A review by theavidreaderandbibliophile
Murder Most Sweet: A Bookish Baker Mystery by Laura Jensen Walker

3.0

Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker is the debut novel in A Bookish Baker Mystery series. Teddie St. Johns is a strong female protagonist who is an author, avid baker, and breast cancer survivor. Teddie writes a cozy mystery series set in a town similar to her own of Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin. She is a likeable and relatable protagonist who is going through early menopause (from chemo). We get to see how the breast cancer has changed Teddie’s body and life. There are some humorous moments. There are a variety of secondary characters that includes her fashionista mother, Sheriff Brady Wells, and her two close friends, Char and Sharon. Teddie has an American Eskimo dog named Gracie who is such a sweetie. Two women die in this whodunit after famous author, Tavish Bentley comes to town. Teddie becomes a suspect because she has no alibi and her scarf was used as the murder weapon. The evidence is circumstantial, but the police must follow procedure. The clues, like the killer, were obvious. I would have liked a more challenging mystery. Despite two murders, romance is in the air for Tavish and Teddie. At times, Murder Most Sweet felt more like a romance than a mystery. Teddie likes to bake and does so frequently especially when she is stressed. She whips up treats for friends and for bribes to get information. It was interesting learning about the pastries native to Teddie’s ancestry and Wisconsin like the Kringle. To my disappointment, there foul language present throughout the story (mild). I preferred it when these type of words were taboo in cozies. There is a scene involving Gracie that dog lovers will find upsetting. I loved the Lord Grantham reference. Murder Most Sweet is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a bevy of baked goods, an attractive author, modish mother, a concerning contract clause, and one worried writer.