Sugar Plum Poisoned

McKinlay’s 15th installment of her “Cupcake Bakery Mystery” series (following Strawberried Alive) demonstrates her cozy mystery chops. The story follows bakers Mel and Angie as they solve another murder while dishing out their delicious-sounding cupcakes (recipes included, of course). Shelby Vaughn, rising country music star and friend of Angie, comes to town to do a Christmas song showcase and falls under suspicion when her overbearing manager, with whom she recently quarreled, ends up dead. Mel and Angie swing into action to clear their friend. While savvy readers may figure out the case more quickly than Angie and Mel do, the story is compelling, with smooth dialogue and fleshed-out main characters, allowing readers to be fully engaged. The supporting cast is large, and trying to figure out their connections and motivations could be distracting if this is a reader’s introduction to the series.