Name: Amanda's review of Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay
Item: Strawberried Alive
Rating: 3
Author: Amanda

Jenn McKinlay

The crew from the Fairy Tale Cupcakes shop risks getting burned when they set out to find a murderer who is terrorizing their town Life is smooth as buttercream at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, and newlyweds Mel and Joe are stopping to smell the flours. But things start to crumble one night when an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel. Though the bullets miss their mark, the cupcake crew goes on high alert to figure out who would want to kill a small-town baker, and why. When more business owners are attacked, things turn fatal, and locals begin to wonder if the killer could be one of their own. Every shop owner in town starts to fear it’s only a matter of time before they too become victims of the mystery murderer. Despite the cupcake crew's superb baking skills, it will be anything but a piece of cake to catch the killer, as they try to prevent anyone else from being berried.

Strawberried Alive

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Amanda

This book has all the elements I love in a cozy mystery... Quirky setting, interesting characters, good mystery. I really enjoyed the read until about halfway in. I figured it out way before any of the characters began to suspect which made it a little less compelling. Unfortunately the real problem for me was that the lead started doing things that were really stupid. Things that could get her and her friends killed for no good reason. Things that would have ultimately nullified court cases and convictions. SHE'S NOT A COP! SHE'S A BAKER! Her step dad is chief of police and her husband is a prosecuting attorney for crying out loud... And neither of them ever tell her off for literally tampering with evidence? Come on!
There is a line between nosy investigation by a lay person, and lay person who solves the crime but completely ruins the court case and therefore my overall enjoyment of the story. In the second half of the story I just kept thinking "what are you doing!?!" over and over again. She kept literally ruining the investigation. It's frustrating to read a cozy murder mystery where you know that probably nobody is going to jail because the main character messed everything up in the name of helping.

All that said, I mostly enjoyed the story. I would probably read another one in the series because I liked the characters and the setting enough to tune in again. If you enjoy cozy mysteries you'll probably enjoy this one.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay

Reviews

Join the club

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay