{"product_id":"wedding-cake-crumble-isbn-9780399583834","title":"Wedding Cake Crumble","description":"\u003cb\u003eFor the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew, wedding bells turn to death knells in this latest mystery in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling series.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith Angie and Tate's wedding just around the corner, it's a happy time for Melanie Cooper and the bakery crew. Not only are they finessing the last minute details of the big day, but their bakery, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, has just been hired to bake cupcakes for the blockbuster book signing of a controversial author who wrote a steamy bestseller filled with juicy local gossip.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut one by one, the people Angie has hired to work at the wedding begin turning up dead. As the body count rises, the bestselling author is the next to bite the dust. Mel quickly realizes she needs to figure out how the murders are connected and why--before the killer brings the entire cupcake crew crumbling down. After all, Angie and Tate deserve their sweet happily ever after.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eINCLUDES SCRUMPTIOUS RECIPES!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[McKinlay’s] characters are delicious”—Sheila Connolly, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“All the ingredients for a winning read.”—Cleo Coyle, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“McKinlay bakes a sweet read!”—Krista Davis, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A tender cozy full of warm and likable characters and a refreshingly sympathetic murder victim. Readers will look forward to more of McKinlay’s tasty concoctions.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Good plotting and carefully placed clues make this an enjoyable, light mystery, made a little sweeter with recipes for the cupcakes Mel’s team creates.”—The Mystery ReaderFormer librarian \u003cb\u003eJenn McKinlay\u003c\/b\u003e is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e USA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Bluff Point Romances, including \u003ci\u003eEvery Dog Has His Day\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBarking Up the Wrong Tree\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAbout a Dog\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the Library Lover’s Mysteries, the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries, and the Hat Shop Mysteries. Jenn lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Here comes the bride,\" Melanie Cooper sang as she held a bouquet      of multicolored snapdragons in front of her as if she were walking      down the aisle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Practicing for your own wedding?\" Angie DeLaura asked her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"No, just yours,\" Mel said, then she smiled. \"For now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They'd been best friends since they were twelve years old, so it      was no surprise that Mel would be Angie's maid of honor when Angie      and their other childhood friend Tate Harper tied the knot in just      one week.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Today, Mel and Angie had left Fairy Tale Cupcakes, the bakery they      co-owned, in the capable hands of their employees while they ran      around town, finalizing payments to vendors and making sure      everything was a go for Angie and Tate's big day. At the moment,      they were paying for Angie's flowers, calla lilies, with their      stems wrapped in aqua and pewter ribbons.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Annabelle? Hello!\" Angie called. She rang the bell on the counter      and peered at the back room. \"What do you suppose is keeping her?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"No idea,\" Mel said. She admired the brilliant yellow petals on a      huge sunflower. So pretty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Okay, so after we pay the florist, who's next?\" Angie asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel put the snapdragons back in their display bucket and checked      her smartphone, where she kept her to-do list updated.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We need to pay the photographer and the caterer.\" She glanced at      Angie. \"Are you really having them make Jell-O? 'Because crme      bržlŽe can never be Jell-O'.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"'I have to be Jell-O,'\" Angie said. For emphasis, she tossed her      long, curly brown hair over her shoulder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"My Best Friend's Wedding,\" they identified the movie quotes      together and then laughed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since middle school, the three friends, Mel, Angie, and Tate, had      shared a love of sweets and movies. Now as adults they tried to      stump one another with random movie quotes, and in the case of      serving Jell-O at their wedding, Angie chose it deliberately. She      wanted Tate to know she was his comfort food, his Jell-O, which he      had always loved, much to Mel's cordon bleu dismay.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Do you think we should leave and come back?\" Angie asked Mel.      \"Maybe she's on her coffee break and forgot to lock the door.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Maybe.\" Mel frowned. She didn't want to admit she was starting to      get a hinky feeling in the pit of her stomach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Annabelle Martin's flower shop sat in the heart of Old Town      Scottsdale. Despite the small size of the space, it was full to      bursting with blooms, both real and silk, as Annabelle's talent      with flowers was legendary. In Scottsdale, Arizona, a wedding was      just not a wedding unless Annabelle did the flowers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"But even if Annabelle stepped out, why isn't anyone else here?      Doesn't she have four assistants?\" Mel asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie nodded and Mel saw her big brown eyes get wide and Mel knew      she was thinking the same thing that Mel was. Angie swallowed and      in a soft voice, she said, \"Maybe something happened to her?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They stared at each other for a moment. Over the past few years,      they had suffered the misfortune of stumbling upon several dead      bodies. Given that Angie was one week from saying \"I do,\" it would      just figure if they found a body now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This can't be happening,\" Angie said. \"Not now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't panic,\" Mel said. She blew her blond bangs off her      forehead. Being a chef, she kept her hair nice and short to keep      it out of the food, because nothing said \"Ew\" like finding a hair      in your frosting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't panic?\" Angie cried, her voice rising a decibel with each      syllable. \"Why would I panic? It's only a week until my wedding,      you know, the most important day of my life to date.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Breathe.\" Mel squeezed Angie's arm as she scooted past her and      around the counter. \"I'll just check in back and make sure      everything is okay.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A curtain was hanging in the doorway to the back room. She knew      from being here before that the back room housed all of      Annabelle's supplies as well as a kitchenette and her office. It      was a tiny space and she had to turn sideways to maneuver through      the packed shelves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Vases of glass, steel, and copper; baskets; ribbons; glass      marbles; florist wire in all sizes and colors-all of it-was      stuffed onto the shelves until they looked as if they'd      regurgitate the goods right onto the floor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel shimmied her way past until she cleared the shelves and      reached the worktable in back. A couple dozen purple irises were      scattered across a sheaf of floral paper as if someone had just      left them out of water and gasping for air.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Annabelle loved flowers; they were her passion. Mel couldn't      imagine that she'd have just left these here to rot. Mel felt the      short-cropped hair on the back of her neck prickle with unease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Where was Annabelle? What could have happened to her? Mel closed      her eyes for a moment, trying to dredge up the courage to circle      the table and see if Annabelle was there, lying on the floor,      unconscious, bludgeoned, bloody, bleeding out even as Mel stood      here shaking like a 'fraidy cat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hello? Annabelle? Are you here?\" Mel called.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There was no answer. She opened her eyes. She was just going to      have to see for herself. She took a steadying breath and stepped      around the worktable. She glanced at the floor. It was bare. The      breath she'd been holding burst out of her lungs as the sound of a      toilet flushing broke through the quiet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel whipped around to face the back hallway just as Angie came      barreling through the curtain into the back room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Any sign of her?\" she asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Maybe,\" Mel said. She stared down the hallway, listening to the      water running in the bathroom. Please, please, please, let it be .      . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, doesn't that just figure?\" Annabelle asked as she strode      towards them. \"It's quiet all morning and then the second you go      to the bathroom someone shows up.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're okay!\" Mel cried. Impulsively, she threw herself at      Annabelle's big-boned frame and hugged her tight. \"You're not      dead.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh, honey.\" Annabelle hugged her back. \"You need to calm down,      maybe take a vacation or something.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel let her go with a nervous laugh. \"Ha, you're right. I must be      working too hard.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Annabelle fluffed her close-cropped curls and then turned to Angie      with a hug and a smile. \"And how is our bride? Seven days to go!      Are you ready?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"More than,\" Angie said. \"I'm excited for the wedding but I'm even      more excited to have it over and be Mrs. Tate Harper.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Annabelle clasped her hands over her heart and sighed. \"Of all the      events I arrange flowers for, weddings are my favorite. Yours      aren't here yet, but come on, I'll show you what I just got in.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Annabelle scooped up the irises and put them in water and then led      them to the front of the shop. While she and Angie oohed and aahed      over some of the fresh flowers, Mel took a moment to get herself      together. Clearly she had some issues if her first thought when      Annabelle hadn't been available was that she was dead. Seriously,      what was wrong with her?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She had been around an inordinate amount of death over the past      few years. She wondered if perhaps it was her own fault. Maybe she      found all of these bodies, maybe bad things happened all around      her, because she went looking for them. The thought disturbed Mel      on a lot of levels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Did that daisy do something to offend you?\" Annabelle asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel looked at her in question and Annabelle pointed to Mel's      hands, where just the stem and one petal were left of an orange      gerbera daisy. Mel had been systematically stripping the petals      off of it without realizing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Snatching off the last petal, Mel said, \"He loves me. Phew!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie looked at her as if she thought Mel was drunk or crazy or      drunk and crazy. Mel shrugged. Annabelle gave her a concerned look      and took the stem out of her hands and threw it in the trash.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e While Angie paid Annabelle for her flowers, Mel picked up the      petals and then paced up by the front of the shop. She didn't      trust herself not to destroy any of the lovely arrangements and      kept her hands in her pockets just in case.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With a wave, they left Annabelle and her flowers to head to the      photographer's studio. It was across Scottsdale Road, on a small      side street, nestled in amongst the trendy restaurants and art      galleries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Okay, what gives?\" Angie asked as soon as the door shut behind      them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What?\" Mel asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie widened her eyes and said, \"Come on, you know what. You      started shredding flowers in there. What was that all about?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nothing. I just had this random thought,\" Mel said. \"It was      silly.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Good, then you won't mind sharing.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel pursed her lips. Angie was a badger. There was no way she was      getting out of this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Fine, if you must know-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I must.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They paused at the corner to wait for the crossing light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I just thought it was weird that my first instinct when Annabelle      wasn't readily available was that she'd been murdered. I mean      that's weird, right?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie squinted at her. \"There's more, isn't there?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel blew out a breath. \"Okay, it also occurred to me that maybe,      just maybe, the fact that I am always looking for something bad to      have happened is what makes it happen.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The light turned and the walk signal lit up. Angie opened her      mouth to speak, closed it, then took Mel's arm and pulled her      across the street.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Once they stepped onto the curb, she looked at Mel and said, \"Now,      that is nuts.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Is it?\" Mel asked. \"I mean, isn't there a whole philosophy that      says whatever you put out there comes back to you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"So, you think that by putting out thoughts of dead bodies or      worst-case scenarios, that's what makes them happen?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah . . . maybe . . . no . . . I don't know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Listen, we've definitely had some crazy stuff happen to us since      we opened the bakery, but don't you think it's because we work in      a service industry with a whole lot of different people with all      sorts of bad and good things happening in their lives?\" Angie      asked. \"I mean, how many weddings, birthdays, retirement parties,      etcetera, have we baked cupcakes for and nothing bad has happened?      Quite the opposite, in fact-the person has had the greatest day      ever.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She began walking and Mel fell into step beside her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're right,\" she said. \"Maybe I just have a little      post-traumatic stress going because the bad when it's bad is so      very bad.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie nodded. \"I'm sure that's it, but since my wedding is coming      up in a matter of days, why don't we hedge our bets, and you just      keep picturing happy things in that head of yours.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Like puppies and kittens?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah, or go big with unicorns and glitter bombs,\" Angie      suggested.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel laughed. Angie was right. She needed to chillax. Probably, she      was just nervous about the wedding. She was maid of honor, after      all, which carried a lot of responsibility. Not that she thought      Angie would pull a runner, but it was Mel's job to get her to the      church on time, dressed appropriately, and to be prepared to crack      some skulls if anyone interfered with her best friend's wedding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Okay, glittery unicorns it is,\" Mel said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That's my girl.\" Angie paused in front of the photographer's      studio, pulling out her phone to check the time. Mel glanced over      her shoulder and noted that they were right on schedule.      Excellent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Blaise Ione, the photographer, was a friend of Tate's from his      days in the high school marching band. After graduation, Blaise      had gone to art school and lived in New York City for several      years, but when his aging mother needed him, he'd come home to      Scottsdale to be nearby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Blaise was a hardcore hipster and wore his short hair bleached      white and paired it with his large Andy Warhol glasses, striped      skinny pants, and pointy-toed shoes. He was exuberant,      enthusiastic, and always made Mel laugh. She knew the wedding was      safe in Blaise's hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Although it was a small space, Blaise made the most of it with      huge portraits decorating the black walls, and mid-century modern      furniture that made a statement as well as being a place to sit.      Through the window, Mel studied one of the chairs, which looked to      be molded out of cement. The statement she got was, This is      uncomfortable, so move along, which, knowing Blaise, was exactly      what he wanted it to say.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Angie pulled open the door and a gong sounded somewhere in the      back of the space. Leave it to Blaise to have an unconventional      door chime.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Blaise? Hello?\" Angie called out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel moved towards the wall to study the portraits. Blaise had done      Tate and Angie's engagement pictures and they were spectacular,      managing to capture the longtime friendship that had morphed into      romantic love between the couple.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mel's favorite shot had been taken in black-and-white in an old      movie theater. In it, Tate and Angie were sharing a bucket of      popcorn, the red and white stripes on the bucket the only pop of      color in the photo, as they gazed at each other with all the love      in their hearts. It made Mel water up every time she saw it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Oh, and here it was on the wall! Blaise had added it to his      display. Mel felt her throat get tight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hey, I didn't know he was going to put that up,\" Angie said as      she joined her. \"That's my favorite.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Mine, too,\" Mel said. \"Wow, it keeps hitting me that in a few      days you'll be married to Tate.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know, right?\" Angie grinned. \"Say it again, it makes me dizzy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"In a few days you'll be married to Tate.\" Mel laughed and hugged      her friend close. \"I am so happy for you both.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Thanks,\" Angie said. \"Man, I can't believe I spent all those      years thinking he was in love with you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Idiot.\" Mel's voice was teasing when she said it, and Angie      laughed and said, \"Yep.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They sighed and then glanced around the studio. There was no sign      of Blaise. They glanced at each other and Mel shrugged.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Blaise, hello,\" Angie cried out. \"It's Angie, your favorite      bride.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Silence greeted them. Mel felt the hair on the back of her neck      begin to prickle. No, no, no! She wasn't doing that again. She      pictured a unicorn prancing through the studio. It didn't really      help.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Probably, he's in the bathroom,\" she said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah,\" Angie agreed. \"I'll just poke my head in the back.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Okay,\" Mel said. Under her breath, she began to chant, \"Unicorns      and glitter, unicorns and glitter, come on, unicorns and glitter.\"","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302350868709,"sku":"NP9780399583834","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780399583834.jpg?v=1767743718","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/wedding-cake-crumble-isbn-9780399583834","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}