Emory Martinez is enjoying her new job taking care of her octogenarian friend Tillie and launching her new cupcake catering business. Emory has her hands full baking treats for the Halloween bash at Tillie's home. The costumed affair is going well until Emory witnesses a fight between a buxom waitress and her brother-in-law Thomas. Then Emory finds the woman dead in her bathtub with Poison Apple Cake Pops stuffed in her mouth.

Emory's pregnant twin sister Carrie is worried about Thomas' innocence so she and Tillie start asking questions. The trail leads the sleuthing duo to Tillie's country club ladies and they soon discover plenty of suspects that wanted Mandy dead.

Meanwhile, Emory's employer David Skyler drops a bombshell on the family by bringing his fourth wife home. Tillie and David's two sons Brian and Teddy had no idea their father was dating anyone so soon after the death of his previous wife. And Barbara aka the Dragon Lady is a demanding, unpleasant woman who is turning their lives upside down.

This was a better story than the previous book. Emory and Tillie are a great duo and the annoying traits that Emory showed in the first book are less obvious here.

There are also plenty of tasty Halloween-themed recipes listed at the end of the book.

I received an eARC from Netgalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Emory is still busy with her cupcake bakery and caring for Tillie. They have a Halloween party and the barmaid ends of dead in Emory’s bathroom. When Emory learns that her brother in law is a main suspect she knows she has to find the killer. I really enjoy the characters in this series. Tillie is my personal favorite and I hope to learn more about her. The mystery was good and lots of red herrings. I enjoyed the book!
#CakePoppedOff #NetGalley

This cozy mystery is the second in a series. Since I hadn’t read the first one, I can say that it works just fine as a standalone. The author, Kim Davis, provides plenty of background information without it being an “information dump,” which I really appreciated. There are multiple story lines here and more than the one death referred to in the title, so it was fun to try to figure out how all the threads were connected. There’s even a little bit of romance along the way.

As you might expect with a book in this food-oriented cozy genre, there’s a lot of detailed descriptions of food, especially baked goods. I could have done without reading the detailed steps of how the main character, Emory, made some of her baked goodies, but that is a very minor quibble. The author obviously knows a lot about baking and cooking and it shows.

Also enjoyable were the descriptions of the location in the Newport Beach/Laguna Beach, California area. Having visited there, I could really picture the scenes and it brought back lovely memories.

I particularly loved Tillie, the octogenarian, and I hope she makes appearances in other books in this series. Sprinkles of Suspicion is the first book in this series and I look forward to catching up and reading that one in the near future.

An extra feature is that the author has included several full recipes at the end of the book for items featured in the story (and some that weren’t, if I remember correctly). I was delighted to see the recipe for the Chai Cupcakes, because my mouth was absolutely drooling when I was reading about Emory making those.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cinnamon Sugar Press/Independent Book Publishers Association for a chance to read this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Recommended.

In addition to her cupcake catering business, Emory Martinez works for the Skylar family as a bookkeeper to the family patriarch, David and as a caretaker for his eighty something year old mother, Tillie. Problems start when David shows up at the house with trophy wife number 4, who is intent on putting Tillie in a home and making the life of all of her husband’s employees miserable. To make matters worse, the barmaid at the Halloween party Emory and Tillie throw ends up dead in Emory’s bathtub. Her brother in law, who was seen arguing with the victim before her murder is the prime suspect. Emory wouldn’t mind letting the police handle it, but her sister begs her for help. Soon she and Tillie are on the case. Between trying to solve a murder, keeping Tillie in check and trying not to get fired from either of her day jobs, Emory’s is having a hard time finding time for the new man in her life.

The characters are delightful, and the mystery is entertaining, if somewhat predictable. A really fun read.

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kim Davis and Cinnamon & Sugar Press for the ARC of the book Cake Popped Off! This is the second book in the series Cupcake Catering Mystery Series. This is my personal review of the ARC.

I enjoyed the first in the series and looked forward to this book.
Emory is a cupcake baker and also a caretaker for Tillie.
Emory and Tillie host a Halloween party and it sure does not go the way they thought it would.
I enjoy the friendship between Tillie and Emory. Finding the killer before they strike again keeps them busy.
This is a cozy mystery series you will enjoy.

This is the second book in the Cupcake Catering mystery series and has a Halloween theme.
Tillie (Octogenarian employer) host a Halloween party in Em’s home (pool house of the Tillie’s estate). Emory Martinez (EM) is a cupcake caterer and caretaker for Tillie, along with part-time accountant for Tillie’s son, David Skyler.

Em finds the conniving barmaid dead in her bathtub. When the police are called, Em gets to meet her best friend Brad’s, new boyfriend, Detective Gabe O’Neill.

Soon we discover the victim appears to have been a swindler.

This story had plenty of twists and turns. For me, it started off slowly. I found it better than the first so there was no sophomore slump in this series. I enjoyed the character interaction, the active and inquisitive octogenarian Tillie, and the commitment to family.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

This is the second installment in the Cupcake Catering Mystery series. This is a very good cozy mystery. I really enjoy the relationship that Emory and Tillie have even though there is a large generational age gap! The closeness of their friendship really shines through. The murder mystery is very well done and keeps the reader engaged until the end. The added family drama/mystery in Emory’s own family was an intriguing bonus to the story. The only downside of the book for me, was Emory herself. She seemed different than when he met her in the first book. She was described as naive in the first book and that doesn’t seem to be the case as much in this one, but in many respects she comes across as too self absorbed and just not quite as likable. I’m hoping that in future installments she’ll mature more and become more self confident and independent.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! It’s a very good book and I am looking forward to what happens next.

Cake Popped Off! was a fun and engaging cosy mystery with several likeable and relatable characters, in addition to a well crafted mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I loved the friendship between Emory and Tillie, even with their age gap.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

An easy cozy for a relaxing read. Not very mysterious and the characters are basic
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me this arc

This is a fast paced mystery with well written characters. Unlike the characters in many mysteries, these are well developed and grow from one book to the next. And the story had a twist I didn’t expect. This was a hard book to put down.

Emory Martinez and her fledgling cupcake catering business are squeezed between her friend and employer, Tillie, and her son and new wife who seem to be trying to take over Tillie’s finances and independence. When a shocking murder puts Em’s cake pops as possible murder weapons during Tillie’s Halloween party, Emory gets to meet her best friend Brad’s, new boyfriend, the drop-dead gorgeous Detective Gabe O’Neill. They soon discover the victim appears to have been a swindler, and the question is who had the most motive to kill her?

The mystery is top-notch and had me popping from one suspect to another only to have my suspicions lead to dead ends. Surprise after surprise had me enjoying the plot moves and startling revelations! A wowser of an ending left me very satisfied with this excellent cozy mystery. The author treats readers to several tasty recipes after the story concludes.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and IBPA. Thank you.

Cake Popped Off is the second installment in the Cupcake Catering Mystery Book series featuring accountant and cupcake baker, Emory Martinez. Emory has settled into her new job working part time as an assistant to David Skyler and caretaking for his mother, Tillie in her luxurious California home.

Tillie is having her annual Halloween party with Emory's sister Carrie providing the food and Emory supplying the scrumptious desserts. Things seem to be going well until the flirty barmaid is discovered dead in Emory's bathtub. Having witnessed her arguing with several party guests including her own brother in law Thomas, Emory sets out alongside Tillie to track down a killer.

When David's new, much younger wife is found dead in the family swimming pool, Emory begins to suspect that the two murders are connected and there is a possibility that the earlier death of David's second wife might also be suspicious. A whirlwind investigation reveals that there are plenty of hidden secrets among the upper crust and Emory must work quickly before she becomes the next victim.

An engaging plot, a delightful relationship between Emory and Tillie that will have you laughing out loud at their hijinks and a startling reveal about a secret that Emory and Carrie's mother has been hiding will leave readers eagerly looking forward to the next addition in the series. Chock full of delicious recipes you can spend your time baking (and drinking) while you wait....

I received an advanced copy of Cake Popped Off from NetGalley via Cinnamon & Sugar Press. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

#CakePopped. Tilley and Emory host a Halloween costume party which comes to an abrupt end when Emory finds a dead women in her living quarters. The lady has several of the pop cakes Emory made for the party stuffed in her mouth. They of course decide to investigate the murders on their own. Which quickly puts them on the radar of the killer.
The investigation becomes more complicated when Tilley's son marries his third wife. Her pushy, bossy and rude attitude causes Emory much stress and takes away from her time to devote to the investigation. When Emory finds her dead in the pool along with a clue pointing to the fact that the same murderer killed her she and Tilley become more determined to solve the crimes.
I love the interaction of Tilley and Emory despite the age difference. I am am fan of the food themed cozy mystery. This one has baking and catering as subplots. The inclusion of recipes always increases my enjoyment of this genre. The request beloved pet is also included within the story. Halloween is my all time favorite holiday so the fact that this is set during the holiday is a big plus for me.
I am sure any lover of the cozy mystery will love this stor

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to get going on this one. This is a fab cosy mystery and probably one of my favourites. I can’t wait to have a read of this authors other stories!

Having not read the first book in this series, I was a little leery of reading this one, as I like to read my series in order. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It could be read as a stand-alone. A good selection for cozy mystery collections and readers.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this digital ARC. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

I read the first book in this series a while ago and it took a couple of chapters to remember the characters and background. I don’t think it is critical that you have read the first but it does give a bit of background and some references are made to the plot of the first novel. This 2nd in the series was even better than the 1st. It was a very well written, enjoyable cosy romance. All the characters were very well written and if you suspend your scepticism on whether their actions are very true to life it makes a really.enjoyable escape.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book. I am really looking forward to book 3.

I haven't read the first book in this series but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the first one. As cozy mysteries go, this is one of the best I have read. The characters are engaging and the plot line interesting. Totally loved it. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Book number two in the series was even better than the first!
Emory and Tillie are hosting a Halloween bash, and well, things do not go as planned!
I absolutely adore Emory and Tillie!
This book has all the qualities of a top notch cozy mystery.
The characters were entertaining and the whodunit was well written and certainly kept me guessing.
I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the next one!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Cake Popped Off! by Kim Davis is the sec0nd book in the Cupcake Catering Cozy Mystery series and it may even be better than the first! What keeps drawing me back to this series is the relationship between Emory and Tillie, and in book two Davis shows how well they compliment each other while they are following leads and questioning people in Tillie’s ring of high society friends. Even though in the books, Emory and Tillie have only known each other for a short time you can feel that they truly care for each other.

And since this is a cooking cozy series I am really impressed with the amount of recipes included and how well Davis incorporates the baking into the story. Between Emory’s baking treats to help sweeten people up before interrogating them or making black cat cookies for her nieces to decorate, I think it adds another wonderful layer. And then you have Tillie drinking cocktails before cocktails and she encourages Emory to join her… I want an older friend like that!

As for the mystery, I did not figure out whodunit early, which always pleases me. Davis gave us lots of suspects and I was happy it didn’t turn out to be who I thought it was going to be, because that would have made the book a bit depressing. And we are left with an interesting reveal that I am excited to see how it will play out in future books.

Another great book in the series and I highly recommend Cake Popped Off!

I did not read the first book in the series prior to reading this. I will say, however, I am going to purchase that first book because I found this one absolutely delightful. I found myself looking forward to picking up where I left off.

Emory Martinez is a accountant/assistant and caretaker for an elderly woman from a wealthy family who also has a side business baking cupcakes. Except the elderly woman, Tillie, is sprightly and energetic and has a nose for sleuthing. When a woman is murdered at Tillie's Halloween party and Emory's brother in law is the prime suspect, Emory starts digging to find out who actually done it. During her digging, she finds it might be easier to list who isn't the killer.

I love books, especially mysteries, with baking in them. Emory's cupcake creations (and the book comes with recipes!) sound scrumptious and I love the friendship displayed between she and Tillie. Kim Davis creates a thoughtful atmosphere, although it was easy for me to picture since I grew up in Orange County, but you can almost hear waves crashing from her prose.

I have zero negative things to say about this book. I loved it and I would definitely re-visit these characters again in this book and any others. More please!