Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my copy of Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay Narrated by Susan Boyce in exchange for an honest review. It published October 10, 2023.
First off, Susan Boyce did a really great job. I really enjoyed her talented performance!
I found this book to be fun and easy to listen to! I found lots of excuses to keep listening to this book. This was my first book in this series, and the author does a really good job at catching you up on who is who, that you don’t feel lost!
The mystery was very interesting, the cupcakes sounded delicious, and I loved this cast of characters!

I enjoyed this audiobook recording of Sugar Plum Poisoned,
It was fun hearing about the beautiful cupcakes and made the Christmas season more festive.
I thought the characters were likeable and would like to read more in this series.

Fairy Tale Cupcakes has been tasked with creating specialty cupcakes for singer Shelby Vaughn while she is in town. Shelby is an old friend of Angie’s so the bakery crew is more than happy to take on such a large project. Everything is going well until Shelby’s manager is found dead with one of the bakery’s cupcakes in her hand.

Sugar Plum Poisoned is the fifteenth book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. It could be read as a stand-alone but I would highly suggest reading the books in order for context. This one is holiday themed but it could really be read any time of year. (Sometimes I just need a Christmas book in the middle of summer.)

Mel never can catch a break can she?! I was able to figure out the twist a little faster than usual with this book but it was still fun to puzzle everything out. Even with this being the fifteenth book in the series the storyline is still fresh.

I highly recommend the audiobook. Susan Boyce narrates it (along with all of the previous books in this series) and she does a wonderful job.

The Cupcake Bakery Mystery series continues to be one of my favorite bakery themed cozy mystery series. (There are unsurprisingly quite a few.) I enjoy all of Jenn McKinlay’s work whether it’s one of her mystery books or a contemporary romance. Her writing is outstanding and I look forward to whatever she has next for her readers.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Great voices, full range of age and gender, the reader had me completely immersed.

Book number 15 of 16 for the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series but this is book number one for me. It’s Christmas time, the most wonderful yet busiest time of the year, especially for a bakery of any kind much less the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, but what is one more special order. Up and coming country singer Shelby Vaughn and a friend of Angie’s is in town to perform and she needs some special cupcakes for the VIPs. Mel is leery at first because she doesn’t know Angie but soon finds herself won over because Shelby is so genuine and sweet, which balances out her new manager Doc (nope he isn’t a medical doctor) who is all business. Angie and Mel aren’t sure it isn’t monkey business because Doc seems to be keeping Shelby from associating with anyone and everyone. So of course Doc is the victim but who is the killer? And what was Mel thinking by having her brothers take care of decorating the house for the family gathering? Speaking of the family gathering…Mel’s mom asks for Mel to host which means two days of meal prep because this is a BIG group. There are some very entertaining parts with plenty of sweetness and snark, my kind of cozy. The suspects are plentiful and guilty looking. The laughs are plenty and the recipes are AWESOME. This is a stand-alone but I need to go back and read from the beginning to see how the relationships develop.

Jenn McKinlay never fails to write a fun cozy mystery! I love Angie and Mel and their mystery adventures. Highly recommend!

Title: Sugar Plum Poisoned: Cupcake Bakery Mystery, Book 15
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Narrated by: Susan Boyce
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Length: Approximately 7 hours and 14 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley

Cupcakes or cake? I love them both.

In Sugar Plum Poisoned, Mel and Angie run a bakery in town. As they prepare for the holidays, Angie’s old friend, the now famous singer Shelby, has arrived back in town to give a Christmas concert. The friends enjoy being together again, but when Shelby’s manager is found murdered, will they be able to solve the crime?

Sugar Plum Poisoned was a cozy Christmas mystery that I enjoyed. I loved the friendships, the baked goods, and trying to solve the mystery. I did guess who the murderer was before the end, but I enjoyed the journey getting there. I did feel stressed out for Mel when both sides of her family wanted her to host a very specific holiday celebration when she was already busy with her bakery and solving a crime.

I did not realize this was book 15 in the series when I read it. It worked well as a standalone novel, but I would love to learn the history of the characters. I may need to check out the other books in this series.

Susan Boyce was a good narrator for this audiobook.

When singing sensation Shelby arrives in town for two weeks, she hires her old friend Angie and rest of the crew to supply cupcakes for VIPs at her concerts. After overhearing Shelby in a heated argument with her manager, Mel is concerned. When Shelby’s manager is found dead, Mel and Angie stand up for their friend, determined to prove her innocence before she’s frosted for a crime she didn’t commit.

I love the Fairy Tale Cupcake gang and their cozy mystery antics. I thought this was a festive edition to the series! I love the audiobook!

What a wonderful installment!! I absolutely loved spending Christmas with Mel, Angie, and the rest of the gang. Ray DeLaura definitely stole the spotlight of a few chapters, but I didn’t mind. He may be my favorite of the brothers- besides dear Joe, of course.

I love anything by Jenn McKinlay. This book does not disappoint. The mystery is light-hearted and engaging, the characters are strong and well-developed. It’s a must read!

When I requested this book I didn’t realize it was a part of a series — but it didn’t matter much while I was listening! I really did enjoy the mystery and the personalities of the characters. It’s definitely a light-hearted, slightly cheesy mystery, but it made me look forward to going back and reading more in the series!

Sugar Plum Poisoned is the 15th gem in Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, and the magic is still alive. Set against the festive backdrop of Christmas, Mel and Angie juggle their cupcake business and busy regular lives. When Shelby, Angie's friend, gets caught up in a murder case, the trio, aided by the familiar faces of Uncle Stan, Joe, Oz, and Tate, dive into solving the mystery.

The story unfolds with a cozy charm, and the Christmas recipes made my stomach growl. The characters bring humor and support, making the book thoroughly enjoyable. I had my suspicions about the culprit but relished the suspense until the end.

Susan Boyce's narration in the audiobook is fantastic, giving each character a distinct voice that keeps you engrossed in the story. Overall, a great read that keeps the excitement alive for the next chapter in this engaging series.

I always love the new Jenn McKinlay's and this did not disappoint. I love the bakery and the small community in which the characters live and work.

I received an advance audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a fun installment in a series that's new to me. While there were references to earlier storylines, it didn't feel excessive or like I was missing anything by reading this book without having read the others. So that was nice.

I enjoyed the friendships between Mel, Angie and Shelby and felt the clues were cleverly hidden throughout the story.

I was a little disappointed with some parts that seemed to start off in one direction (like giving an exclusive interview to someone they charged with a specific task, but we never circled back around to hear what he found out). So, it felt a little rushed in that sense. But overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story, even though I knew fairly early on who the killer was. It was still entertaining to see how it all got resolved.

I would certainly read another story in this series, and look forward to reading more from Jenn McKinlay.

Thank you to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay
Narrated by Susan Boyce
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine, General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: October 10, 2023

Sugar Plum Poisoned is the 15th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. I've only read one other book in the series and found this one easy to read as a standalone mystery.

This was a cute Christmas mystery, but it felt slow to me. I had trouble coming back to it and it was almost a DNF.

The narration by Susan Boyce was good. I enjoyed how she brought each character to life.

Overall, I thought the story was interesting but I had trouble connecting to the characters. It is a fun mystery and has a nice Christmas theme.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Again I find myself starting well into a series but I'm not mad about it. I never felt like I was out of touch coming in on book 15.

Mel and Angie run a bakery and when an old friend of Angie's, Shelby, comes to town to put on a Christmas Music Concert they're hired to provide the pastries. Now, Shelby's manager is found dead and Shelby is a suspect. Mel works to get to the bottom of the murder.

This is a super nice cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review this book. Susan Boyce did a wonderful job at narrating.

i love reading holiday books and Sugar Plumed Poison was the perfect book to kick my holiday reading off.

Fun and interesting characters , intriging mystery, and lots of holiday cheer.

Pick this one up if your a cozy mystery fan or a holiday reads fan, heck you don’t have to be either, you only have to be a fan of a good read to enjoy Sugar Plum Poison

Sugar Plum Poisoned is book 15 in the Cupcake Mystery series set at a fancy cupcake shop in Scottsdale Arizona. This book was a fun to listen to ... an up and coming country singer is in town to sing holiday tunes and the cupcake shop gets to cater for VIP guests. The country singer's manager gets murdered and since he wasn't the nicest guy to be around there are lots of viable suspects.
The nice thing about a long running series like this one is that it's perfectly reliable. If the writing or the mystery were bad it wouldn't keep being successful. I have not read all 15 books and it isn't necessary if you are just looking for a cozy seasonal mystery this one will fit the bill. I have read a couple of the books in the series and the added bonus was returning to a familiar cast of characters, it was fun! If you are looking for a seasonal read with fall vibes the 12th installment Pumpkin Spice Peril may be the way to go …

The books in the Cupcake Bakery series are a delight to read. The Christmas focus of this addition was a nice change of pace. I love Mel and Angie and their Fair Tale Cupcakes creations. The characters are well developed and it was fun to get a peak into the music industry with Angie’s friend, Shelby, as she performs concerts at the Hotel Grande. There are lots of twists and turns and you are left wondering who the murderer is until the very end. I think you could probably read this as a standalone, but I would encourage you to go back and read from the first one so get a complete background into the characters that make up the Cupcake Bakery series. I know my stomach is growling from all of the delicious delights that are described throughout the book. Yum! I can’t wait for the next adventure with the gang in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

My first experience with this author or series but it was well written with good pacing, plot and characterization. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about this title but it is a good series alternative for readers who enjoy food themed cozy mysteries.

Step into the enchanting world of Fairy Tale Cupcakes, where sweet treats meet sinister secrets in "Sugar Plum Poisoned" by Jenn McKinlay. This Christmas season, the ovens are sizzling, and the holiday spirit is in the air, but the bakers at Fairy Tale Cupcakes find themselves in a tantalizing tangle of murder, intrigue, and cupcakes that will leave you craving more.

The narrative kicks off with the arrival of the up-and-coming singing sensation, Shelby Vaughn, in town for a series of concert dates. Shelby, a longtime friend of Angie, one of the bakers at Fairy Tale Cupcakes, hires Angie and the rest of the bakery crew to supply cupcakes for the VIP guest lounge every night. The festive atmosphere takes an unexpected twist when Mel, another member of the crew, overhears a heated argument between Shelby and her manager. Concerned about Shelby's well-being, Mel and the bakery crew decide to make the best of their time working with the star, despite the tension in the air. The plot thickens when Shelby's manager is discovered dead, clutching a piece of fabric from a Santa suit and a cupcake. With the bakery crew and Shelby's backup dancers all dressed in similar Santa costumes, the situation becomes a baffling puzzle as no one can determine the true identity of the killer. As suspicions start pointing towards Shelby, Mel and Angie rally to her side, determined to prove her innocence. They embark on a quest to uncover the truth, determined to ensure that Shelby isn't unjustly accused and "frosted" for a crime she didn't commit.

"Sugar Plum Poisoned" is a thrilling and festive mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they follow the bakers of Fairy Tale Cupcakes in their quest to unravel the mystery behind the murder and clear their friend's name, all amidst the backdrop of the Christmas holiday season. With a blend of suspense and holiday spirit, this novel is a put-on-the-reading-list for those who enjoy a deliciously engaging mystery. Susan Boyce, the audiobook narrator, helps bring out the captivating holiday atmosphere, as well as the emotions of the characters involved in the murder mystery.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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