Batter Off Dead

October 8, 2018
Bell’s scrumptious sequel to Cake and Punishment finds pastry chef Sophia Cummings, who trained in New York City, tirelessly working to keep her bakery, For Goodness Cakes, afloat in her hometown of Rumford, Ky. Sophia is pleased to land a last-minute catering gig at the Grape Valley Winery, where a fund-raiser is to be held for an addition to the town library. Wealthy businessman Ray Peel, who owns the land the winery leases, has pledged to donate a large sum to the cause, but his abrupt decision to sell the property threatens to scuttle the event. On a trip to the winery, Sophia stumbles on Ray in a field of grapevines, the victim of a fatal head blow. His promise to pay off the library’s debt is out the window, and suspicion falls on Sophia’s friend Madison Ridge, who was seen arguing with Ray shortly before his death. Sophia sets out to clear Madison’s name. Bell rounds out the volume with recipes for treats like Cherry Flip-Flops. Fans of culinary cozies will have fun. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary.

October 1, 2018
A Kentucky pastry chef's sweet treats continue to attract killers.Returning to her hometown of Rumford, Sophia Cummings has fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening For Goodness Cakes. The murder she helped solve shortly after her arrival (Cake & Punishment, 2018) nurtured a romantic relationship between her and Sheriff Carter Kincaid. Now, Sophia's agreed to supply refreshments for a big fundraiser for the library at Grape Valley Winery. Things take a turn for the worse when the landowner, Ray Peel, refuses to renew the lease for Giles Dugan and his family, whose grapes require the special limestone-rich soil. In addition, Peel reneges on the donation of $500,000 he'd promised to the library fund. So when Sophia trips over his body among the grapevines, there are plenty of suspects for Carter to check out. His own first choice is one of Sophia's best friends, real estate agent Madison Ridge, whom Peel dissed after first offering her the chance to sell his land and who was overheard threatening him. Sophia is determined to prove Carter wrong. Although Sophia's mom, Bitsy, just wants her to get married and have kids, she joins Sophia's friend Charlotte in preparing a list of possible suspects. In the meantime, someone who's clearly unhappy with Sophia's sleuthing puts a phony ad in the local paper offering free treats, breaks into her house, and throws a brick through her bakery window. Undeterred even by Carter's pleas to keep out of the investigation, Sophia just keeps on sleuthing and baking.A standard cozy whose formula mixes romance, a lovable bunch of eccentrics, and a collection of recipes with murder most foul.

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