Baking Up a Murder: A Novel

A family-owned bakery gets mixed up in trouble in this cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Ellie Alexander and Bree Baker.

When her beloved grandfather dies, pastry chef Madeline quits her high-brow job at a renowned LA restaurant to take up her grandfather’s mantle and keep his bakery running alongside his widow, her big-personality Grandma Ruth. For Madeline, bringing her passion for French pastries to Solvang, California, is her biggest baking challenge yet: The town is completely Danish themed, down to the windmills.

In an effort to connect with the locals and convince them that an éclair is just as good as a spandauer, Madeline enters a local baking competition at Grandma Ruth’s urging. Despite her triumphant win, things go terribly wrong when a jilted competitor accuses Madeline of cheating and Grandma Ruth gets very publicly protective of her granddaughter. When that competitor is found dead outside the bakery with Grandma Ruth standing over the body, it’s no surprise who everyone thinks is responsible.

With the police focused on Grandma Ruth as a suspect and the gossipy locals quickly turning on Ruth and the bakery, Madeline becomes determined to prove her grandma’s innocence and save her grandfather’s legacy before the whole thing goes up in smoke.