Jenn McKinlay is masterful at keeping this long running series feeling fresh. Strawberried Alive has a tinge of sadness to it- Mel gets a lot of resentful behavior directed her way from the other Old Town Scottsdale business owners who think she's to blame for a recent spate of violence in the neighborhood. It was an interesting difference in the usual tone, and I think this book did a nice job highlighting all the ways the bakery's owners and employees have grown and changed over the series. I'll continue reading these as long as Jenn McKinlay keeps writing them.

STRAWBERRIED ALIVE is the latest book in Jenn McKinlay's popular Cupcake Bakery Mysteries, and she left me devouring this book whole!

All seems calm at the Fairy Tale Cupcake Bakery. Mel is happily married to Joe, and Angie and Tate are enjoying the early days of parenthood. However, things look to change when Mel is shot at outside the bakery, and local business owners start turning up dead! Is Mel the target, and who would want to kill her neighbours? Mel and her friends are going to have put their special skills to the test to solve this one.

I love this series. I've been reading them since I discovered the first book, SPRINKLE WITH MURDER, in 2011. They are always on my must-buy list, and every book just showcases how fabulous this series is. The latest instalment is no different. I love the slightly different angle of this one, with Mel being targeted. Is it for something she has previous done? Maybe someone doesn't like her sleuthing? Without gushing too much, I simply loved the mystery and especially the final denouement. Mel definitely gets to have a Miss Marple moment, with unveiling the killer!

I can't say enough good things about this series. If you haven't read these yet, I strongly recommend picking up SPRINKLE WITH MURDER and reading all of them. While it is not essential to read them in order, these books are like cupcakes and you simply can't have just one!

STRAWBERRIED ALIVE is another fantastic instalment in the series, and I can't wait to see what adventures Mel, Angie and Tate go on next!

Strawberried Alive: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery
By Jenn McKinlay
Berkley
May 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Until shots are fired at Fairy Tales Cupcake Bakery co-owner Melanie Cooper DeLaura, Mel thought her biggest headache would be refrosting hundreds of cupcakes to match the ever-changing mind of her bridezilla client. Honestly, after thirteen previous murder investigations it’s a miracle that it’s taken this long for Mel to appear on someone’s hit list, be it from an unhappy client, envious rival baker, or the dozens of killers she and her assistant district attorney husband Joe have helped to put behind bars. While Mel is bunkered into a safehouse and saddled with unwanted bodyguard/cyber investigator Dwight Pickard, another local businesswoman closely resembling Mel is shot and taken out. As much as Joe would prefer to keep his new bride protected and out of danger, he knows that with her business and her friends in jeopardy, nothing will prevent Mel from investigating. A series of escalating attacks and deaths have the mayor and neighboring businesses directing blame towards Mel, and as a result she and Fairy Tales Cupcake Bakery are cancelled by their clients and customers.

Mel is fortunately never alone in her investigations, with her business partners and besties Angie and Tate now married themselves and more than enthusiastic about helping track down a killer. Angie’s seven older brothers, one of whom happens to be Mel’s own new hubby, toe the line on both sides of the law while protectively circling around their sister and sister-in-law. It doesn’t take long to discover that financial shenanigans are ensuing as struggling businesses fall deeper in debt to escalating payments they will never be able to make.

This 14th in the buoyantly fun series continues to make the lifetime friendships between Mel, Joe, Angie, and Tate feel so real and alive. They have been shown to grow as individuals, but the humorous banter, movie-related trivia competitions, and good-natured teasing have remained throughout into adulthood. Even Mel’s mother and her Uncle Stan have found love together, rounding out the couples who have discovered happiness in their Scottsdale, Arizona town. While Mel and her team expend a considerable amount of effort eliminating suspects and questioning victims’ friends, they still have enough time to craft unique pastry confections, including the title-inspired Strawberry Surprise Cupcake. The witty dialogue balances perfectly with the genuine threats facing Mel and her business, and a gather-up-the-suspects finale is surprising, thrilling, and very satisfying. Come for the delicious cupcakes and descriptions of mouth-watering baking, stay for the heartwarming moments and tangled web of a plot.

This is the first book I've read in McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, but I had no problem jumping in at book fourteen! I was introduced to baker Mel and her DA husband Joe right as Mel is getting shot at behind her bakeshop, Fairy Tale Cupcakes. When more business owners in the area are attacked--with some ending up dead--Mel is determined to find out what's going on.

I just love Jenn McKinlay's writing style for cozies. She really jumps into the story and doesn't dilly-dally with unnecessary details or backstory. You get what you need and nothing more--all excitement and no fluff. With likable characters, a dash of romance, and a creative mystery that makes you think, what more could you ask for?

This is the first Jenn McKinlay cozy mystery that I've "read." Now don't get me wrong--this is not my first Jenn McKinlay cozy. I am a HUGE fan and her books are my go-to; I just normally listen to them on audio! And in the end, I actually think they're a bit better suited for audio, given their length (which is incredibly short). They make the perfect 7 hour audio book, but run a little short for a supposedly full-length novel I'm sitting down to read. But, if that's my only complaint, that's hardly a complaint at all!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

Another delicious cupcake mystery! This fun and fast-paced cozy kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out whodunit while getting my sweet tooth fix at the same time.

I was not prepared for everything going on in this book.
Someone fires shots at Mel as she is leaving her bakery, and everyone is on full alert to keep her safe. Angie is worried about her best friend and it seems that the perpetrator isn't stopping.
I became glued to the pages as I read this book, and was shocked to find I read it without stopping!
This was the perfect book for a lazy Sunday at home, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a good, solid mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of Strawberried Alive.

#StrawberriedAlive #NetGalley

When someone shoots at Mel as she is leaving the bakery late one night, the (over?) protective instincts of everyone around her kick in, while they all try to figure out if she was a target because of Joe's job, her involvement in past murder investigations, or if it was simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This is one of my favorite cozy series, and I was sucked in to this story almost from page one. The setting doesn't really seem important to most of these books – they could happen almost anywhere – but I like the descriptions of the town and the area surrounding it. The recurring characters feel like old friends by now, and I enjoy visiting with them each time I read another book. It's fun, too, to learn a little more of their backstories as the series progresses. As far as the mystery goes, there are plenty of potential motives and suspects. I was able to figure out some of it, but not all, and it was great seeing the bad guy get carted off by the police. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

The Old Town business district is in an uproar in Jenn McKinlay's latest Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, Strawberried Alive. Something is not right. When Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery's co-owner Mel Cooper is shot at the usual crew steps up to help solve the mystery. I really enjoy reading along as the characters in this series follow clues and help solve the murder mysteries. This one was especially intriguing as the answer was so complex. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

While I had parts of this figured out before the characters did, the ending with the who-done-its was intricate and involved. I loved the mystery and all of the twists and turns. This one definitely kept me guessing until the reveal at the end. I love the characters in this series and feel like they are friends now. Looking forward to the next one!

This was another great installment in this series! I love Mel and Angie, and I feel like I've really watched them grow up. It's amazing how there have been so many books in this series yet it doesn't feel like it's losing steam and there are so many great side characters too. I loved that this one started with lots of action and didn't let go. As far as cozy series go, this is one of the best!

An excellent continuation of this series. The author always leaves anxiously anticipating the next book in the series.

Strawberried Alive opes with Mel being shot at as she's closing up the bakery. From that tense and dramatic opening, readers follow along as Mel's business neighbour is shot - was she mistaken for Mel? Is it someone from a past mystery or an enemy of her husband?
I like that this one gave Mel a chance to shine and be less hijacked by Angie, it really made the story flow better. There's a nice number of red herrings and the story came together nicely. McKinley continues to keep readers engaged with her writing and charmed by her characters.
Once again, I am craving cupcakes and the recipes at the end look delicious.

Another fun installment in this great series. I didn't love Joe and Uncle Stan's behavior in this one--just a tad too machismo for me. But the characters and plotting were still enjoyable.

I just could not see how Mel would forgive her fellow store owners. There were a lot of twists to this story that made it very interesting and an exciting ending.

The Cupcake Bakery Mysteries are such fun romps. I've read all of them and enjoy returning to the quirky cast of characters. I thought I'd figured the mystery out pretty early on, but there were more layers to it than I expected. This is a good pick if you want something light and silly to zone out to.

Jenn McKinlay writes the best cozy mysteries. This series never disappoints -- beloved characters, engaging mysteries, humor, and cupcakes -- what more could you ask for?

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Jenn McKinlay already engaged her fans in this new book long before its release. It was named by a fan who also won a namesake character within the story.
I love cozy mysteries, but series tend to lose my interest around book five or six. Conversely, this is the fourteenth installment in the Cupcake mystery series, and I found it to be one of the best of the bunch! The core characters are back with Mel in the lead. There’s an attempt on her life, then several attempted and successful murders in Old Town. I was delighted to be surprised by the conclusion.
A quick and enjoyable read.

As Mel was leaving the cupcake bakery one night she is shot at. Her husband Joe and her Uncle Stan a detective are afraid it is in retaliation for one of the murder cases she was involved in. As they lockdown Mel another shop owner is shot and as she looks like Mel they believe she was mistaken for her as they are looking at all the people from Mel's past who could be involved yet another shop owner is murdered. Is some out to get all the owners in Old Town? Or is something far more insidious going on?

I love Jenn Mckinlay books and this series is one of my favorites. The whole cast of characters are fun and lovable and very well rounded. The mystery in this book was great and fasted paced. I did not want to put it down. I am looking forward to the next one.

I love all Jenn McKinlay's cozy mystery series. The Cupcake Bakery has some wonderful characters that are developed from the beginning of the series and the reader can follow them through their lives and get to know them well. This installment centers around Mel and her new husband and involves someone who wants to sabotage the bakery. The bakery crew comes together with their community to solve the mystery which comes to an unexpected end. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of the Cupcake Bakery crew

When Mel gets targeted by a gunman, everyone races to protect her. Then, at a local business meeting someone initiates a petition to CLOSE the bakery. What? As the mystery unfolds, we find out that many Old Town business owners are jealous of Fairy Tale Cupcake's success while other businesses tank. A sketchy loan company accepts life insurance policies as collateral and suddenly MORE people are injured or dead! Tate, Angie, Joe, and all the DeLuca brothers assist Mel in finding the answers Uncle Stan needs to make an arrest. I loved that one of the character's name was a person who won the book title contest. Jenn McKinlay is so sweet and kind to do this for all her fans!