by: Valerie Burns
Series: Baker Street Mystery
Genre: African American Cozy Culinary Mystery
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery has sold plenty of wedding cakes before, but before she turns one out for her and her fiancé’s wedding, she’ll have to solve a little case of murder...
Aunt Octavia would be so proud! Maddy has turned Baby Cakes Bakery—named for her 250-pound English Mastiff, Baby—into a runaway success, and she’s marrying the love of her life, veterinarian Michael Portman. #DreamWedding! Plus the timing couldn’t be better: the country’s biggest bridal expo has come to New Bison, Michigan, and Maddy has secured a spot for Baby Cakes to showcase their cakes. She’s also entered a contest for an all-expenses-paid wedding extravaganza offered by world-renowned wedding planner Serafina.
Unfortunately, supremely nasty Serafina truly takes the cake—she makes the worst bridezilla seem like a shy flower girl. But there’s one thing the wedding planner didn’t plan on—being impaled by one of the skewers Baby Cakes uses on their tiered wedding cakes.
While Maid of Honor Sheriff April Johnson rounds up suspects at the expo, Maddy and her aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, and even Baby join forces to unveil a killer hiding in plain sight...before wedding bells start to chime.
Thank you for inviting me. I’m doing well.
Good. A lot has changed in your life since we last spoke. Congratulations on getting engaged to Michael and on your upcoming wedding. I love hearing how couples first met. How did you and Michael meet?
We met at my bakery, Baby Cakes. When my great aunt Octavia died, I inherited her bakery in New Bison, Michigan. One of her best friends, Hannah Portman, works at the bakery. My fiancé, Michael, is her grandson.
Have you and Michael started planning the wedding? What does your dream wedding look like?
We have been planning. Well. . .I’ve done most of the work. Michael keeps trying to convince me that we should elope to Vegas and get married by Elvis. However, I’ve spent my entire life dreaming of my wedding day, so that’s out of the question. I’m planning a small, traditional wedding. There are hundreds of decisions to make, and I change my mind daily. Ideally, I’d like to find a wedding planner to help with some of those decisions, but Michael has me on a tight budget, which won’t stretch to include a wedding planner unless I get creative. But I have a plan that just might get me the perfect person to help plan my wedding.
Congratulations are also in order on making Baby Cakes a HUGE success. What’s one of your favorite cake flavors?
I LOVE experimenting with different flavors. It’s fall and apples are in season in New Bison. We found a fantastic Bourbon Apple Cake recipe. It’s unexpected and rustic. Right now, that’s my new favorite. My fiancé still loves Great Aunt Octavia’s Chocolate Soul Cake.
Okay. Both of those flavors sound amazing! With Baby Cakes being successful, you’re now going to bridal expos and getting the name out a lot more. Have you encountered a lot of bridezillas? And if so, how do you handle them?
I have encountered a few bridezillas, but my father is an admiral in the navy, and I’ve grown up on military bases all over the world. I’ve learned a lot about diplomacy, discipline, and self-control. When all else fails, I know my two-hundred-fifty-pound English mastiff always has my back.
What can readers expect from Icing on the Murder?
A bridal expo is coming to New Bison, and I learn that the wedding planner to the stars, Seraphina, is giving her services to one lucky couple. I’m determined to win that prize. However, the contest starts to look more like an episode of The Jerry Springer Show than Say Yes to the Dress. When Seraphina is murdered, I need to figure out Whodunit, or I’ll be wearing black and white stripes instead of a wedding gown.
I have no doubt that you will get to the bottom of things. What’s next for you?
The wedding is fast approaching, and there’s a lot to do. Bringing two families together isn’t easy. A family feud nearly disrupts the wedding. But did the feud between my fiancé’s grandmother and cousin lead to murder?
Oh no! Maddy, thank you so much for your time. I’ll let you get back to solving murders.
Thank you so much for having me.
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