls and Hope, from the occult store. They are working together to find out who wants to close their shops down to take over their locations. There is a hint of magic, mystery, and a whole lot of mayhem with this rag tag group.
Written as a 3rd person, single pov with a mystery solved ending.
Interesting story, nice to see the characters from the previous series making their cameo appearances, entertaining dialogue, and nicely done, detailed descriptions. All in all, a good read.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Sassy Beta Reading and Review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love the new series spin off! A bakery is going to be an interesting setting. So happy we get visits from our retirement home friends popping in. Excited to see what this series brings!
Great start to a wonderful series
Nice to Be Back in Sunnyside, But…
I was and am a huge fan of the original Sunnyside retirement series by this author, which this is a spin-off of. In fact, I credit that series as giving me a true love of paranormal cozy mysteries. That series was just so zany and over-the-top with all the residents of the center. So I was curious to see what was going to happen with this new series set in Sunnyside but focused on a bakery. While I like it, I don’t think it quite meets the standard that I loved so much in the original series. I feel like it needs more characters to keep it lively and unexpected like that one. Because there weren’t so many quirky characters, I noticed more, perhaps, that there seemed to be an emphasis on the primary and secondary characters and the new setting rather than the mystery itself. I feel like it is a hard row to hoe with cozy mysteries: You want to see the quirky character factor as well as a solid mystery. This one left me a little disappointed, though I will continue to read it as I do enjoy the Sunnyside world the author has created. Perhaps I will warm to this new series.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This was a quick read with a lot going on!
This was an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two. Paula Lester always writes quirky characters and this book is no exception. I will say it was ended on a high and I think book 2 will be better than this one (mean time I can go read about the retirement centre!)
I have not read the books based on the senior centre set in the same city by the same author and I think perhaps I may have enjoyed this book more so if I had as I would have understood some of the older characters and their quirks better.
Recommended
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I didn’t read the original series that lead to this spin off, but I found I enjoyed the story and surrounding mystery of Max’s Bakery. It is a clean and sweet book with an intriguing mystery. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sunnyvale is a typical small town with one exception – it is a town full of paranormals, many of them witches.
Max bought the local bakery from her parents, and her mother and Nan still help when necessary. But lately there is more and more trouble connecting to the bakery and someone is trying to push her out of her business. When she is called on by a different business owner who tells her that she faces similar unexplainable problems, they start to investigate together.
A lovely story, and for those who are familiar with the Sunnyvale Retirement Home for Witches- Series, you will be able to meet some of your favourite characters again.
The style is different from the main series, but it still has a familiarity to it – a nice, successful way to blend old and new.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Max took over her parents bakery and changed the name but now she is having trouble and may lose the bakery and.then hope Vega tells her that her shop has been cursed and so has hers but should she believe her or is hope trying to take the bakery. Another great start to a new series from Paula Lester.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
” Sugar Skulls and Suspects – Sunnyside Magical Bakery, Volume 1” by Paula Lester is a tale of one Maxine Aspen who owns the Sugar Skulls Bakery…in downtown Sunnyside…a mystical …magical town of supernaturals and this Halloween Maxine tried her hand at a brand new approach to boost business at the bakery…Day of the Dead cookies!!! But unfortunately her newest venture apparently had deadly consequences…OR did they?!? Who would tamper with her product?!? And WHY?!? And when Hope Vega…comes and tells her that she too is having problems …the two team up to solve both their issues…and salvage both their businesses and Halloween for Sunnyside at large. Curses are uncovered …some new and one decades old…things just got spookier for Maxine and her friends…and it’s NOT just the season. Read and See!! Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
This is a great cozy mystery. I loved the storyline and characters. Both are well written and keep your interest. I love the cover as well. A great author and I recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Who cursed her family’s bakery? Maxine’s family bakery has been very slow for a while and she on the verge of being kicked out for failure to pay her lease on time. Then another shop owner name Hope tells her that she believes someone wants both businesses closed down. As they investigate, they find out there are multiple curses on the bakery and they are fighting against each other. People are acting strange near the bakery, many have gotten sick, and one person died. Maxine is being accused of poisoning people. But who would put curses on her bakery. They don’t have any enemies. But one curse goes back years and years, will they even be able to find the person or persons who laid the curses? Her business, Hope’s business, and lives are at stake. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Sunnyside is a town filled with witches and other paranormals. Maxine Aspen is the owner of the Sugar Skulls Bakery, and she is trying to think up a way to increase business. With Halloween as her inspiration, she creates what she called “Day of the Dead” cookies. Unfortunately, the people who eat them drop dead for real! She’s a little bit worried that with her not-so-great witch skills, maybe that good luck spell she added might have gone wrong! Being the prime suspect, Maxine needs to find out what is going on, and she and Hope Vega team up together when it appears someone might be trying to drive them out of business!
This is a cute cozy mystery with likable characters and a story line that flows well to keep the reader entertained while trying to figure out the mystery. Why would someone be out to ruin these businesses? Grab your copy and find the answer!
Such a great read. This was a new author for me and the storyline was one that I could not put down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.