I love a wonderful, fun, crazy, cozy mystery and Strawberried Alive certainly hits that mark. In this 14th installment, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew is back to solve another crime, this one involving the attempted shooting of head baker, Mel. Although quite a few books into the series, it’s the only one I’ve read and I don’t feel like I missed any backstory that wasn’t explained, so I say it can certainly be called a stand alone. And after the humor and enjoyment of this one, I’ll definitely be back to read more in the series!

This is my first audiobook by Jenn McKinlay that I have listened to and narrated by Susan Boyce. I have read this series in the past and enjoyed the recipes at the end of the book, but this book seem to focus on the mystery part more than the cupcake 🧁 baking . It was an an interesting story to listen to and give my eyes 👀 a break, but I would have preferred a different narrator who could do the voices better. I really love this mystery series, but maybe I should go back to reading the actual book instead of listening to the audiobook. Bravo Jenn, just please consider getting another narrator for your next 📕.👏🥰🇨🇦📕💐

What can I say about this series that I haven't said 13 other times??

Every new installment is just another visit with my close friends; Mel, Angie, Tate, and Joe.

Even though roles are changing, I love how Jenn still has a way of bringing everyone together at the bakery, and to investigate crimes.

This installment was a little darker to me than others in the series. Not that it is not a true Cozy, its just that the crimes seemed so personal and targeted. The reason for the crimes was very scary and realistic.

Now to wait for book 15...

I was provided the audio version of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I highly recommend this series to any Cozy or Light Mystery readers.

Name of Book: Strawberried Alive
Author: Jenn McKinley
Publisher: Dreamscape Media LLC
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: May 3, 2022
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.2 Stars!

This is Number 14 in Jean McKinley’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery series but my first! I was delighted that it wasn’t difficult to catch up on the characters ~ Angie, Tate, Mel and Joe.
Mel DeLaura, the owner of a bakery in Old Town Scottsdale is our main character in this delightful story. She and Joe are newlyweds and very much in love. One evening as Mel is leaving her bakery an unknown gunman fires a shot at her, lucky missed however the next day, Naomi, Mel’s shop neighbor is shot.
This sends the ‘cupcake crew’ from the Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop into high alert ~ who would want to hurt shop owners in this small community.

This story was great ~ we cozy mystery readers know that Cozy Mysteries have a bit of a formula which we totally expected
 Fun entertaining - character based
 The crime-solver is usually a woman who is well liked, a shop owner ~ (bakery, restaurant, or book shop) or is a Librarian has a dog or a cat, and of course, is an amateur sleuth
 Love Interest ~ is sweet and wholesome.
 All the residence know each other and most are likeable
 Mystery but no blood and gore
 Little to no profanity.
Yep story fulfills all check marks.
This mystery is more creative and more involved than my usually Cozy stories.
I really liked it ~ in fact, added it to my list of favorite reads.
Love the characters and the movie talk was fun ~ reminded me of the movie talk in the Andy Carpenter series.
I am looking forward to Jenn McKinley’s next cupcake story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 3, 2022.

This was a fun cozy mystery that I will recommend to people who need a break. I enjoy the progression of the series. I have been reading the series off and on since book one. It is nice to see how the series have progressed. It is a nice slice of daily life and I enjoy stories set in shop communities.

I love this series especially the camarderie between mel, Angie, Tate, dear Joe, Marty, oz and all the delaura brothers oh and we can't forget uncle Stan love uncle Stan. It was whoa from the get go the shots fired at mel, oz spraining his ankle, then the other shop owners wanting to close fairy tale cupcakes down and that was just the beginning it got better from there, it was way better then any roller coaster I have ever been on in a great way let me tell you if you haven't started this yet get to to it is amazing.

This book has all the elements I love in a cozy mystery... Quirky setting, interesting characters, good mystery. I really enjoyed the read until about halfway in. I figured it out way before any of the characters began to suspect which made it a little less compelling. Unfortunately the real problem for me was that the lead started doing things that were really stupid. Things that could get her and her friends killed for no good reason. Things that would have ultimately nullified court cases and convictions. SHE'S NOT A COP! SHE'S A BAKER! Her step dad is chief of police and her husband is a prosecuting attorney for crying out loud... And neither of them ever tell her off for literally tampering with evidence? Come on!
There is a line between nosy investigation by a lay person, and lay person who solves the crime but completely ruins the court case and therefore my overall enjoyment of the story. In the second half of the story I just kept thinking "what are you doing!?!" over and over again. She kept literally ruining the investigation. It's frustrating to read a cozy murder mystery where you know that probably nobody is going to jail because the main character messed everything up in the name of helping.

All that said, I mostly enjoyed the story. I would probably read another one in the series because I liked the characters and the setting enough to tune in again. If you enjoy cozy mysteries you'll probably enjoy this one.

Jenn McKinlay never fails to write a fun cozy mystery! I love Mel and her crew and their mystery adventures. The mystery was very well paced and had me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommend!

I haven't read the previous books in this series of books. However, that didn't stop me from understanding or enjoying the book. That being said, maybe it has kept me from noticing any continuity issues. In the middle of the book her best female friend suggests the same thing that someone earlier had already suggested, yet Mel takes it like she'd never thought of it. Same thing happened later in the book when questioning a spouse of a victim. Hopefully not a growing trend for this author as it tanks a good series.

My only other comment is that the tittle is a a big stretch for to the story. There wasn't a consistent strawberry cupcake theme. The only buried alive was financially.

People are being shot at in the Old Town business district of Scottsdale, AZ. Mel, the owner of a cupcake bakery, and her husband Joe, a district attorney investigate the cause after one of the other business owners blames her for the rash of shootings. Will they discover the hooter before any more people are hurt? A very good cozy mystery, and the descriptions of the cupcakes made my mouth water! I was disappointed there weren't at least a few recipes at the end.

Book Review // Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay

4/5 🌟

Small-town bakery owner, Mel has her life turned upside down one night when a gunman takes a shot at her. As Mel, her friends and family, and the police investigate, more business owners are attacked and it’s a race against time to figure out what is going on and stop the killer!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - This mystery was fast-paced with lots of twists and turns, which I loved! (It kept me guessing until the end!) The characters were also so like-able and I loved the bakery setting!

DISLIKES - Nothing!

Read if you like:
*cozy mysteries
*a small town setting
*a stand-alone book that is also part of a series

#14 in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series continues with most of the same characters as the previous books. It is a delightful book where you can like the good guys and get riled by the bad ones. This is a book for vacation reading and when your brain just wants some wholesome entertainment or esape.

I would rate it 4 stars except the reading was a little too simplistic and repetitive.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!

When an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel, the whole town seems to be focused on her Fairy Tale Cupcakes shop and not for good reasons. Soon after Mel’s close call another business owner is murdered and all evidence points to the killer being another local. Mel and her crew of crime solvers get to work trying to catch the murderer before there are any of victims.

Strawberried Alive is book 14 in the Cupcake Bakery series and is still just as fun and suspenseful as book 1. Just when Mel thinks things are finally settling down for her everything starts falling apart. In spite of the suspicions of the other local business owners, her employees/friends stay loyal. Of course she has to take things into her own hands to solve the crime because what else is she supposed to do?

While this book is part of a series, it could be read as a stand alone. (You should just read the whole series though because it is delightful!) There are definitely a few good twists that kept me guessing until the very end.

If you enjoy a good cozy mystery this one does not disappoint. I have read most of the series and plan to go back and read the few I’ve missed.

While I did enjoy the book. I’m not sure about the narrator for the audiobook. There was not enough differentiation between characters which could be confusing for someone not familiar with the series.

Another wonderful visit with the characters of Fairytale Cupcakes and Old Town that have become more like old friends rather than just characters on a page. The narrator of the audiobook does such a wonderful job of bringing the well written characters, their emotions and actions to life making the visit seem all that more real. If you haven't started this series, you really should as there is hours of delightfully entertainment for you to get lost in not to mention all the wonderful cupcake creations that they come up with as they work to untangle the mystery in each book. This book was fantastic as it kept you guessing who was trying to kill the shop owners in Old Town and once again Mel and crew were right in the middle of things! This series just keeps getting better and watching the characters evolve is just the thing you need to really connect with them. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Short but cute except for the fact that almost all the male characters are at least somewhat paternalistic. And also people are dropping like flies. The narrator was, as always, very good.

A super fun whodunit cozy mystery that will make you crave cupcakes! I cannot believe this is the first time I’m reading a book from Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series - I’m hooked! 10/10 recommend!

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Strawberried Alive is book 14 in Jenn McKinlay's cozy cupcake mystery series, and I listened to the audiobook. The truth is, I chose this book entirely because the cover is gorgeous and the title is so fun.

First of all, let me address the fact that I have not read the other books in this series. While I could still enjoy Strawberried Alive, I did feel like I was missing a lot of background on the characters and their relationships. Specifically, I had a very hard time knowing who was related to whom - which people were siblings, versus who was parent and child, and who was married? I also had trouble nailing down the age of the main character, Mel, who came across as older but was newly married; near the end of the book, there was mention of starting a family, so I eventually decided she is young-ish. I think my confusion at these basics would not have existed if I had read the previous books.

Now, addressing this Strawberried Alive story itself, it was really good! Shop owners in the Old Town shopping district are threatened and scared when several of their own are targeted. I really loved the feel of Old Town, the descriptions of the shops and shop owners. The descriptions made me want to go for a visit and stroll down the streets, window shopping while I enjoy a cupcake. And let's talk about the cupcakes: Mel is the owner of a cupcake shop, one of the landmarks of Old Town. The talk about cupcakes - the ingredients, the process, the comfort, fun, and feelings cupcakes elicit - THIS was my favorite part of the book. Afterall, isn't this why one reads a cozy cucake mystery, for the cupcakes? Yes, please!

The mystery was well-planned, intricate, and satisfyingly resolved by the end. I would pick up another Jenn McKinlay cozy cupcake mystery in this series. The audiobook narrator was easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Strawberried Alive by Jen McKinlay is the fourteenth mystery in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. In this cozy mystery, cupcake shop owner, Mel, finds herself in the middle of another investigation when a shooter starts aiming at small business owners in the Old Town Scottsdale, where Mel’s Fairy Tale Cupcakes is located.

I have read the whole Cupcake Bakery Mystery series and each book pulls me farther into the series, Strawberried Alive is no exception. I loved this mystery as much as the whole series and enjoy following Mel and company on their many investigations. I love the characters in this series and can’t get enough of their shenanigans. This is a great mystery series and I love the audiobook narrations, which is what I listened to when reading Strawberried Alive. If you haven’t checked out this cozy mystery series yet, you need to!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC audiobook of this mystery!

Strawberried Alive is book 14 in the Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. I've only read one in the series so you don't have to have read the previous books in this series to enjoy this one.

Someone is terrorizing Old Town store owners. Mel, the owner of Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, is shot at one night and it is assumed that she is the target. Jealous store owners who aren't doing quite as well as the bakery see this as their opportunity to remove the "bad element" in the neighborhood. Mel isn't going to stand by while her business is ruined and other store owners are targeted by the gunmen.

In some cozy mysteries, the characters are a little too quirky to feel like real people, but that isn't the case with this book. I felt like I could visit this place. I also think it would make an excellent television show. I kept thinking about the TV show Hart of Dixie while I was listening to this book.

The narrator Susan Boyce does a great job. There are a lot of characters in this book, but each one had their own unique voice and I didn't have any trouble keeping them straight.

The mystery is a good one. There is a lot going on in the town that others weren't aware of. They were right about there being an insidious actor among them, they were just wrong about it being Mel who wanted to ruin their businesses.

I found my favorite pumpkin cupcake recipes when I read Pumpkin Spice Peril and I was really looking forward to a few new recipes. I like that this series includes the recipes at the end. The audiobook ARC didn't have the recipe but I also received an ARC of the ebook and the recipes were there. I'm not a big fan of strawberry cake but I might have to make the coconut cupcakes. There is also a recipe for Hummingbird Cupcakes. I was just looking at a recipe for Hummingbird Cake so maybe I'll make the cupcake version.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Wednesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/04/two-awesome-audiobook-mysteries.html

Part of series.
Really like the series and characters Mart,.Oz and the brothers are fun.
This story was a little easier to guess the outcome.
Still a enjoyable read.
Voluntarily reviewed.
Like the narrator.