Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)

Sprinkle with Murder (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #1)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85  ·  rating details  ·  2,060 ratings  ·  275 reviews
Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need t...more
Mass Market Paperback, 222 pages
Published March 2nd 2010 by Berkley Prime Crime
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One For The Money by Janet EvanovichPleating for Mercy by Melissa Bourbon RamirezFatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie BentleyChocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne FlukeHomicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
First books of some good cozy series
9th out of 232 books — 252 voters
One For The Money by Janet EvanovichChocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne FlukeAbby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria LaurieMurder is Binding by Lorna BarrettThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Best Cozy Mystery Series
44th out of 657 books — 632 voters


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Community Reviews

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Kate
I picked up this book because I liked the theme (yummy cupcakes!), the cover (so fun looking!) and the idea that the book revolves around the death of a bridezilla to be. Sadly, reading the book wasn't as fun as looking at its cover.

The book definitely has its moments, and there is some good writing in here. But, with that being said, I could have filled most pages with red ink correcting editing mistakes and ridiculously awkward and confusing sentences (ex: "If everyone was looking at her, then...more
Jill
Jun 15, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: cozy


Cute and cozy. The characters were likable and though the murderer was not a big secret, I really liked the way the connections were made. On to the next in the series!
Melissa
It was a really light, fluffy, breazy book. I chewed through this very quickly (no pun intended!). I thought the main characters were done very well. It's hard not to like a character named Mel (my nickname!). I love the conflict between Mel and her rival Olivia. That really made me laugh. I thought the mystery part was pretty simple...I figured out who did it about halfway through. But, I enjoyed getting to know the main characters better (Mel, Angie and Tate) as well as Mel's mother and Angie'...more
Helen
This is the fist in a proposed series of "cupcake mysteries" and there is at least a second book. These theme mysteries all have the problem of having to take place in connection with a particular shop or business, but you just say "whatever" and dive in. I don't know Scottsdale, but it doesn't matter since the setting, other than the immediately adjacent shops, isn't stressed. The characters are likeable and their long time connection with each other is warm and natural. You can tell that movie...more
Kathryn CA
Originally posted at http://kathrynsbooknook.wordpress.com...

This was like many cozy mystery novels... interesting mystery that you figure out almost immediately, but the journey sure is interesting. I really like to read cozy mysteries, especially in winter... it is just so gosh darn cozy. hehehe. Okay, that was way lame.

In this series, we are introduced to Melanie Cooper, a marketing guru turned cupcake maker. After five years in the fast lane of competitive marketing, Mel realized that she wa...more
Drebbles
Melanie Cooper, with the help of friends Angie DeLaura and Tate Harper, is finally living out her dream as owner of Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Business is doing well and she is thrilled to be asked to make 500 cupcakes for Tate’s wedding even though she isn’t fond of his fiancée Christie. When Christie turns up dead with one of Mel’s cupcakes nearby, the police seem to think that either Mel or Tate killed her. It is up to Mel to find the real killer before the police send the wrong person to jail.

“Spr...more
Myhotstylist
Awesome start to a delishous new series!!!!

Meet Mel and Angie, owners of Fairytale Cupcakes Bakery in Scottsdale Arizona. When their longtime best friend and co-owner, Tate decides to marry the worlds worst bridezilla, their booming buisness takes a massive plunge when the bride-to-be is found dead in her fasion studio, the only evidence being one of Mels origional recipe cupcakes found in her hand.

The police have built an incredibly strong case against Mel, and if things werent bad enough, her...more
Ali
Mar 10, 2010 Ali rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: mystery
The limited cast of characters and one bang you over the head clue made the murderer's identity ridiculously obvious but the characters saved the day. The poorly hidden clue, because there was only one, is something this author needs to work on as the same problem appeared in the first book of her other series, Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence, albeit in the Lawrence book the clue happened before the murder. The plot was a light, fast and enjoyable read but there was one aspect that was just so...more
Bookadventurer
Whacktacular, used by Angie in this book is my new favorite word of the week. I know other reviews didn't rate this book high, but I found the limited cast of characters refereshing and Sprinkle with Murder was just an all around fun read. Unlike some other foodie cozies, the author doesn't take pages to describe the character making something step-by-step, which is definite plus. AND the cupcake recipes in the back sound awesome, especially the Mojito which I'm gonna have to try out soon.

Overa...more
Leah (The Pretty Good Gatsby)
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....


This one is a slightly older book (where has the time gone that 2010 is old??), but I love me some cozies and this one sounded so fun! Melanie and her best friend Angie open a cupcake shop, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, in a quaint little neighborhood and everything seems perfect until their other best friend Tate becomes engaged.

The three have been best friends since 6th grade and now that bridezilla extraordinaire Christie is around, things are quickly going down...more
bella
I read SPRINKLE WITH MURDER as part of a readalong with the Cozy Mysteries group on Goodreads. I hadn't heard of this series or author before, but I'm always keen to read more cozy mysteries so I thought I'd give it a go.

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER centers around the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, run by best friends Melanie and Angie. The third muskateer (so to speak), is their best friend, Tate, who is also the financial backer of their business. Tate's fiancee is found dead and all fingers point to Mel...more
Sharon Epperson
Cupcake bakery mystery #1 is a fun read. The cupcake bakery, located in Scottsdale, Arizona's Old Town district, provides a fun location, especially for those of us who live or have lived in the Greater Phoenix area. The geography is right, and what could be more fun than murder and cupcake recipes.

Three best friends (from junior high twenty years ago) have opened a cupcake bakery. Cupcakes and cupcake baking lessons are their stock in trade. Mel and Angie are partners in the business, and their...more
Chris
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Text Addict
I finally ran down the first volume (okay, actually I asked the library to find and hold it for me) because it's good to read all the books in a series! Especially when you like the series, and I like this one.

McKinlay sets up several of the running plot threads (Mel's romance, the deranged competitor Olivia, and Angie's secret crush) right in the first volume. Having read the 4th volume I can assure fellow readers that the romance and crush show development and change, which is good; Olivia is...more
Vickie
Ooooooo....the recipes in the back of the book...Mojito, Death by Chocolate, Tinkerbells, and, my favorite, Blonde Bombshell....if only for the recipes, get the book! What's even better is that it's a fab-ly written mystery with splendiferous characters. I love feisty Mel and even feistier Angie. The surrounding characters are nifty, too, especially the cupcake girls' best friend Tate, fiance (sorry, can't figure out the accent thingee for fiance) of the bridezilla fashion designer biotch Christ...more
Beverly
Sprinkle With Murder is a delicious addition to the food themed cozy mystery genre. Melanie Cooper, along with her two best friends, Angie DeLaura and Tate Harper has just opened up Fairy Tale Cupcakes. All is sweet until Tate’s egomaniac fiancée, fashion designer Christie Stevens; demands Melanie create five unique cupcake flavors for the wedding. Did I mention that she also demands the sole rights to Melanie’s creation? Of course, it’s no surprise when Christie ends up dead with one of Melanie...more
Jackie
Thirty-somethings Mel, Angie, and Tate have been best friends since grammar school. Best friends through good times and bad. But, now that Tate is engaged to society snob, Christie Stevens, their get-togethers aren't as frequent as they would like. Christie is head-strong, bossy, pushy, and rich. What sweet-natured Tate sees in her is beyond Mel and Angie. Having said all that, Mel and Angie agree to create the newly engaged couple's wedding cupcakes out of their Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Chri...more
Michelle
This is the first book in the Cupcake cozy mystery series. We meet two friends who have set up a cupcake bakery, Mel and Angie, which is financed by their third friend, Tate. While starting out, they agree to do the cupcakes for Tate's wedding to Christie, a fashion designer bridezilla. When Christie insists on having unique cupcakes for her wedding and have them exclusively hers, Melanie works hard to make them and hands them over to two of Christie's employees for delivery. When Christie ends...more
Danielle
I waffled between giving this book two or three stars, and I finally settled on three, for story alone. Or maybe we should fudge and say 2.5.

The story is cute and clever. Mel and Angie have just opened a cupcake bakery, Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Their business partner is their longtime best friend, Tate. The three of them are inseparable, having the kind of friendship only lifelong friends can have. They quote old movie lines at each other and get together regularly for classic movie nights.

Other cha...more
CJ - Secret Charm
A cute light cozy mystery featuring Mel Cooper, a small business owner of Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Along with her childhood best friends Tate and Angie (Tate is a partner, Angie is a co-manager), Mel is happy with their movie nights and steady stream of customers.

Until Tate decides to ask Mel to make the cupcakes for his wedding with snobby bitchy Christie Stevens, a designer with a cold-hearted manipulative streak. Then, because she doesn't want to hurt her friend she decides to sign a contract tha...more
Alexandra
I have completely and utterly found a new favorite genre of books. The "cozy murder mystery." Why didn't anyone tell me these books existed?!?!
I randomly found this book on listopia while perusing a list of books with cupcakes on the cover, don't ask me how I got there. The cover caught my eye and the description made me laugh out loud. "…the ladies need to find the real murderer - before the cupcake killer ices someone else…" LOL

Mystery books have always appealed to me, but sometimes they get t...more
Stacy
3.5 stars!

I liked that the characters were fun and the relationships interesting. Mel was a strong woman who followed her dreams and was comfortable in her own skin. She still had her insecurities with men, which only made her more appealing.

I liked that it was a fast and easy read and a great set-up for the series. This was a perfect first book for the read-a-thon. Not my normal type of mystery, this was more of a cozy, but it was solid. I chose it because I can now say I’ve been to Arizona in...more
Suzanne
Jenn McKinlay has whipped up a great new series in "Sprinkled with Murder," and after reading this book, I can't wait for the next installment. One would think that with all the buzz around cupcakes these days, it would be hard to put a fresh spin on this genre, but McKinlay certainly knows baking, and her geography, which makes for an interesting read.

The setting for this cozy mystery is Old Town Scottsdale. McKinlay's description of the surrounding area is spot-on, so much so, that I can pict...more
Lindsay
I think why I liked this book is because it was short and quick and none of the characters (except for the chick who dies and the mom) annoyed me. I still don't understand how these people can work in a cupcake shop and not weight a billion pounds since they eat cupcakes for like every meal. And crazy as it is, it didn't make me want cupcakes.
Friends Melanie and Angie (who I kept getting mixed up) own a cupcake shop and are friends with Tate who is getting married to a snooty rude woman who ends...more
Julia
I know, like I need to involve myself in another cozy mystery series that involves yummy sounding recipes! I really enjoyed Sprinkle With Murder, the first in the cupcake bakery series. McKinlay has written a wonderful freshman tale. There were great characters, a fast paced story, and just enough twists to keep me guessing. I was drawn to the vivid descriptions of the Fairy Tale Bakery, with it's 50's pink and grey decor and location near the tourist area of Scottsdale. Owners Melanie and Angie...more
Tracey
Finally! An author who can write a culinary mystery without dumbing down her characters, without throwing in trite and forced dialogue, who can convey individual characters who don't do dumb things, and can construct a plot that has a real twist!
I'll be reviewing this for my book review blog, The Written Universe ASAP!
I've already bought the next book in the series, Buttercream Bump Off.
I'm looking forward to reading it soon!

Here's the full review posted to my book review blog The Written Unive...more
Jenn
Culinary Cozies thinks SPRINKLE WITH MURDER is a “Yummy Read.” This first book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, by Jenn McKinlay, is a sugarcoated treat.

This cozy mystery centers around three lifelong best friends that own Fairy Tale Cupcakes. Melanie and Angie are the working partners while Tate is their financial backer. Life was “sweet” … until Tate’s not-so-nice fiancé is murdered with a cupcake rolling out of her hand. Thus beginning a police investigation that promises to shut down th...more
Jess
This is the first book in this mystery series, although the author does have two or three other books under a different name out. Well my first impression of this one, it was really short!! I mean, I read it within a few hours short. Also, in the beginning I don't know if I was really tired, but I had a hard time keeping track of the different characters, and it took me a little while to figure out who was narrating. It was strange.

Other than that, I liked the mystery, it was a little predictabl...more
BJ
"Sprinkle with Murder" is the first in Jenn McKinlay's new Cupcake Baker mystery series. Melanie and Angie, financially back by another lifelong friend, Tate, own the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Tate is getting married and his fiancee (Bridezilla) has ordered 500 cupcakes for their wedding. When arriving for a morning meeting, Melanie finds the fiancee dead and Melanie and Tate are the top suspects in her murder. So Melanie sets out to figure out who really did it and the list is long! I thought...more
Wendy Cantu


The Unlikely Sleuth:
Mel Cooper, owner of Fairy Tale Cupcakes.

Synopsis:
Mel and her best friend Angie, co-owners of a cupcake bakery, receive their first big event order: a wedding. Except that wedding is between their other best friend, Tate, and his bitchy, control-freak designer girlfriend. Biting their tongues, the girls agree to accommodate the bridezilla, but when Mel stops by to go over cupcake flavors she finds the bride-to-be dead. Being suspected of murder, Mel must find the real kill...more
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Cozy Mysteries : Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay (Nov 1st) 80 89 Nov 27, 2011 09:37pm  
Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)
Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)
Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)
Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)
Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #1)

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Jenn is the New York Times bestselling author of the Cupcake Bakery mysteries as well as the Library Lover's mysteries. She also writes under the names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle. She lives in Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets and her husband's guitars.
More about Jenn McKinlay...
Books Can Be Deceiving (Library Lover's Mystery, #1) Buttercream Bump Off (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #2) Death by the Dozen (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #3) Due or Die (Library Lover's Mystery, #2) Red Velvet Revenge (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #4)

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