WEDDING CAKE KILLER by Livia J. Washburn

Publisher:  Signet
Published:   November 5, 2013
ISBN:  978-0451414786
Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Five Hearts

Eve Turner stunned her friends and housemates Phyllis Newsom, Carolyn Wilbarger and Sam Fletcher with the news that she was getting married over Thanksgiving weekend.  It wasn’t so much that serial bride Eve planned to marry again, after all they all knew she was on the prowl for her next spouse for quite some time.  No, it’s the fact that she’s marrying Roy Porter in a New Year’s Eve wedding a mere month or so after meeting him.  But Eve seems genuinely happy and Roy does seem devoted to her so the friends go ahead with plans for the wedding.  Together Phyllis, Carolyn and Sam throw the happy couple a bridal shower in the house they share with the wedding a week later.  When Roy and Eve leave on their honeymoon the three friends begin to adjust to life without their friend.  Not that Eve is leaving them for good…she’ll still be their friend.  It’s just that she won’t be there day to day with them.  The plan though is for Roy and Eve to stay at the house until they buy their own. 

But when Eve and Roy arrive back in Weatherford, Texas after their honeymoon they have some news for the friends—they aren’t going to be staying at the house but instead at a nearby bed and breakfast.  It makes sense though—after all they are newlyweds and do need some time to themselves, right?  But then a few days later Phyllis’s son, a deputy sheriff named Mike shows up and he has some news…Roy is dead and the police are looking for Eve as a person of interest. 

Once again Eve is in the middle of a murder investigation and this time a dear friend of hers may be convicted as the killer.  Can Phyllis find the real killer before Eve has to don an orange jumpsuit?

I love Livia J. Washburn’s Fresh Baked series.  Each book has gotten better and better.  The characters—Phyllis, Sam, Carolyn and Eve have grown and developed in each story.  Their relationships shift and deepen in each book.  When Eve announced she was marrying Roy at the end of GINGERBREAD BUMPOFF I wondered where Ms. Washburn was going and boy was I surprised at the twists in WEDDING CAKE KILLER!  Despite the fact I pretty much knew who the killer was when the character appeared Ms. Washburn still caught me off guard with several threads in the story. 

Ms. Washburn has such a great writing voice.  You feel as if you are sitting in a room with her while she tells you a tale that could well have happened to her.  She has this great down home style of writing that draws you into the story and you don’t want to put the book down until you’ve savoured every page.

Each book has some wonderful recipes at the end.  They are simple to make and pretty tasty.  Each book is a standalone but you don’t want to miss a one.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.