Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay Narrator: Susan Boyce
Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery #8
Published by Dreamscape Media on March 28, 2017
Source: Library
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 7 hrs 2 mins
Pages: 294
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Libro.fm
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In the eighth in the New York Times bestselling series by the author of Dark Chocolate Demise, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew goes double or nothing in Vegas...
Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are taking a gamble by opening their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, so where better to hit the jackpot than in Vegas? Business manager Tate Harper has lined up a meeting with Holly Hartzmark, a former showgirl who’s looking to bring Mel and Angie’s sweet treats to Sin City, but Mel isn’t so sure she’s ready to hand her recipes over to a complete stranger—especially one as brash as Holly.
But after the potential bakery location gets blown up, Mel begins seeing another side to Holly—one that reminds her very much of herself. Determined to help a kindred spirit, Mel sets out to discover who is trying to keep the bakery from cashing in. But with a murderous mischief maker on the loose, the odds are stacking up against a happy ending for Mel and her friends...
The Cupcake Bakery mysteries are fun, light mysteries with a bit too much romance but plenty of delicious cupcakes. I typically listen to this series on audio that I’ve borrowed from the library, which is how I read Vanilla Beaned, too. This time around Mel, Angie and Tate traveling to Las Vegas in an attempt to open a bakery franchise. Mel’s still not thrilled with the idea and is underwhelmed when the prospective owner turns out to be a showgirl, Holly Hartzmark. Throw in an Elvis impersonator contest, a potential stalker, and a murder and plans quickly go awry. Someone seems to be willing to kill to stop a Las Vegas location from becoming reality, but is the violence aimed at Holly or Mel? Happily Marty and Oz make the trip to Vegas to help out.
I enjoy spending time with these characters, even if I’m tired of Mel’s romantic life story line and Tate and Angie are a bit too saccharine. The mystery was well done, with a couple of good twists. The narrator does a good job as always with both the regulars and new characters.
About Jenn McKinlay
Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with books, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
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