I’ve read the first three books in Cupcake Catering Mysteries by Kim Davis, and although I have book four on my Kindle, for some reason I missed reading it… I’ll have to remedy that soon!
A lot must have happened in book four because when I was reading Buttercream Betrayal there were some new characters, but Davis is such an excellent writer that I wasn’t lost at all. So if you do pick up book five without having read the previous ones, you should be fine, although I highly recommend you start with book one, Sprinkles of Suspicion.

Davis once again shines with her well developed characters that always make me feel like I’m coming back to visit friends. Tillie is a rich, elderly lady that is still spry and might be one of my favorite characters. I am also enjoying how Davis is handling the romance between Emory and her chef boyfriend, Brian. They are going slow and I’m interested to see if this will continue or if a new man might be in her future…

Besides coming back to this series because of the characters, I always look forward to the food descriptions throughout the story and the recipes at the end of the book. Apple picking season will be happening soon in Wisconsin and I’m excited to try some of the recipes out. And those mermaid cupcakes at a new client’s house sounded amazing.

As for the mystery, this book is full of action along with blackmail, puppy mills, and money laundering. There are several red herrings that lead to numerous surprises along the way.

Another great book in the Cupcake Catering Mysteries and I’m looking forward to book six! ( )