Book 82, 2018

Red Velvet Cupcakes to Die For by Alaine Allister

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I finished reading Red Velvet Cupcakes to Die For last night. It's the first book in author Alaine Allister's "Liana Campbell" cozy mystery series, featuring coffee shop owner Liana Campbell.

After firing her bumbling help, Liana hires a handsome stranger on the spot when he tells her he's looking for work. She's soon crushing on Reese, big time, and feeling like an awkward teen all over again. Liana's euphoria is doused, however, when she comes across a dead body in the alley behind her shop. Afraid that the town gossips may start spreading rumors that she was the culprit, Liana begins to do some sleuthing on her own. Riding shotgun is her newly adopted cat, Fluffy. Liana's investigation takes her all over town, where she is accosted by the local harridan, guilted into signing up for swimming classes, and targeted by a vandal. But, nothing will keep her from learning the truth.

Hm. The story was cute and light, if a bit trite. The title would lead one to think that cupcakes somehow figured into the mystery, but they didn't. The direction Liana's love life took was predictable. Plus, I know it's a small town, but the fact that Liana blithely left her shop open while she was getting ready in the early morning led to an awkward situation that was completely avoidable. Eh.

Favorite line: "See? Hats aren't so bad."

In short, the story was okay, earning it an average score.